1 00:00:00,000 –> 00:00:08,300 You’re listening to a sermon from Pastor Colin Smith of Open the Bible, to contact us, call 2 00:00:08,300 –> 00:00:16,600 us at 1-877-OPEN-365 or visit our website, openthebible.org. 3 00:00:16,600 –> 00:00:19,020 Let’s get to the message, here is Pastor Colin. 4 00:00:19,020 –> 00:00:26,520 Well please open your Bible at Colossians chapter one, as we continue our series growing 5 00:00:26,520 –> 00:00:27,879 in hope. 6 00:00:27,879 –> 00:00:33,200 Now you can think about this series as being rather like climbing up a mountain. 7 00:00:33,200 –> 00:00:40,000 Let’s call the mountain Mount Hope, and we have four weeks to climb it and we began last 8 00:00:40,000 –> 00:00:42,759 week at the bottom. 9 00:00:42,759 –> 00:00:49,580 There are times in the Christian life when hope can seem a very long way off indeed. 10 00:00:49,580 –> 00:00:53,560 Picture yourself standing at the bottom of Mount Hope. 11 00:00:53,639 –> 00:00:59,820 The climb is steep and the path is rough, and there are some people at the top of the 12 00:00:59,820 –> 00:01:03,619 mountain, and they’re shouting down to you at the bottom, and they’re saying, 13 00:01:03,619 –> 00:01:07,480 oh it’s beautiful up here, come up here and join us! 14 00:01:07,480 –> 00:01:13,040 You think, oh I’d love to be at the top of Mount Hope, but that’s such a long way. 15 00:01:13,040 –> 00:01:21,360 Where they are is such a long way from where I am and I don’t know if I can ever get up there. 16 00:01:21,379 –> 00:01:28,120 So we began last week not at the top of the Mountain of Hope, we began right at the bottom. 17 00:01:28,120 –> 00:01:33,680 Not with the breathtaking views of the top, but with the challenge that we feel when the 18 00:01:33,680 –> 00:01:36,540 Mountain of Hope lies in front of us. 19 00:01:36,540 –> 00:01:39,440 How do I grow in hope? 20 00:01:39,440 –> 00:01:41,959 How am I going to climb this mountain? 21 00:01:41,959 –> 00:01:48,239 And especially when I feel dried out and downcast and in turmoil. 22 00:01:48,699 –> 00:01:54,339 Now that’s where David was in Psalm 42 that we looked at last week. 23 00:01:54,339 –> 00:01:57,760 And we saw that he found hope in God. 24 00:01:57,760 –> 00:02:00,459 Hope in God, he said. 25 00:02:00,459 –> 00:02:05,519 For I shall again praise him, my Saviour and my God. 26 00:02:05,519 –> 00:02:13,899 No matter how low or discouraged you may feel there is hope for you and for every person 27 00:02:13,899 –> 00:02:15,080 in God. 28 00:02:15,080 –> 00:02:16,720 Hope in who he is. 29 00:02:16,779 –> 00:02:20,699 Hope in what he has done and hope in what he will do. 30 00:02:20,699 –> 00:02:26,479 And we looked last time at some strategies for growing in hope. 31 00:02:26,479 –> 00:02:29,820 The first was to speak honestly to God. 32 00:02:29,820 –> 00:02:33,300 That’s what David did in the Psalm 42. 33 00:02:33,300 –> 00:02:37,960 We saw that you don’t need to feel close to God in order to speak to him. 34 00:02:37,960 –> 00:02:41,839 You can tell God exactly what you feel. 35 00:02:41,839 –> 00:02:46,800 And you can do this with complete confidence because there is nothing that you can tell 36 00:02:46,800 –> 00:02:49,720 him that is beyond his understanding. 37 00:02:49,720 –> 00:02:54,800 His understanding the Bible says no one can fathom. 38 00:02:54,800 –> 00:03:00,619 And then we saw that if you want to grow in hope you should not only speak to God, but 39 00:03:00,619 –> 00:03:03,320 you need to challenge yourself. 40 00:03:03,320 –> 00:03:08,720 David said in Psalm 42, why are you cast down, oh my soul? 41 00:03:08,720 –> 00:03:12,740 Why are you in turmoil within me, hope in God? 42 00:03:12,740 –> 00:03:16,800 In other words, we saw David takes himself in hand. 43 00:03:16,800 –> 00:03:20,179 He gives himself a really good talking to. 44 00:03:20,179 –> 00:03:22,919 He challenges his worst thoughts and his fears. 45 00:03:22,919 –> 00:03:28,339 He doesn’t let them dictate to him and he does this, he challenges his worst thoughts 46 00:03:28,339 –> 00:03:32,119 and fears by affirming what he knows to be true. 47 00:03:32,839 –> 00:03:40,500 And what he knows to be true is that God is the living God, that God loves, his steadfast 48 00:03:40,500 –> 00:03:51,220 love never ceases, that he’s my God, that he’s my salvation and that he is my rock. 49 00:03:51,220 –> 00:03:59,820 Hope in God, because I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God. 50 00:04:00,160 –> 00:04:06,000 Now, that’s where we ended last week and that’s what I want us to take it up today. 