“Hidden Life vs. Manifest Life”

 

“Hidden Life vs. Manifest Life”  

Matt 6:1 – Do not practice righteousness before men to be seen by them.
Matt 6:3–4 – Give in secret; the Father who sees in secret will reward.
Matt 6:6 – Pray in your inner room; the Father sees in secret. 

Aspect	Hidden Life	Manifest Life
Meaning	A life cultivated before God in secret—praying, giving, fellowshipping, and growing inwardly without seeking human attention.	A life displayed openly to gain human approval or glory through outward religious acts.
Reason	God’s life is essentially hidden (Col 3:3). True growth occurs only when the self and flesh are dealt with in secret (Matt 6:4, 6, 18).	The natural life loves recognition. The self seeks glory from people (John 5:44), and the flesh desires to be noticed (Matt 6:1–2).
Distinction	God-centered, inward, rooted in reality, unseen by people.	Human-centered, outward, focused on appearance and public display.
Explanation	Secret prayer, giving, and fasting kill the self and the flesh. Hidden dealings with God produce genuine spiritual growth.	Displaying righteous acts feeds the ego and stops spiritual development.
Purpose	To grow in divine life and express the Father’s hidden nature.	To receive praise from people, satisfy the ego, and seek honor.
Examples	• Praying in secret (Matt 6:6) • Giving privately (Matt 6:3–4) • Fasting without outward display (Matt 6:17–18) • Believers whose hidden works were revealed only after death	• Giving with trumpet-blowing (Matt 6:2) • Praying on street corners (Matt 6:5) • Fasting with a gloomy appearance (Matt 6:16) • Boasting of spiritual activity
Application	• Practice prayer, giving, and serving in hiddenness. • Allow inward reality to exceed outward display. • Do works “in secret” for spiritual health.	• Avoid boasting or showcasing spiritual practices. • Examine motives—are they to be seen by men? • Guard against seeking human praise.
Interrelationship	Hidden life is the true expression of divine life. The more hidden the inner reality, the purer the outward expression.	Manifest life is the expression of the natural life—self and flesh. The more outward the display, the less inner substance.
Burden	• Lead believers to pursue inward growth. • Expose the subtlety of the self and the flesh. • Help saints live according to the Father’s hidden nature.	• Warn against displaying righteousness. • Reveal the danger of outward show that halts inner growth.
Prophetic Fellowship	• Encourage saints to gain hidden experiences of Christ. • Emphasize inward reality over outward form. • Point out motives and direct believers to seek the Father in secret.	• Expose hypocrisy and the self’s desire for recognition. • Call saints back to secret practices before the Father.
Conclusion	Hidden life is the normal life of kingdom people. It is the nature of the divine life. Real growth happens only in secret before God.	Manifest life belongs to the natural man. It brings no growth, causes loss of reward, and produces hypocrisy.
Scripture References	Matt 6:16–18 – Fasting should not be outwardly visible. Col 3:3 – “Your life is hidden with Christ in God.” John 5:44 – Seeking glory from one another prevents believing.	Matt 6:2 – Hypocrites give to be honored by men. Matt 6:5 – They pray to be seen by men. Matt 6:16 – They make their faces gloomy to show they are fasting. Matt 23:5 – “All their works they do to be seen by men.”

 

Core Summary:

Hidden life is the divine way of spiritual growth—secret prayer, hidden giving, and inward dealings with the self and flesh.
Manifest life is the natural, fleshly expression that seeks glory from men and hinders true growth.
Kingdom people must live according to the Father’s hidden life, not the natural life that desires display.

 

*Please refer to the May 2025 International Elders and Responsible Brothers Training: General Topic: Matthew Chapters 5-7 - Extremely Important Aspects - Week 5: The Kingdom's People Have Personal Prayer Experiences, Contacting Their Heavenly Father in Secret, and Experiencing the Secret Enjoyment of the Father.