Colossians 1:27 - Christ In You, The Hope Of Glory.
Colossians 1:27 - Christ In You, The Hope Of Glory.
Colossians 1:27 (KJV) 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 (CWR) God wants to use you to attract others to
Him with the glorious riches of what has been revealed and which is
seen by Christ living in you, who is our only hope of glory.
Colossians 1:27 (TLB) and the riches and glory of his plan are
for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ in your hearts
is your only hope of glory.
This mystery spoken of here is the regenerated heart which
results from the conversion process. [Pastor Cook at Okmulgee SDA
Church in OK]
Christ in you takes place at conversion and continues through
sanctification. (source unknown)
Here is the heart of Christianity, which distinguishes it
from every other religion in the world. It is not simply some
universal spirit of goodness dwelling in humanity that we must strive to
realize. Nor is it a set of rules and regulations that will bring us into
union with our creator. The only hope and assurance we have of that
eternal life, that object of the human quest, is what God himself has
given us in Christ.
If we have accepted the gift of our Maker, forgiveness of
sin and new life through Jesus Christ, we can begin to live each day
in intimate fellowship with him. That goal is no longer
unattainable or hindered by our human weakness. It is an accomplished
reality. Because of Christ, God's dwelling place is not somewhere on the
other side of the cosmos. He inhabits the spirits of those who have
been "born of God," and continually calls to us, "Come unto me."
Dear GOD, as I walk through this day, may I be aware of the
fact that Jesus is actually living in me by his Spirit. I don't begin
to understand how that can be, but help me to realize that your
presence in me is a reality and my only life and hope. In that knowledge,
grant me the freedom to enjoy this time together with you. [Praying
Through The Bible By Fuller]
The heavenly Father's plan from the beginning of time was to
place His eternal Son in every believer. If you are a Christian, all
the fullness of God dwells in you. Christ's life becomes your life.
When Christ lives in you, He brings every divine resource with Him.
Every time you face a need, you meet it with the presence of the
crucified, risen, and triumphant Lord of the universe inhabiting you. When
God invites you to become involved in His work, He has already
placed His Son in you so that He can carry out His assignment through
your life.
This has significant implications for your Christian life.
Discipleship is more than acquiring head knowledge and memorizing Scripture
verses. It is learning to give Jesus Christ total access to your life so
He will live His life through you. Your greatest difficulty will be
believing that your relationship with Christ is at the heart of your
Christian life. When others watch you face a crisis, do they see the risen
Lord responding? Does your family see the difference Christ makes
when you face a need? What difference does the presence of Jesus
Christ make in your life?
God wants to reveal Himself to those around you by working
mightily through you. He wants your family to see Christ in you each day.
God wants to express His love through your life. There is a great
difference between "living the Christian life" and allowing Christ to live
His life through you. [Experiencing God Day by Day by Henry and
Richard Blackaby re Col. 1:27]
The New Testament contains quite a few verses that we often
"believe" without really believing. One of them is that the same Jesus who
walked this planet two millennia ago is actually alive in us, moving
and working through us now. It's a great theological principle that
slips from our consciousness quickly and easily, in part because it's
such a mystery. We're more comfortable with concrete, practical
reality, not invisible realms we can only access by diving into spiritual
depths. We affirm the principle of the mystical union between Jesus and
us while shying away from the actual experience of it.
There's a cost to not consciously and constantly embracing
"Christ in you, the hope of glory" (NIV). We miss His Presence...
Our only hope of truly knowing the glory God has given us -
the beauty and weight of His goodness - is in becoming aware that
Jesus is in us without fear of the supernatural or mystical aspects of
this truth. The actual Being who walked dusty roads with His
disciples, unveiled His glory on a mountain, and did miracles that stunned
those around Him is in those who believe. Right now. And though it's
always true, we only experience it when we know it and believe it. It's
our responsibility and privilege to know and believe it well.
Jesus, You really are in me. I know that. But I want to know
it in actual experience every day - to see the evidence of You in
me and to know the hope of glory. Please display this mystery in
me. [The One Year Experiencing God's Presence Devotional by Chris
Tiegreen]
When God chose to reveal himself, he did so (surprise of
surprises) through a human body. The tongue that called forth the dead was
a human one. The hand that touched the leper had dirt under its
nails. The feet upon which the woman wept were calloused and dusty. And
his tears ... oh, don't miss the tears ... they came from a heart as
broken as yours or mine ever has been.
So, people came to him. My, how they came to him! They came
at night; they touched him as he walked down the street they
followed him around the sea; they invited him into their homes and placed
their children at his feet. Why? Because he refused to be a statue in
a cathedral or a priest in an elevated pulpit. He chose instead to
be Jesus.
... There were those who revered him. But there was not one
person who considered him too holy, too divine, or too celestial to
touch. There was not one person who was reluctant to approach him for
fear of being rejected. Remember. It is man who creates the distance.
It is Jesus who builds the bridge. (From God Came Near by Max
Lucado) [Inspirational SB]
LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE:
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2006/20061005-1844.html
EXCELLENT VIDEO SERIES ON EXPERIENCING GOD:
http://sda.biggytv.com/watch/Revive!_-_Dwight_Nelson:_Experiencing_Gods_Grace/revive/
