Coffee Cup Bible studies

The name Cappuccino comes from the Capuchin friars, possibly referring to the colour of their habits or to the aspect of their tonsured (white) heads, surrounded by a ring of brown hair.

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)

Gentle Reader,

How wonderful is this truth, that our Lord actually indwells the hearts of His people. In the Messianic prophesies of the Old Testament many and varied aspects of the coming of Christ are pre-envisaged, but nowhere are we told that He would indwell His people. As Paul tells us in the verse preceding our text, Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints  ( Col 1:26) . That was part of The Divine "Mystery or Secret hid from ages and generations". BUT NOW the secret is divulged and as verse 27 says 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 .

These words " Christ in you" remind us that if our Christian experience is to be rich in quality and alive with communicativeness, we need to know Christ in three (3) ways. Putting it in the first person singular, I need to know Christ for me; Christ in me; Christ through me.

Christ "for" me is Christ dying on the Cross. Christ "in" me is Christ living in my heart. Christ "through" me is Christ speaking by my life.

Christ "for" me is my substitution and sacrifice. Christ "in" me is my sanctification and satisfaction. Christ "through" me is my service and sufficiency.

Christ "for" me is my only acceptable standing before God. Christ "in" me is my only true victory over sin. Christ "through" me is my only real power for spiritual ministry.

As a corollary to this prepositionary trio- this "for"and "in" and through", I am to sustain a threefold relation to Christ, represented by three words, purchased, possessed, permeated.

His dying for me means that I am Christ-purchased. His living in me means that I am Christ-possessed. His working through me means my being Christ-permeated.

He died for me: I am to take Him. He lives in me: I am to prove Him. He moves through me: I am to transmit Him.

Oh, that all of us who call Him Saviour might be fully possessed and permeated by His life and love and grace and peace and power. Dr. F. B. Meyer used to say "In all His people Christ is present. In some He is prominent. In a few He is pre-eminent".

Gentle reader, to which of these classifications do you and I belong?

Those who are indwelt and controlled by Christ, find in Him their all-in-all. He is Saviour, Sanctifier, Healer, for spirit, soul and body. May we say with A. B. Simpson

I take salvation full and free,

Through Him who gave His life for me,

He undertakes my all to be:

I take - He undertakes.

I take Him for this mortal frame,

I take His healing through His name;

And all His risen life I claim:

I take - He undertakes.

So Gentle Reader, drink up and think about your relationship with The One who we call Lord of all.

Remember, you are accepted, you are valued, and you are loved.

Denis