"...the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but 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." (Col. 1:26-27 NASB)
The most natural thing for me to do is to live righteously! Do you agree with that statement? If you don't agree with that, you may be thinking, "that sounds like spiritual arrogance!" If you are a believer, that statement is true of you also. The most humble thing you and I can do is to agree with what God says about us.
From Adam all the way to Christ, no human had experienced the life of God dwelling in them on a full-time permanent basis. The idea that God would "live" His life in the believer was a foreign concept. God would draw close when the individual was obedient and God would punish when they weren't. Don't misunderstand, God was long-suffering with His children because He knew they were not able to keep His commandments. God wanted to abide with His creation, not reject them. Jeremiah 17:9 says, "The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?" How can deceitful hearts be committed to God and keep His commands? They can't! God's people needed new hearts.
Jeremiah prophesies about a new covenant, "I will put my law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people." (Jer. 31:33b NASB) Ezekiel prophesied, "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you...I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes..." (Ez. 36:26a,27a NASB) These are prophecies regarding the mystery Paul speaks of in Colossians. This mystery revealed is Christ in you!
Jesus didn't come to earth to show me how to live, although He did set the highest standard to date. He came to give me Himself so that He could be my life. He placed Himself in a new creature with a new heart and made that new creature alive. Woohoo!!
Notice the phrase in Col. 1:27, "the hope of glory;" glory is the Greek word "doxa" which refers to Christ's magnificent nature. Does it frustrate you when you find yourself committing a sin? Of course it does! I hate sinning. When I realize that I have sinned, I always wish I could turn the clock back and make a different choice. I wish I could undo every sinful choice and never sin again from this moment forward. In other words, I hope there will be a time when I can consistently express Christ's high sinless standards.
Paul is saying that "Christ in you" or Christ's Life in me is my hope of expressing Christ's glory. Paul didn't say, "Christ, the hope of glory," but he said "Christ in you." It is the unity of Christ and you. That my friend is the best news ever!
God's intention from the beginning of creation has always been to share life with His creation. He wants to express His Life in and through us. Your hope of expressing His life is Christ in you!
