EMPOWERED BY THE INDWELLING OF CHRIST (Colossians). Here is a - TopicsExpress



          

EMPOWERED BY THE INDWELLING OF CHRIST (Colossians). Here is a mystery: Christ is in you. The notion seems quite implausible. Of all the places Christ might decide to be, why would he want to be in you? Yet that is the astonishing mystery that has been hidden throughout the ages (Colossians 1:26), and which God has now chosen to make known: Christ is in you (1:27). When we encounter Jesus, we encounter all the fullness of God: for all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell in Jesus (1:19). It was through Jesus that God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things (1:20). That ‘all things’ includes us: even though we have all of us gotten it wrong, more times than we could count – we were estranged from God, and indeed hostile toward God (1:21) – nevertheless Jesus has reconciled even rebels like us. How did he do that? Through the death of his body (1:22), with the goal of presenting us holy and blameless and irreproachable in the presence of God (1:22). As it turns out, though, holy and blameless and irreproachable are not the first adjectives most people would pick to describe me. Such characteristics might be Jesus’ intention for me, but clearly they are not yet fully established as part of my character. What I now need to do, then, is continue steadfast in the faith, without shifting from the gospel (1:23). How am I ever going to do that? Thats a mystery for sure. It is specifically the mystery we started out with: Christ is in me. As long as I keep on thinking the main thing is figuring out what I want to do, I’ll never get there: but if I can recognize the inner presence of Jesus as I make my day to day choices, that makes all the difference. And so we proclaim Christ (1:28), warning everyone, teaching everyone, so that we can see this truth established in everyone: mature, grown-up Christians, indwelt by the presence of the Lord, empowered to live as the people of God. Christ is in you, to enable you to live that holy and blameless and irreproachable life that you never would have reached on your own. Ah, Lord Jesus! It is such a mystery that you would love us; and so much more of a mystery that you would die for us; and such an overwhelming mystery that you would come to dwell within us. And yet this is what you have chosen, and established, and revealed. Let us revel in your love, and in your redemption, and in your presence, forever and ever!
Posted on: Sat, 13 Dec 2014 09:00:01 +0000

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