Jesus was to appear with us in glory

JESUS WAS TO APPEAR WITH US IN GLORY
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
Colossians3:4 4
When Christ, who is your life, appears,
then you also will appearwith him in glory.
BIBLHUB RESOURCES
Pulpit Commentary Homiletics
The Believer's FinalManifestationWith Christ
Colossians HYPERLINK"/colossians/3-4.htm"3:4
T. CroskeryWhen Christ, who is our Life, shall be manifested, then shall ye
also with him be manifested in glory. The believer's life will not be always
hidden, any more than the believer's Lord. There will be a period of
manifestation for both. This marks the last stage ofspiritual life.
I. CHRIST IS THE ESSENCEOF OUR SPIRITUAL LIFE. This is more
than saying that our life is hid with him or that he is the Author of it. "He that
hath the Sonhath life" (1 HYPERLINK "/1_john/5-12.htm"John
HYPERLINK "/1_john/5-12.htm"5:12;Galatians HYPERLINK
"/galatians/2-20.htm"2:20;Philippians HYPERLINK "/philippians/1-
21.htm"1:21). We possessthis life in virtue of our union with him and his
resurrection(John HYPERLINK "/john/14-19.htm"14:19).
II. WE SHALL SHARE WITH HIM IN HIS FINAL MANIFESTATION. 1,
The manifestationof Christ is the "blessedhope" of the saints. (Titus
HYPERLINK "/titus/2-13.htm"2:13;1 HYPERLINK "/1_timothy/6-
14.htm"Timothy HYPERLINK "/1_timothy/6-14.htm"6:14;2 HYPERLINK
"/2_timothy/1-10.htm"Timothy HYPERLINK "/2_timothy/1-10.htm"1:10;2
HYPERLINK "/2_timothy/4-1.htm"Timothy HYPERLINK "/2_timothy/4-
1.htm"4:1-8.) He will then be seenas he is (1 HYPERLINK "/1_john/3-
2.htm"John HYPERLINK "/1_john/3-2.htm"3:2), though mockers may ask,
"Where is the promise of his coming?" (2 HYPERLINK "/2_peter/3-

4.htm"Peter HYPERLINK "/2_peter/3-4.htm"3:4). He will then appear
glorious in his person, glorious in his retinue of angels, glorious in his
authority.
2. We shall share in that manifestation. "It doth not yet appearwhat we shall
be, but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall
see him as he is" (1 HYPERLINK "/1_john/3-1.htm"John HYPERLINK
"/1_john/3-1.htm"3:1 HYPERLINK "/1_john/3-1.htm", HYPERLINK
"/1_john/3-1.htm"2);"We wait for the Saviour" (Philippians HYPERLINK
"/philippians/3-21.htm"3:21); "The glory thou hast given me I have given
them" (John HYPERLINK "/john/17-22.htm"17:22);"If so be that we suffer
with him, that we may be also glorified together" (Romans HYPERLINK
"/romans/8-17.htm"8:17).We shall be manifested with Christ in the glory of
our complete manhood, when the conjunction of soul and body shall be
perfect and indissoluble. We may well setour mind on things above in view of
such a glorious prospect. - T. C.
Biblical Illustrator
When Christ who is our life shall appear then shall ye also appear with Him in
glory.
Colossians HYPERLINK"/colossians/3-4.htm"3:4
Christ our life
C. Hodge, D. D.Whatis meant by life? The word is very comprehensive, and
includes —
1. Appropriate activity.
2. Happiness. The life here intended is
(1)not natural life;
(2)not intellectual life;
(3)but spiritual and eternal life. Christ is our life in that He is —
I. ITS AUTHOR.
1. He saves us from death.
(1)By His atonement which satisfies the law.
(2)By delivering us from the powerof Satan.

2. He is the author of inward spiritual life. Because—
(1)He procures for us the gift of the life-giving Spirit. He has redeemedus in
order that He might receive the promise of the Spirit.
(2)He not only merits, but imparts the gift of the Holy Spirit.
II. ITS OBJECT.
1. The exercises in which Christian life consists terminate on Him.
2. The happiness involved consists in fellowship with Him. He is our life as He
is our joy, portion, inheritance.
III. ITS END. It is Christ for us to live. While others live for themselves —
some for their country, some for mankind — the believer lives for Christ. It is
the greatdesignof his life to promote Christ's glory and advance His
kingdom. Inferences:
1. Testof character. The difference betweenthe true and nominal Christian
lies here. The one seeksand regards Christ as His life only as He delivers from
death; the other as the end and objectof life.
2. The true way to grow in grace, orto get life, is to come to Christ.
3. The happiness and duty of thus making Christ our life.
(C. Hodge, D. D.)
Christ our life
W. Steele, M. A.1. Life is seenaround us striking out in tender beauty in the
tiny flowerwhich opens its delicate bosom to the light of the sun, or
developing into majestyand grandeur in the giants of the forest — this is
vegetable life.
2. Life is seenbreaking out in the songs of birds, and displayed in the
movements of the lowercreatures and in the manifold activities of men — this
is animal life.
3. Life is seenin the speculations of the philosopher, the researchofthe
historian, the musings of the poet, and the contrivances of the architect and
mechanician— this is intellectuallife.
4. Life is seenin that hatred to sin, those yearnings after holiness, those graces
of faith, hope, etc., the anticipation for heavenwhich characterize the true
Christian — this is spiritual life, To Christ all these may be traced, but Paulis
here speaking ofthe last.
I. CHRIST ON THE CROSS IS THE SOURCE OF OUR LIFE. Spiritual life
is no new principle; it was bestowedby Christ as the Almighty Creator. But

here we have to view Christ not as the Lord of life, but the victim of death.
What an amazing contrast. Yet by the latter He brought life and immortality
to light. From this His life flows out to those dead in sin.
II. CHRIST IN THE HEART IS THE ESSENCEOF OUR LIFE. He not only
procures, but is our life. "I am the life." When we receive life we receive Him.
The faith which saves embraces notan abstraction, a truth, but a Person.
Many are satisfiedwith knowing about Christ — the Christian has vital union
with Him.
III. CHRIST IN HIS ORDINANCESIS THE SUPPORT OF OUR LIFE. All
life requires sustenance.A flower that receives no rain or sunshine withers.
God has appointed means for the nourishment of our life.
1. Secretprayer. What is this? An interview with a Person, not the mere
utterance of desire breathed into the vacantair; growing intimacy with
Christ; the soaring of the soul into the atmosphere of love and joy which
makes the pulse of life beat more firmly. "The Christian's vital breath," etc.
2. The Sabbath, and its opportunities for sustained intercourse with Christ in
sanctuary services (Psalm HYPERLINK"/psalms/63-2.htm"63:2). The want
of profit in these arises from not seeking Godin them. Those who find Him
receive augmentationof life.
3. The Lord's Supper, in which Christ brings Himself speciallynear, and to
realize Him in it is to receive out of His fulness grace for grace.
IV. CHRIST ON EARTH IS THE PATTERN OF OUR LIFE. All life has
some outward manifestation. Every grace embodies itself in act. "Work of
faith," etc. God has given us a rule in His Word after which we should
conform ourselves. But He has taught us also by example. In Christ's lowly
condition He has taught us not to be ashamedof our poverty. As a workman
He ennobled trade. The sorrowful may be comforted by thinking of the Man
of sorrows. Whatan example we have in Him of self-sacrifice, love,
forgiveness, courage,etc. The closerwe study His life the more we shall be
assimilatedto it as Moses was to the glory of God (2 HYPERLINK
"/2_corinthians/3-18.htm"Corinthians HYPERLINK "/2_corinthians/3-
18.htm"3:18).
V. CHRIST IN HEAVEN IS THE CONSUMMATIONOF OUR LIFE. Here
we have but grace, glorylies beyond. His presence in glory is a pledge that we
shall share it. The bonds of union will be drawn closer. "Foreverwith the
Lord," etc. Conclusion:There is no true life but in Christ. Let us beware lest
Christ's lamentation, "Ye will not come unto Me," etc., be over us.

(W. Steele, M. A.)
Christ our life
JabezBunting, D. D."Whatthink ye of Christ?" The proper answeris the
text. It is not said merely that He lives in us, or that we live by Him or through
Him, but that He is our life. Let us apply this —
I. TO THE CHRISTIAN'S RELATIVE LIFE: justification.
1. We are all dead in law. The soul destitute of the favour of God is dead.
There remains only the executionof the sentence to complete our misery.
2. In this state Christ finds us and undertakes to be our life. One of the first
questions of an awakenedsoulis, "How shall a man be just with God?" The
gospelreplies, "Believe onthe Lord Jesus Christ." There was such merit in
His cross that God, though just, becomes a Saviour. It is not by the works of
the law or repentance, but by the atonementlaid hold of by faith that we
legally live. But this only justifies us instrumentally; Christ through it
meritoriously. Whatever view the Scriptures take of it — release from curse,
deliverance from wrath, remission of penalty, acceptancewith God — Christ
is always the author.
II. TO THE CHRISTIAN'S ACTUAL LIFE: sanctification.
1. Our death in sin is not only a death in law, but a proper alienation from the
life of God. Before we can be restoredto communion with God a life of purity
must be imparted. Of this Christ is the cause, His Spirit the agent, His word
the instrument, His example the model. The outcome of all which is that as He
was so are we in the world.
2. But Christ is our life not only as it respects the way in which we are made
holy, but as it respects holiness in detail. He is(1) the life of all Christian
graces.(a)Faithwhich gives life to goodworks, holy tempers, joyful affections;
but faith is looking to an object; that objectis Christ. It is receiving a gift; that
gift is Christ.(b) Hope. Our anchor is castwithin the vail, and is sure and
steadfast;but if Christ had not entered first our attempts to castit had been in
vain.(c) Love. Christ is its object, purifier, director.(2)The life of all Christian
duties. They are inspired by Him and directed to His glory.(3)The life of
Christian ordinances. These will be wells without water if He be absent —
sacraments, prayers, thanksgiving, preaching.
III. THE CHRISTIAN'S FUTURE LIFE.
1. Of resurrection.(1)As His poweris the agentto effect it.(2) BecauseHis
raisedbody will be its model.(3) Inasmuch as His appearance the secondtime
will be its signal.

