The Secret Revealed
Pondering Colossians Chapter One
I am glad when I suffer for you in my body, for I am participating in the sufferings of Christ that continue for his body, the church. God has given me the responsibility of serving his church by proclaiming his entire message to you. This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to God’s people. For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory. So we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect in their relationship to Christ. That’s why I work and struggle so hard, depending on Christ’s mighty power that works within me.—Colossians 1:24-29, NLT
What is Paul writing to tell us, more than anything else? That Christ should be at the center of your life. Not under a pile of other priorities. Not so far above your life that he doesn’t impact the everyday activities. In the center. Even in suffering, Paul considers that he is participating in the sufferings of Christ. In his case, those sufferings come because of his love for the Body of Christ, the church. He wants, more than anything else, to share that message with all.
The message of the Gospel is as ancient as time itself, even moreso. But through the generations, the secret began to manifest itself. Through the Fathers and Prophets, God adopted a people and made magnificent promises to them. Those promises pointed to a future promise. They pointed to a time when Magi and Shepherds alike witnessed the unveiling of the unknown, that God would come to earth as a human. But that is not all. He shared the wisdom and will of God with such power that He was rejected, killed on a cross, and three days later arose in glory. But that is not all. On Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came to all who obeyed the Good News that Jesus is the Risen Savior! The Apostle Paul encountered him on the road to Damascus and gave his life to him as he learned the way.
Paul’s testimony is that this secret, this mystery, of ancient times is for Jews and Gentiles alike. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. Because of that:
We have assurance of eternal life, sharing in his glory!
We tell everyone the mystery has been revealed!
We stand before God mature and perfected in Christ!
Paul indicates that he is not deterred from his mission when he suffers because Christ suffered. And all of the travels, preaching, and suffering are all on behalf of the church—the Body of Christ. For anyone who believes the church is no longer important, read it again! Christ suffered, Paul suffered, and we may have to suffer, but the main mission is to serve God by sharing the good news.
That is why we share the Gospel with the world, depending on God to work through every effort. Notice what God has done in these short verses:
God gave Paul the responsibility of serving the church by preaching.
God revealed that the riches of Christ belong to Jews and Gentiles!
God has given us wisdom to both warn and teach everyone.
I think we lose the sense of mystery because many of us grew up hearing the beautiful Gospel of Christ. But think of so many who have not. This current generation is composed of so many people who have never heard the truth about Jesus. We ask God to help us bring the majesty and beauty of Christ to the attention of a lost world under the dominion of darkness.
The secret is no more! The Gospel is known! Let us do everything in our power to share it with as many as we can!