51 00:04:06,000 –> 00:04:15,539 The person who finds hope in God is the person who can say, He is my God and he is my salvation. 52 00:04:15,539 –> 00:04:19,739 Now, here’s the obvious question that follows. 53 00:04:19,739 –> 00:04:26,940 How then do you come into such a relationship with God in which you can say that he’s your 54 00:04:26,940 –> 00:04:29,380 God, that he’s your rock? 55 00:04:29,839 –> 00:04:33,739 That he’s your hope, that he’s your salvation. 56 00:04:33,739 –> 00:04:38,940 And the answer to that question, how do I come into such a relationship with God, is 57 00:04:38,940 –> 00:04:42,859 through Jesus Christ. 58 00:04:42,859 –> 00:04:46,600 So here we come to the second stage of our journey. 59 00:04:46,600 –> 00:04:53,799 Hope comes from God and it comes through Jesus Christ. 60 00:04:54,200 –> 00:04:58,660 And we see this very clearly in the marvellous verse that is before us today. 61 00:04:58,660 –> 00:05:05,760 It’s from Colossians 1 and verse 27, where Paul speaks about the riches of the glory 62 00:05:05,760 –> 00:05:13,559 of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 63 00:05:13,559 –> 00:05:19,239 I think this is the most marvellous verse on hope in all of the Bible. 64 00:05:19,239 –> 00:05:22,320 It’s one that we can all learn and take to heart. 65 00:05:22,440 –> 00:05:27,679 Christ in you, the hope of glory. 66 00:05:28,440 –> 00:05:33,839 Now, there are two parts to this verse, very obviously, and so let’s look at them in order 67 00:05:33,839 –> 00:05:34,839 together. 68 00:05:34,839 –> 00:05:38,739 Let’s begin with Christ in you. 69 00:05:38,739 –> 00:05:47,000 This reminds us that Christianity at its heart is a relationship with a living person. 70 00:05:47,000 –> 00:05:55,059 You share your life with this person and this person shares his life with you. 71 00:05:55,059 –> 00:06:00,260 To be a Christian, in other words, is more than believing a creed, to be a Christian 72 00:06:00,260 –> 00:06:04,399 is more than pursuing the ethic of a good life. 73 00:06:04,399 –> 00:06:11,500 It is a relationship of love and trust with a living person, Jesus Christ. 74 00:06:11,820 –> 00:06:21,380 Remember that Jesus was given the name Emmanuel when he was born, which means God with us. 75 00:06:21,380 –> 00:06:29,399 In other words, God came into the world in and through the person of Jesus Christ. 76 00:06:29,399 –> 00:06:33,920 God has reached out to us in Jesus. 77 00:06:33,920 –> 00:06:40,720 So if you want to find hope in God, well then you must come to Jesus. 78 00:06:40,720 –> 00:06:46,239 And when you do, you will find hope in him. 79 00:06:46,239 –> 00:06:54,640 A Christian then is a person who is defined by his or her relationship with Jesus Christ. 80 00:06:54,640 –> 00:07:03,100 A Christian is someone who comes to believe in Jesus, a person who comes in faith to Jesus, 81 00:07:03,100 –> 00:07:08,140 and a person who therefore receives from Jesus. 82 00:07:08,140 –> 00:07:10,200 It’s personal. 83 00:07:10,799 –> 00:07:18,839 C. H. Spurgeon gives an illustration of a man who heard about a doctor who had specialised 84 00:07:18,839 –> 00:07:22,519 in treating the condition from which the man suffered. 85 00:07:22,519 –> 00:07:30,339 The doctor was in another city, but the man decided that it was his best hope to be treated 86 00:07:30,339 –> 00:07:35,600 by this doctor and he thought therefore that it was well worth the journey to go and to 87 00:07:36,600 –> 00:07:42,079 even though it involved a journey of many, many miles. 88 00:07:42,079 –> 00:07:45,779 When the man arrived in the doctor’s office the receptionist said to him, 89 00:07:45,779 –> 00:07:52,279 you know I am very sorry but the doctor’s not in, but you can see his assistant. 90 00:07:52,279 –> 00:08:01,640 No said the man, I am not interested in seeing any assistant, I want to see the doctor himself. 91 00:08:01,640 –> 00:08:05,440 The receptionist wanted to be helpful, so she said, 92 00:08:05,440 –> 00:08:10,320 well you know the doctor isn’t here but you know we have all of his books. 93 00:08:10,320 –> 00:08:17,179 No said the man, I certainly didn’t come here to read books. I want to see the doctor. 94 00:08:17,179 –> 00:08:20,040 Well the receptionist thought she would try again. 