Scripture.

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.

Observation

Paul says, he is glad when he suffers for the church in his body. He is participating in the suffering of Christ for the church. God has given Paul the responsibility of proclaiming the entire message. This mystery was kept secret for generations, But now is openly proclaimed.

The mystery is that the riches and glory of Christ are for the Gentiles, as well as the Jews. The secret is that Christ is alive in us.

So Paul tells everyone and warns everyone with all the wisdom he has. He wants to be able to present them, the Colossians, to God perfect in their relationship with Christ.

Application

What seemed amazing at that time was always God’s plan for the world.

Salvation was never meant for the Jews alone. It was a corruption of their revelation that led the Jews to believe that they were special to the exclusion of Gentiles.

The fact is that God loves the entire world. Jesus came to set every person free from satan’s clutches and from the bondage of sin. In him, there is neither Jew nor Gentile, just people needing salvation.

Now Christ lives in every person who receives Him. The Holy Spirit is Christ in us. This is a profound mystery.

From the beginning, humans were meant to live in close and intimate relationship with God. Sin took this away. Now in Christ, that relationship is restored.

Every single person who says, “Yes” to Christ has God’s Spirit living within them.

How awesome is that?

Prayer

Thank you, Lord, for releasing me from sin’s power and for dwelling in me. Amen.