Colossians 1:27-28
To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ.
I thought that our Verse of the Day needed some additional context, so I have provided that below:
Colossians 1:24-29 (NIV)
24 Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. 25 I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— 26 the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. 27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. 29 To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.
Some of my thoughts on this passage center on the ministry of the Apostle Paul … who labored and suffered greatly for the Church (the Body of Christ). His view of affliction and suffering were joined to the great importance of teaching the what God had disclosed (the mystery) to His people (the Church) which believers needed to understand: “Christ indwells you!” Like the Apostle John, Paul focused on the incredible grace and great love of our Lord Jesus to “abide” in believers through the Holy Spirit. Remember, before His death, Jesus told His followers, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” (John 12:18) And Paul wants us to know that reality in order for us to have a full, mature understanding of the “indwelling power” each of us possesses through the Spirit of Christ. The confession of faith we profess in Jesus as Lord and Savior … when we experience new birth through the water (Word) and the Spirit (Cf. John 3:5) … is just the beginning of our new life in Christ. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! (Cf. 2 Corinthians 5:17)
When each of us was born physically, our bodies grew and matured into full adults. In fact, we had no control over the process of maturation from the time of conception to the present. Even eating, sleeping, and the functioning of our bodies is somewhat involuntary. When we are born again, we are “expected” to grow in our knowledge of God through the experiential presence with the indwelling Spirit. It is essential to our spiritual maturity and functioning within the Body of Christ. However, it appears that our spiritual maturation process is more subject to our will – similar to caring for our bodies as we age. For a discourse on the gifts of the Spirit we receive and are empowered to use for ministry within the church, read 1 Corinthians Chapter 12 and you will find more about what Paul is “admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ.”
I hope this reminder from the Word of God will encourage you to study what Paul labored and suffered so much to bring to us: a greater understanding of the glorious riches we have been given through our Lord Jesus Christ. We have celebrated His resurrection … and now we anticipate and will celebrate the upcoming Day of Pentecost in remembrance of the amazing unveiling of this mystery – which is Christ in you, the hope of glory! For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. (Cf. 2 Timothy 1:7) I pray each of us will strive for this spiritual maturity in our lives….
So Now You Know 