The first chapter of Colossians concludes with Paul telling us about his responsibility to proclaim God’s message to all everyone (vs. 1:24-29). This message, the message of the gospel, was always part of God’s plan but was kept secret, hidden from people’s understanding until the time was right for Jesus to come into the world. And it’s a beautiful message:
For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory. - Colossians 1:27 NLT
A couple things stand out to me as I think about this verse. First, everybody can have the riches and glory of Christ. This would have been amazing to Paul’s Jewish readers, who were God’s chosen people. The special relationship they had with the Lord was now available to everyone. Good news for me and every other non-Jewish person. Jesus is for everybody.
The next thing I see is the secret that God has revealed. Christ is in His followers. Jesus isn’t distant or far away from me and my cares. I don’t have to wait until the end of my time on earth to be with Him. Jesus is in me now. That means He is with me in every situation I find myself in (Matthew 28:20, Hebrews 13:5). His guidance and blessings are always available to me. How very reassuring it is to know I’m not alone. 😊 This gives me confidence that I will share in His glory in the future. And this confidence and assurance help me to keep serving Him even though it’s sometimes a struggle.
Because God has revealed this wonderful secret to me through His word, I share in Paul’s responsibility to tell everyone. So many people wander through life with no hope for the future or purpose in the present. As Jesus’ follower, I have both. If I don’t share this secret with others at every opportunity, I’m not being loving to them. And I’m being disobedient to my Lord (Matthew 28:19). Ouch. I don’t want to go there.
So we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect in their relationship to Christ. That's why I work and struggle so hard, depending on Christ's mighty power that works within me. - Colossians 1:28-29 NLT
Think About: Do you share in the secret of the gospel? With whom will you share the secret today?
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