95 00:08:20,040 –> 00:08:24,440 Well you know we have all the medicines here that are used by the doctor. 96 00:08:25,359 –> 00:08:31,399 I didn’t come here to study medicines. I want to see the doctor. 97 00:08:31,399 –> 00:08:35,400 The receptionist thought she would give it just one more try. 98 00:08:35,400 –> 00:08:44,599 Look she said, there’s a man in the waiting room who had the same condition as you 99 00:08:44,599 –> 00:08:47,520 and he’s been wonderfully cured by the doctor. 100 00:08:47,520 –> 00:08:52,479 Now you know you can talk to him and he will tell you his story. 101 00:08:52,599 –> 00:08:56,119 Well by this time the man was nearly pulling his hair out. 102 00:08:56,119 –> 00:09:00,799 No he said, I don’t want to hear about how another man was cured. 103 00:09:00,799 –> 00:09:05,440 I want to see the doctor and I will not settle for anything else. 104 00:09:05,440 –> 00:09:12,159 And Spurgeon telling that story then said imitates that man. 105 00:09:12,159 –> 00:09:14,479 Imitate that man. 106 00:09:14,479 –> 00:09:20,559 Don’t settle dear friend for knowing that other people have hope in Jesus. 107 00:09:20,559 –> 00:09:26,080 Don’t settle for knowing what the Bible says about how you can find hope. 108 00:09:26,080 –> 00:09:34,840 Don’t settle for knowing about Jesus or even believing that hope is possible for you. 109 00:09:34,840 –> 00:09:37,280 Jesus said come to me. 110 00:09:37,280 –> 00:09:38,280 Come to me. 111 00:09:38,280 –> 00:09:41,039 It’s very personal. 112 00:09:41,039 –> 00:09:48,000 All you who are weary, all who are heavy laden and I will give you rest. 113 00:09:48,000 –> 00:09:54,260 The Lord Jesus Christ, to keep the analogy, is the great Physician and there is hope for 114 00:09:54,260 –> 00:09:56,000 you in him. 115 00:09:56,000 –> 00:09:58,280 So seek him. 116 00:09:58,280 –> 00:10:00,880 Seek him in prayer. 117 00:10:00,880 –> 00:10:11,599 Seek him in his word and don’t settle for anything less than finding him. 118 00:10:12,020 –> 00:10:13,619 Now this verse begins with Christ. 119 00:10:13,619 –> 00:10:15,559 It doesn’t end there. 120 00:10:15,559 –> 00:10:17,559 Notice what it says. 121 00:10:17,559 –> 00:10:22,239 Christ, in you. 122 00:10:22,239 –> 00:10:25,799 Christ, in you. 123 00:10:25,799 –> 00:10:32,580 So we said that a Christian is a person who is defined by his or her relationship with 124 00:10:32,580 –> 00:10:38,700 Jesus Christ, and this verse actually tells us what that relationship looks like. 125 00:10:38,700 –> 00:10:40,020 Here’s what it is. 126 00:10:40,020 –> 00:10:44,799 Christ, in you. 127 00:10:44,799 –> 00:10:52,859 Now, you know, if you take the word Christian and knock out the letter a, what you have 128 00:10:52,859 –> 00:10:59,919 left is the name Christ and the letters i and n. 129 00:10:59,919 –> 00:11:05,059 That might be a helpful way for you to remember what a Christian is. 130 00:11:05,059 –> 00:11:07,960 Christ, in. 131 00:11:07,960 –> 00:11:15,619 A Christian is a person who has Christ dwelling within. 132 00:11:15,619 –> 00:11:19,419 And this is what the Bible speaks about and describes to us repeatedly. 133 00:11:19,419 –> 00:11:27,200 So, Jesus said in John chapter 15, Abide in me and I in you. 134 00:11:27,200 –> 00:11:31,619 He says, I’m going to abide or live in you. 135 00:11:31,619 –> 00:11:39,280 Whoever adbides in me, Jesus says, and I in him, he it is that will bear much fruit. 136 00:11:39,280 –> 00:11:45,099 The apostle Paul said in Galatians in chapter two, verse 20, I have been crucified with 137 00:11:45,099 –> 00:11:46,179 Christ. 138 00:11:46,179 –> 00:11:53,520 It is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me. 139 00:11:53,520 –> 00:12:00,400 Here we have it stated most clearly of all in Colossians chapter one and verse 27 where 140 00:12:00,599 –> 00:12:09,440 Paul speaks about the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you. 141 00:12:09,440 –> 00:12:19,440 Now, we know from the bible that when Jesus rose from the dead he ascended into heaven 142 00:12:19,440 –> 00:12:25,599 and right now he is seated at the right hand of the Father where he is interceding for 143 00:12:25,599 –> 00:12:27,719 us. 144 00:12:27,820 –> 00:12:37,320 So, if Jesus is at the right hand of the Father, how can he be present 24-7 with each and every 145 00:12:37,320 –> 00:12:39,440 one of us? 146 00:12:39,440 –> 00:12:44,719 The answer to that question is through the Holy Spirit. 