Christ In You, The Hope Of Glory

Christ in You, the Hope of Glory

This is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory. Colossians 1:27

This verse holds the truth that is at the heart of Christianity, the truth that distinguishes it from every other religion in the world. Our faith is not merely some universal spirit of goodness that dwells in humanity, which we must strive to attain. Nor is it a set of rules and regulations, which, if we follow them, will bring us into the union with our Creator for which we all desperately yearn.

The only hope and assurance we have of experiencing such a union or relationship with that object of the human quest is what God himself has given us in Christ. If we have accepted our Maker’s gift—forgiveness of sin and new life through Jesus Christ—we can begin to live each day in intimate fellowship with him. That goal is no longer unattainable or hindered by our human weakness. It is an accomplished reality. Because of Christ, God’s dwelling place is not somewhere on the other side of the cosmos. He inhabits the spirits of those who have been “born of God,” and he continually calls to us, “Come to me.” —CHERI

Dear God, as I walk through this day, may I be aware of the fact that Jesus is actually living in me. Help me to realize that your presence in me is my only life and hope. And in that knowledge, grant me the freedom to enjoy this time together with you.

When Christians say the Christ-life is in them, they do not mean simply something mental or moral. When they speak of being “in Christ” or of Christ being “in them,” this is not simply a way of saying that they are thinking about Christ or copying Him. They mean that Christ is actually operating through them; that the whole mass of Christians are the physical organism through which Christ acts—that we are His fingers and muscles, the cells of His body.

—C. S. LEWIS (1898–1963), IRISH WRITER AND LITERARY SCHOLAR