The dying and rising of Christ brings the present evil age to an end replacing it with a new one.  We did not do anything at all to make this happen.  Nevertheless, when Jesus was crucified, we were crucified with him.  Christ died for us and we died with him.  When God raised Jesus to newness of life, as the new man, we were raised with him.  Furthermore, when God exalted Jesus to his right hand we were exalted with him. Now our lives are hidden with Christ in God.

Our knowledge of the new man, and of who we are as the new humanity in him, is unveiled to us in living encounter with Jesus.  Only as the Spirit of Christ opens to us the mystery of Christ do we know anything of this newness.  For the new humanity is hidden in Jesus, the new man, who is hidden in God.

As those who now know the new man, we share in his mission of making known the truth that is hidden in Jesus. We do so, as the one who is hidden unveils himself in and through us as his living body.  We live in him and he lives in us as his own body in which he is all and in all.  And as he lives in and through us we share in his ongoing mission of unveiling the hidden mystery of Christ to the world.  That is his gift to us until the day when he is revealed to the whole world, then we  also will be revealed with Him in glory.