2. Of glory.(1) It is His to assignto eachsaint his proper place and occupation
in heaven.(2)His presence mainly constitutes the bliss of heaven.(3) The
degrees ofheavenly glory will be regulated by the degrees ofour nearness and
intimacy to Christ. Conclusion:
1. The subject addresses itselfmost powerfully to the hearers of the gospel.
Preachers labourin vain, hearers listen in vain, if there be no communication
of life.
2. To earnestseekers ofsalvationthe subjectaffords much encouragement.
You want pardon, purity, strength, hope. Secure Christ for your life and you
will have all.
3. Let Christians learn to be grateful, consistent, useful.
(Jabez Bunting, D. D.)
Christ our life
J. T. Woodhouse.— No thoughtful man can be satisfiedwith a mere worldly
life — continued existence, a round of selfishpursuits, and sensualdelights
which deaden the finest instincts.
I. THE VITAL PRINCIPLE THAT IS RECOGNIZED. The relation between
Christ and His people is vital. Christ is not merely the source and support of
their life, but is it. There can be no life — physical, mental, or spiritual —
apart from the actionof the Divine mind. A- sculptor may carve a most life-
like figure, but he cannotimpart the vital principle.
1. This life is spiritual in its nature. The Christian is surrounded by material
things, and resides in a material body; but his spiritual life is distinct. Christ
creates andcontrols it. It is the life of faith, hope, love.
2. It is eternal in its duration. It does not prevent physical dissolution, but
survives it. Christ has given us the fullest assurance ofour immortality? It is
part of the Divine life; therefore age cannot enfeeble its powers, diseasecannot
impair its beauty, and death cannot terminate its existence.
3. What is your life? Are you living to gratify the lowestor highest instincts of
your nature? If the former your life is not worth living.
II. THE SPLENDID SPECTACLE THAT IS PREDICTED.
1. The manner of Christ's appearing "in the glory of His Father with the holy
angels." It is a splendid sight to witness a military review, to see the glittering
swords, serriedranks, waving banners, to hear the clattering drums, martial
strains, triumphant shout. But no earthly scene is worth comparing with the

grandeur and solemnity of the secondcoming of Christ. Millions were
ignorant of His first advent; all shall see His second.
2. Its purpose.(1) To be glorified. Once He appearedin weaknessand
humiliation; then in power and majesty.(2)To glorify us.
3. Its time. Unknown, and to attempt to settle it is to trifle with God's Word.
When it comes it will be sudden and unexpected.
III. THE GLORIOUS HOPE THAT IS AWAKENED. From the cradle to the
grave our life is inspired by hope. The Christian hope is —
1. That one day we shall be with Christ. There are earthly companionships for
which the heart sighs. Our affections cling to those we love. The believer clings
to Christ who is the object of all his hope and desire.
2. That one day we shall participate in Christ's glory. What that glory is no
mind can conceive. Canthe seedunderstand the sweetnessand beauty of the
flower? the stone the form and grace ofthe statue? Here God's children are
often poor and unknown. By and by Christ will recognize, honour, crown
them. The poet's fame is brief, the soldier's glory uncertain, the king's crown
perishable, but the Christian's triumph certainand eternal.
(J. T. Woodhouse.)
Christ our life
C. H. Spurgeon.Yetto appear.
I. CHRIST IS OUR LIFE.
1. This is John's way of talking. "In Him was life," etc.(1)Christ is the source
of our life. "As the Father raiseth up the dead," etc. Jesus is our Alpha as well
as Omega. We should have been dead in sin if it had not been said, "You hath
He quickened." He gives us the living water, which is in us a well springing up
into everlasting life.(2) Its substance. There is much mystery in the new
nature, but none as to what is its life. Penetrate the believer's heart and you
will find Christ's love throbbing there; penetrate his brain and you will find
Christ to be its central thought.(3) Its sustenance. He is the living bread which
came down from heaven.(4) Its solace.His loving kindness is better than
life.(5) Its object. As speeds the ship towards the port, the arrow to its goal, so
flies the Christian towards the perfecting of His fellowshipwith Christ. As the
soldier fights for his captain and is crownedin his captain's victory, so the
Christian. "To me to live is Christ."(6) Its exemplar. The Christian has the
portrait of Christ before him as the artist has the Greek sculptures. If he
wants to study life, he studies from Christ. Husbands and wives truly knit
togethergrow somewhatlike eachother in expression, if not in feature, and

the heart in near fellowship with Jesus must grow like Him. Grace is the light,
our loving heart the sensitive plate, Jesus the objectwho fills the lens of the
soul, and soona heavenly photograph of His characteris produced —
similarity of spirit, temper, motive, action.
2. What is true concerning our spiritual life now is equally true of our
spiritual life in heaven.
3. This life of Christ marks our dignity. Kings cannot claim it as such. Talk of
their blue blood and pedigree, here is something more.
4. This accounts forChristian holiness. How can a man remain in sin if Christ
is his life?
5. See how secure the Christian is. Unless Christ dies he cannotdie.
II. CHRIST IS HIDDEN, SO, THEREFORE, IS OUR LIFE.
1. TO the unspiritual Christ is as though He did not exist. The worldling can
neither see, taste, norhandle Him. Yet unseen as He is He is in heaven, full of
joy, pleading before the throne, reigning, and having fellowshipwith His
saints every where.
2. The servant is as his Lord, and is treated accordingly.
III. CHRIST WILL ONE DAY APPEAR AND WE WITH HIM.
1. How?
(1)In person.
(2)With greatsplendour.
2. When? No one knows, and it is impertinent to inquire.
(C. H. Spurgeon.)
Christ our life and our hope
T. West, B. A.There are two things in daily life which exert a greatinfluence
over men — fear and hope. A man will work hard through fearthat want may
come or through hope of bettering his condition. God appeals to both to
awakenconscienceandstir up the heart to diligence. "Flee from the wrath to
come." "Layhold on eternallife." "Mortify," etc. (vers. 5, 6, and text).
I. CHRIST OUR LIFE. Many are Christ's glorious titles, but none more
precious than this. Christ is our life inasmuch as He negativelydelivers from
death. But He does much more. In a positive sense He is our life.
1. In bringing spiritual and eternal life to the soul dead in sin. There is no life
without light. When God said, "Let there be light," life sooncame. So "in Him

was light, and the light was the life of men." We cannot believe Christ till we
know Him; when we know Him we believe, and by faith comes life. "This is
life eternal," etc.
2. In being the indwelling life of the soul. An infidel once said to a man, "How
can God dwell in man and man in God?" "How can fire be in iron and iron in
fire? When the bar is in the furnace," was the reply. "In Christ." "Christ in
you."
3. Through the soul's going out to Him for spiritual life and blessing. Plants
stretch towards the light. If they are closedin a dark house, and there be a
chink through which the light shines, they will stretch in that direction. Where
there is spiritual life it will move towards Christ in faith and love.
4. In being the strength of our life. Herein lies alone our power for good
againstevil. It is no easything to live the Christian life; and forms afford little
help againsttemptation and for duty. The old man must be thrown off and the
new man put on, and Christ only is sufficient for that. .and just as we are
strong in Christ shall we be able to discharge the duties here laid down.
II. CHRIST OUR HOPE.
1. The present position of the Christian is good:his prospect is equally good.
Hence not only Christ crucified, but Christ coming was the subjectof
apostolic Leaching. Christ's first coming was the desire of all nations; His
secondthe grand hope of the Church.
2. His redeemed people will appear with Him.(1) They will for ever emerge
from their obscurity.(2) They will be made glorious. The ambition of many is
to shine in positions of honour; but surpassing every earthly distinction will be
that of appearing with Christ. "If we suffer we shall also reign with Him,"
and "be like Him" A dying soldier saidto his friend, "I am going to the
front." The front is a position of danger and honour. This goodsoldier of
Christ was going to the front to meet the last enemy, and also to receive the
crownof victory.
(T. West, B. A.)
Christ the life and hope of believers
T. Brooks.Paulin the previous verse tells believers that their life is hid.
"When shall it be discovered?" they might object. He here tells them.
I. CHRIST IS OUR LIFE.
1. As its author (John HYPERLINK "/john/14-6.htm"14:6).
2. As its matter (John HYPERLINK "/john/6-48.htm"6:48).

3. As its exerciserand actor (John HYPERLINK "/john/15-5.htm"15:5).
4. As its strengthener and cherisher(Psalm HYPERLINK "/psalms/138-
3.htm"138:3).
5. As its completer and finisher (Hebrews HYPERLINK "/hebrews/12-
2.htm"12:2; Philippians HYPERLINK "/philippians/1-6.htm"1:6). This
being the case letus —(1) Not repent of anything done, suffered, or lost for
Him. "All that a man hath will he give for his life."(2) Highly prize the Lord
Jesus. He is worthy, and considerhow highly He prizes you; and a Christ
highly prized will be gloriously obeyed.
II. BELIEVERS SHALL AT LAST APPEAR GLORIOUS (Judges
HYPERLINK "/judges/15-14.htm"15:14;1 HYPERLINK
43.htm"15:43-44HYPERLINK "/1_corinthians/15-43.htm", HYPERLINK
"/1_corinthians/15-43.htm"51-55;1 HYPERLINK "/1_thessalonians/4-
13.htm"Thessalonians HYPERLINK"/1_thessalonians/4-13.htm"4:13;
Matthew HYPERLINK "/matthew/19-26.htm"19:26-28). The reasons are
because —
1. The day of their appearing will be the marriage day of the lamb. Mourning
weeds will be put off, and glorious robes put on.
2. They shall appear as kings crowned;here they are kings electedwith the
crownin reversion(2 HYPERLINK "/2_timothy/4-7.htm"Timothy
HYPERLINK "/2_timothy/4-7.htm"4:7-8).
3. Their enemies and persecutors willsee them in their true characteras
God's favoured ones.
4. Their manifestation will make much for the honour of Christ. The more
glorious the body or the bride, the more glorious the head or bridegroom.
5. The wickedwill then justify the goodness andmercy of God in His dealings
with His people. Objections will then be answered(Job HYPERLINK
"/job/21-15.htm"21:15;Malachi HYPERLINK "/malachi/3-14.htm"3:14).
6. They shall be employed in glorious work (1 HYPERLINK
"/1_corinthians/6-2.htm"Corinthians HYPERLINK"/1_corinthians/6-
2.htm"6:2-3).
(T. Brooks.)
Christ the life and hope of the Church
JosephDavies.I. CHRIST IS OUR LIFE. Our life is bound up with His. He is
Source, Medium, Giver. This destroys every hope of obtaining salvation

without Him. Then let the sinner trust Him alone; and let this truth fill the
Christian with joy.
II. CHRIST IS NOW HID.
1. He was so to the Old TestamentChurch, before His first coming; He is so to
the New TestamentChurch before His secondcoming. There is nothing that
speaks to our eyes or ears. But this is true also of God Himself.
2. But as the invisible things of God are manifestedin creation, so the invisible
things of Christ are made patent by the influence of His preachedtruth upon
the mind and heart. We live "by faith not by sight."
3. This does not interfere with His purposes of mercy. Both God and Christ
can bless without discoveryto the senses,and if this factbecomes a snare and
an affliction to those who trust Him, it is because they seek Him by sense not
by faith.
4. By this arrangementthe gospelappeals to the higher elements of our
nature, to those faculties which identify us with the angels;and thus it tends to
lift us above the seenand temporal. It compels us to think, and should call
forth gratitude.
III. CHRIST SHALL ONE DAY APPEAR.
1. This subjectis shrouded in mystery, and every speculation as to the time,
etc., has been falsified; which should warn us off, and turn us to practical
preparation for His coming.
2. There is a sense in which Christ appears —
(1)in proportion as His cause triumphs;
(2)to nations, that knew Him not, when they receive His gospel;
(3)to believers at conversionand every stage of the spiritual life;
(4)to dying saints;
(5)to His people in the disembodied state. But these are all different from and
inferior to the manifestationat the last day.
3. His secondcoming is lookedforwardto not only by the Church on earth.
Patriarchs, etc., who never saw Him on earth awaitit; so do glorified saints
who have not forgottenthe promises they learnedhere.
4. The purposes for which He shall appear are important in relation to —(1)
His adversaries, who shallbe completelysubdued.(2) His friends, who have
been aspersedand persecuted, and shall then be honoured and rewarded.(3)
Himself; for His honour will then be vindicated in the presence ofthe Jew,

