“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”
.One of the greatest mysteries of the age of the church is to receive the revelation of “Christ in us” through the presence and power of His Spirit. This is the essence of the “new creation” that the Apostle Paul writes to the church of Corinth in his second letter, chapter 5 and verse 17.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come”
A mystery means something that has been hidden is now being revealed. It is in the sense of this revelation that is sourced in God and not in the origin of thought and intent of the human mind. Spiritual truth that transforms must come from the Spirit of God and not merely the intellect of man. The human mind cannot truly understand the fullness of the implication of this truth so needs Holy Spirit to reveal it to us. 1 Cor 2:14-16
The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 15 The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. 16 “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
We don’t judge things by human wisdom and understanding but only by the Spirit of God. The realm of the Spirit becomes more real than the natural realm and becomes the realm that we judge things through first and foremost.
We have limited God though man’s theology and denominational doctrine instead of embracing the limitless person of Holy Spirit.
When God breathed into Adam the “ruah” or breath of God, He gave Adam a piece of Himself which made him like God. He had fellowship and communion with God because he was one with Him. However, Adam brought death and separation by his rebellion and disobedience. God restored this relationship back into alignment through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.
When we become a follower of Christ, we are “born again” by Holy Spirit and become one with Him in our Spirit. That communion and fellowship with God are completely and totally restored.
We are no longer defined by human origins and characteristics. We now define ourselves by the “Spirit” thus having the mind of Christ. This is the new man of Galatians 3:25-29
But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.
It is my conviction that this must become the priority of the emerging remnant of the church in the next 20-30 years. The “five-fold” ministry must be involved equipping the church to fully embrace this revelation of “Christ in you, the hope of glory”.
All creation is waiting for the revealing of the fulness of this mystery according to Romans 8:19. This is the mystery of the age that must be revealed. We are waiting for His appearing when His appearing will happen in the revealing of the mature sons of God first.
“Father, in the days ahead, would you give your church the understanding of this mystery of “Christ in you, the hope of glory”?
This is perhaps the glorious inheritance that the Apostle Paul mentions in Ephesians 1:17-21.
That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.
Let us then live from our spirit and not from the flesh by walking in communion with Holy Spirit and in obedience to all He says!