Colossians 1:24–27 24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, 25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, 26the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. 27 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.
Followers of Jesus are not to reflect the spirit of the age but the glory of Jesus Christ. The spirit of the age attempts to drape a curtain over anything God-exalting and Christ-centered. The world evaluates problems through a lens that sees all issues without regard for the authority of God in righteousness and truth. Mankind’s godless efforts at self-correction invariably make matters worse, whether these efforts are “religious” or “secular.” All attempts at self-correction fail because they have no connection to God’s universal and unchanging principles of truth and righteousness revealed in creation and biblical truth. Only transformed children of God, who by the saving mercy granted them in the gospel of Jesus Christ, are empowered by the Spirit of God to provide direction to a rudderless world.
Paul’s instructions to the church in Colossae present the beauty of the light followers of Jesus shine on the world darkened by sin. Paul shares the joy he has revealing the gospel of Jesus Christ, even though the consequence of sharing gospel truth brings him suffering from a Christless world. Paul makes “the word of God fully known” by explaining a mystery. The mystery once hidden and now revealed is that God unifies Jew and Gentile by blood-bought grace and transformation through the gospel of Jesus. He is the crucified, buried, resurrected, and ascended Savior and Lord who brings hope to the nations by salvation and sanctification through gospel grace.
The hope of our soul is the hope of the world. The glory of Jesus Christ is the light that shines from our lives as we walk and proclaim the unchanging standard of God’s truth and righteousness, realized through our Savior. As we follow Jesus, we become shining lights of reconciliation with God. We receive solid direction from Scripture, and we can approve and conform to the truth by the power of the Holy Spirit. In this way, “…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.”Being filled with and focused on Christ is how we will not reflect the spirit of the age but the glory of Jesus Christ. Rejoice, for the power of Christ is in you!
Resource Info