147 00:12:44,719 –> 00:12:52,200 Jesus said in John 14, I will ask the Father and he will give you another helper to be 148 00:12:52,239 –> 00:12:58,320 with you forever, even the Spirit of Truth.” 149 00:12:58,320 –> 00:13:09,440 Jesus said, you know him for he dwells with you and will be in you. 150 00:13:09,440 –> 00:13:16,599 Now, notice that in this very important verse Jesus speaks about the Spirit of Truth, the 151 00:13:17,219 –> 00:13:23,239 Spirit, also referred to in other places in the Bible as the Spirit of God, the Spirit 152 00:13:23,239 –> 00:13:28,179 of Christ or the Spirit of Jesus. 153 00:13:28,179 –> 00:13:33,960 The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Jesus himself. 154 00:13:33,960 –> 00:13:41,340 So, where the Holy Spirit is, Jesus is. 155 00:13:41,340 –> 00:13:51,859 And the promise of Jesus to all of his disciples is that the Holy Spirit will be with you and 156 00:13:51,859 –> 00:13:53,619 in you. 157 00:13:53,619 –> 00:13:58,099 Now, these two phrases are of great importance. 158 00:13:58,099 –> 00:14:03,520 The words with you preserve a distinction. 159 00:14:03,520 –> 00:14:07,340 There’s the Holy Spirit, and there’s you. 160 00:14:07,419 –> 00:14:12,900 The Holy Spirit is with you, but you are not the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is not 161 00:14:12,900 –> 00:14:15,059 you, so don’t get the two confused. 162 00:14:15,059 –> 00:14:19,039 He is with you. 163 00:14:19,039 –> 00:14:27,799 Confusing oneself with the Holy Spirit is actually at the root of a great deal of fanaticism, 164 00:14:27,799 –> 00:14:33,200 authoritarianism, and self-deception. 165 00:14:33,219 –> 00:14:41,859 You may even have met someone who has lost sight of the distinction between him or herself 166 00:14:41,859 –> 00:14:43,799 and the Holy Spirit. 167 00:14:43,799 –> 00:14:48,580 And one of the ways that you know that a person has lost sight of that distinction is that 168 00:14:48,580 –> 00:14:53,539 they begin to speak as if everything they say is what God Himself says. 169 00:14:53,539 –> 00:14:57,979 And, of course, you cannot reason with such a person. 170 00:14:57,979 –> 00:15:05,979 That’s why I say it’s the root of so much fanaticism, authoritarianism and self-deception. 171 00:15:05,979 –> 00:15:08,140 So this is very important. 172 00:15:08,140 –> 00:15:13,760 The Holy Spirit, Jesus says, will be with you. 173 00:15:13,760 –> 00:15:15,900 That preserves a distinction. 174 00:15:15,900 –> 00:15:20,539 You are not the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit is not you, and, of course, that is why it 175 00:15:20,780 –> 00:15:30,099 possible for a person who is indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God still at times to speak 176 00:15:30,099 –> 00:15:36,260 or act in a way that is foolish, or even sinful. 177 00:15:36,260 –> 00:15:42,440 But then Jesus says the Holy Spirit will be in you. 178 00:15:42,440 –> 00:15:43,440 In you. 179 00:15:43,760 –> 00:15:50,880 In other words the Holy Spirit will actually be present and active in the life of every 180 00:15:50,880 –> 00:15:55,979 believer in Jesus, every one of Jesus’ disciples. 181 00:15:55,979 –> 00:16:01,559 It’s not just that the Holy Spirit is with you, wonderful though that is, when you trust 182 00:16:01,559 –> 00:16:05,640 yourself to Jesus the Holy Spirit comes to dwell. 183 00:16:05,640 –> 00:16:09,900 That’s the word Jesus uses, to live in you. 184 00:16:09,900 –> 00:16:10,900 In you. 185 00:16:10,900 –> 00:16:12,460 Now what’s the difference? 186 00:16:12,479 –> 00:16:14,119 The difference is very significant. 187 00:16:14,119 –> 00:16:20,280 This means that the Holy Spirit is more than a mentor, more than someone who walks with 188 00:16:20,280 –> 00:16:22,679 you and simply tells you what to do. 189 00:16:22,679 –> 00:16:31,340 No, the Holy Spirit actually works in you, renewing your mind, changing you from the 190 00:16:31,340 –> 00:16:38,159 inside out, molding and shaping and directing your will, giving you strength that you did 191 00:16:38,159 –> 00:16:46,700 not have before and would not have otherwise, producing within you the good fruit of faith, 192 00:16:46,700 –> 00:16:50,679 hope, and love. 193 00:16:50,679 –> 00:16:56,739 And you see, that is why there is hope for every person in Jesus Christ. 