unbeliever, and denier of His Godhead.(4)God, whose justice and mercy have
been denied.
IV. HIS PEOPLE SHALL APPEAR WITH HIM IN GLORY.
1. As Christ is hid so are His people. The angels know them (Luke
HYPERLINK "/luke/15.htm"15.;Hebrews HYPERLINK
"/hebrews/1.htm"1.)but not the world, and sometimes not one another; and
many are hid in heaven.
2. When He appears so will they.(1) In countless multitudes; think of the
millions of infants who have been saved the conflict, and the millions of
believers who have triumphed over it.(2) In distinct individuality, as "every
eye shall see Him," so they.(3) As identified with Christ. "Thine they were,
and Thou hast given them Me."(4)In glory — free from sin and sorrow;
publicly acquitted; possessedofthe kingdom; body and soul happy for ever,
and both like Christ. Let us hastenforward to meet this glory.
(JosephDavies.)
The Christian's winter and summerIn winter the greentree is like the dry.
Summer comes, and the living loot produces leaves and fruits. So our winter is
the concealmentof Christ, our summer His manifestation(ver. 3). Yes, dead
full surely. But dead in appearance, alive at the roots. And think of the
summer burst which is to follow — when Christ, who is our life, shall appear.
Lo, my covenant, dear God! I will die to myself that Thou mayestlive in me.
( Augustine.)
Anticipations of glory
C. H. Spurgeon.Do youever feel like those lions in the ZoologicalGardens,
restlesslywalking up and down before the bars of their cage, andseeming to
feel that they were never meant to be confined? Sometimes they are for
thrusting their heads through the bars, and then for dashing back and tearing
the back of their dungeon, or for rending up the pavement beneath them, as if
they yearned for liberty. Does your soul everwant to getfree from her cage?
Here is an iron bar of sin, of doubt, and there is another iron bar of mistrust
and infirmity. You may have seenan eagle with a chain upon its foot, standing
on a reck — poor unhappy thing! it flaps its wings — looks up to the sun —
wants to fly right straight aheadat it and stare the sun out of countenance —
looks to the blue sky, and seems as if it could sniff the blue beyond the dusky
clouds, and wants to be away;and so it tries its wings and dreams of mounting
— but that chain, that cruel chain, remorselesslyholds it down. Has not it
often been so with you? You feel, "I am not meant to be what I am; I have a

something in me which is adapted for something better and higher, and I want
to mount and soar, but that chain — that dragging chain of the body of sin
and death will keepme down." Now it is to such as you that this text comes,
and says to you, "Yes, your present state is not your soul's true condition, you
have a hidden life in you; that life of yours pants to getout of the bonds and
fetters which control it, and it shall be delivered soon, for Christ is coming,
and the same appearance that belongs to Him belongs to you. And then your
day of true happiness, and joy, and peace, and everything that you are
panting for, and longing for, shall certainly come too." I wonder whether the
little oak inside the acorn — for there is a whole oak there, and there are all
the roots, and all the boughs, and everything inside that acorn- I wonder
whether that little oak inside the acorn ever has any premonition of the
summer weatherthat will float overit a hundred years hence, and of the mists
that will hang in autumn on its sere leaves, andof the hundreds of acorns
which itself will cast, every autumn, upon the earth, when it shall become in
the foresta greattree. You and I are like that acorn; inside of eachof us are
the germs of greatthings. There is the tree that we are to be — I mean there is
the spiritual thing we are to be, both in body and soul even now within us, and
sometimes here below, in happy moments, we getsome inklings of what we
are to be; and then how we want to burst the shell, to get out of the acorn and
to be the oak!Ay, but stop. Christ has not come, Christian, and you cannotget
out of that till the time shall come for Jesus to appear, and then shall' you
appear with Him in glory. You will very soonperceive in your rainwater
certain ugly little things which swim and twist about in it, always trying if they
can to reachthe surface and breathe through one end of their bodies. What
makes these little things so lively, these innumerable little things like very
small tadpoles, why are they so lively? Possiblythey have an idea of what they
are going to be. The day will come when all of a sudden there will come out of
the case ofthe creature that you have had swimming about in your water, a
long-leggedthing with two bright gauze-like wings, which will mount into the
air, and on a summer's evening will dance in the sunlight. It is a gnat you have
swimming there in one of its earlieststages.You are just like that; you are an
undeveloped being; you have not your wings yet, and yet sometimes in your
activity for Christ, when the strong desires of something better are upon you,
you leap in foretaste ofthe bliss to come I do not know what I am to be, but I
feel that there is a heart within me too big for these ribs to hold, I have an
immortal spark which cannot have been intended to burn on this poor earth,
and then to go out; it must have been meant to burn on heaven's altar. Wait a
bit, and when Christ comes you will know what you are. We are in the
chrysalis state now, and those who are the liveliest worms among us grow

more and more uneasy in that chrysalis state. Some are so frozen up in it that
they forgetthe hereafter, and appearcontent to remain a chrysalis for ever.
But others of us feelwe would soonernot be than be what we now are for
ever, we feel as if we must burst our bonds, and when that time of bursting
shall come, when the chrysalis shall getits painted wings and mount to the
land of flowers, then shall we be satisfied. "When Christ, who is our life, shall
appear, we also shall appearwith Him in glory."
(C. H. Spurgeon.)
COMMENTARIES
EXPOSITORY(ENGLISHBIBLE)
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(4)WhenChrist . . . shall appear,
then shall ye also appear with him in glory.—This describes the last stage of
the spiritual life—the glorificationwith Christ in heaven, manifesting what
now is hidden, and perfecting what exists only in germ. (Comp. 1
HYPERLINK "/context/1_john/3-1.htm"John HYPERLINK
"/context/1_john/3-1.htm"3:1-2, “Now are we the sons of God, and it doth not
yet appearwhat we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we
shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.”) This same conclusionends
the corresponding passage in Philippians HYPERLINK "/philippians/3-
21.htm"3:21.
In all these Epistles we note how constanta reference there is to the “glory of
God,” and to the share in it reservedfor us. So we also note the especial
reference to the “appearance ofChrist” in the PastoralEpistles (see 1
14.htm"6:14;2 HYPERLINK "/2_timothy/1-10.htm"Timothy HYPERLINK
"/2_timothy/1-10.htm"1:10;2 HYPERLINK "/2_timothy/4-1.htm"Timothy
HYPERLINK "/2_timothy/4-1.htm"4:1;2 HYPERLINK "/2_timothy/4-
8.htm"Timothy HYPERLINK "/2_timothy/4-8.htm"4:8; Titus
HYPERLINK "/titus/2-13.htm"2:13), and the constantrevelation of it in the
Apocalypse.
The whole passageforms a complete and magnificent picture of the spiritual
life in Christ—the means of its beginning, the signs of its presence, and the
hope of its close. It may be comparedwith the fuller yet hardly completer
picture of Romans 8.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary3:1-4 As Christians are freed from the
ceremoniallaw, they must walk the more closelywith God in gospel
obedience. As heavenand earth are contrary one to the other, both cannot be
followedtogether;and affectionto the one will weakenand abate affection to
the other. Those that are born again are dead to sin, because its dominion is
broken, its powergradually subdued by the operationof grace, and it shall at
length be extinguished by the perfection of glory. To be dead, then, means
this, that those who have the Holy Spirit, mortifying within them the lusts of
the flesh, are able to despise earthly things, and to desire those that are
heavenly. Christ is, at present, one whom we have not seen;but our comfort
is, that our life is safe with him. The streams of this living waterflow into the
soul by the influences of the Holy Spirit, through faith. Christ lives in the
believer by his Spirit, and the believer lives to him in all he does. At the second
coming of Christ, there will be a generalassembling of all the redeemed; and
those whose life is now hid with Christ, shall then appear with him in his
glory. Do we look for such happiness, and should we not setour affections
upon that world, and live above this?
Barnes'Notes on the BibleWhen Christ, who is our life - Notes, John
HYPERLINK "/john/1-4.htm"1:4; John HYPERLINK
"//biblehub.com/john/11-25.htm"11:25, note.
Shall appear - In the day when he shall come to judge the world.
Then shall ye also appearwith him in glory - 1 HYPERLINK
"//biblehub.com/1_thessalonians/4-16.htm"Thessalonians HYPERLINK
"//biblehub.com/1_thessalonians/4-16.htm"4:16-17.Christians shall then be
raisedfrom the dead, and ascendwith the Redeemerto heaven.
Jamieson-Fausset-BrownBible Commentary4. Translate, "WhenChrist shall
be manifested who is our life (Joh 11:25; 14:6, 19), then shall ye also with Him
be manifested in glory" (1Pe 4:13). The spiritual life our souls have now in
Him shall be extended to our bodies (Ro 8:11).
then—and not till then. Those err who think to find a perfectChurch before
then. The true Church is now militant. Rome errs in trying to setup a Church
now regnant and triumphant. The true Church shall be visible as a perfect
and reigning Church, when Christ shall be visibly manifested as her reigning
Head. Rome having ceasedto look for Him in patient faith, has set up a visible
mockhead, a false anticipation of the millennial kingdom. The Papacytook to
itself by robbery that glory which is an object of hope, and can only be
reachedby bearing the cross now. When the Church became a harlot, she

ceasedto be a bride who goes to meet her Bridegroom. Hence the millennial
kingdom ceasedto be lookedfor [Auberlen].
Matthew Poole's CommentaryWhenChrist, who is our life, shall appear;
which will be, according to the purpose and promise of God, with whom it is
laid up, Colossians HYPERLINK"/colossians/1-5.htm"1:5, whenChrist by
whom they live shall so appear that they shall be like him, 1 HYPERLINK
"/1_john/3-2.htm"Jo HYPERLINK"/1_john/3-2.htm"3:2, andbe takento be
with him in the heavenly inheritance, 1 HYPERLINK "/1_peter/1-
4.htm"Peter HYPERLINK "/1_peter/1-4.htm"1:4;then their conformity to
him, began here, partly in holiness and partly in sufferings, Romans
HYPERLINK "/romans/8-18.htm"8:18, shallbe completed at last in glory
and felicity, Philippians HYPERLINK "/philippians/3-21.htm"3:21 Hebrews
HYPERLINK "/hebrews/11-26.htm"11:26,35.
Then shall ye also appearwith him in glory; and then shall these adopted
children be brought into glory with him, Hebrews HYPERLINK
"/hebrews/2-10.htm"2:10,out of whose hands none shall be able to pull them,
John HYPERLINK "/john/10-28.htm"10:28;but howeverthe world look
upon them as despicable, John HYPERLINK "/john/16-2.htm"16:2, and
sometimes they are so in their own eyes, whereinofttimes there be tears, so
that they cansee but as through a glass, darkly, Psalm HYPERLINK
"/psalms/31-22.htm"31:22 1 HYPERLINK "/1_corinthians/13-
12.htm"Corinthians HYPERLINK "/1_corinthians/13-12.htm"13:12;but
then they shall see Christ face to face, all tears shall be wiped awayfrom their
eyes, Revelation HYPERLINK "/revelation/7-17.htm"7:17, andat the last
day they shall shine as the sun in glory, Matthew HYPERLINK
"/matthew/13-43.htm"13:43 1 HYPERLINK "/1_corinthians/15-
43.htm"Corinthians HYPERLINK "/1_corinthians/15-43.htm"15:43,532
HYPERLINK "/2_thessalonians/1-7.htm"Thessalonians HYPERLINK
"/2_thessalonians/1-7.htm"1:7,10,12.
Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleWhen Christ, who is our life, shall
appear,.... The Vulgate Latin version, and some copies, read, "your life".
Christ is the author of spiritual life, the fountain from whence it springs, the
objecton which the saints live, yea, their very life itself; it is not so much they
that live, as Christ that lives in them: and he is their eternallife; it is in him,
and given forth by him; to know him now is the beginning of it; and its
perfection hereafterwill lie in the vision of him, communion with him, and
conformity to him. The Jews have a saying (y),
"that lives depend upon the sonof Jesse,''

