Eternity 89 - Christ In You The Hope Of Glory
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{Apologies for not sending out devotionals on Thurs, Fri, or Sat last week; things have been very busy here, Eternity should resume its normal schedule this week.}
Colossians 1:26-29 ASV even the mystery which hath been hid for ages and generations: but now hath it been manifested to his saints, (27) to whom God was pleased 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: (28) whom we proclaim, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ; (29) whereunto I labor also, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.
There is something glorious and perfect in every Christian believer - Christ in you the hope of glory. The body is not glorious, it will grow old and perish. The mind is not glorious, its knowledge is finite and often in error. The unredeemed soul is not glorious as it lusts and grows angry and has numerous wayward affections, and the various possesions we have and offices we hold do not constitute true glory as they are passing away with this world.
Where then is our glory? Where is that something we can hold onto, something about ourselves that we can say "This is me, this is good and this will last!" Something about us that is admirable - and permanently so. The only part of us that we can point to and say "There is glory! " is our redeemed spirit - Christ in us, the hope of glory.
Eventually of course our redemption will be total, our bodies will be glorious (1 Corinthians 15), our minds will know all things (1 Corinthians 13) and we will be immortal and imperishable with true eternal possessions and heavenly offices and responsibilities. But that is not yet. And how can we know that it will be different? That indeed glory will be ours? Because we have a foretaste and a deposit in the Holy Spirit and a new nature in Christ.
This new nature is glorious but in need of maturity and perfection. This is just like the nature of Jesus who when born in the manger was perfect and innocent and sinless and glorious but still needed to grow in stature and wisdom (Luke 2:40) . Christ in us needs to grow and he particularly needs to grow in wisdom which is why Paul says that his task is "admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ."
Thus our ultimate concern should not be earthly titles and glory, or beauty or riches and honor and status - but the lasting glory we will have if we are mature in Christ and wise in the things of God. Daniel, though a highly respected person knew this and wrote: Daniel 12:2-3 ASV And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. (3) And they that are wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.
If we have Christ in us, and if we become mature in Him we shall gain the glory that is of God and shine like the stars forever and ever. [But if we neglect this, and despise it, and trample the things of the Kingdom, neglecting our salvation and our calling, then the NT is full of dire warnings of weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth. Matthew 8:12, 13:42] Christ in you is the secret of the Christian life, of eternal life and of heavenly glory.
Blessings,
John Edmiston
Asian Internet Bible Institute
https://www.aibi.ph/
email: johned@aibi.ph
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