194 00:16:56,739 –> 00:17:02,780 See, you may be standing at the bottom of Mount Hope, as it were, and saying, You know 195 00:17:03,159 –> 00:17:13,599 think I have the ability to live this Christian life, and you know what? 196 00:17:13,599 –> 00:17:15,959 That’s true. 197 00:17:15,959 –> 00:17:24,239 But when Christ lives in you, when He is present and active in and through His Holy Spirit, 198 00:17:24,239 –> 00:17:32,180 He will give you an ability that you did not have before and that you would not have otherwise. 199 00:17:32,180 –> 00:17:40,920 So here is a wonderful, wonderful prospect and promise—when you believe in the Lord 200 00:17:40,920 –> 00:17:46,079 Jesus Christ, His Spirit will not only be with you, but in you. 201 00:17:46,079 –> 00:18:00,160 He will produce a new life in you that you did not have before—Christ in you. 202 00:18:00,199 –> 00:18:02,959 That’s the hope of glory. 203 00:18:02,959 –> 00:18:09,319 And you see, when you grasp the first half of this marvelous verse, well then you will 204 00:18:09,319 –> 00:18:18,839 begin to experience the second—Christ in you, the hope of glory. 205 00:18:18,839 –> 00:18:24,219 Now let’s think first then about this marvelous word, glory. 206 00:18:24,219 –> 00:18:30,959 And Jesus gave this marvelous prayer to the Father—made this marvelous prayer to the 207 00:18:30,959 –> 00:18:34,359 Father on the night that he was betrayed. 208 00:18:34,359 –> 00:18:39,579 And it’s a prayer not only for his disciples then, but also for us. 209 00:18:39,579 –> 00:18:41,140 John 17 in verse 24. 210 00:18:41,140 –> 00:18:51,800 Lord Father I desire that they also whom you have given me may be with me where I am to 211 00:18:51,800 –> 00:18:57,959 see my glory that you have given me. 212 00:18:57,959 –> 00:19:01,920 Jesus wants you to be with him. 213 00:19:01,920 –> 00:19:08,099 Jesus wants you to see his glory. 214 00:19:08,160 –> 00:19:14,540 Will this be a seeing with our eyes or will it be an understanding with our minds and 215 00:19:14,540 –> 00:19:16,439 our hearts? 216 00:19:16,439 –> 00:19:20,040 The answer to that is, both. 217 00:19:20,040 –> 00:19:29,160 Thomas Manton, a marvellous Puritan writer, says that there is a glorified eye as well 218 00:19:29,160 –> 00:19:32,160 as a glorified mind. 219 00:19:32,160 –> 00:19:34,920 I love that. 220 00:19:34,939 –> 00:19:45,280 You will have a glorified eye, in other words, your eyes in the resurrection body will be 221 00:19:45,280 –> 00:19:53,280 able to behold the brightness of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. 222 00:19:53,280 –> 00:19:54,280 Think about it. 223 00:19:54,280 –> 00:19:59,900 If you were to see that glory now, it would be as blinding as it was to Sol of Tarsus 224 00:19:59,900 –> 00:20:02,959 on the road to Damascus. 225 00:20:02,959 –> 00:20:11,420 But in your resurrection body you will have the capacity to see the glory of the Lord 226 00:20:11,420 –> 00:20:13,359 Jesus Christ. 227 00:20:13,359 –> 00:20:24,400 We shall behold his face, we shall his power adore, and sing the wonders of his grace, 228 00:20:24,520 –> 00:20:27,520 forevermore. 229 00:20:27,520 –> 00:20:34,020 But you know there’s more, think about it the angels are spirits and do not have bodies, 230 00:20:34,020 –> 00:20:37,479 no eyeballs for the angels. 231 00:20:38,079 –> 00:20:45,479 And yet our Lord tells us quite clearly that the angels always behold the glory of the 232 00:20:45,479 –> 00:20:48,380 Father in heaven. 233 00:20:48,380 –> 00:20:56,079 So not only will we see the glory of Christ with our own eyes in our resurrected body, 234 00:20:56,079 –> 00:21:03,839 we will have some grasp, some grasp of his glory in our hearts and in our minds. 235 00:21:03,839 –> 00:21:12,000 And that is going to fuel worship in a way that we’ve never known it before. 236 00:21:12,000 –> 00:21:14,699 From glory into glory. 237 00:21:14,699 –> 00:21:23,239 Till in heaven we take our place, till we cast our crowns before you, lost in wonder, 238 00:21:23,239 –> 00:21:24,819 love and praise. 239 00:21:24,819 –> 00:21:32,660 That’s how it’s going to be when you see the glory of Christ. 240 00:21:32,660 –> 00:21:38,680 And not only will we see his glory, but Jesus has promised that we will actually share his 241 00:21:38,680 –> 00:21:39,680 glory. 242 00:21:40,599 –> 00:21:41,599 This is what we’ve seen in verse 22. 243 00:21:41,599 –> 00:21:45,380 The glory Jesus says to the Father, that you have given me. 244 00:21:45,380 –> 00:21:48,839 I will give to them. 245 00:21:48,839 –> 00:21:51,000 That’s amazing. 