CHRIST IN YOU THE HOPE OF GLORY - Robert Murray Mcchene
“To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you the hope of glory.”—COL. 1:27.
THE gospel is here described as “Christ in you the hope of glory.” There are two distinct senses in which these words may be taken, and I cannot positively determine which is the true one. It is possible that both may be intended. I shall open up both.
I. Christ in you, means Christ embraced by faith as our righteousness and strength; and this is the sure ground upon which we hope for glory. In this sense it appears to be used, “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith,” Eph. 3:17. When a sinner’s heart is opened by the Holy Spirit, when the beauty and excellence of the Saviour is shown to him, the heart inwardly embraces and cleaves to Christ. Every new discovery of Christ to the soul renews this act of inward cleaving to the Lord Jesus. Every reproach, every temptation, every fall into sin, every bereavement, makes the soul more really, firmly, and fully embrace the Lord Jesus; and so, by continual faith, Christ may be said to dwell in the heart, as in Eph. 3:17, “That Christ may dwell in your heart by faith.” Christ thus embraced is the hope of glory. It is this constant abiding faith—this close embracing of Christ as all our righteousness—it is this which gives a calm, sweet, full, peaceful hope of glory. The soul that can say, Christ is mine, can also say, Glory is mine; for we need nothing but Christ to shelter us in the judgment-day. Can you say that Christ is thus in you the hope of glory? If you have not got Christ, you have no good hope of glory.
II. Christ formed in the soul by the Spirit.—See Gal. 4:19. Christ formed in the soul is also the hope of glory, and this I take to be the full meaning of this verse. So, “Abide in me, and I in you;” John 15:4. “I in them, and Thou in me;” John 17:23. “And I in them,” ver. 26.
ind of Christ,” 1 Cor. 2:16. By the mind, I understand the thinking powers of man. Now, every believer has the mind of Christ formed in him. He thinks as Christ does: “This is the spirit of a sound mind,” 2 Tim 1:7. This is being of the same mind in the Lord. I do not mean that a believer has the same all-seeing mind, the same infallible judgment concerning everything as Christ has; but up to his light he sees things as Christ does.
He sees sin as Christ does. Christ sees sin to be evil and bitter. He sees it to be filthy and abominable—its pleasures all a delusion. He sees it to be awfully dangerous. He sees the inseparable connection between sin and suffering. So does a believer.
He sees the gospel as Christ does. Christ sees amazing glory in the gospel, the way of salvation which He himself has wrought out. It appears a most complete salvation to Him—most free— most glorifying to God and happy for man. So does the believer.
He sees the world as Christ does. Christ knows what is in man. He looked on this world as vanity compared with the smile of his Father. Its riches, its honours, its pleasures, appeared not worth a sigh. He saw it passing away. So does the believer.
He sees time as Christ did. “I must work the work of Him that sent me while it is day; the night cometh”—“I come quickly.” So does a believer look at time.
He sees eternity as Christ does. Christ looked at everything in the light of eternity. “In my Father’s house are many mansions.” Everything is valuable in Christ’s eyes, only as it bears on eternity. So with believers.
(2.) The heart of Christ.—By the heart I mean the affections—that part of us that loves or hates, hopes and fears. We have Christ’s heart formed in us: “I will put my Spirit within you”—“I in you”—“My words abide in you.”
1st, The same love to God.—What intense delight Jesus had in his Father! “Righteous Father, the world hath not known Thee, but I have known Thee”—“I am not alone, for the Father is with me”—“I thank Thee, O Father”—“Abba, Father”—“Father, into thy hand I commend my spirit.” So with every believer.
2d, The same aversion to God’s frown.—“Why hast Thou forsaken me?” Ps. 22:1. “Thou hast brought me into the dust of death,” ver. 15. “Thy wrath lieth hard upon me,” Ps. 88:7. “Thou hast lifted me up, and cast me down,” Ps. 102:10. So with the children of God. “I will say unto God my Rock, Why hast Thou forgotten me?” Ps. 42:9.
3d, The same love to saints.—“To the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight,” Ps. 16:3. “Having loved his own which were in the world, He loved them to the end,” John 13:1. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends,” John 15:13. “I will come again, and receive you to myself,” John 15:3. “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?” Acts 9:4. So it is with all true believers. Every one that loveth is born of God.
4th, Compassion to sinners.—This was the main feature of Christ’s character. This brought Him from heaven to die. This made Him weep over Jerusalem,—long to gather her children. This makes Him delay his coming, not willing that any should perish. 2 Pet. 3:9. All Christ’s own are like Him in this. The same heart throbs within them.
5th, Tenderness to the awakened.—“He will not break the bruised reed.” Oh the tenderness of the lips that said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden!” Such are all Christians.
(3.) The life of Christ.—They live the same life in the main that Christ did in the world. Though they have many falls, wax cold, etc., still the main current of their life is Christ living in them. “Christ liveth in me,” Gal. 2:20. “I will dwell in them, and walk in them,” 2 Cor. 6:16.
Bearing reproaches.—“When He was reviled, He reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not,” 1 Pet. 2:23. Christ felt reproach keenly: “Reproach hath broken mine heart.” Still He reviled no man, but prayed for them. So believers.
In doing good.—“He went about doing good.” He made this his meat and drink. So will all who have Christ formed in them. They do good, and to communicate forget not. They are the almoners of the world. “They parted to all men,” Acts 2:45.
In being separate from sinners.—Christ walked through the midst of sinners undefiled. Like a beam of light piercing into a foul dungeon, or like a river purifying and fertilizing, itself untainted, so did Christ pass through this world; and so do all his own. “I will not know a wicked person,” Ps. 101:4.
But how is it that Christ formed in us is the hope of glory?— First, Not legally. Christ in the soul is not our title to glory. We must have a complete righteousness to be our title; but Christ in the soul is not complete. Most are sadly deficient in many of the main features of Christ. It is Christ for us, laid hold on by faith, that is our title to glory. Christ our wedding garment—the Lord our righteousness; this, and this alone, can give us boldness in the day of judgment. Second, Still really it is so. (1.) It is evidence that we have believed on Christ. A man may know that he has believed on Christ without any evidences. “He that believes has the witness in himself.” But if a man has believed, the effects will soon be seen. Christ will be formed in him, and then he will have double evidence that Christ is his. “He that lacketh these things is blind,” 2 Pet. 1:9. (2.) It is meetness for glory. A holy believer feels heaven begun. “The kingdom of God is within you.” He can say, Now I know I shall soon be in heaven, for it is already begun in me. Christ lives in me. I shall soon be for ever with the Lord.
Improvement
(1.) Have you got the legal title to glory?—Christ dwelling in you by faith? You have heard how those who are enlightened by God embrace Christ, and put Him on abidingly for righteousness. Have you done so? Have you put on Christ? This is the only legal title to glory. If you have not this, your hope is a dream.
(2.) Have you got the meetness for glory?—Christ formed in you? Does Christ live in you, and walk in you? “Without holiness no man shall see the Lord.”
DUNDEE, 1843.
He writes at the close of his notes after sermon—“Very sweet and solemn night.”