Our Hope and the Coming Glory (5)
God’s purpose is from eternity and unto New Jerusalem. It was hidden until the New Testament time. Now “God willed 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” (Col. 1:27). We have Christ as our hope today and the glory to come.
Paul continues in 1:28, “Whom we announce, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present every man full-grown in Christ.” We receive the words of the Bible daily in a living way that we may be admonished and gradually grow to maturity in Christ.
Paul’s burden was that we all become mature. New Jerusalem is the goal of our hope and New Jerusalem is a mature city. We grow to match its characteristics, including the radiance of glory.
Colossians has words about how we grow. One, Paul struggled in prayer for the believers (1:29–2:1), and we can pray for one another. Two, he prayed that the believers be “knit together in love” (2:2). We cannot reach New Jerusalem on our own; we need companions.
Three, he prayed that they grow “unto the full knowledge of the mystery of God, Christ” (2:2). In our Bible reading we need to ask the Lord to show us more of Himself. He is unsearchably rich and there is always more of Him to see and to experience. May He draw us from other interests to concentrate on Himself. This is our path to the glory of New Jerusalem.
Posted by Don on September 22, 2021
