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[0:00] To turn over with God's head, consider words in the chapter that we offer. The epistle of Paul to the Colossians, chapter 1.

[0:13] We can read at verse 26. Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, that now has made manifest to his sins, to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the chastis, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

[0:46] And two thoughts especially arising from those words. First of all, the gospel that is hidden.

[1:00] And then the gospel that is revealed. Christ in you, the hope of glory. A few thoughts on those heads.

[1:13] Paul writes from prison in Rome to the church in Colossian Asia.

[1:26] And he thanks God for them. For the effect of the gospel. And for their walk and their conversation.

[1:39] And we notice that he gives God the glory for all his work. He could have spoken of himself, but he speaks of God of Christ.

[1:58] And what he has done through the means that he has given Colossae and the world. And he goes on to pray that they might be sustained, that they might grow in knowledge.

[2:18] Exerfising faith, growing in knowledge. For that is the order of scripture. It is through faith that we will come to our knowledge of God.

[2:35] And it is through faith that our faith will be strengthened. And our faith will overcome. One has said, I don't know an order that I might believe.

[2:50] But I believe an order that I might know. I believe an order that I might know. For this is honoring to God.

[3:05] And those who seek him, they shall find him, and they shall grow in knowledge. And he thanks God for sending him as a messenger.

[3:19] And he delights in this fact that this is what he is. An apostle, a messenger of Jesus Christ. And then he goes on to reveal that the gospel, that he preaches, that it is mysterious.

[3:40] It is a mystery. And it is interesting that the Hebrews interpret mystery as to close one's mouth.

[3:55] To close one's mouth. That is in those days when folks communicated before the days of emails, computers.

[4:08] The way of communication was by speech. And if a person remained speechless, he couldn't know what was in his mind, what he thought.

[4:23] And therefore, a mystery was a closed mouth. Now it is an interesting connection with this, that this mystery, the gospel, that it is hidden in God.

[4:43] Ephesians chapter 3, verse 9. And to make all men see what is the fellowship which from the beginning of the world has been hid in God who created all things by Jesus Christ.

[5:03] Hid in not by it's in him and until his mouth is opened we cannot know the gospel of the saving grace of God.

[5:19] And again, a mystery even when revealed is still mysterious. For we see that the ancient those created beings morally responsible also for us we are that they come to know the gospel or its power in the church.

[5:48] They are intellectually superior than we are both as creatures and with the ability of reason.

[5:59] and it goes on to the intent still Ephesians chapter 3 to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers might be known in the church the manifold wisdom of God.

[6:19] God. It is therefore in the church that the angels see the effect of God's wisdom in the gospel and it is a solemn thought to think that as God whose omniscient who is all seen and all knowing is always seen us he is always present where we are and also the angels the angels of the Lord encamp and round encompasses all those above that do fear and then deliver us.

[7:07] Where the gospel is the angels are. And you remember under the ceremony of law when Moses was commanded by God to make a lack of wood that was incorruptible covered in pure gold.

[7:33] And in that ark in that cabinet among the things there was the two tables of the law and forming the lid of the ark was the mercy seat was called the mercy seat was a golden slab that covered the cabinet the ark and two cherubs they were formed out of the gold that was on the mercy seat their wings touched and they were looking down upon the ark of the covenant here was not only the law but also the shekinah the cloud that revealed God to Israel and the angels were looking in and there's a good garlic word that describes this intent gaze they were looking intently to what was revealed here in the ark and this is what we see what Paul takes up again regarding the mystery of the gospel the angels decide to know more glory to

[9:03] God in the highest on earth peace good will towards men the gospel therefore is a mystery and a mystery even when it is revealed even when we know part of it a mystery is something that still remains a mystery because there are many reasons for this the principal reason is that the gospel comes from God God is incomprehensible he cannot be comprehended he cannot be known and if he were known he would not be God but because we cannot know him to perfection he is

