Colossians 1:27 To whom God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 2 Thessalonians 1:10 When He comes to be glorified in His saints and to be marveled at in all those who have believed.
In verse 27 Paul says that Christ in us is the hope of glory. Christ is the mystery which is full of glory now. This glory will be manifested to its fullest extent when Christ returns to glorify His saints.
Hence, it is a hope, the hope of glory. If we see the vision that the all-inclusive Christ who indwells us is our hope of glory, our living will be revolutionized. We shall say, “Lord, from now on I won't care for anything other than You.
I won't care for doctrines, ordinances, regulations, or traditions. I don't care for religion, philosophy, or the elements of the world. Lord, I care only for You as the embodiment of God and as the life-giving Spirit in my spirit.
Because you are so real, living, and practical in my spirit, I can live by You and with You. Lord, my only desire is to experience You in this way.” Oh, may we all see this vision! If we see this vision, we shall also realize how much Christians today have been distracted to things other than Christ.
They may pay their attention to good things, scriptural things, fundamental things, even spiritual things. Nevertheless, these things are not Christ Himself. It is crucial that we see the Christ who is the mystery hidden from eternity but now made manifest to the saints in the New Testament age.
This mystery is the key to our Christian life and also to the church life.