Christ in You – The Hope of Glory
- Dr. Michael Stallings
- 3 days ago
- 5 min read
Here's a great reason to have Hope in Christ today!
Christ in You – The Hope of Glory
“God wanted to make known among the Gentiles the glorious wealth of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” ~Colossians 1:27 (HCSB)
Paul is not speaking about some fabricated experience to elicit your reaction, or a spiritual idea that “came to mind” but a revealed reality. He is recounting a truth from God. See the difference? One notion is subjective, meaning it came from within Paul’s own mind and the other, revelation meaning given by God. God wanted us to know! The “mystery” hidden for ages is now disclosed – not that Christ merely saves from a distance, but that He dwells within His people. He said he was going to do this about 600 years before the birth of Jesus Christ in Ezekiel 36:26–27:
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will place My Spirit within you and cause you to follow My statutes and carefully observe My ordinances.
This was not experienced in full under the Old Covenant. The Spirit of God came upon individuals, for specific power and actions, except for King David. (See, Ps 51.11 and 1 Sam 16.13,14) but now, through the gospel, Christ resides in every believer. So, who dwells within? The Spirit or Christ? Both! According to the Scriptures, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit is God. The hope of the believer is Christ dwelling in us, giving new and eternal life in him. The Holy Spirit is literally called, “He,” in a few spots, such as John 14:16–17; John 14:26; John 15:26; John 16:7–8; John 16:13–14; Romans 8:16; Romans 8:26; Ephesians 1:13–14. He is also called “The Spirit of Christ,” the “Spirit of Jesus.”
“They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia; they had been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the message in Asia. When they came to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them.” Romans 8:9 “You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God lives in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.” And 1 Peter 1:11 “They inquired into what time or what circumstances the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating when He testified in advance to the messianic sufferings and the glories that would follow.”
The Believer’s Hope is the Hope of God dwelling within; Christ made this possible. Believe that.
Here’s how The Lord worked it out: Romans 3:23 (HCSB) “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Do you realize you are a sinner? Romans 6:23 (HCSB) “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Do you know that he loves you anyway? Romans 5:8 (HCSB) “But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” He actually loves you so much that he died to pay the penalty due your sin and Romans 10:9 (HCSB) “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:13 (HCSB) “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
No matter who you are, call to Him like the Scriptures say. You WILL BE SAVED. You will be born again and given NEW LIFE. Not a better version of your old, sin-filled self, but new life in Christ Jesus based upon His eternal promises and character.
“Christ in you” is the defining mark of a Christian. It is not church attendance, knowledge, or outward morality. It is union with Christ. His life becomes the source of your life. His Spirit convicts, guides, strengthens, and conforms you. This indwelling is not symbolic; it is the active presence of the risen Christ by His Spirit. Without this, there is no true hope. With it, everything changes. The believer is no longer empty, striving to reach God, but filled, living from what God has already given. This reality is based upon his Word, which is solid ground from which to live. (Matt 23.27; 1 Cor 6.17; Gal 2.20; Jn 16.13; Ro 8.11; Eph 2.12; 2 Cor 5.17; Col 2.10 and Matt 7.24)
Paul calls this indwelling “the hope of glory.” Hope here is not uncertainty; it is confident expectation. Glory refers both to future transformation and present participation in God’s life. The same Christ who dwells in you now guarantees what you will become. This anchors the believer. Trials do not remove hope because hope is not tied to circumstances – it is tied to a Person who already lives within. The future glory is secured because Christ Himself is already present. (2 Corinthians 3:18; Colossians 3:4; Hebrews 6:19; Romans 5:3–5; 2 Corinthians 1:22)
This truth presses toward response. If Christ is in you, then your life is not your own. Your thoughts, desires, and actions are being shaped from the inside out. Growth in holiness is not external pressure but internal transformation. The Christian life is not imitation alone – it is participation. You are not trying to act like Christ apart from Him; you are living because He is in you. (James 1:22; 1 Corinthians 6:19–20; Romans 12:2; Philippians 2:13; 2 Peter 1:4; Galatians 2:20)
Rest in that reality today and have Hope In Christ!
Not feelings
Hope In Christ!
Not circumstance
Have Hope in Christ!
Lord Jesus, You are not distant but present within me. Let me live in the reality of Your indwelling life. I die to myself and live for you, my King. Strengthen my faith in the hope You have secured, and shape me from the inside out so that my life gives you glory. I trust you hear me because I ask in the name of Jesus and because he granted me access to your throne through His cleansing blood. Hallelujah!
There is a great reason to have hope in Christ today!
Jesus came to "set the captives free," by the Truth.
Do you know Jesus yet?
Pray and ask Him to deliver you! He will.
email: mike@trainandtell.org
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