Christ in You the Hope of Glory
“To whom God would make known what t» the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you the hope of glory.” — Colossians i., 27.
THE gospel is here described as “Christ in you the hope of glory.” There are two distinct senses in which these words may be taken, and I cannot positively determine which is the true one. It M possible that both may be intended. I shall open up both.
I. Christ in you, means Christ embraced by faith as our righteousness ami strength; and this is the sure ground upon which we hope for In this sense it appears to be used, Ephes. Hi., 17, “That Christ’ may dwell in your hearts by faith.” When a sinnrr’s hnari is opened by the Holy Spirit, when the beauty arid excellence of the Saviour is shown to him, the heart inwardly embraces and cleaves to Christ. Every new discovery of Chris’t to the soul renews this act of inward cleaving to the Lord Jesus. Every reu/oach, every temptation, every fall into sin, every be — reavemeat, ni’ikes the soul more really, firmly, and fully embrace .he Lord Jesu?: -and so, by continual faith, Christ may be said to dwcil in the heart; as in Ephes. iii., 17, “That Christ may d y;ell in your heart by faith.” Chiist thus embraced is the hope of giory. It is this constant abiding faith; this close embracing of Christ as all our righteousness; it is this which gives a calm, sweet, full, peaceful hope of glory. The soul that can say, Christ is mine, can also saw, iiory is mine; for we need nothing but Chnst to shelter us in the judgment-day. Can you say that Christ is thus in you the hope of glory 1 If you have not got Christ, you have no good hope ff glory.
II. Christ formed in the soul by the Spirit. — See Gal. iv., 19. Christ formed in the soul is also the hope of glory; and this I take to be the full u.eauing of this verse. So, John xv., 4. “Abide in me and I in you;” John xvii., 23, “I in them and thou in me;” v., 26, “And I in them.”
1. The mind of Cnrist is formed in the soul; 1 Cor. ii., 16, “We have the mind of Christ.” By the mind I understand the thinking powers of man. Now, every believer has the mind of Christ formed in him. He thinks as Christ does, “This is the spirit of a sound mind,” 2 Tim. i., 7. This is being of the same mind in the Lord. I do not mean that a believer has the same all-seeing mind, the same infallible judgment concerning everything as Christ has; but up to his light he sees things as Christ does.
He sees sin as Christ does. Christ sees sin to be evil and bitter. He sees it to be filthy and abominable; its pleasures all a delusion. He sees it to be awfully dangerous. He sees the inseparable connexion between sin and suffering. So does a believer.
He sees the Gospel as Christ does. Christ sees amazing glory in the Gospel. The way of salvation which he himself has wrought out. It appears a most complete salvation to him, rfost free, most glorifying to God and happy for man. So does the L.-i’ever.
He sees the world as Christ does. Christ knows what is h man. He looked on this world as vanity, compared with the imi/e of his Father. Its riches, its honors, its pleasures, appeared not worth a sigh. He saw it passing away. So does the believer.
He S30i: Lime as Christ did. “I must work the work of him that sent me while it is day; the night cometh,” “I come quickly.” So does a believer look at time.
He sees eternity as Christ docs. Christ looked at everything in the light of eternity. “In my Father’s house are many manrioi.s.” Everything is valuable in Christ’s eyes, only as it bears on eternity. So with believers.
2. The heart of Christ. — By the heart I mean the affections, that part of us that loves or hates, hopes and fears. We have Christ’s heart formed in us, “I will put my spirit within you,” “I in you,” “My words abide in you.”
1st. The same love to God. — -What intense delight Jesu* had in his father ’ “Righteous Father, the world hath not known thee, but I have known thee,” “1 am not alone, for the Father is with me,”.” I thank thee, O Father,” “Abba Father.” “Father, into thy hand I commend my spirit.” So with every believer.
2d, The same aversion to God’s frown. — Psalm x~ii., !, “Why hast thou forsaken me?’’ verse 15. “Thou hast brought me into the dust of death;’’ Psalm lxxxviii., 7,” Thy wrath lieth hard upon me;” Psalm cii., 10, •’ Thou hast lifted me up, and cast me down.” So with the children of Go I. Psahn xlii. 9, “I will say irtoGod my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me?”
3d. The same love to saints. — Psalm xvi., 3, “To the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my Jolight;” John xiii., 1, “Having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them to the end;” John xv., 13, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends;” John xiv., 3, “I will come again, and receive you to myseif;” Acts ix., 4, “Saul, Saul, why persecutes! thou me?” So it L* with all true believers. Every one that loveth is born of God.
4th, Compassion to sinners. — This was the main feature of Christ’s character. This brought him from heaven to ‘lie. This made him weep over Jerusalem, long to gather her children. This makes him delay his coming, not willing that any should pevish. 2 Peter iii., 9. All Christ’s own are like him in this. The ijime heart throbs within them.
5th, Tenderness to the awakened. — “He will not break the bruised reed.” O the tenderness of the lips that said. “Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden.” Such are all Christians.
3. The life of Chnst — They live the same life in the main that Christ did in the world. Though they have many falls, wax cold, &c, still the main current of their life is Christ living in them Gal. ii., 20, “Christ liveth in me;” 2 Cor. vi., 16, “I will dwell in them, and walk in them.”
Bearing reproaches. — 1 Peter ii., 23,” When he was reviled, (14 SKRMON XXI.
he reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not. Christ irlt reproach keenly,” Reproach hath broken mine heart. Still he reviled no man, but prayed for them. So believers.
In doing good. — “He went about doing good.” He made th.s his meat and drink. So will nil who have Chris! formed ia them. They do good, and to communicate forget not. The) a p.- the almoners of the world.” They parted to all men,’ Acts ii., 45.
In being separate from sinners. — Christ walked through the midst of sinners undcfilcd. Like a beam of light piercing into a foul dungeon, °>r like a river purifying and fertilizing, itself untainted, so did Chnst pass through this world; and so do all his ovvnr Ps. ci., 4, “1 will nrt know a wicked person.”
J>ut how is it thai Christ forme, in us is the hope of glory? — 1st, Not legally. Christ in the seal is not our title to glory. We must have a complete righteousness to be our title; but Christ in the soul is not complete. Most are sar.ly der-.eient in many f the main features of Christ. It is Christ for u.*..’^id hold on by faith, that is our title to glory. Christ our wedding garment — the Lord our righteousness; this, and this alone, can give us boldness in the day of judgment. 2d, Still really it is so. (1.) It is evidence that we have believed on Christ. A man may know that he has believed on Christ without any evidences. “He that believes has the witness in himself.” But if a man has believed, the effects will soon be seen. Christ will be formed in him, and then he will have double evidence that Christ is his. “He thai lacketh these things is blind,” 2 Pet. i., 9. (2.) It is meetness for glory. A holy believer feels heaven begun. “The kingdom of God is within you.” He can say, Now 1 know I shall soon be in heaven, for it is already begun in me. Christ lives in me. I shall soon be for ever with the Lord.
IMPROVEMENT. — 1. Have you got the legal title to glory? — Christ dwelling in you by faith. You have heard how those who are enlightened by God embrace Christ, and put him on abidingly fc r righteousness. Have you done so? Have you put on Christ? This is the only legal title to glory. If you have not this, your hope is a dream.
2. Havs ynu got the meetness for glory ?- -Christ formed in you. Does Chr.st live in you, and wal’. in you I “Without holiness no man shd! see the Lord.”
Dundte, 1843. He writes at the close? Us n tes a;t;>r senr.on —” Very sweet and s ileran night *