all sorts of life, natural, spiritual, and eternal. At present, Christ, the life of his
people, is, as it were, hid; when he had done the work he came into this world
about, and which he was manifestin the flesh, he departed out of it, ascended
up into heaven, and went to his God and Father, where he is, and will be
retained, until the time of the restitution of all things; and though he appears
in the presence ofGod, and on the behalf of his redeemedones, yet he is now
out of sight, and not to be seenwith their bodily eyes;but, ere long, he will be
revealedfrom heaven, and come in the clouds of it, and be seenby all, to the
terror and confusion of some, and to the joy and salvationof others; when his
appearance will be exceeding glorious, not only in his glorified body, or
exalted human nature, and as the Judge of the whole earth, clothedwith
majesty, authority, and power, but as the Son of God, God equal with the
Father, in all the perfections and glory of deity, which will be manifest and
apparent to everyone:
then shall ye also appear with him in glory: the dead bodies of the saints will
then be raised and united to their souls, which he will bring with him, when he
appears;and living saints shall be changed, and be caughtup togetherwith
the raisedones, into the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so they all
shall be with him together, whereverhe is, whether in the air, or on earth, or
in heaven, and while he is in either; and shall be for everwith him, enjoy
communion with him, be made like unto him, and behold his glory: yea, they
shall "appearin glory" too; with a glory on their bodies, which will be raised
in glory like unto the glorious body of Christ; and on their souls, being in
perfect holiness, having on the wedding garment, or robe of Christ's
righteousness, being clothedupon with their house from heaven, and
appearing in the shining robes of immortality, incorruption, and glory; having
the glory of God upon them in soul and body, and such a glory revealedin
them, as the sufferings of this present life, and all the enjoyments of it, are not
to be comparedwith. All which furnish out strong arguments and reasons,
enforcing the above exhortations to seek for, and setthe affections on things in
heaven, and not on earth.
(y) Zohar in Gen. fol. 2. 3.
Geneva Study BibleWhen Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye
also appearwith him in glory.
EXEGETICAL(ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)
Meyer's NT Commentary HYPERLINK
"/commentaries/meyer/colossians/3.htm"HYPERLINK"/colossians/3-4.htm"
HYPERLINK "/commentaries/meyer/colossians/3.htm"Colossians

HYPERLINK "/commentaries/meyer/colossians/3.htm"3:4. And what a
blissful future is connectedwith the ἡ ζωὴ ὑμῶν κεκρ. κ.τ.λ.!This bright,
favourable side of the previous thought is the continuation of the proof of
Colossians HYPERLINK"/colossians/3-2.htm"3:2 begun in Colossians
HYPERLINK "/colossians/3-3.htm"3:3, detaching them thoroughly from
earthly pursuits and elevating them to the courage ofvictory; vividly
introduced without connecting particle (καί): “repentina luce percellit,”
Bengel, which Hofmann fails to perceive, when he objects to the absence ofδέ.
The relation is not antithetical at all.
φανερωθῇ]shall have become manifest, have come forth from His present
concealment, namely, by His Parousia. See on Colossians HYPERLINK
"/colossians/3-3.htm"3:3.
ἡ ζωὴ ὑμῶν] your life. Christ Himself is thus designated(comp. ἡ ἐλπίς in
Colossians HYPERLINK"/colossians/1-27.htm"1:27), becauseHe is the
personalauthor, possessor, andbearer of the eternallife of His believers
(comp. John HYPERLINK "/john/14-6.htm"14:6;John HYPERLINK
"/john/11-25.htm"11:25), and this, according to the context, inasmuch as they
have entered into the fellowship of His resurrection: they are alive[141]with
Him (σὺν τ. Χ., Colossians HYPERLINK"/colossians/3-3.htm"3:3);His life is
their life. The definite objectof this apposition, moreover, is argumentative,
for the following τότε κ.τ.λ.
καὶ ὑμεῖς] as Christ, so also ye with Him. The two subjects have the emphasis.
φανερωθ. ἐν δόξῃ] Comp. συνδοξασθῶμενin Romans HYPERLINK
"/romans/3-17.htm"3:17.It means nothing else than the glory of the
Messianic kingdom, in which believers (also glorified bodily, 1 HYPERLINK
43.htm"15:43;2 HYPERLINK "/2_corinthians/5-1.htm"Corinthians
HYPERLINK "/2_corinthians/5-1.htm"5:1 ff.; Php HYPERLINK
"/philippians/3-21.htm"3:21) shall be manifested visibly. The offence which
Holtzmann takes atthe use of φανεροῦσθαι (insteadof ἀποκαλύπτεσθαι,
Romans HYPERLINK "/romans/3-17.htm"3:17 ff.) and ζωή, presupposes a
too limited range for Paul’s manipulation of language. Our passagehas
nothing to do with 2 HYPERLINK "/2_corinthians/4-10.htm"Corinthians
HYPERLINK "/2_corinthians/4-10.htm"4:10 f. Nor does it even “almost
look” (Holtzmann) as if the author were conceiving the readers as already
dead at the Parousia. The φανερωθῆναι ἐν δόξῃ takes place in the case of

those still alive through their being changed, as the readerwas aware.
[141]Comp. Ignatius, Ephesians 3, where Christ is designatedτὸ ἀδιάκριτον
ἡμῶν ζῆν, also Magnes. 1, Smyrn. 4.
Expositor's Greek Testament HYPERLINK
"/commentaries/egt/colossians/3.htm"HYPERLINK"/colossians/3-4.htm"
HYPERLINK "/commentaries/egt/colossians/3.htm"Colossians
HYPERLINK "/commentaries/egt/colossians/3.htm"3:4. This life is not
always to remain hidden, it will be manifested at the secondcoming. And that
not merely in union with Christ, for it is Christ Himself who is our Life. This
is not to be toned down to mean that Christ is the possessorand giver of
eternal life. Paul means quite literally what he says, that Christ is Himself the
essenceofthe Christian life (cf. Php HYPERLINK "/philippians/1-
21.htm"1:21, ἐμοὶ γὰρ τὸ ζῆν Χριστὸς, also Galatians HYPERLINK
"/galatians/2-20.htm"2:20). His manifestation therefore includes that of those
who are one with Him. And this can only be a manifestation in glory (cf.
Romans HYPERLINK "/romans/8-17.htm"8:17).
Cambridge Bible for Schools andColleges4. WhenChrist … shall appear]
R.V., somewhatmore closely, shall be manifested; leaving the SecretPlace of
His glory to return to human sight, in His SecondAdvent. The verb is used in
the same connexion, 1 HYPERLINK "/1_peter/5-4.htm"Peter HYPERLINK
"/1_peter/5-4.htm"5:4;1 HYPERLINK "/1_john/2-28.htm"John
HYPERLINK "/1_john/2-28.htm"2:28;1 HYPERLINK "/1_john/3-
2.htm"John HYPERLINK "/1_john/3-2.htm"3:2 (probably).—In connexion
with the visible “manifestation” of the Son at the First Advent it occurs e.g. 1
16.htm"3:16;1 HYPERLINK "/1_john/1-2.htm"John HYPERLINK
"/1_john/1-2.htm"1:2;and in connexionwith the “manifestation” ofthe Risen
One after death, Mark HYPERLINK "/mark/16-12.htm"16:12;Mark
HYPERLINK "/mark/16-14.htm"16:14;John HYPERLINK "/john/21-
14.htm"21:14.—The import of the word in all these passagesfar transcends
mere visibility, and gives the thought of a discoveryof what He is Who is seen;
but it implies a quite literal visibility. “This same Jesus, in like manner, shall
come” (Acts HYPERLINK "/acts/1-11.htm"1:11).—Thisis the one place in
the Epistle where the Lord’s glorious Return is distinctly mentioned (see
Colossians HYPERLINK"/colossians/1-5.htm"1:5, for a pregnant allusion to
it). In the Ephesians no explicit reference to it occurs (but see Ephesians
HYPERLINK "/ephesians/4-30.htm"4:30).

who is our life] The truth of the previous verse is repeatedin an intenser form.
The “life” which is “hid with Him,” in respectof your possessionof it, is, in
respectof itself, nothing less than He. So is Christ’s exalted life the direct
secretof your regenerate life and faculty, that it is Christ, and nothing
secondary. The Holy Spirit is “the Lord, the Life-Giver” (Nicene Creed); but
the Life is the Son of God, as the Redeemerand Head of His saints.—Cp. John
HYPERLINK "/john/6-57.htm"6:57;John HYPERLINK "/john/11-
25.htm"11:25;John HYPERLINK "/john/14-6.htm"14:6;Galatians
HYPERLINK "/galatians/2-20.htm"2:20;1 HYPERLINK
"/context/1_john/5-11.htm"John HYPERLINK "/context/1_john/5-
11.htm"5:11-12.
“Our life”:—he has just said, “your life is hid, &c.”;now he “hastens to
include himself among the recipients of the bounty” (Lightfoot).
shall ye also appear] be manifested. “It hath not yet been manifestedwhat we
shall be” (1 HYPERLINK "/1_john/3-2.htm"John HYPERLINK "/1_john/3-
2.htm"3:2). The believer has a supernatural secretofpeace and holiness, but
it is hidden; and the Divine quality of the effects will not be fully “manifested”
till the Cause is “manifested.” Again, the effects, though in a partial sense
“manifested” evennow, “in our mortal flesh” (2 HYPERLINK
11.htm"4:11), are as to their Divine quantity still “hidden,” till the final
glorificationof the saints. Then, the oneness of the members with their Head
will be seen, in all its living powerand wonder, and their perfect holiness will
be discoveredto be all “of Him.” So “the sons of God will be manifested”
(Romans HYPERLINK "/romans/8-19.htm"8:19)in respectof the nature
and the greatness oftheir sonship.
The Apostle’s practicalaim is to bring his converts to use their “hidden” life
the more freely and confidently, in view of its promised issues, and to cheer
them by the same prospects under the cross ofsorrow, temptation, limitation,
or whatever else “conceals,”in God’s present order, their life eternal.
with him] from whom the glorified are never separated. Cp. 1 HYPERLINK
"/1_thessalonians/3-13.htm"Thessalonians HYPERLINK
"/1_thessalonians/3-13.htm"3:13;1 HYPERLINK "/1_thessalonians/4-
14.htm"Thessalonians HYPERLINK"/1_thessalonians/4-14.htm"4:14.
in glory] His glory, the effulgence, visible and spiritual, of His presence;

