A New Life with Jesus: Jesus Moves In

Mortifying earthly things certainly sounds unpleasant.  We were given new life, and yet some of our old life remains.  New life does not mean that the "sin in our members," most noticed as habits, suddenly disappears.  No, we are given the task of working out our deliverance with God.  Kind of like "Hogan's Heroes" plotting our escape from sin and its accomplices.

The tide has turned.  Victory is at hand.  A new value system has entered us by the light and revelation of God in the life and company of Jesus.  God is not just a word.  Our own pleasures are not the most important thing.  Someone else has moved in and he's not planning on leaving.

Suddenly the presence of Someone so important, so delightful, and so interesting has turned our lives upside down.  What seemed so important shrinks before our eyes.  Deep longings and hopes surface that are greater than even our own lives.  Something big is happening and now we are in the middle of it, since we have new roommates.  So it is with new life.

Since you were lifted up into life

  in the company of Christ,

seek all the things of that higher life,

  living before Christ,

    who is seated at God's right hand

    as Lord of the whole world.

Mind each detail of that life,

  not all the desires, worries, and threats 

    that continue on earth.

You can seek and be mindful this life

  because your life on earth is over and done.

Your new life is more than it seems

  hidden even as Jesus is hidden

  in his Father's company.

Your life will not always be hidden,

  but will appear before everyone,

    even as Christ will,

  for approval before the Father

  and full of all that is truly good and beautiful.

(Colossians 3:1-4)

Let Jesus and the Father move in.  Take up their life as your own.  Give up on what used to work.  It won't anymore.  You will find that this new life is hidden, not because it is somehow unreal, but because the world and your old life are based on lies and illusions.  Real life is hidden from the world like reality is hidden from a psychopath.

May you find your new roomies a great comfort and of great interest this week.

(A letter written to my group of spiritual companions.)