246 00:21:51,000 –> 00:21:57,459 The disciples of Jesus will share his glory, and this is something so certain that Jesus 247 00:21:57,459 –> 00:22:01,880 speaks about it as if it is something that has already happened. 248 00:22:01,880 –> 00:22:08,979 And of course you find the same in Romans in chapter 8 where the Apostle Paul says those 249 00:22:09,339 –> 00:22:16,540 whom God has justified, he also glorified. 250 00:22:16,540 –> 00:22:22,680 And he tells us what this means, that we are going to be conformed to the image of the 251 00:22:22,680 –> 00:22:26,939 Lord Jesus Christ when we see him. 252 00:22:26,939 –> 00:22:29,020 We’re going to be like him. 253 00:22:29,020 –> 00:22:36,859 All of God’s children will reflect forever, the beauty, the glory of God’s one and only 254 00:22:36,880 –> 00:22:41,160 dearly loved Son. 255 00:22:41,160 –> 00:22:43,599 Glory. 256 00:22:43,599 –> 00:22:48,119 Christ in you, the hope of glory. 257 00:22:48,119 –> 00:22:52,359 Now let’s think about this word hope that is central to our series. 258 00:22:52,359 –> 00:22:56,719 The Apostle Paul does not say Christ in you is glory. 259 00:22:56,719 –> 00:23:03,540 Now, he says Christ in you is the hope of glory. 260 00:23:03,640 –> 00:23:10,780 So you see, Christians live in this tension between what we have now and what we will 261 00:23:10,780 –> 00:23:14,319 have one day when we see Christ. 262 00:23:14,319 –> 00:23:21,640 We live in the tension, to put it another way, of the already and the not yet. 263 00:23:21,640 –> 00:23:29,760 And the process that’s going to end in you reflecting the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, 264 00:23:29,800 –> 00:23:31,739 that process has already begun. 265 00:23:31,739 –> 00:23:32,979 Already. 266 00:23:34,780 –> 00:23:39,979 I’m thinking of 2 Corinthians Chapter 3, in Verse 18, where Paul says we, with unveiled 267 00:23:39,979 –> 00:23:45,680 faces, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from 268 00:23:45,680 –> 00:23:47,959 one degree of glory to another. 269 00:23:47,959 –> 00:23:49,199 This is present tense. 270 00:23:49,199 –> 00:23:52,380 This is what God is doing by his Spirit now. 271 00:23:52,380 –> 00:23:57,280 The work of changing us into the likeness of Christ, the work of his glory beginning 272 00:23:57,319 –> 00:24:01,079 to be reflected in you, is already begun. 273 00:24:01,079 –> 00:24:04,319 There’s an already. 274 00:24:04,319 –> 00:24:06,959 But there’s also a not yet. 275 00:24:06,959 –> 00:24:10,079 Romans Chapter 8, in Verse 23. 276 00:24:10,079 –> 00:24:21,280 We who have the first fruits of the Spirit, Paul says, groan inwardly as we wait for adoption 277 00:24:21,280 –> 00:24:25,000 of sons, the redemption of our bodies. 278 00:24:25,280 –> 00:24:27,560 He’s saying we don’t have that yet. 279 00:24:27,560 –> 00:24:29,400 We’re waiting for it. 280 00:24:29,400 –> 00:24:31,119 It’s our hope. 281 00:24:31,119 –> 00:24:33,900 It lies in the future. 282 00:24:33,900 –> 00:24:39,800 So Christians live in the tension between what we have in Christ already and what we 283 00:24:39,800 –> 00:24:42,760 do not have yet. 284 00:24:42,760 –> 00:24:50,020 And John Stott very helpfully spells out what it is like for us to live, as it were, between 285 00:24:50,180 –> 00:24:56,780 times in this tension of what we already enjoy in Christ and what is not yet ours. 286 00:24:56,780 –> 00:24:58,760 Let me quote some words from him. 287 00:24:58,760 –> 00:25:04,680 Already, he says, we affirm the God has revealed himself, we really do know God because he’s 288 00:25:04,680 –> 00:25:06,859 made himself known in Christ. 289 00:25:06,859 –> 00:25:11,420 But not yet do we know God as he knows us. 290 00:25:11,420 –> 00:25:16,000 That’s why we live with many mysteries and so many unanswered questions. 291 00:25:16,000 –> 00:25:18,420 The already and the not yet. 292 00:25:18,939 –> 00:25:27,239 Then he says already, God has put his holy spirit within us in order to make us holy. 293 00:25:27,239 –> 00:25:35,079 You have the power and the capacity to pursue a holy life already, now! 294 00:25:35,079 –> 00:25:36,079 Pursue it! 295 00:25:36,079 –> 00:25:42,119 And yet, says John Stott, not yet, however, has our fallen nature been eradicated. 296 00:25:42,439 –> 00:25:47,920 For still, the sinful nature does what is contrary to the Spirit, so that if we claim 297 00:25:47,920 –> 00:25:52,760 ourselves to be without sin, we deceive ourselves. 