shared by His members. Cf. Romans HYPERLINK "/context/romans/8-
17.htm"8:17-18;Romans HYPERLINK "/romans/8-21.htm"8:21 (“the
liberty of the glory, &c.”); 1 HYPERLINK "/1_john/3-2.htm"John
HYPERLINK "/1_john/3-2.htm"3:2. And see 1 HYPERLINK
43.htm"15:43;Php HYPERLINK "/philippians/3-21.htm"3:21.
Bengel's GnomenHYPERLINK
"/commentaries/bengel/colossians/3.htm"HYPERLINK"/colossians/3-4.htm"
HYPERLINK "/commentaries/bengel/colossians/3.htm"Colossians
HYPERLINK "/commentaries/bengel/colossians/3.htm"3:4. Ὅταν, when)
This word, used absolutely, strikes (flashes upon) the whole mind of the
reader, as if he had been unmindful of the preceding words, with a sudden
light, so that it is doubtful whether and or but should be supplied.—
φανερωθῇ, shall be manifested) in glory, 1 HYPERLINK "/1_peter/4-
13.htm"Peter HYPERLINK"/1_peter/4-13.htm"4:13.—ἡ ζωὴ ὑμῶν, your
life) This expressesthe aspect(in relationto you), under which He will be
manifested.—τότε, then) We should not demand it sooner.—καὶὑαεῖς, ye also)
This hope draws men off from the earth.—ἐν δόξῃ, in glory) a glorious life.
Pulpit CommentaryVerse 4. - When Christ shall be manifested, our (or, your,)
life, then shall ye also with him be manifested in glory (Romans
HYPERLINK "/romans/8-18.htm"8:18-23;Philippians HYPERLINK
"/philippians/3-21.htm"3:21; 1 HYPERLINK "/1_corinthians/1-
7.htm"Corinthians HYPERLINK "/1_corinthians/1-7.htm"1:7;1
HYPERLINK "/1_corinthians/4-5.htm"Corinthians HYPERLINK
"/1_corinthians/4-5.htm"4:5;1 HYPERLINK "/1_thessalonians/1-
10.htm"Thessalonians HYPERLINK"/1_thessalonians/1-10.htm"1:10;1
15.htm"6:15;2 HYPERLINK "/2_timothy/2-10.htm"Timothy HYPERLINK
"/2_timothy/2-10.htm"2:10-12;2 HYPERLINK "/2_timothy/4-
8.htm"Timothy HYPERLINK "/2_timothy/4-8.htm"4:8; Titus
HYPERLINK "/titus/2-13.htm"2:13;1 HYPERLINK "/1_john/3-2.htm"John
HYPERLINK "/1_john/3-2.htm"3:2;1 HYPERLINK "/1_john/2-
28.htm"John HYPERLINK "/1_john/2-28.htm"2:28). Ourfuture destiny,
with our presentredemption (Colossians HYPERLINK"/colossians/1-
14.htm"1:14), is wrapped up in Christ. Our life is not only "with him" (ver.
3); it is "himself" (Philippians HYPERLINK "/philippians/1-21.htm"1:21;
John HYPERLINK "/john/1-4.htm"1:4; John HYPERLINK "/john/6-
50.htm"6:50-57;John HYPERLINK "/john/14-6.htm"14:6;1 HYPERLINK
"/1_john/5-12.htm"John HYPERLINK "/1_john/5-12.htm"5:12);he is its

source and ground, way and rule, means and end - its all (ver. 11: comp.
Colossians HYPERLINK"/colossians/1-20.htm"1:20;Colossians
HYPERLINK "/colossians/2-6.htm"2:6-10;Ephesians HYPERLINK
"/ephesians/1-3.htm"1:3 HYPERLINK "/ephesians/1-3.htm", HYPERLINK
"/ephesians/1-3.htm"23;Ephesians HYPERLINK "/ephesians/3-
17.htm"3:17-19;Ephesians HYPERLINK "/ephesians/4-13.htm"4:13;
Philippians HYPERLINK "/philippians/3-10.htm"3:10; Philippians
HYPERLINK "/philippians/4-19.htm"4:19, etc.). From the hour of his
ascensionhe has been hidden (Acts HYPERLINK "/acts/1-9.htm"1:9;Acts
HYPERLINK "/acts/3-21.htm"3:21;1 HYPERLINK "/1_peter/1-
8.htm"Peter HYPERLINK "/1_peter/1-8.htm"1:8);and his manifestation is
as much a part of the Christian creedas his death and resurrection(Acts
HYPERLINK "/acts/17-31.htm"17:31;1 HYPERLINK "/1_thessalonians/1-
"/1_thessalonians/4-16.htm"4:16;2 HYPERLINK "/2_thessalonians/1-
"/2_thessalonians/2-8.htm"2:8;1 HYPERLINK "/1_corinthians/15-
23.htm"Corinthians HYPERLINK "/1_corinthians/15-23.htm"15:23;
Philippians HYPERLINK "/philippians/3-20.htm"3:20; 2 HYPERLINK
"/2_timothy/4-1.htm"Timothy HYPERLINK "/2_timothy/4-1.htm"4:1; John
HYPERLINK "/john/14-3.htm"14:3;1 HYPERLINK "/1_john/3-
2.htm"John HYPERLINK "/1_john/3-2.htm"3:2 HYPERLINK "/1_john/3-
2.htm", HYPERLINK "/1_john/3-2.htm"3;Revelation HYPERLINK
"/revelation/22-12.htm"22:12 HYPERLINK"/revelation/22-12.htm",
HYPERLINK "/revelation/22-12.htm"20). Thenthe Christian will have his
manifestation also with him, in the "revelationof the sons of God" (Romans
HYPERLINK "/romans/8-19.htm"8:19);who will receive their second
"adoption, to wit, the redemption of their body" (Romans HYPERLINK
"/romans/8-23.htm"8:23)."Seeing him as he is" in his glory, "we shallbe like
him" (1 HYPERLINK "/1_john/3-2.htm"John HYPERLINK "/1_john/3-
2.htm"3:2) in glory. At lastthe spiritual life of the soul will have its due
organic expression, in a body perfectand heavenly as itself (1 HYPERLINK
35.htm"15:35-49;2 HYPERLINK "/2_corinthians/5-1.htm"Corinthians
HYPERLINK "/2_corinthians/5-1.htm"5:1-5). This is already the case with
our human nature in Christ (Philippians HYPERLINK "/philippians/3-
21.htm"3:21);and the change will proceedfrom the Head to the members (1
HYPERLINK "/1_corinthians/15-23.htm"Corinthians HYPERLINK

"/1_corinthians/15-23.htm"15:23), who will be conformedto his "body of
glory," as now they are being conformed to his spiritual image (Romans
HYPERLINK "/romans/8-9.htm"8:9-11 HYPERLINK"/romans/8-9.htm",
HYPERLINK "/romans/8-9.htm"29HYPERLINK "/romans/8-9.htm",
HYPERLINK "/romans/8-9.htm"30;Romans HYPERLINK "/romans/12-
2.htm"12:2; 2 HYPERLINK "/2_corinthians/3-18.htm"Corinthians
HYPERLINK "/2_corinthians/3-18.htm"3:18;John HYPERLINK "/john/17-
22.htm"17:22-26;1 HYPERLINK "/1_john/4-17.htm"John HYPERLINK
"/1_john/4-17.htm"4:17). The textual change from "your" to "our" is
doubtful (see note on Colossians2:13). Observe that "Christ" is repeatedfour
times in the last four verses.
Vincent's Word StudiesWho is our life (ζωὴ)
See on John HYPERLINK "/john/1-4.htm"1:4. The life is not only with
Christ, it is Christ. Compare John HYPERLINK "/john/14-6.htm"14:6;2
HYPERLINK "//biblehub.com/2_corinthians/4-10.htm"Corinthians
HYPERLINK "//biblehub.com/2_corinthians/4-10.htm"4:10, 2 HYPERLINK
11.htm"4:11;1 HYPERLINK "//biblehub.com/1_john/5-11.htm"John
HYPERLINK "//biblehub.com/1_john/5-11.htm"5:11, 1 HYPERLINK
"/1_john/5-12.htm"John HYPERLINK "/1_john/5-12.htm"5:12. Forthe
change of person, our for your, see on Colossians HYPERLINK
"/colossians/2-13.htm"2:13.
Shall appear (φανερωθῇ)
Rev., correctly, shall be manifested. Compare 1 HYPERLINK
"//biblehub.com/1_john/3-2.htm"John HYPERLINK
"//biblehub.com/1_john/3-2.htm"3:2, note. See on Romans HYPERLINK
"/romans/3-21.htm"3:21.
In glory
Compare Romans HYPERLINK "/romans/8-17.htm"8:17.
PRECEPTAUSTIN RESOURCES

Christ Our Life—SoonTo Appear
BY SPURGEON
“When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall you also appear
with Him in glory.”
Colossians 3:4
MY discourse on Sunday mornings is very frequently the gathering up of the
thoughts and experiences ofthe week–ahandful of barley which I have
gleanedamong the sheaves. ButI could not thrust upon you, this morning, the
povertystrickenproductions of my own insufferable dullness of brain,
weariness ofheart and sicknessofspirit during this week, for this were a sure
method of making you partakers ofmy misery. I have wandered through a
wilderness, but I will not scatterhandfuls of the hot sand among you. I have
traversedthe valley of the shadow of death, but I will not repeat the howling
of Apollyon.
This day of rest is appointed for a far better purpose. Scarcelyknowing how
to fulfill the appointed service ofthis morning, I sit down and remember the
ancient minstrel, who, when the genius of song had for a time departed from
him, was nevertheless calledupon to discourse sweetmusic. What could he do
but play his fingers among the strings of his harp and begin some old
accustomedstrain? His fingers and his lips moved at first mechanically. The
first few stanzas dropped from him from mere force of habit and fell like
stones without life or power. But by and by he struck a string which woke the
echoes ofhis soul–a note fell on his heart like a blazing torch and the
smoldering fire within his soulsuddenly flamed up. The Heaven-born muse
was with him and he sang as in his better times.
So may it be my happy lot this morning–to place my fingers on the strings
which know so well the name of Jesus–andbegin to discourse upon a theme
which so constantlyhas made these walls ring! Although at first insipid
periods may try your patient ears, yet shall they nevertheless leadto
something that may kindle in you hope and joy and love, if not rapture and
delight! O for the wings of eaglesto bear our souls upward towards the
Throne of our God! Already my heart warms with the expectationof a
blessing!

