To them, God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. – Colossians 1:27
When considering one’s future and the future of life in America, new Harvard polling shows that more than two-thirds of 18- to 29-year-olds have more fear than they do hope. The polling director said, “There’s a healthy debate raging on the reasons why,” citing, “politicians, media, big money, political correctness, and structural barriers like racism and access to education.” While the secular worldview allows politicians to play with a rhetoric that offers hope, those with a biblical foundation understand the basic human need for hope and, more importantly, they know its true Source.
Christ in you, which Paul writes of in today’s verse, is a mystery that includes the hope of glory. That hope is not merely the forecast for your eternal future but hope on this earthly plane. The reality of knowing and experiencing God is the very thing from which hope springs. Pastor Ray Stedman said, “‘Christ in you‘ is something the world knows nothing about. … You will never learn about it at the great universities of the world. In all secular wisdom and knowledge, there is no recognition of the incomparable source… found only in the Gospel of Jesus.”
Theologian W. E. Vine wrote, “Hope is the absolute assurance of future good.” It is also the source of peace now.
Evangelist Billy Graham said, “God’s mercy and grace give me hope—for myself, and our world.”
If you are despairing today, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal a better understanding of hope to you. Meditate on the importance of the indwelling presence of Christ in you and treasure Him. He is your strength, your joy, your guide, your wisdom, and your victory.
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