“To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
– Colossians 1:27
Oh, there is so much to unpack in that one verse and even just the last seven words, “Christ in you, the hope of glory,” just meditate on those words. “Christ in you,” this is for everyone who has put your faith in Jesus as savior and Lord of your life. Jesus died for you so that he might live in you. He is in you. And you read Colossians 1:27 and the description of Jesus that we see here, he’s the image of the invisible God. He’s the author of all creation. And he’s the head of the church. He’s the savior of the world and he dwells inside of you. Feel this reality today.
Colossians 1:27 Tells Us that We Belong to Christ
Christian, you are not on your own. Jesus is in you, Christ in you. There’s so much that just flows from that reality as you think about his resources available to you today, his strength in you, his wisdom in you, his peace in you, his hope in you, which leads right to the last word words in this verse, “the hope of glory.” The hope of glory that Christ in you now is Christ in you forever, that today and tomorrow, and the next day and the next day, and the next month and the next year, and the next 10 trillion years and beyond, Christ is in you.
Your life is wed to Jesus now and forever. And what that means is you have hope of the glory. You have hope that one day there will be no more struggles with sin, no more struggles with suffering, no more struggles in this fallen world, that one day you will be glorified with Jesus, fully conformed into his image.
And I would just add, so, “Christ in you, the hope of glory,” but right before that, Paul talks about how this is a mystery hidden for ages and generations, but now revealed to his saints. And God has chosen to make known how great among the Gentiles, among the nations, are the riches, the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. So this reality of Christ in you, the hope of glory is not just for you and me to enjoy, but for you and me to spread among the Gentiles, among the nations, to spread the riches of his glory, that more and more people might know the greatness of this mystery, Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Colossians 1:27 Leads Us to Praise God for His Mysterious Work
Oh God, we praise you for the glory of this mystery. And God, I pray over every single person listening right now, who has put their trust in Jesus as savior and Lord of their lives, that they would feel this reality in a fresh way right now, that you, Lord Jesus, are in them, that you are in them, that you are with them, in them, leading them, guiding them, that everything you have is theirs. Your strength is there for them today in their weakness. Your peace is there for them today to overcome anxiety and worry. That your hope is in them. That we don’t live in despair, that your wisdom is in them. And that they don’t have to walk around in confusion, that you give wisdom generously by the Spirit of Jesus in them.
God, all these things, we could go on and on throughout all your word. All the things that are ours in Jesus. God, I pray that people who are listening to this right now would realize. That we would live in the hope, in the humble confidence, in the joy, and the strength. And the wisdom of Christ in us today. And God, that we would not just soak this in ourselves. That we would lead others to experience life in Christ, that they might be reconciled to you, oh God. We pray that you would help us to share the gospel today with somebody else. To share the good news of the riches of the glory of this mystery. That Jesus has died for us so that he might live in us. And enable us to experience life to the full.
Praying for the Runga People of the Central African Republic
And God, we pray this for people around us and people far from us, God, today for the Runga people of the Central African Republic, this Muslim people group, where there are no current followers of Jesus right now. We pray for the spread of the gospel to the Runga. That the riches of the glory of this mystery might be made known among the Runga. God, we pray for disciples to be made, and churches to be planted and multiplied among the Runga people of the Central African Republic and that you would send followers of Jesus who have Christ in them to the Runga people and the thousands of other people groups like them.
God, help us, who you have filled us with the Spirit of Jesus, Acts 1:8. That we might be witnesses to the ends of the earth. God, help us to be faithful to spread the good news of Christ in you, the hope of glory. That more Runga and more and more people groups all over the world might experience this hope of glory. We pray all of this in Jesus’ name. In the name of the one who is in us today and forever. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.
David Platt serves as a Lead Pastor for McLean Bible Church. He is also the Founder and Chairman of Radical, an organization that helps people follow Jesus and make him known in their neighborhood and all nations.
David received his B.A. from the University of Georgia and M.Div., Th.M., and Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Some of his published works include Radical, Radical Together, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, and Don’t Hold Back.
He lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area with his wife and children.