298 00:25:52,760 –> 00:25:55,719 That’s why we’re in a battle. 299 00:25:55,719 –> 00:26:02,000 The Spirit indwells you and yet you still know this temptation, with many pools towards 300 00:26:02,000 –> 00:26:03,000 sin. 301 00:26:03,000 –> 00:26:04,540 Third example. 302 00:26:05,380 –> 00:26:12,619 Already, Jesus is gathering, Stot says, around him, a people characterised by truth and love 303 00:26:12,619 –> 00:26:13,739 and holiness. 304 00:26:13,739 –> 00:26:16,300 These are distinguishing marks of the Church. 305 00:26:16,300 –> 00:26:22,420 But then he adds this, Not yet, however, has Christ presented his bride to himself as a 306 00:26:22,420 –> 00:26:27,660 radiant church without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish. 307 00:26:27,660 –> 00:26:31,900 The marks of the new life of Christ can be seen in other believers, but you’ll never 308 00:26:31,900 –> 00:26:36,839 find it perfectly anywhere. 309 00:26:36,839 –> 00:26:37,900 One more. 310 00:26:37,900 –> 00:26:44,859 Already, we affirm, Stot says, God is at work in human society. 311 00:26:44,859 –> 00:26:52,819 Not yet, however, has God created the promised new heaven and new earth, the home of righteousness. 312 00:26:54,079 –> 00:26:58,180 And that is why, for all the blessings that we enjoy, the Apostle Paul says that the whole 313 00:26:58,180 –> 00:27:04,420 creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth, right up until the present 314 00:27:04,420 –> 00:27:05,579 time. 315 00:27:05,579 –> 00:27:13,579 At present, we are living in between times, the hope of glory. 316 00:27:13,579 –> 00:27:22,040 We live between the grace that we grasp by faith and the glory that we anticipate in 317 00:27:22,040 –> 00:27:23,579 hope. 318 00:27:23,640 –> 00:27:31,560 Christ in You the hope of glory. 319 00:27:31,560 –> 00:27:34,479 And these two belong together. 320 00:27:34,479 –> 00:27:42,140 If Christ is yours, living hope will be yours as well. 321 00:27:42,140 –> 00:27:46,780 It comes from God and through Christ. 322 00:27:47,619 –> 00:27:52,699 I want this series to be as practical as possible, so let me try and give now 323 00:27:52,699 –> 00:28:00,439 three applications in which we see further how to grow in hope. 324 00:28:00,439 –> 00:28:04,239 The first very obviously from this verse is, if you’re to grow in hope you must 325 00:28:04,239 –> 00:28:11,160 believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. There is hope for you in God, and that hope 326 00:28:11,300 –> 00:28:18,339 will become yours in and through the Lord Jesus Christ. The hope of glory is 327 00:28:18,339 –> 00:28:30,180 Christ in you. If Christ is yours, glory will be yours. Christ becomes yours in 328 00:28:30,180 –> 00:28:36,239 and through faith, and this is why the Apostle Paul says, 329 00:28:36,400 –> 00:28:44,180 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who 330 00:28:44,180 –> 00:28:50,959 lives in me, and the life I now live I live by faith in the Son of God who 331 00:28:50,959 –> 00:28:58,520 loved me and gave himself for me. Hope comes from God, it comes through Christ 332 00:28:59,400 –> 00:29:07,000 and Christ becomes yours through faith as you believe in him. Believe in the Lord 333 00:29:07,000 –> 00:29:16,400 Jesus Christ and Christ will be in you. When Christ is yours, living hope will 334 00:29:16,400 –> 00:29:23,160 be yours as well. Of course it follows that without Christ you really have 335 00:29:23,160 –> 00:29:28,479 no ground for hope. The Apostle does not say good in you is the hope of 336 00:29:28,479 –> 00:29:37,540 glory, he doesn’t say trying your best in you will be the hope of glory. No, 337 00:29:37,540 –> 00:29:48,300 Christ in you the hope of glory. So believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, trust 338 00:29:48,300 –> 00:29:57,880 yourself to him and hope will be yours. Then secondly, let’s learn today to 339 00:29:57,880 –> 00:30:03,599 enjoy what Christ has given. You know when we talk about hope it 340 00:30:03,599 –> 00:30:08,199 would be very easy to fall into the mistaken idea that somehow the Christian 341 00:30:08,199 –> 00:30:16,719 faith is all about jam tomorrow and no jam today. But God’s promise is not only 342 00:30:16,739 –> 00:30:25,819 the hope of glory, God’s promise is Christ in you. So enjoy what is yours in 343 00:30:25,819 –> 00:30:33,140 Jesus Christ today. Think about it. In Jesus Christ you are forgiven. In Jesus 344 00:30:33,140 –> 00:30:42,219 Christ you are loved. In Jesus Christ right now you are a new creation. The 345 00:30:42,239 –> 00:30:47,640 Apostle Paul says in Romans chapter five, that being justified by faith, we have 346 00:30:47,640 –> 00:30:54,280 peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. So he says we rejoice in the 347 00:30:54,280 –> 00:31:04,280 hope of the glory of God. And then he says hope does not disappoint us. Why are 348 00:31:04,280 –> 00:31:08,060 we not disappointed by hope? Well he gives the answer. 