“To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:” (Colossians 1:27-28)
Today’s passage begins in the middle of a thought. So that we might understand the “To whom” in this passage, we need to back up a bit. So let’s take a look beginning in verse 23:
23If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;
24Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:
25Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;
26Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
Paul is talking about himself here, in the “to whom God would make known” (vs 27). Paul was blessed to reveal some mysteries in his writings. He is revealing a mystery “which hath been hid from ages and from generations” (vs 26) and he is revealing it to his [God’s] “saints” (vs 26).
What is the mystery? Well Paul reveals it right there “the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:” Paul was preaching to the Gentile converts in this passage and he is revealing that they [we] have hope of glory because Christ indwells the believer. This is in line with what he says in many of his other writings (Gal 3:27; Rom 8:10; Gal 2:20 and Eph 3:17-18).
The Old Testament talked about how the Gentiles would be saved (Isaiah 54:3 and others), but the idea of these converts being saved by the Holy Spirit and that the Holy Spirit would indwell the converts was not known before Paul revealed it. As the Church we can also take this to apply to us, because the Holy Spirit living in us is what prepares us, sanctifies us for the time when we will see Jesus. God in us, Christ in us, the Holy Spirit in us is our Hope!
This hope is what is sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise after we have heard and believe the gospel of our salvation (Eph 1:12-14). It is what seals us until the day of redemption when Jesus comes back to claim His purchased possession (Eph 1:12-13; 4:30). It is a sure thing, like an anchor (Heb 6:19). Our hope carries us through this present world and beyond the grave. Just like Jesus, He rose from the dead because the Holy Spirit gave Him the power to do it. This hope gives us certainty for the future, which carries beyond the grave, even as it did with Christ. Our confidence in eternal life is proven to us through the resurrection of Jesus the Christ.
We can obtain the riches of the glory. We just need to know the Savior. And that’s good news! Meet my Savior.
