Christ In You, The Hope of Glory
Hello Bride of Christ,
"For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, for by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross." (Colossians 1:19-20)
The "Him" Paul was writing about is Jesus! Let's read it again with inserting His name.
For it pleased the Father that in Jesus all the fullness should dwell, and by Jesus to reconcile all things to Himself, for by Jesus, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of Jesus' cross.
To think this all started with a decision. Jesus' decision to accept the Father's will for His life. Accept the will of God that He would put on flesh and be born in a manager to a virgin woman. Accept to confine His infinite power and ability to the finite frame of an infant. Accept submitting to a skilled carpenter, as an earthy father, and an insightful pondered who treasured God's word in her heart, as a mother. Accept a ministry of teaching fishermen and unlearned people. Accept the rejection, betrayal, and affliction of the cross. Accept being resurrected to the Father. Accept sending the Holy Spirit to earth to dwell in the hearts of men.
Why?
Paul writes, "in the body of His (Jesus) flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight" (Colossians 1:22) Jesus made the decision to accept all that Father God had willed for His life because of you. As the writer of Hebrews put it, you were the hope set before Him. Jesus love for you motivated Him to endure all things. Accept all things.
Bride of Christ, as we celebrate this Christmas season may we recognize how significant Jesus' decision to accept God's will impacts us still today. As His Bride, we too have made a significant decision. We have decided to accept the Lord Jesus into our hearts, that His spirit may dwell within us. Why? So that we can walk out God's will 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. Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in us mightily.
