“To them 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.” (Colossians 1:27)
Here we have two unspeakably grand themes about Jesus that are miraculous blessings to the church.
All that we are longing for in the gospel community: transformation of lives, glory in the church, every man perfect in Christ, flows from on living fountain—“Christ in you, the hope of glory.” This is the wow factor of the local church. This miracle is available to every church no matter what size, location, or culture. A church is a glorious church because of our glorious Lord—not because of its numbers, talents, or money. Every gospel-led church has this unquenchable hope.
The majesty of Christ and the mystery of Christ must be kept together in our servant leadership. We are like Paul said, “stewards of the mysteries of God,” (I Cor. 4:1). We do not serve well when we allow these two eternal dynamics to drift apart in the thinking of our praying people.
When prayer is in its proper place, we can participate in the very life of Christ with others. Hope always abounds in that place. Good shepherds are diligent to remind their sheep of these things.