That Jesus Christ is a permanent fixture within the professing Christian is unquestionably one of the most cherished beliefs found throughout world Christendom. His statement that He will neither leave nor forsake His people has given assurance of salvation and an eternal future with Him in heaven to billions of people throughout the past 2000 years. However, as is the case with every promise God makes to those who profess Him, there are conditions involved. This posting addresses those conditions relative to Christ abiding within those who call themselves by His name.

In Colossians 1:25-29 the Apostle Paul told the church at Colosse that there was a mystery “which has been hidden from ages and from (previous) generations, but now is (being) made manifest (known) to His saints.” Paul went on to say that at the time of the writing (approx. 64 A.D.) God was using him and other apostles to make the mystery known to the Gentiles which would fulfil God’s Word (promise) concerning them. The student of the Bible will note that God spoke mysterious things and gave mysterious visions to men of old who did not understand what they were hearing and seeing, examples being Daniel, Ezekiel and John. He told them that they were to record, seal up and preserve what they had heard and seen, that at the end of the age a generation of believers would come on the scene to whom He would reveal the meaning of the words and visions. The subject of Colossians 1:25-29 concerns one such “mystery.” The obvious question is, what was the “mystery” that the Lord was finally revealing to mankind during the days of the apostles? It was: “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

Paul went on to say that he and the other apostles were preaching Jesus Christ, “warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, so that we (apostles) may present (to God) every man perfect (complete) in Christ Jesus. For this reason I (Paul) labor, striving according to His (Christ’s) working that works in me mightily.” This tells us that it is vitally important that all who call upon the Lord know the truth about “Christ in you.” Unfortunately, the vast majority of church people do not understand what is involved in having Christ in residence internally, how to have Him enter into them and how to maintain His presence within them. Paul and his fellow apostles understood the importance of eliminating these errors. They knew that the eternal lives of church members depended on their knowledge of such truths.

It is important that I clarify what is meant by the expression: “in you” before we go any further. The Scriptures tell us that Christ is on His heavenly throne at the right hand of the Father (Col. 1:3/ Rom. 8:34/ Acts 2:33). Notice that in each case the terms used to describe His location are written in the present tense. These passages make it clear that both members of the Godhead–Father and Son–reside continually in heaven. The question then becomes, how is the Son residing within His saints who are on earth? By divine decree, Jesus is in only one place at a time. The answer to the “how”question is that JESUS RESIDES WITHIN TRUE SAINTS IN THE FORM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, WHICH IS EVERYWHERE. In a spiritual sense, to be filled with God’s Spirit is to be filled with both Father and Son. To be continued. L.J.