Christ... IN YOU! The Hope of Glory!

The Hope of Glory!

“…The mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations - has now been manifested to His saints… to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory….”

Colossians 1:26-27 NASV

There is nothing in the world comparable to the intimate fellowship that only God gives and initiates. I often marvel at the fact that the very God who created the sun, the moon, the stars, the land and seas (whom I worship and adore) is the same God who lives inside of me. Such wonder is too difficult for me to fathom, much less communicate. It is humanly mysterious, yet spiritually revealing

How many of us have longed for a greater experience of God – an experience that transcends mere worldly “matter” and socio-relational status? How many of us participate in the “traditional routine” of Sunday morning service, but have yet to see our “Sunday mornings” from Monday through Saturday? Why is it that we can’t seem to grasp and strengthen our hold on the transforming truths of God’s Word from day to day? It seems (now more than ever) that our world tinkers and toggles on the brink of serious chaos - the kind of chaos that we have never witnessed in the entire historical human experience. Today, even the Salvation experience and lifestyle has become a mockery to many people. In some respects, it even viewed as a “fade” or fictitious idea that is conjured within sensational human thought. As a result, spiritual transformation is often dramatized and “faked” in our churches – giving many a false sense of hope.

Oh, but thanks be to God, who has made it a priority to reveal Himself to His creation! Accordingly, His revelation has offered us the opportunity to experience Him in ways never imagined – giving His people reasons to HOPE! Our text has much to say about this idea – more than we can communicate in this short study. However, a few points from this passage rings loudly true for our spiritual motivation and endurance. Firstly, Paul says that God has “…manifested a mystery….” that was hidden for generations. The word translated “mystery” here is the Greek word, Musterion (moos-tay'-ree-on) which are spiritual secrets obtained by secret spiritual counseling and the introduction to an image, form or vision.

So then, God has manifested something that is only received through counseling (being with Him alone), whereby we see HIS FORM and VISION (WOW… I wish I had time to elaborate this point further). Ah, but what is the “mystery” or secrets that God gives us in HIS presence while being counseled by Him? Paul says it is “…Christ in you - the hope of Glory….” Who can fathom the idea of Christ, who walked on the sea, who healed terminal diseases, who fed the hungry and who set captives free residing on the inside of human beings. This experience of the indwelling Christ, Paul says, will offer us the “hope of Glory.” The word “Hope” here is the Greek, Elpis (el-pece') which is the anticipation of joyful promise and the expectation of intimate goodness for the purpose of productive service.

The “Glory” is something to really think about. It is the Greek, Doxa (Dox’-ah) [in the feminine tense] which gives a different meaning than the popular knowledge of “Glory.” It means the fullness of splendor, brightness, honor, dignity, grace, and preeminence of Godly perfection and Godly ordination. In other words, This “Glory” is something that God designs within us while we are shown Himself in counsel, vision and fullness. It is something that we give to Him because we have no choice in the matter. We didn’t design it, we didn’t see it without Him and we couldn’t know it without His revelation. This is why it’s a secret, because without Christ in us, there is not even a thought in our feeble minds to clue us on the idea of what His presence really means.

“…You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever….” Psalm 16:11

Grace & Peace,
Roc