COLOSSIANS 1:25-27 - CONFIDENT EXPECTATION

Confident Expectation

December 12, 2006 - Susie Hale

Confident Expectation – I like that definition

of our hope, our anticipation

of the glory that is yet to come.

Dignity and honor,

 praise from our Father –

we’ll be like Christ in our heavenly home.

“I have become its servant by the commission 

God gave me to present to you

the word of God in its fullness – 

the mystery that has been kept hidden 

for ages and generations, 

but is now disclosed to the saints. 

To them God has chosen to make known 

among the Gentiles 

the glorious riches of this mystery, 

which is Christ in you, 

the hope of glory.”

Colossians 1:25-27

ĕlpis¹⁶⁸⁰ – (to anticipate, usually with pleasure); expectation (abstr. or concr.) or confidence: - faith, hope.

dŏxa¹³⁹¹ – glory (as very apparent). In a wide application (lit. or fig., obj. or subj.): - dignity, glory (-ious), honour, praise, worship.

            As I learned in the eighth chapter of Romans, I am the adopted child of the King of kings. As stated in the scripture above, my faith in Christ and his Spirit within me give me hope of being glorified when I go to live with Him. The fourteenth chapter of John tells us that Jesus assured his disciples that there were many mansions in his Father’s house and he would prepare a place for them and us.

            I must ask myself, am I living as one who is confident of my future? Or do I fret over things that will not matter in eternity? Jesus lived on earth for thirty-three years and died in my place so I could have this hope. He sent his Holy Spirit to dwell within me in order to assure me of his presence, his comfort, his power during my life on this planet and his promise of a glorious eternity with God.

            I tap into the Spirit’s power through prayer and Bible study. I demonstrate the hope that I have by worshipping and witnessing. One way I can show my faith is to anticipate heaven with pleasure and wonder, like a small child anticipates Christmas. Heaven will be tremendously better than Christmas because we will be able to see the One who was born in a stable and died on the cross for us.

            Father, let me never lose the wonder and awe of contemplating heaven with confident expectation! Help my countenance to radiate that expectation to others as I worship with them or witness to them. Thank you that no matter what my past may have been, my future with you will be one of dignity and glory. Thank you for forgiveness and the promise of a bright future.