[10:04] God he is above all reason my thoughts are not your thoughts my ways are not your ways and so on saith the Lord he is infinitely above us above all that we can think above all that we can know you see the apostle Paul speaking in verse in 1st Corinthians chapter 13 verse 12 and now we see through a glass duffly but then face to face now you notice the change of person now I know in part but then shall I know even as also I am known Paul tells us there perhaps the ablest the most enlightened man that was ever in a church now he said I see through a glass duffly now I know in part and he shows us his humility

[11:14] Paul knew a lot but yet he said I don't know how much you know but I know this but I know that it is and I see as it went through a glass duffly dimly but then I shall see face to face then shall I be known even as I am also even as I will also be known he should he shall know and he goes on to tell us something and just mention mention one or two thoughts in connection with the gospel and its mystery the author is a mystery the author of the gospel is a mystery great is the mystery of godliness god revealed in the flesh and who can understand the glory of this person

[12:21] Paul uses the words riches of glory the riches of the glory of the person of Christ what the gospel does is to exalt glory or to glorify god is to exalt the attributes of god that is to glorify him to exalt him what he is and the gospel thankfully the gospel glorifies god it exalts him and we see this mystery and we believe it here a person who has two distinct natures natures that are distinct one from the other he is both human and he is divine and the link as the theologians and reformers taught the link between both natures is the holy spirit and the holy spirit teaches christ human nature he is a little lower than the angels he humbled himself he laid aside as one has said for a time his right to call upon the resources of his godhead that he might live on his earth as a believer god believing in human nature believing in god the mystery of god three in one one and three a being who is without beginning without end from whom time came from whom time came who controls everything by law who upholds the universe all the life in the universe out of his fullness have we all received grace for grace those are but some of the mysteries that are revealed in the gospel they tell us of god and they tell us of god in human nature the man who is god and who came into the world and you know when we begin to think of this mystery also the mystery of faith the mystery of a believer who believes in christ who has two nations himself the believer who is a sinner yet a saint a sinner yet a saint two nations not two personalities but two nations everyone in christ has sin but also has the holy spirit within and here there is conflict civil war going on in the believer but the promise is that the day will come when all sin shall be dealt with and shall be removed now this is not easy it is not simple it is very foolish for anyone to think that he knows when he does not know

[16:22] we are all students we are all learning and we must all grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ I remember one of the great theologians from this island and I remember what he said shortly before his death you know he said I have many errors in my thinking and as we looked upon that man we thought that if any human being was a perfect teacher this man was and he admitted because he knew this that he was human and as another has said to earth is human the person who knew human nature a genius who knew human nature one of a human being said this to earth is human to what give us divine to earth is human how little we know concerning this gospel no one that is called the glory the greatness the riches of the glory of the gospel now he comes to speak of the gospel what it is it is

[17:52] Christ in you the hope of glory Christ in you the hope of glory there are many questions that may be asked in connection to those words trust in you that is the gospel there are two rules that will thrive on the day of judgment and those two rules are the law and the gospel the law and the gospel now here we have the gospel that fulfills law fulfills law and makes law honourable it is the only way by which we might have peace with God it is through

[19:03] Christ and it is in Christ apart from him we can never fulfill the law only in him and through him now we will see something of what scripture teaches I hope concerning this mysterious unit between Christ and his church now do you remember in Ephesians 5 how Paul the apostle Paul verse 30 he tells us we are members of his body of his flesh of his now he quotes there the words of Adam in Genesis when he first of all saw Eve the wife that God given and when

[20:04] Adam saw her he said this is known he said born of my born flesh of my flesh how did he know he was asleep when God performed the first surgical operation causing a deep sleep to fall upon Adam he took pardon and he formed woman as Adam looked upon his wife he saw there himself the image of himself and as she looked upon him she saw that she was dependent upon that it was from him that she came and one has said I think it was Charles Adam Spurgeon who said this Adam he said was asleep when God took part of him and formed his bride but Christ was awake when the church was formed out of his sight he was awake in order in order that he might give us the gospel in order that we might be saved he was awake and you know as you look at that history the history of Christ you will see how he rejects a sedent he rejects he doesn't want his senses to be blurred in any way but he takes the wine that the soldiers had when they would be exhausted on the march the wine that they used to drink to strengthen them he took some of this wine the huge necessity he took what would strengthen them as a human being and he went on to purchase the church his bride and you know there is something else written in that chapter that is very important no man ever yet hated his own flesh but nourisheth and cherishes it even as the

