Focus: You Can't Hide It!

Text: 1Tim.4:15

"Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all."

In this life, there are things you can't hide, however hard you try. There are also things you can hide for a while, but not forever.

You can't hide a cough. You can't hide light. You can't hide love. You can't hide prosperity or wealth. You can't hide Christ or your faith in Christ.

It is not possible to have Christ and hide Him at the same time. People like Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathaea, who started out as secret disciples of Christ, eventually came out from hiding, and took a public stand for Christ. You can't hide Christ in you to others for far too long, except you don't have Him at all. No one can have Christ, and then decide to hide Him from others. What you possess, you profess.

God does not entertain the secrecy of the faith. He wants those who possess Christ to manifest Him to the world. People need to see and feel the reality, impact or weight of your faith. You are born again for the world to see the possibilities and realities of a brand new humanity. 

Those who possess Christ should radiate His glory and reflect His character. Believers in Christ are God's image-bearers.

Paul declares, "Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all." God wants your profiting to appear to all. God wants all men to see the progress you are making in Christ and to feel the gravity of your faith.

You can't have faith and hide it. You can't have Christ and hide Him. Mark reports, "And again he entered into Capernaum after some days; and it was noised that he was in the house" (Mk.2:1). 

Once Christ enters into your space and takes charge, the good news of His presence and preeminence will be noised abroad. Real faith cannot be hidden. By your lips and your life you publicize your faith in Christ. People see your faith in Christ by the fruit you bear - the fruit of faith, repentance and righteousness. People wait to see and touch the Christ in you.

by Bishop Moses E. Peter