You Died. Colossians 3:3. Before we were saved, we had a sinful nature that was opposed to God and separated us from Him. Since God saved us, we consider the old nature dead and now live to God. We have been made alive in Christ and are now connected to God. That connection is so close that our life is “hidden with Christ in God.” We are dead to the power of sin, the guilt sin causes, the devil's condemnation, and the doubts, fears, and defeats of the world. Those in Christ have been crucified with Him and are now alive in Him. We are secure forever.
Really? Did I truly die? Is that what caused all my vain ambitions for success and material gain to fade away? Is that why Earth and its tempting attractions have become less important to me? Material possessions do not appeal greatly, but I see them as necessities for living. Whether I can keep them or lose them is up to my Lord. Honestly, it doesn't matter much to me because I have died, but now I am alive eternally in Christ Jesus.
What would a dead person want or need? What would they eat or drink? The body of a Christian who dies is “asleep in Jesus,” and their soul and spirit are “absent from the body and present with the Lord.” For those of us who are children of God by faith in Jesus Christ, the past is just history; everything important is ahead of us. Waiting for me to claim what was unknown in the past life are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, hopes, and promises that have been granted to us through our Lord Jesus Christ. To someone who is dead to sin but alive to God, I am sure they want to be shown how to live and participate in this new-found dimension of life while still here in this world. In our previous life, it was beyond our understanding that we could have eternal life now and live fully in the goodness of that completely new life.
Those whom God has saved by His grace have died in Christ and are now hidden with Christ, remaining safe for all eternity. A hidden component is usually concealed where it can fulfill its purpose without being seen. People don't know what it is doing or where it has been. But God, for His own purposes, has safely hidden us in Christ right out in the open. Believers differ in how they live, speak, act, and their attitudes toward God and others. Someone who is dead to the world, in Christ, is alive and out in the open to be seen and heard by people who need eternal life, just as we did.
Sometimes, I don't feel dead, but I know it's a fact. It influences what I think and how I behave, even though being dead in Christ doesn't mean I don't exist. It does mean that now I understand what God wants from me and what life is about. No, I am not trying to add to Christ's work by living for Him and serving Him or trying to earn salvation. The simple truth is that the old "me" has died, and I am alive as part of a heavenly nation.