Does the earth feelthe rising of the sun before the first bright beams gild the
east? Are there not sharp-witted birds which know within themselves that the
sunbeams are on the road and therefore begin right joyously to wake up their
fellows to tell them that the morning comes leaping over the hills? Certain
hopeful, joyful thoughts have entered within our heart–prophetic of the
Comforter’s Divine appearing–to make gladour souls. Does not the whole
earth prophecy the coming of the happy days of spring? There are certain
little bulbs that swell, and flowers that peep from under the black mold and
say, “We know what others do not know, that the summer’s coming, coming
very soon.”
And surely there are rising hopes within us this morning which show their
golden flowers above our heaviness and assure us with joyful accents that
Christ is coming to cheerour hearts yet again! Believer, you shall once again
behold His comfortable Presence!You shall no longer cry unto Him out of the
depths, but your soul shall lean upon His arm and drink deep of His love!
Beloved, I proceedin the hope that the gracious Lord will favor His most
unworthy servant and in His mercy fulfill our best expectations.
Our text is a very simple one and bears upon its surface four thoughts. First,
that Christ is our life. That, secondly, Christ is hidden and so is our life. That
thirdly, Christ will one day appear. And, fourthly, that when He appears, we,
also, shall appearwith Him in glory.
1. The first most precious and experimental doctrine lies in these words,
“CHRIST WHO IS OUR LIFE.” We hardly realize that we are reading
in Colossianswhenwe meet with this marvelously rich expression. It is
so like John’s wayof talking.
See his opening words in his Gospel, “In Him was life and the life was the light
of men.” Remember how he reports the words at Lazarus' tomb, “I am the
resurrectionand the life.” How familiarly he speaks ofthe Lord Jesus under
the our eyes, which we have lookedupon and our hands have handled, of the
Word of life. For the life was manifestedand we have seenit and bear witness
and show unto you that eternal life which was with the Father and was
manifested unto us."
How closelyJohn cleaves to Jesus!He does not say, as the preacherof this
morning will–Christ is the food of our life and the joy of our life and the
objectof our life and so on. No, but “Christ is our life.” I think that Peteror
James would have said, “He is the strength or guide of our life,” but John
must put his head right on the Savior’s bosom–he cannot talk at a distance, or

whisper from a secondseat–his headmust go sweetlydown upon the Savior’s
heaving bosom.
He must feelhimself in the closest, nearestpossible contactwithhis Lord. And
so he puts it, “The life was manifested,” getting to the very pith and marrow
of it at once. Paulhas somewhatof the same loving spirit, and if not entitled to
be called, “that disciple whom Jesus loved,” the angelmight well have
addressedhim as he did Daniel, “O man, greatly beloved.” Therefore, yousee,
he leaps at once into the depths of the Truth of God and delights to dive in it.
Whereas others, like the Israelites, standoutside the bound which surrounds
the mount, he, like Moses, enters into the place where God is and beholds the
excellentglory.
We, I fear, must compass this holy Truth round about before we canfully
enter into it. Blessedis it to wait at the doors of such a Truth, though far
better to enter in. Let it be understood that it is not natural but spiritual life of
which the text treats and then we shall not mislead the ignorant.
Christ is the source of our life. “Foras the Fatherraises up the dead, and
quickens them, even so the Son quickens whom He will.” Our Lord’s own
words are–“Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that hears My Word and believes
on Him that sent Me has everlasting life and shall not come into
condemnation, but is passedfrom death unto life. Verily, verily, I say unto
you, the hour is coming and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the
Son of God. And they that hear shall live.”
Four verilies, as if to show the importance of the Truth here taught to us. We
are dead in sin. That same voice which brought Lazarus out of the tomb
brings us out of our grave of sin. We hear the Word of God and we live
according to the promise–“Awakeyou that sleepand arise from the dead and
Christ shall give you light” (Eph. 5:14). Jesus is our Alpha, as well as our
Omega–He is the Author of our faith, as well as its Finisher. We should have
been to this day dead in trespassesandsins if it had not been said, “And you
has He quickened.” It is by His life that we live. He gives us the living water
which is in us a well of waterspringing up unto everlasting life.
Christ is the Substance of our spiritual life. What is life? The physician cannot
discoverit. The anatomisthunts in vain for it through flesh and nerve and
brain. Be quick, Sir, with that scalpelof yours! “Life’s just departed,” men
say. Cut quick to the heart and see if you cannot find, at least, some lingering
footprint of the departed thing called life. Subtle anatomist, what have you
found? Look at that brain–what can you see there but a certainquantity of
matter strangelyfashioned? Can you discoverwhat is life?

It is true that somewhere in that brain and in that spinal cord it dwells and
that heart with its perpetual pumping and heaving has something or other to
do with it–but where is the substance, the realsubstance of the thing called
life? Ariel’s wings cannotpursue it–it is too subtle. Thought knows it but
cannot graspit–knows it from its being like itself, but cannot give a picture of
it–nor represent what it is. In the new nature of the Christian there is much
mystery, but there is none as to what is its life! If you could cut into the center
of the renewedheart you would find sure footprints of Divine life, for you
would find love to Jesus.
No, you would find Christ Himself there! If you walk in searchof the springs
of the sea of the new nature, you will find the Lord Jesus at the fount of all.
“All my springs are in You,” said David. Christ creates the life-throbs of the
Believer’s soul! He sends the life-floods through the man according to His own
will! If you could penetrate the brain of the Believeryou would find Christ to
be the central thought moving every other thought and causing every other
thought to take root and grow out of itself! You would find Christ to be the
true Substance of the inner life of the spiritual nature of every soul quickened
by the breath of Heaven’s life.
Christ is the Sustenance ofour life. What canthe Christian feed upon but
Jesus'fleshand blood? As to his natural life he needs bread, but as to his
spiritual life, of which, alone, we are now speaking, he has learned that, “man
shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word which proceeds out of the
mouth of God shall man live.” “This is the bread which comes down from
Heaven, that a man may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which
came down from Heaven. If any man eats of this bread, he shall live forever–
and the bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the
world.”
We cannotlive on the sand of the wilderness. We want the manna which
drops from on high. Our skin bottles of creature confidence cannotyield us a
drop of moisture–we drink of the Rock whichfollows us and that rock is
Christ. O wayworn Pilgrims in this wilderness of sin! You never geta morsel,
much less a meal to satisfy the craving hunger of your spirits exceptyou find
it in Christ Jesus!When you feed on Him your soulcan sing, “He has satisfied
my mouth with goodthings, so that my youth is renewedlike the eagle’s.” But
if you have Him not, your bursting wine vat and your well-filled barn can give
you no sort of satisfaction–ratheryou will lament over them in the words of
Wisdom–“Vanity of vanities, all is vanity!”
O how true are Jesus'ownWords, “ForMy flesh is meat, indeed, and My
blood is drink, indeed. He that eats My flesh and drinks My blood dwells in

Me and I in him. As the living Father has sentMe and I live by the Father: so
he that eats Me, even he shall live by Me.” Christ is the solace ofour life!
Noah’s ark had but one window and we must not expect more. Jesus is the
only window which lets light into the Christian’s spirit when he is under sharp
affliction. Kirke White’s picture of his midnight voyage, whenone star alone
of all the train could guide the mariner’s foundering boat to the port of peace,
is a faint but truthful representationof the Christian’s life in its hour of peril.
Paul says that during his disastrous voyage, “neithersun nor stars for many
days appeared, and no small tempest lay on them and all hope that they
should be savedwas takenaway, but then, just then, the Angel of God stoodat
his side.” And even so will the Lord Jesus appearto His saints in their
extremities and be their joy and safety. And, Brethren, if Christ appears, what
matters it where we are?–
“Midst darkestshades if He appears
My dawning is begun.
He is my soul’s bright morning star,
And He my rising sun.”
Do not talk of poverty! Our tents are the curtains of Solomonand not the
smoke-driedskins of Kedar when Christ is present! Speak not of need! There
are all manner of precious fruits laid up for my Belovedwhen He comes into
my cot. Speak not of sickness!My soul is no longer sick exceptit is of love, but
full of holy health when once the Sun of Righteousnesshas risen with healing
beneath His wings!Christ is the very soul of my soul’s life. His loving kindness
is better than life! There is nothing in life worth living for but Christ. “Whom
have I in Heaven but You and there is none upon earth that I desire beside
You!”
The rest is mere skim milk and curds fit to be given to the swine, but Christ is
the cream. All else is but the husk and bran and coarse gritty meal. The Lord
Jesus is the pure flour. All that remains is the chaff–fanit and the wind shall
carry it away, or the fire shall burn it and little shall be the loss!Christ is the
golden grain, the only thing worth having. Life’s true life, the true heart’s
blood, the innermost fount of life is in Jesus. To the true Christian, Christ is
the objectof his life. As speeds the ship towards the port, so hastens the
Believertowards the haven of his Savior’s bosom. As flies the arrow to its
goal, so flies the Christian towards the perfecting of his fellowship with Christ
Jesus. As the soldierfights for his captain and is crownedin his captain’s
victory, so the Believercontends for Christ and gets his triumph out of the
triumphs of his Master.

“Forhim to live is Christ”–atleastit is this he seeksafterand counts that all
life apart from this is merely death in another form. That wickedfleshof his.
That cumbrous clay. Those many temptations. That Satanic trinity of the
world, the flesh, and the devil–all these mar his outward actions. But if he
could be what he would be, he would stand like the bullock at Christ’s altar to
be slaughtered, or march forward like a bullock in Christ’s furrow to plough
the bloodbought field. He desires that he may not have a hair of his head
unconsecrated, norheave one breath which is not for his Savior, nor speak
one word which is not for the glory of his Lord!
His heart’s ambition is to live so long as he can better glorify Christ on earth
than in Heaven and to be taken up when it shall be better for him and more
honorable for his Masterthat he should be with Jesus where He is. As the
river seeks the sea, so, Jesus,I seek You! O let me find You and melt my life
into Yours forever! It follows from all this that Christ is the Exemplar of our
life. A Christian lays the life of Christ before him as the schoolboyputs his
copy at the top of the page and he tries to draw eachline, down-stroke and up-
stroke, according to the handwriting of Christ Jesus.
He has the portrait of Christ before him as the artist has in his studio his
Greek sculptures, busts and torsos. He knows that there is all the true
anatomy of virtue in Christ. If he wants to study life, he studies from Christ,
or, if he would closelylearn the beauties of the antique, he studies from the
Savior, for Christ is ancient and modern, antique and living, too! Therefore
God’s artists in their life-sculpture keepto the Savior and count that if they
imitate every vein and fetch out every muscle of their greatCopy, they shall
then have produced the perfection of manhood. I would give nothing for your
religion if you do not seek to be like Christ! Where there is the same life
within, there will, there must be, to a greatextent, the same developments
without.
I have heard it said and I think I have sometimes noticed it, that husbands
and wives who are truly knit togetherin near and dear conjugal affection,
grow somewhatlike eachother in expression, if not in feature. This I well
know, that if the heart is truly wedded to the Lord Jesus and lives in near
fellowship with Him, it must grow like He is. Grace is the light, our loving
heart is the sensitive plate, Jesus is the Personwho fills the lens of our soul
and soona heavenly photograph of His Characteris produced. There will be a
similarity of spirit, temper, motive and action. It will not be manifest merely
in greatthings but in little matters, too, for even our speechwill betray us.
Thus you see I have only been wading along the banks, or at bestconducting
you up to the knees in the gently flowing stream of my text. Experience must

lead you further, for there is a greatdeep here. Paul could perceive it, for he
does not sayas I have been saving, “Jesus is the Source of our life, the
Substance of our life, the Solace ofour life, the Objectof our life, the
Exemplar of our life.” Paul says, “Christis our life,” and so He is, indeed.
Just as we have a natural life of which we know so little, so we have a spiritual
life which is more mysterious by far and of that we know beyond its effects
and operations little more than this–that Christ is that life. That when we get
Christ we have eternal life. That if we have life it is only because we have
Christ in us, the hope of Glory. I must pause a minute here to saythat what is
true concerning our spiritual life, now, is equally true of our spiritual life in
Heaven. Different as are the circumstances ofthe life in Heavenand the life on
earth, yet as to real essence there is only one life in both places. Saints in
Heaven live by preciselythe same life which makes them live here.
Spiritual life in the kingdom of Grace and in the kingdom of Glory is the
same–onlyhere it is uneducated spiritual life–there it is educatedand trained.
Here it is undeveloped, it is the babe, the child–there it is developed,
manifested, perfected. But in very deed the life is preciselythe same. Saints
need not to be born again after once being regenerate.You who have been
born againhave now within you the life which will laston throughout
eternity! You have the very same vital spark of heavenly flame which will
burn in Glory, world without end. It will be no digressionif we here remark
that as we have eternallife in having Christ, this marks our dignity.
“Christ our life!” Why, this cannot be said of princes or kings! What is their
life? Talk of blue blood and pedigree, and so on–here is something more, here
is God’s ownSon–our life! You cannot saythis of angels. Bright spirits, your
songs are sweetand your lives are happy, but Christ is not your life! No, this
cannot be assertedofarchangels. Gabriel!You may bend yourself before
God’s Throne and worship Him in praises too high for me, but you cannot
boastwhat I can surely claim–that Christ is my life!
Even those mysterious presences–angelsofwhom we read in Ezekieland
Revelationcalledthe four living creatures–thoughtheyseem to bear up the
moving throne of Deity, creatures who appearto be an embodiment of Divine
powerand glory–yet even of these it is not written that Christ is their life!
Herein men–redeemed, elect, favoredmen rise to a supernatural light, for
they can saywhat no spirits but those redeemedby blood may venture to
assert–“Christis our life.” Does not this accountfor Christian holiness? How
can a man live in sin if Christ is his life? Jesus dwells in him and he continues
in sin? Impossible! Can he sin without his life? He must do so if he sins,
because Christcannot sin and Christ is his life.

