Day 31
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)
“Christ in you, the hope of glory.” What does it mean?
When we hope for something, we wait for it with eager expectation. We look forward to it with longing hearts. We have hope because of Christ in us.
But what is glory? What are we hoping for?
On Mount Sinai, Moses said to God, “Please show me Your glory.” And the Lord replied, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before you.” (Exodus 33:18–19). Moses asked to see God’s glory and God showed Moses His goodness. God’s glory and His goodness are one and the same. God’s glory is His nature of loving kindness.
After Moses encountered God on Mt Sinai, his face shown with glory. But the glory of the New Covenant is meant to exceed that. “If the ministry of death [the Ten Commandments], written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious?” (2 Corinthians 3:7–8). God’s design is that we radiate His goodness that does not pass away.
“Christ in you” is the basis for our hope. Our hope begins with God in our spirit. God lives in us—in our spirit. “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Romans 8:16). Christ in you—the Spirit hidden away in your spirit—is the foundation upon which our hope rests.
But “hope of glory” isn’t meant to be the end point. The actual glory is Christ through you. It is Christ in your spirit filling and renewing your soul and flowing out through your body for others to experience. The glory manifests when our soul is caught up in knowing and seeing God and our body expresses it for the world to see.
When our soul is permeated with the nature of Christ—when we are led by the Spirit—our body radiates the glory of God. “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God” (Romans 8:14). When our soul comes to rest in agreement with the Spirit, we will be sons/daughters of God—fashioned after the image of the firstborn Son. You were made to be like Jesus and resonate with His divine nature.
God gives Himself to you in love so that you might share in His goodness—so that every bit of you is flooded with Him. Glory radiates through you when the nature of God—His love, joy, peace and kindness—pours out for the world to see. Glory is the fruit of the Spirit manifested through you in hands-on, earthly, relational ways.
Glory was the “clothing” Adam and Eve enjoyed in the Garden of Eden before their covering fell away and they saw that they were naked. This is the glory Jesus paid for on the cross. The Spirit wants to burst forth from you in full, vibrant, abundant life. God’s desire is to be made known and visible to the world through you. When your spirit and soul are in agreement with Him, the goodness of God—the glory of God—is free to express itself through you.
God is glorified when we express His glory. The glory of God is humanity fully alive.
Just think of it. God created you—imperfect, unique, valuable, treasured you—to share His glory with the world. From the inside out—from spirit, to soul, to body—you were designed to radiate the nature of God! God’s glory—God’s lovingkindness—enlivens you and comes forth through you. You are God’s chosen vessel to enjoy His goodness and share it with the world.
Ponder for a Moment
For the rest of today, put yourself in Jesus’ sandals. Let His glory—His nature of lovingkindness—express itself through you as you go about your everyday life.
“The glory of God is humanity fully alive.” What do these words mean to you?