Mystery Revealed: Christ in You (Colossians 1:24-29).

Sunday October 11, 2026

Main idea: Because the mystery that is Christ is now revealed; wealth and glory are now given to the fullness of Christ (the Creator of man’s desire) and in the present He indwells them who believe, meaning that to some extent (beyond imagination) we enjoy them now.

Intro:

I’m thankful for you. I’m praying for you. Jesus Christ is the most awesome person in the world, and if you remember, that gospel has saved you from the darkest perdition and evil … and this gospel is so important that I’d do anything, even suffer in jail myself, to convince you the only life worth living is by the gospel.

That, in a nutshell, is Paul’s next move.

Col 1:24-25

I. The suffering of the minister and why:

The main idea of the passage is the mystery, which is Christ. Bracketing this most important truth is the need to tell people: inclusio.

Col 1:24

I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church

Col 1:29

For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.

Mystery is in the middle.

This sets the structure of the sentence: Christ is the hope of the world and yet, it doesn’t do the world much good if they are not told.

What has so much value? The gospel.

This priority of life which is serving the gospel contains inevitable suffering.

II. The mystery revealed in this age.

Col 1:24-29

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions. 25 Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, 26 that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, 27 to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. 29 For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.

“Mystery” (musterion): A secret or mystery, too profound for human ingenuity - Christ.

Whatever was revealed of Messiah in the OT, He was a shadowy figure, He was too profound for them to fill in the rest of Him on their own.

The full revelation of Jesus Christ was unknown “from past ages and generations.” God seeing time in terms of ages and generations goes back to Genesis. What did they see of God’s plan of salvation from Adam to Noah, from Noah to Abraham …

1Pe 1:11

seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.

Paul normally describes mystery in terms of its disclosure.

Rom 16:25-26

Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, 26 but now is manifested

Col 1:26-27

[word of God] that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, 27 to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

“Manifested” phaneroo = to cause to become visible. The image of the invisible God.

To the saints: not some select group, but those who have heard and believed.

Col 4:3

praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ

It was God’s desire to make Him known, not to hide Him.

III. Mystery revealed: riches, glory, indwelling of Christ, and hope.

Christ’s revealed riches and glory:

In the opening of the Book of Esther, king Xerxes threw an elaborate 180 day party just to show off his riches and glory (Est 1:4).

We are the bride of Christ and we get to see His riches and glory and we are compelled by them.

Col 2:2-3

the wealth [same: ploutos] that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God's mystery, that is, Christ Himself, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Eph 2:7

so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Riches: Wisdom, knowledge, grace, fruit of the Spirit …

What does it mean to have and know His riches and glory?

It means that I am going to be the good soil. It means my heart will not be choked with the thorns and thistles: the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches.

Keep your eyes on His treasure:

His glory - love; a glorified body with scars; a kingdom composed of a multitude who were once His enemies.

That’s God’s idea of glory. And it is the only glory that will satisfy you and anyone else in the world…

“among the Gentiles …”

This is not just one good option among many, this is the only hope for humanity!

Christ in you, the hope of glory:

The present indicative (estin = is) emphatically states a literal and current (always “is”) indwelling of the Lord Jesus Christ in all believers in this age.

This is not a mystical idea. It is a real position.

Joh 14:18-23

"I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 "After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also. 20 "In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. 21 "He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him." 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, "Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us and not to the world?" 23 Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.

You will know you live in the sphere of the Trinity. (no longer orphans – identity, life, home, family, purpose – obedience.

Joh 15:4-5

"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5 "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.

A life bearing a lot of God’s produce.

Rom 8:9-11

However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. 10 If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

A life of righteousness and self-control.

Christ is in you everywhere you go and everything you do.

Gal 2:20

"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me

A life of faith walking with Christ (daily fellowship)

Eph 3:16-17

that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love

Christ intoxication (katoikesai: make one’s home)

Col 1:27: Know true riches and glory.

2Co 13:5

Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you — unless indeed you fail the test

True humility (obedience) and courage. [context vs. 4-5]

1Cos 3:16 and 6:19 (body/temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you).

What does it mean practically for us that Christ is in us?

There could be no clearer indication that the reconciliation to God was complete that the Son actually indwells you.

Conclusion:

When mystery is used concerning Christ is always is tied to being now perfectly plain.

You can’t miss it. Yet somehow, so many do.

Could He ever leave you? People can. He never will. Where He is you will always be.

Him in you is your best thought nearing death. He will go through it with you. He will lead you like a child by the hand. We cannot die while He lives.

You also take Him into sin. The mystery now revealed that He is in you, will cause you to grow in purity and self-control.

The world seeks love, security, future, hope, happiness, awe.

Christ is the need of the soul of man. That is why Paul rejoices in his suffering. His ministry is satisfying many with Christ and he catches fire when he thinks of it.