Why, if I see the saint ever so self-denying, ever so zealous, everso earnest,
ever so like his Lord, it is no wonder now, when I understand that Christ is his
life! See how secure the Christian is. No daggercanreach his life, for it is
hidden beyond the skies. No temptation, no hellish blast, no exhalation from
the Stygianpits of temptation can ever, with burning fever or chill
consumption, waste the life of the Christian spiritually. No, it is hid with
Christ! It is Christ and unless Christ dies, the Christian’s life dies not. Oh how
safe, how honored, how happy is the Christian!
But we may not linger longer, time warns us to proceed. There is much more
than ever we shall be able to bring out. Let down your buckets–here is a deep
well! I hope you have something to draw with–and you that have life within
have. You that have not may look down the well and see the darkness, or the
reflectionof the water–but you cannotreachthe cooling flood. It is only you
who can draw who canknow the excellence ofthis living water. I pray the
Lord help you to drink to the full and draw again!There is no fear of ever
draining the inexhaustible fullness of this deep Truth of God.
II. Now, as our Lord Jesus has not yet appearedin His Glory, OUR LIFE IS
THEREFOREHIDDEN. “The earnestexpectationofthe creature waits for
the manifestationof the sons of God,” but as yet they are unknown and
unmanifested. The major part of the Believer’s life is not seenat all and never
can be by the unspiritual eye. Where is Christ? To the worldling at the
present moment there is no such Personas Christ. He says, “I cannot see Him,
touch Him, hear Him. He is beyond all cognizance ofmy senses.I do not
believe in Him.” Just such is spiritual life to the unbeliever.
You must not expect, because youare a Christian, that unbelievers will begin
to admire you and say, “Whata mystery! This man has a new life in him!
What an admirable thing, what a desirable possession!We wish we partook of
the same.” Nothing of the kind. They do not know that you have such a life at
all. They can see your outward actions, but your inward life is quite out of
reachof their observation.
Christ is in Heaven today. He is full of joy. But the world does not know His
joy. No worldly heart is boasting and rejoicing because Christis glad in
Heaven. Christ today is pleading before the Father’s Throne, but the world
does not see Christ’s engagements.Christ’s occupations are all hidden from
carnaleyes. Christ at this present moment reigns and has power in Heaven
and earth and Hell–but what does the worldly man see of it? Jesus has
fellowship with all His saints everywhere–butwhat does the ungodly discern?
I might stand and preach until midnight concerning my Lord, but all that
men who are unconverted would gain would be to hear what I have to tell and

then to say, “Perhaps it is true.” But they could not possibly discern it–the
thing is beyond the cognizance ofsense.
So is our spiritual life. Beloved, you may reign over sin, but the sinner does
not comprehend your being a king. You may officiate as a priest before God,
but the ungodly man does not perceive your priesthood and your worship. Do
not expecthim to do so!Your labor is lostif you try by any wayto introduce
him to these mysteries exceptby the same door through which you came
yourself. I never try to teacha horse astronomy–andto teach an unconverted
man spiritual experience would be a folly of the same sort. The man who
knows nothing of our inner life takes up “Pilgrim’s Progress,”andhe says,
“Yes, it is a very wonderful allegory.”
It is, Sir, but unrenewed minds know nothing about it. When we have
sometimes read explanations of the Pilgrim’s Progress,we could not but
detectthat the writer of the explanation had need to have had it explained to
himself. He could describe the shell, but the kernelof the nut was far beyond
his reach!He had not learned to crack the shell and to feed upon the meat.
Now it must be so, it must be so, if Christ is our life. Christ has gone awayand
cannot be seen. It must be so that the greaterproportion of the spiritual life
must be forever a secretto all but spiritual men.
But there is a part which men do see and that I may liken to Christ when He
was on earth–Christ seenof men and angels. What did the world do with
Christ as soonas they saw Him? Set Him in the chair of State and fall down
and worship His absolute perfection? No, not they–“He was despisedand
rejectedof men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.” Outside of the
camp was His place!Cross-bearing was forHim His occupation, not of one
day, but of every day. Did the world yield Him solaceand rest?
Foxes, you have your holes!Birds of the air, you have your nests!But the Son
of Man had no where to lay His head! Earth could afford Him no bed, no
house, no shelter! At lastit castHim out for death and crucified Him and then
would have denied Him a tomb if one of His disciples had not beggedHis
body! Such you must expect to be the lot of the part of your spiritual life
which men can see. As soonas they see it to be spiritual life, they will treat it
as they treated the Savior.
They will despise it. “Sure!” they say, “pretty fancies, fine airs, nice ideas.”
You expectthem to give you comfort, do you? Worldlings to give you
comfort? Do you think that Christ will have anywhere to lay His head in this
world today any more than He had 1800 years ago?You go about to find what
God gives the foxes and the birds–but what He never meant to give to you in

this world–a place to lay your head. Your place to lay your head is up yonder
on your Savior’s bosom, but not here. You dream that men will admire you,
that the more holy you are and the more Christ-like you are, the more
peaceable people will be towards you. My dear Friends, you do not know what
you are thinking!
“It is enoughfor the disciple that he be as his masterand the servantas his
lord. If they have calledthe masterof the house, Beelzebub, how much more
shall they call them of His household?” I believe if we were more like Christ
we should be much more loved by His friends and much more hated by His
enemies. I do not believe the world would be half so lenient to the Church,
today, if it were not that the Church has growncomplacentto the world.
When any of us speak up boldly, mercenarymotives are imputed to us! Our
language is turned upside down and we are abhorred of men. We get smooth
things, Brethren, because I am afraid we are too much like the false prophets
who prophesied peace, peace, where there was no peace. Let us be true to our
Master!Stand out and come out and be like He, and we must expectthe same
treatment which He had. And if we receive it we can only say, “This is what I
expected.”–
“ ‘Tis, no surprising thing
That we should be unknown.
The Jewishworld knew not their king,
God’s everlasting Son.”
III. CHRIST WILL APPEAR. The text speaksofit as a factto be takenfor
granted. “WhenChrist, who is our life, shall appear.” It is not a matter of
question in the Christian Church whether Christ will appearor not. Has not
Christ appearedonce? Yes, after a certainsort. I remember reading a quaint
expressionof some old Divine that the book of Revelationmight quite as well
be called an Obvelation, for it was rather a hiding than a revealing of things to
come. So, when Jesus came it was hardly a revealing, it was a hiding of our
Lord.
It is true that He was “manifest in the flesh,” but it is equally true that the
flesh shrouded and concealedHis Glory. The first manifestation was very
partial–it was Christ seenthrough a glass–Christin the mist of grief and the
cloud of humiliation. Christ is yet to appearin the strong sense ofthe word
“appearing.” He is to come out and shine forth. He is to leave the robes of
scornand shame behind and to come in the Glory of the Father and all His
holy angels with Him. This is the constantteaching of the Word of God and
the constanthope of the Church, that Christ will appear.

A thousand questions at once suggestthemselves–How willChrist appear?
When will Christ appear? Where will Christ appear? And so on. What God
answers we may enquire, but some of our questions are mere impertinence.
How will Christ appear? I believe Christ will appear in Person. Whenever I
think of the SecondComing, I never cantolerate the idea of a spiritual
coming. That always seems to me to be the most transparent folly that can
possibly be put together, because Christcannot come spiritually–He is always
here! “Lo! I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.”
Christ’s spiritual coming never can be that which is spokenofin Scripture, as
the day of our release. Isometimes say to Brethren, “Do you think if Christ
were to come spiritually now, we should observe the ordinances better?” “Yes,
certainly.” “Do you think, for instance, the ordinance of the Lord’s Supper
would be better attended to?” “Yes, no doubt it would.” Yes, but then this
proves that this is not the coming which the Bible speaks of, because it is
expresslysaid of the Lord’s Supper that we are to do it in remembrance of
Him, till He comes. A spiritual coming would make us do it more zealously.
There must be another form of coming which would justify our giving up the
Supper altogetherand that must be of a personalcharacter–forthen, and then
only, might the Supper properly cease. We shallnot need to have a supper to
remind us of the Person, whenthe PersonHimself shall be present in our
midst reigning and triumphant in His Church! We believe in a Personalreign
and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. But how will He come? He will
doubtless come with great splendor. The angels of God shall be His
attendants. We gather from Scripture that He will come to reign in the midst
of His people. That the house of Israel will acknowledgeHim as King–yes, that
all nations shall bow down before Him and kings shall pay Him homage.
None shall be able to stand againstHim. “Those that pierced Him shall wail
because ofHim.” He will come to discernbetweenthe righteous and the
wicked, to separate the goats from the sheep. He will come graciouslyto
adjudge His people their reward according to their works. He will give to
those who have been faithful over a few things to be rulers over many things.
And those who have been faithful over many things shall be rulers over many
cities. He will come to discern betweenthe works ofHis people–suchas are
only wood, hay and stubble will be consumed. Such as are gold and silver and
precious stones will stand the fire.
He will come to condemn the wickedto eternal punishment and to take His
people up to their everlasting mansions in the skies. We look for such a
coming and without entering into minute details, drawing charts and painting
pictures, we are contentto believe that He is coming in His Glory to show

