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Christ In You, the Hope of Glory

By David A. DePra

Christian people often put their faith -- put their hope -- in the THINGS
they expect God to do. This is not necessarily wrong, for God does
promise many THINGS, and does tell us to ask. Yet when everything is
said and done, ALL of the things of God are found IN CHRIST. God simply
says, "Christ in you, (who is) your hope of glory." (Col. 1:27)

God doesn't want to give us things to the exclusion of Christ. Rather,

He gives us Christ IN W HOM are all things. Seek first Christ and you will
become rightly related to God in such a way that you will be safe to
receive those things which serve God's purpose for you.

Much of the Christian life is a matter of God reducing us through the

work of the Cross so that we can simply receive what He has in Christ on
solely on the basis of grace -- not through our works, or through our
working, or though our striving, but solely on the basis of the finished
work and Person of Jesus Christ. It is the most ironic thing -- that God's
promises have always been there. It is simply a matter of God reducing us
to the place where we can enter and take possession solely on the basis
of His Son.

God makes it very simple and clear -- perhaps so simple and clear that
we miss it. He tells us outright what is the hope of a Christian: Christ in
us. Not hope in a Christ off in heaven somewhere. Not merely hope in a
Christ who will come back someday -- although He will come back. But no.
The hope of a Christian is CHRIST IN US -- NOW -- Christ in us, who IS
our hope of glory.

W e speak much of what Christ has done FOR US, and rightly so, for
His finished work is the basis of all Redemption. But Christ is not merely
an historical figure who did an historical work FOR US. He is a living Lord
and Savior who lives in us NOW . Thus, our faith, while resting upon what
He has done historically, must just as importantly rest upon who HE IS
today. And what IS Christ today? Paul says:

But of him (God) are you in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us
wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That,
according as it is written, He that glories, let him glory in the Lord. (I Cor.
1:30-31)
 Jesus Christ accomplished all of these THINGS for us, and made all of
these THINGS possible for us. But God's revelation goes much further --
Jesus Christ IS presently all of these realities IN US.

Note the implications: W e have no righteousness of our own. Christ IS

our righteousness -- that is, God has not only IMPUTED to us the
righteousness of Christ, but God has IMPARTED to us Christ Himself.
Christ in us is the only righteousness we have. Likewise, Christ IS our
sanctification -- that is, God is not making US into a wonderful specimen,
but is crucifying us out of the way so that Christ, who is in us, might be
seen through us. It is a fact that Christ seen IN US is the only
sanctification God desires:

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the
power may be of God, and not of us....For we which live are alway
delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be
made manifest in our mortal flesh. (2 Cor 4:7,11)

Christ Himself IN US is likewise our Redemption. Have Christians

realized that God has not given us a THING called salvation, or done a
THING to us called Redemption, or merely given us THINGS? No. God
has given us CHRIST -- in whom are all things. God says, through Paul,
"Christ who IS our life." (Col. 3:4) Jesus said, "I AM the W ay, the Truth,
and THE LIFE." Christ in us IS our salvation. "The Lord is my light and my
salvation....." (Ps. 27:1)

No wonder Paul calls this a MYSTERY. A mystery in the NT is not a

hidden Truth. It is a Truth that is presently revealed -- but can only be
revealed by God. It cannot be reasoned out. Christ in us is not the product
of human imagination, a religion to follow, or merely a doctrinal fact.
Christ in us is Christianity itself. Christ in us is the basis of everything --
all that God is doing starts with Christ in individuals, and then by
extension, Christ in His Body.

This is Truth that has a present impact upon the lives of those born
from above. For example, Paul the apostle knew that Jesus Christ was
crucified FOR HIM. Yet, on the basis of that finished work of Christ, Paul
was able to say, "I am crucified W ITH CHRIST, nevertheless I live, yet
NOT I, but CHRIST LIVES IN ME." (Gal. 2:20) Paul is referring to more
than the historical work of Christ. He is talking about the present impact
of Christ in us. How many of us know about this kind of Christianity? Yet it
is all through the NT.

"Christ in us," is the very definition of Christianity. Christ in us is THE

hope of glory -- He is THE hope of eternity for those who are born from
above. W e are ONE with Him through His Spirit, and what we call
Christian growth is nothing more than the impact of Christ in us upon
every aspect of our lives. Christian growth is NOT us being made LIKE
Christ. Rather, Christian growth is us being crucified out of the way in
order that Christ might be seen in us.

Christ in us constitutes all that God has -- "for you are complete IN
HIM." (Col. 2:9-10) Thus, despite the fact that Christian growth is a
process that takes a lifetime and more -- it does not happen all at once --
we DO receive Christ all at once -- and IN HIM are all things. If you have
Christ in you, you have everything that God has to give. From that point, it
is a matter of LEARNING CHRIST, and a matter of coming to manifest
HIM. But this is not a matter of US becoming strong. It is a matter of US
becoming weak and out of sight, so that Christ might be seen.

Jesus said, "The kingdom of God does not come in a way that can be
observed with the eyes....behold, the kingdom of God is IN YOU." W ell,
the kingdom of God is Jesus Christ as Lord -- the kingdom is constituted
because of THE KING. Christ in us is the core of the kingdom of God. This
is why God is able to say, "Seek you first HIS kingdom and HIS
righteousness." -- seek you first His present rule and Lordship of Christ IN
YOU NOW -- and all things will be added. If we seek first Christ, then all
things that are in Him -- both temporal and spiritual -- can be added to us.
It only stands to reason that if we seek first the rule of Christ in us that we
will become rightly related to God and thus able to receive His will for our
lives within the context of Jesus Christ as our personal Lord. Again -- God
has wrapped up all things in Christ. By His Spirit He wants to make Christ
real TO us, IN us, and THROUGH us -- to HIS glory.

As Christian people, we sometimes err by putting our faith in our own

works, or upon temporal things, or in other people. Often we pray and try
to walk with a God who seems distant or difficult to reach. Or we try to
convince God to meet us on the basis of our own working. But all of these
issues are resolved once we realize that the very definition and core of
Christianity is CHRIST IN US. Right now. He is our hope of glory -- and
He is in us, that is, one with us, through the Spirit of God. This is our
hope of for the future, but is a present Truth. Christ has not merely given
us life -- CHRIST IS OUR LIFE. And since all of this is the product of His
complete victory over death, there is nothing that can UNDO what God
has finished in His Son.

W hen the only begotten Son of God became a man -- became the God-
man -- He made it possible for human beings to become one with God.
Just as the Son of God took up residence in the womb of Mary, so through
the new birth He takes us residence in those who relinquish their old life
to Him. W hat does it mean to be born from above? It means to receive a
life from the outside of you INTO YOU that is not of this world below. It is
life -- a Person -- from above. IN HIM is life. It means to receive a
PERSON whose very presence in us who constitutes our entire hope.
Christ in us, THE hope of glory. W e need not look unto anyone else, or to
any thing else to find hope. Christ in us IS that very present hope.

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