For it has pleased God to tell his people that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. For this is the secret: Christ lives in you, and this is your assurance that you will share in his glory. – Colossians 1:27
The mystery of all ages is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Just as we see Christ in all His glory, we also see how Christ in us is our hope of glory.
Paul’s challenge was to impart Christ into the lives of the believers. He wanted every person to be perfect, or mature, in Christ (Colossians 1:28). Maturity in Christ comes, first of all, from receiving correction when necessary. We need someone around us who will warn us of danger zones, blind spots, and areas that block the glory of Christ in our lives.
Second, spiritual maturity comes from being taught. How desperately we Christians need instruction in engaging in spiritual warfare, raising our families, managing our finances, receiving guidance, developing the fruit of the Spirit, and learning about a host of other subjects relevant to godliness. Someone once said, “We need more information and not just more inspiration.”
Third, perfection, or maturity, comes when believers are “knit together by strong ties of love” (Colossians 2:2). Love is the highest attribute of perfection, and Christ in us desires to reach out to others in love.
If we follow these three guidelines—receiving correction, being taught, and walking in love—we will “have complete understanding of God’s secret plan, which is Christ himself” (v. 2).