Himself to be what He always was–King ofkings and Lord of lords, God over
all, blessedforever! He is to be adored and worshipped and no more to be
despisedand rejected
When will He come? Thatis a question which Unbelief asks with a start. Faith
replies, “It is not for you to know the times and seasons. Ofthat day and of
that hour no man knows.” Some simpleton says, “Butwe may know the week,
month, or year.” Do not trifle with God’s Word and make a fool of yourself
because you must know that the expressionmeans that you do not know
anything about the time at all and never will. Christ will come in a time when
we look not for Him. Perhaps when the world and the Church are most
asleep. When the wise and the foolish virgins have, alike, fallen into a deep
slumber. When the stewards shallbegin to beat their fellow servants and to
drink and to be drunk. At midnight, or perhaps not till cock-crowing, He will
come like a thief and the house shall be suddenly broken up.
But come He will, and that is enough for you and for me to know. And when
He comes we shall appear, for as He shall appear, we shall also appearwith
Him in glory.
IV. The fourth thought is THAT WHEN CHRIST SHALL APPEAR, WE
ALSO SHALL APPEAR. Do you ever feellike those lions in the Zoological
Gardens, restlesslywalking up and down before the bars of their cage and
seeming to feel that they were never meant to be confined within those narrow
limits? Sometimes they are for thrusting their heads through the bars and
then for dashing back and tearing the back of their dungeon, or for rending
up the pavement beneath them as if they yearned for liberty. Do you ever feel
like that?
Does your soul ever want to get free from her cage? Here is an iron bar of sin,
of doubt, and there is another iron bar of mistrust and infirmity. Oh, if you
could tear them away, could get rid of them all you would do something for
Christ–you would be like Christ! Oh, if you could but by some means or other
burst the bands of this captivity! But you cannot and therefore you feel
uneasy. You may have seenan eagle with a chain upon its foot, standing on a
rock–poorunhappy thing! It flaps its wings–looksup to the sun–wants to fly
right straight aheadat it and stare the sun out of countenance–looksto the
blue sky and seems as if it could sniff the blue beyond the dusky clouds and
wants to be away.
And so it tries its wings and dreams of mounting–but that chain, that cruel
chain, remorselesslyholds it down. Has not it often been so with you? You
feel, “I am not meant to be what I am. I am sure I am not. I have a something

in me which is adapted for something better and higher and I want to mount
and soar–butthat chain–that dragging chain of the body of sin and death
keeps me down.”
Now it is to such as you that this text comes and says to you, “Yes, your
present state is not your soul’s true condition. You have a hidden life in you.
That life of yours pants to getout of the bonds and fetters which controlit and
it shall be delivered soon, for Christ is coming! And when Christ shall appear
you shall appear–the same appearance that belongs to Him belongs to you! He
shall come and then your day of true happiness and joy and peace and
everything that you are panting for and longing for shall certainly come.”
I wonder whether the little oak inside the acorn–forthere is a whole oak there
and there are all the roots and all the boughs and everything inside that
acorn–Iwonder whether that little oak inside the acorn everhas any
premonition of the summer weatherthat will float overit a hundred years
from now and of the mists that will hang in autumn on its sere leaves and of
the hundreds of acorns which itself will cast, every autumn, upon the earth,
when it shall become in the foresta greattree?
You and I are like that acorn!Inside of eachof us are the germs of great
things. There is the tree that we are to be–I mean there is the spiritual thing
we are to be–both in body and soul! Even now within us and sometimes here
below, in happy moments, we get some inklings of what we are to be. And
then how we want to burst the shell, to get out of the acornand to be the oak!
Yes, but stop. Christ has not come, Christian, and you cannotget out of that
till the time shall come for Jesus to appear. Then shall you appear with Him in
glory.
You will very soonperceive in your rainwater, certain ugly little things which
swim and twist about in it, always trying, if they can, to reachthe surface and
breathe through one end of their bodies. What makes these little things so
lively, those innumerable little things like very small tadpoles? Why are they
so lively? Possiblythey have an idea of what they are going to be. The day will
come when all of a sudden there will come out of the case ofthe creature that
you have had swimming about in your water, a long-leggedthing with two
bright gauze-like wings which will mount into the air and on a summer’s
evening will dance in the sunlight!
It is nothing more nor less than a gnat! You have, swimming there, a gnat in
one of its earlieststages.You are just like that–you are an undeveloped being–
you have not your wings yet and yet sometimes, in your activity for Christ,
when the strong desires for something better are upon you, you leap in

foretaste ofthe bliss to come!I do not know what I am to be, but I feel that
there is a heart within me too big for these ribs to hold! I have an immortal
spark which cannothave been intended to burn on this poor earth and then to
go out. It must have been meant to burn on Heaven’s altar.
Wait a bit and when Christ comes you will know what you are. We are in the
chrysalis state now and those who are the liveliest worms among us grow
more and more uneasy in that chrysalis state. Some are so frozen up in it that
they forgetthe hereafterand appear contentto remain a chrysalis forever.
But others of us feelwe would soonernot be than be what we now are forever.
We feelas if we must burst our bonds and when that time of bursting shall
come, when the chrysalis shall getits painted wings and mount to the land of
flowers, then shall we be satisfied.
The text tells us–“WhenChrist, who is our life, shall appear”–whenHe comes
out in all His Glory–“we also shallappearwith Him in glory.” If you would
like these gracious promises drawn out into detail with regard to the body you
may listen to just such words as these. “It is sowna soulish body, it is raiseda
Spiritual body. The first man is of the earth earthy, the secondman is the
Lord from Heaven. As is the earthy such are they, also, that are earthy. As is
the heavenly such are they, also, that are heavenly.”
WhateverChrist’s body is in Heaven, our body is to be like it. Whatever its
glory and strength and power, our vile body is to be fashioned like unto His
glorious body! As for our soul, whatever of absolute perfection–whateverof
immortal joy Christ possesses, we are to possess that. And as for honor–
whateverof esteemand love Christ may have from intelligent beings, we are
to share in the same. And as for position before God–whateverChrist has–we
are to stand where He stands.
Are His enemies put to confusion? So are ours. Do all worlds discern His
Glory? They shall discern ours, too. Is all dishonor wiped awayfrom Him? So
shall it be from us. Do they forgetforever the shame and spitting, the Cross
and the nails? So shall they in our case. Is it forever, “Gory! And honor! And
power! And dominion! And bliss without end!”? So shall it be in our case!Let
us comfort one another, therefore, with these words and look up out of our
wormwoodand our chrysalis state to that happier and better day when we
shall be like Christ, for we shall see Him as He is.
All this has nothing to do with a great many of you. You will die but you will
never rise like Christ. You will die and you will die–why did I say, “and you
will die?” Why, because youwill have to feel the SecondDeath, and that
seconddeath, mark you, is as much more horrifying than the first as the

trumpet of the angelis more terrible than the voice of the preachercanbe this
morning!
Oh, I would that Christ were your life, but you are dead and God will sayof
you one of these days as Abraham said of Sarah, “Bury the dead out of My
sight,” and you must be put out of His sight as an obnoxious putrid thing. Oh
that He would quicken you this day! “There is life,” says the hymn, “in a look
at the Crucified One.” God help you to exercise one look at that Christ of
whom I spoke and then you shall join with the restof His people in saying,
“Christ is our life.”
May God bless these feeble words of mine and own them because oftheir
weakness–the more to illustrate His own Grace and power, for Jesus'sake.
Amen.
BRUCE HURT MD
Colossians HYPERLINK"https://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/Col%203.4"3:4
When Christ, Who is our life is revealed(3 HYPERLINK
"http://studylight.org/lex/grk/extras.cgi?number=5686"SAPS) then you also will
be revealed(2 HYPERLINK
"http://studylight.org/lex/grk/extras.cgi?number=5701"PFPI) with Him in glory.
(NASB: Lockman)
Greek:ho HYPERLINK
"http://studylight.org/lex/grk/view.cgi?number=3752"HYPERLINK
"http://studylight.org/lex/grk/view.cgi?number=3752" HYPERLINK
"http://studylight.org/lex/grk/view.cgi?number=3752"tan o Christos ph
HYPERLINK
"http://studylight.org/lex/grk/view.cgi?number=5319"anerothe
HYPERLINK
"http://studylight.org/lex/grk/view.cgi?number=5319", (3 HYPERLINK
"http://studylight.org/lex/grk/extras.cgi?number=5686"SAPS) e zoe humon
HYPERLINK

"http://studylight.org/lex/grk/view.cgi?number=5216", tote kai humeis sun
auto ph HYPERLINK
"http://studylight.org/lex/grk/view.cgi?number=5319"anerothesthe (2
HYPERLINK "http://studylight.org/lex/grk/extras.cgi?number=5701"PFPI)
en doxe
Amplified: When Christ, Who is our life, appears, then you also will appear
with Him in [the splendor of His] glory. (Amplified Bible - Lockman)
Lightfoot: Christ, our life, will be manifested hereafter; then you also will
be manifested with him and the world will see your glory."
GoodNews Bible: Your real life is Christ and when he appears, then you
too will appear with him and share his glory!
Phillips: One day, Christ, the secret centre of our lives, will show himself
openly, and you will all share in that magnificent dénouement. (Phillips:
Touchstone)
Wuest: Whenever the Christ is made visible, our life, then also you with
Him shall be manifested in glory.
WHEN CHRIST [WHO IS] OUR LIFE IS REVEALED: hotan o Christos
phanerothe (3SAPS), e zoe humon hotan ho Christos phanerôthêi (1APS):
• Jn HYPERLINK "https://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/John%2011.25"11:25;
14:6; 14:19, 20:31; Ro HYPERLINK
"https://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/Rom%205.10"5:10, Ga HYPERLINK
"https://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/Gal%202.20"2:20;Php HYPERLINK
"https://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/Phil%201.21"1:21, 2 HYPERLINK
"https://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/2%20Tim%201.1"Ti HYPERLINK
"https://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/2%20Tim%201.1"1:1; 1 HYPERLINK
"https://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/1%20John%201.1"Jo HYPERLINK
"https://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/1%20John%201.1"1:1,2; 5:12; Rev
HYPERLINK "https://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/Rev%202.7"2:7; 22:1,14
• 1 HYPERLINK "https://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/1%20Tim%206.14"Ti
HYPERLINK "https://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/1%20Tim%206.14"6:14; 2
HYPERLINK "https://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/2%20Tim%204.8"Ti
HYPERLINK "https://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/2%20Tim%204.8"4:8; Titus
HYPERLINK "https://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/Titus%202.13"2:13; Heb
HYPERLINK "https://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/Heb%209.28"9:28; 1

HYPERLINK "https://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/1%20Pet%205.4"Pet
HYPERLINK "https://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/1%20Pet%205.4"5:4; 1
HYPERLINK "https://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/1%20John%202.28"John
HYPERLINK "https://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/1%20John%202.28"2:28; 3:2
• Colossians HYPERLINK "/colossians_3_resources"3 HYPERLINK
"/colossians_3_resources"Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries
• Colossians HYPERLINK "http://www.gty.org/library/sermons-
library/2145"3:1-4 HYPERLINK "http://www.gty.org/library/sermons-
library/2145"Living the Risen Life - John MacArthur
"when the Christ (Messiah)--our life--may be manifested… " (Young's
Literal)
CHRIST OUR LIFE IS
NOT A METAPHOR BUT A REALITY!
John HYPERLINK "https://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/John%2011.25"11:25
Jesus said to her (Jn HYPERLINK
"https://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/John%2011.24"11:24), “I am the
resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies,
Jn HYPERLINK "https://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/John%2014.6"14:6 Jesus
*said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the
Father but through Me.
John HYPERLINK "https://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/John%2020.31"20:31
but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ,
the Son of God;and that believing you may have life in His name.
2 HYPERLINK
"https://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/2%20Tim%201.1"Timothy HYPERLINK
"https://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/2%20Tim%201.1"1:1 Paul, an apostle of
Christ Jesus by the will of God, according to the promise of life in Christ
Jesus (Where is real life found? In what sphere? See in Christ; in Christ
Jesus; in Christ - HYPERLINK "/colossians_12_commentary#in christ"2)
1 HYPERLINK "https://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/1%20John%201.1"John
HYPERLINK "https://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/1%20John%201.1"1:1 What
was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our
eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the
Word of Life—
1 HYPERLINK "https://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/1%20John%205.12"John
HYPERLINK "https://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/1%20John%205.12"5:12 He

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