Do You Practice Christianity, or Do You Possess the Presence and Power of Christ?

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: Colossians 1:27
 

A significantly heavy question has seized my head and heart: Do you practice Christianity, or do you possess the presence and power of Christ? At first glance, those may seem like the same thing. Yet Scripture shows a profound difference.
 

There are a plethora of people who practice Christianity. They attend church faithfully, read their Bibles regularly, learn doctrine diligently, participate in ministry consistently, and maintain various spiritual disciplines.  They really project the part. Although these activities are commendable and necessary, none of them, by themselves, constitute the essence of Christianity. 
 

Christianity is not just intellectually comprehending Christ.

Christianity is not simply deducing doctrinal conclusions about Christ.

Christianity is not simply dedicating oneself to spiritual disciplines for Christ.

Christianity is possessing the very presence of Christ and experiencing the power of Christ through the indwelling Holy Spirit.
 

The disaster is that many have become devoted to Christianity while remaining disconnected from the very Christ Christianity proclaims. The Apostle Paul points us beyond the practice and procurement of religion, beyond routine, and beyond mere theological precision when he declares: "Christ in you, the hope of glory." Colossians 1:27
 

This is not simply a theological concept to be studied.  It is a supernatural reality to be experienced. The Christian life is not fundamentally what we do for Christ. It is what Christ does in and through us. 
 

Now let’s move to the thought tied to the mystery that changes everything, found in Colossians 1:27a. When Paul writes to the Colossians, he speaks of a mystery hidden for ages but now revealed. That mystery was not a new religious system. It was not a new set of ethics to entertain and embrace. And it was not an advanced theological framework. The mystery was that Christ Himself would dwell within those who believe.
 

Let’s pause to process the magnitude of that truth. The same Jesus Christ who walked the shores of Galilee, spoke and calmed raging storms, healed the sick, conquered death, and ascended to the Father's right hand now resides within every true believer. This is the transcending distinctive reality of Biblical Christianity.
 

Not Christ admired.

Not Christ studied.

Not even Christ imitated.

But Christ inhabiting His people.
 

The Christian life begins with divine habitation, not human dedication. And thereby turning our bodies into a house of worship, aka a temple. We see this in 1 Corinthians 6:19: 'What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?'
 

You see, heaven will not feel like your final home until the Lord has made Himself at home in your head and heart. The promise of living with Christ forever begins with Christ living in you today.


Not a sermon, just some thoughts

FtGG