Christ in YOU the hope of glory

It's not a matter of faith—this one is on Him!

If you are a Christian, you will have read Colossians, where the weight of the words "Christ in you, the hope of glory" drops on you. Just muse over those seven words for a moment and let them sink in...

The actual verse is found in Colossians 1:27, where the Apostle Paul, writing to the faithful in Colossae, unveils a mystery that had been hidden for ages and generations—but now, it is made known. It's a formidable mystery: "Christ in you, the hope of glory." Not just a distant deity watching from 1,000 miles above us, not a far-off promise left to the imagination, but Christ in you—actually in you. In fact, better than that, and more inclusive and overwhelming, is that you can read that verse more accurately as "Christ in y'all, the hope of glory."

Think about it. The Creator of the universe, the One through whom all things were made, has chosen to dwell within His people. This is no mere sentiment or lofty ideal—it is the very foundation of our faith. The presence of Christ within us is the ultimate game-changer, transforming lives, renewing minds, and setting captives free.

We are not the first to marvel at this truth. We stand on stilts on the shoulders of giants—those who have gone before us, grasping this hope, clinging to it, and faithfully and tenaciously living it out. Men and women throughout the centuries are the giants who endured trials, faced persecution, and yet held on to this glorious reality. They understood from the Scriptures (which is why you simply must read them—all of them) that Christ in us isn't just about personal salvation; it's about real participation in a divine mystery that reaches beyond time and space. It's the hope of glory, not just for the future, but for the here and now. You are in Christ now!

Think about one of our giants, Abraham, who walked by faith even when the path was uncertain. He looked forward to a city whose designer and builder is God. Then there is Moses, who chose to suffer affliction with the people of God rather than enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin, because he saw Him who is invisible.

As you hurtle through so many characters that remind you of God's provision, His divine intervention or intrusion, overcoming obstacles and breaking through every wall, you come to David, who, despite his failures, understood that God's presence was his greatest treasure: "You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you," he said in Psalm 16:2.

They saw glimpses, but we now live in the full revelation—and I hope you can see it because it is important, life changing.

"Christ in you" means we have access to the very presence of God, shaping us, guiding us, and empowering us. It's the hope that anchors us in the storms of life, the assurance that we are never alone, and the promise that we will one day stand in the fullness of His glory. And we will, we really will—trust Him—you'll never be disappointed.

And what is glory? (We could be here all day.) Glory is the weight of God's presence, the radiance of His beauty, and the sheer, overwhelming manifestation of His power. When Paul speaks of "the hope of glory," he speaks of a future where we will be fully, utterly, and absolutely 100% transformed into the image of Christ, when every tear will be wiped away, and when we will see Him as He is. What a promise and what a day! And that’s the point for you, me, us. This hope isn't just about eternity; it's about today.

It means that right here, in the midst of our struggles and triumphs, in our joy and our pain, Christ is present. He is working within us, changing us from the inside out. It's not a matter of faith—this one is on Him—even if you are struggling in your walk with God, "Nowt changes" (as they say in Yorkshire).

That’s clumsy theology, but in context, it’s true.

He's still at work, faithful without let or hindrance, being always, "Christ in you... the exceedingly great hope of incomparable, majestic glory." Ever the giant of the faith, Paul then urges us on in Philippians 1:6, "He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." To that, you can probably only say American Christianity's favourite word, "AWESOME!"

So, what do we do with this hope? Well, expressly, we live it out. We let it shine. We carry this treasure in jars of clay, showing the world that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.

We love boldly, we serve humbly, and we walk confidently—knowing that Christ is in us, and that hope is not a fragile wish, but a steadfast anchor for our souls.

Let your heart be strengthened and remember these character 'reset' identifiers: You are not alone. You are not forsaken. You are not without hope.

The very presence of Christ dwells within you (even if you don't feel it), and that is the greatest hope of all—the hope of glory.