Christ in You, the Hope of Glory
To whom God would 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 1:27 KJV
Imagine the surprise of discovering that you, once considered an outsider, are now an essential part of God’s divine plan. This is the profound mystery revealed to us: “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
A mystery is a sacred secret. While the Old Testament contained many hidden truths, the New Testament unveils these secrets, one of which is Christ dwelling in us, providing a glorious hope.
We will explore three parts of this revealed mystery: the inclusion of Gentiles in God’s plan, the indwelling of Christ, and the hope of glory.
The first surprise of this mystery is that Gentiles (the Colossians, in this case) have now become partakers of God’s promise to Israel for thousands of years, beginning with Abraham’s call in Genesis 12. God hid from Israel the fact that the blessings and promises given to Abraham were meant for both Jews and Gentiles alike. This aspect was not revealed to the Old Testament saints but is now revealed to the saints in the New Testament. It is no longer a secret.
The next two parts, “Christ in you” and “the hope of glory,” uncover the details of this revealed secret, true for both Jews and Gentiles. Christ dwells in them, residing in their hearts. No Old Testament saint ever heard or experienced anything of this sort. They knew that God was among them in the camp and Jerusalem. God dwelt in Jerusalem, the Temple, and the Ark. So, God among them was nothing new, but God in them was a completely new truth. Christ in them means the Holy Spirit is in their hearts, God’s very nature immersed in their being, making them part of the divine nature—partaking in God’s glory.
Having God’s nature in you is partaking in God’s life and glory. The verse states this glory is a hope, so the focus here is not on what we have now but on what we shall have. No matter how wonderful the Christian life can get in this present body, it is not what God has fully planned for us. There is just so much this body of sin can handle. But when God gives us the spiritual body, the new body made of His glory, we will live as God lives, yet in a tangible body. God alone now knows how glorious that will be, but we will soon find out!
But while we wait, let this consciousness be in you: Christ is in you, and so you are a partaker of God’s nature and His glory, both now and in the life to come.
Meditate
Think about the meaning of these words described above: “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
Apply the Word
We live by faith and in hope. By faith, partake in God’s glory for you now, and in hope, let your eyes remain on the full glory that is yet to come.
Pray
Thank the Father for such a wonderful blessing bestowed upon us in Christ.
Recommended Read
- The Mystery of Koinonia
- The Glory of God in the Face of Jesus Christ
- Beholding in a Glass the Glory of God
- What Is the Glory of God?
- Three Divine Acts at the New Birth
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