349 00:31:08,060 –> 00:31:12,060 Here’s why we’re not miserable in this world while we’re waiting for the 350 00:31:12,060 –> 00:31:17,339 better one to come. Hope does not disappoint us because 351 00:31:17,339 –> 00:31:22,959 God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit whom he 352 00:31:22,959 –> 00:31:32,380 has given to us. Christ lives in you. And you therefore already have a taste of 353 00:31:32,380 –> 00:31:39,640 what is to come so enjoy what is yours in Jesus Christ now. 354 00:31:40,040 –> 00:31:47,160 How are you to grow in hope? You’ve got to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. You’ve 355 00:31:47,160 –> 00:31:53,420 got to enjoy what is yours in Jesus Christ now and here’s the last thing. 356 00:31:53,420 –> 00:32:00,020 Anticipate what Jesus Christ has promised. You know believers in the Lord 357 00:32:00,020 –> 00:32:07,579 Jesus Christ have the most marvelous future. No eye has seen, no ear has heard 358 00:32:07,680 –> 00:32:16,880 nor has the heart of man imagined what God has prepared for those who love him. 359 00:32:16,880 –> 00:32:25,119 You know some people talk about living your best life now. And you know living 360 00:32:25,119 –> 00:32:31,739 your best life now is is what a person does if they’re going to hell. If Christ 361 00:32:31,739 –> 00:32:36,479 is not in you the only happiness you’ll ever know is 362 00:32:36,479 –> 00:32:40,680 the happiness that you have in this world. If Christ is not in you you’d 363 00:32:40,680 –> 00:32:44,040 better enjoy all that you can right now because there will certainly be nothing 364 00:32:44,040 –> 00:32:50,319 in the future for you to enjoy, not beyond this world. But you see, if Christ 365 00:32:50,319 –> 00:32:55,780 is in you your best life lies ahead of you. You’re in an altogether different 366 00:32:55,780 –> 00:33:02,339 position, you have living hope! Listen to how David describes it in the Psalms. He 367 00:33:02,380 –> 00:33:09,719 says to God, in your presence is fullness of joy and at your right hand there are 368 00:33:09,719 –> 00:33:20,439 pleasures forevermore. Then he says this, as for me, I shall behold your face in 369 00:33:20,439 –> 00:33:30,300 righteousness, when I awake I shall be satisfied with your likeness. Brother, 370 00:33:30,339 –> 00:33:37,060 sister in Christ, ahead of you are joys that are greater than anything you have 371 00:33:37,060 –> 00:33:42,699 ever known, ahead of you is strength, greater than 372 00:33:42,699 –> 00:33:49,699 anything you have previously enjoyed, ahead of you lies peace and love and 373 00:33:49,699 –> 00:33:56,680 flourishing in a perfect world where faith is turned to sight, where God’s 374 00:33:57,400 –> 00:34:03,099 redeemed people will be made perfect in love, where sin and sorrow and suffering 375 00:34:03,099 –> 00:34:11,540 are no more and every tear is wiped away from your eyes and in that perfect world 376 00:34:11,540 –> 00:34:22,760 you will behold him, you will dwell with him and he with you, you will glorify 377 00:34:22,879 –> 00:34:33,739 him and you will enjoy him forever. Let’s pray. Father thank You for this 378 00:34:33,739 –> 00:34:46,760 marvelous truth, Christ in you, the hope of glory. Grant that believing in the 379 00:34:46,760 –> 00:34:57,040 Lord Jesus Christ, we may be people marked by living hope until the day when 380 00:34:57,040 –> 00:35:04,719 faith is turned to sight and we enter into all the joy and all the glory of 381 00:35:04,719 –> 00:35:11,399 Your nearer presence through Jesus Christ our Lord. 382 00:35:11,399 –> 00:35:13,580 Amen. 383 00:35:13,580 –> 00:35:16,479 You’ve been listening to a sermon with Pastor Colin Smith of 384 00:35:16,679 –> 00:35:20,879 Open the Bible. To contact us call us at 1-877-OPEN-365 385 00:35:20,879 –> 00:35:32,959 or visit our website, openthebible.org