Jul 12

Jul 12 Hidden With Christ {even when you're struggling to feel "holy"}

Oh, the struggle we feel within to "be enough and do enough" is life-long isn't it?! Today, I welcome a friend, as well as fellow truth and grace teller, Asheritah Ciuciu, to The Better Mom to remind us of who Christ says we are...

“For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.” COLOSSIANS 3:3

Who is the holiest person you know?

Perhaps a loved one comes to mind. Or a pious person from long ago. Maybe you’re thinking of someone who is so much higher on the holiness ladder that you’re left feeling “less than”.

But here’s the thing: if you are in Christ and He is in you, He has declared you holy.

Yes, you.

Yes, with your burdensome secret that you’ve never told anyone. With your quiet struggles that no one else knows about. With your daily ongoing fight against sin.

In Christ, you are holy.

You are holy because Jesus is the Holy One of God. He is the only One who has never sinned, never tempted anyone else to sin, and who in fact defeated sin in His death and resurrection. He alone is able to clothe us with divine righteousness that we would not have on our own. God declares us holy not because of our moral achievements or because of our sincere obedience, but because of Jesus’ holiness.

Colossians 3:1-20 explains what is positionally true of those who believe in Jesus, and then calls upon them to live it out practically. The Colossians were becoming practically what they were already positionally in Jesus Christ. In verses 1-2, Paul calls the Colossians to set both their hearts and minds on “things above”.

When God looks at us, He sees the holiness of Jesus covering us like a garment. Before God in heaven, we are already positionally holy even as we grow practically in this holiness day by day, through the power of the Holy Spirit in us.

Sure, you might not “feel” holy, especially after a rough day with the kids or a demanding day at work. But our spiritual confidence lies not in our feelings or our doings, but in the righteousness of Christ alone. He is enough.

Because Christ is enough, we no longer need to strive to impress Him with our good behavior (as if we even could) or try to run away through numbing activities. Instead, we can rest in His finished work on the cross and love out the holiness that is already ours in Him through our day-today actions.

Let’s resist the temptation to turn Paul’s exhortations into a list of things to do. Instead, let’s see it as his invitation to embody here and now what is already true of us as we’re hidden with Christ in God.

Today, take time to seek His stillness. Simply be still in His presence. He is enough.

We live in a world of scarcity. We say, “I don't have enough time … maybe when I have more money … if only I had a little more help …” But Scripture says if we have Jesus, we have enough.

Asheritah’s Ciuciu’s newest Bible study, He is Enough: Living in the Fullness of Jesus, is a 6-week study of Colossians that leads readers to discover the life-altering importance of Jesus’ sufficiency and sovereignty. You can do this study on your own or grab a friend or two to join you. CLICK HERE to learn more.

Now for a GIVEAWAY!! Thank you to Moody Publishers for your partnership with this post. Moody is giving away a Bible study bundle of these three bible studies!