Appear Appears Christ Glory Manifested Revealed
3:4 When Christ,... shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. When Christ... shall be manifested (Revised Version), then the glory and the blessedness of the life in us shall be shown forth. Like the tree in the winter, not dead, but the life hidden. When the spring comes, its life shows itself in glory. Compare Ro 8:19.
3:4 When Christ - The abruptness of the sentence surrounds us with sudden light. Our life - The fountain of holiness and glory. Shall appear - In the clouds of heaven.
3:1-4 As Christians are freed from the ceremonial law, they must walk the more closely with God in gospel obedience. As heaven and earth are contrary one to the other, both cannot be followed together; and affection to the one will weaken and abate affection to the other. Those that are born again are dead to sin, because its dominion is broken, its power gradually subdued by the operation of 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 water flow 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 general assembling 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 set our affections upon that world, and live above this?
Appear Appears Christ Glory Life Manifested Revealed True.
Appear Appears Christ Glory Life Manifested Revealed True.