[22:49] Lord the church there was one person he left this written I was he said in great pain and suffering and he must have been although he doesn't reveal it he must have been questioning God's relationship to him and he said then those words came with power to my mind no man ever yet hated his own flesh Christ will never reject his people that is not to say that we can understand his dealings with us that is not to say that all is made clear but this is made clear and we should lay hold upon it he has loved with an everlasting love and he will continue to love his own his bride the church which he purchased with his own blood now there is here again the mystery of his presence with his church and all that this means just now with a few thoughts and connections with it and the holy spirit abiding coming into the believer's heart as the spirit of christ as the spirit of christ the instrumental cause faith to receive him to rest upon in other words the reason for this happening is christ and you christ and you he will come you open the door you are willing to receive him and when he comes and you receive him he will take his place in your heart the holy spirit now there might be a question he will not speak of himself christ speaking of the comforter he will take of mine he will reveal it unto you but he doesn't need to speak of himself christ will speak for christ will reveal the holy spirit as his spirit that takes his place in the heart of the believer that is the glory of the gospel that every believer has the holy spirit by faith he and she is spiritual and christ dwells in that heart now what is the effect well this is the danger we might know the gospel intellectually we might be able even to reason intellectually concerning it we might lay hold upon the doctrines we might guard them protect them from others we might be highly offended if anyone objects to them and yet be ignorant of the effect of the gospel be ignorant of the experimental knowledge of christ it must be effective christ in us he reveals himself himself in us he reveals

[26:51] himself not a different christ the same christ who was on earth he will reveal himself in his people that they might roman say that they might be conformed to the image of his son they grow to be like him with certain qualifications he is above them but they grow like him and they should become more and more like him as they go on in this world that thought should be his thoughts that way should be his way the way christ walked the way he thought what he did in the world he went about doing good and so on he represents himself in the believer he walks in them and he walks with you he is in you and this is the change that has taken place you are separate call you are now his but he says christ in you not glory but christ in you the hope of glory the christ that is in you the christ that is in the believer he must exercise faith he must exercise hope and love because the christ that is in it is the christ that exercised faith that exercised hope that exercised love on the earth in other words it is the servant not the glorified christ that is in the believer and therefore the believer must live as he lived by faith not yet glorified and you would hear someone say are you really the son of god how can you be the son of god when this is happening that is happening and so on it is with you you are able to rise above those things that are against you on earth because you are as christ was the world the flesh the devil is against you and it will continue to be those forces will continue to be against you therefore we see how exact scripture is christ in you the hope of glory now do you exercise faith hope love it is sufficient to bring you to the glory that is prepared for you before the foundation of the world time is short we will soon enter a time sphere we will soon enter eternity but there is no time you know when we think of and how little we think of this when we look around about us this people the elders who used to be here members of the dyrum we knew grew up with they are gone from in a short period of time all has changed you look

[30:52] at an old photograph of Stornoway a hundred years ago and you see people there walking our streets with all their troubles with all their problems where are they where are they they have gone they have left us that is where you and I are going we are heading for eternity and may God grant that we might have Christ Christ in us the hope of glory and may that be seen in life in life in conduct in character God is holy we don't know what holiness is it is another mystery what is moral perfection what is it it is seen in

[31:53] Christ he alone is morally perfect and he will make you morally perfect who today is morally imperfect he has the power and the ability to do so remember those very solemn words Leviticus chapter 19 speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel and say unto them shall be holy for I the Lord your God am holy Hebrews chapter chapter 13 without holiness no man shall see the Lord we cannot be with him unless we are morally perfect how by regeneration by faith in Christ the instrumental cause the efficient cause the

[32:58] Holy Spirit dwelling within us may God grant that before that day comes that you and I will be found in him not having our own righteousness may bless you as you spoke at this day we thank thee that all is of grace and that thou alone art able to save to the uttermost all who come unto God by thee keep us during this week watch over us go before us and pardon sin for

[34:05]  Jesus sake Amen