Good Morning! 2010.07.16 - Colossians 1:27b - Your Only Hope of Glory

Christ in you, the hope of glory: (Colossians 1:27)

It's easier for me to think on the hope of glory at 75 than it was at 15. The substance of it has not changed but my perception of it has changed considerably. Since I have my ticket in hand for the city of glory and I see the hopeless mess the world is in, I relish the thought of a better world.

If you are currently having a blast or if you are 15 and you want to get your driver's license first, I can understand. But eventually, we have to think about the morning when it's time to get up and we can't get out of bed because we are paralyzed. Most people own mirrors and use them daily to make sure their glory looks good.

People have thinking about this since there have been people. Two thousand years ago, the Apostle Paul wrote about the end of life. He had raised at least one from the dead and wrote as God's secretary about a lot of things to the early Christians. He knew more about "the hope of glory" than the doctor or undertaker.

And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead. And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him. (Acts 20:9-10)

Like a kerosene lamp whose wick needs trimming and is running low on oil, we have to think about holding on to our glory. We also want to be significant, which is a close kin to glory.

In our text for today, the substance is that "Christ is the only Savior of sinners. The Gospel is designed to put men in possession of the Spirit and power of Christ, to make them partakers of the Divine nature, and thus prepare them for an eternal union with himself. No man could rationally hope for glory who had not the pardon of his sins, and whose nature was not sanctified; and none could have pardon but through the blood of his cross; and none could have glorification but through the indwelling, sanctifying Spirit of Christ" (Clarke).

God is not running an automobile dealership nor is He the builder or real estate agent of nice homes. He has designed us to eventually share in the kingdom of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. But this is not going to happen on our terms. We are not God's advisers. In short, our glory is God-centered and not man-centered.

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.

For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: (Romans 1:18-20)

The prophets and apostles and Christ himself considered the world in a state of ignorance and darkness. When men are ignorant of God and rebellious against Him, there is no hope of an eternal state of glory. When a man possesses his ultimate glory, he will be an agent of justice, truth and mercy as has been his lot from the hand of his redeemer.

God's own who have been redeemed by the blood of Christ, have been promised an awful lot. It is really significant to me that all that we hope to receive in eternity is summed up in: "hope of glory." Your new automobile and your new house and your new clothes and your new everything is going to grow old and tattered and in need of replacement. We look forward to new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness (2Peter 3:13).

How are you going to get out of the box? That's the biggest question you have ever had and it's the biggest question you have now. The answer is simple: if you have Christ in you, He will get your body out of the box and unite it with your spirit which returns to the hands of Him who made it

So, how're you doing with your hope of glory? Ω