Shhhh!! I've Got a Secret

I'm not usually one for sharing secrets.
You know what they say, "Secrets don't make friends."
BUT, in this case, telling you the secret is the BEST thing I could ever do for you.
Seriously.

This secret can change your life.
In deed, it WILL change your life if you let it.
If you believe it...

It's a pretty incredible secret.
When I read about it this morning, I was taken aback for sure.
After I picked my jaw up off the floor, I was determined to find time to blog today and get the secret out to you too!  The news was soooooo good I couldn't keep it to myself a moment longer!

So before you explode wanting to know what in the world I am talking about, and before I explode from keeping this to myself, here's the juicy secret:

This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to God's people.  For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too.  And this is the secret: Christ lives in you.  This gives you assurance of sharing His glory.

I told you it was GOOD!
Life-changing, right?!

First, the riches and glory of Christ are for EVERYONE, including YOU.
And as if that wasn't enough, Christ can live IN you!  Yes, YOU!
Then, there's the cherry on top of the already piled high cake and ice cream: we have the assurance of SHARING His glory!

Say what?!
Share Christ's glory?!!!!
Me?
You?
ANYONE who believes in Him?!

That's crazy talk!!!!!!
But it's TRUE!

This is the secret God couldn't keep quiet about any longer.  From the Old Testament to the New Testament, there were 400 years of SILENCE.  God broke that silence with the birth of Jesus.  Talk about making some noise!

Then, as we read yesterday, Jesus reconciled us to God by dying on the cross for our sins.  His blood paid our debt and washed us clean so that we can stand before God holy and blameless, without fault.

And now God goes on to let us know that all the glories and riches of Christ are OURS.
That Christ lives IN us.
That we will SHARE IN HIS GLORY!

It's almost too much to handle!
We deserve death, but are given life - abundant, glorious, eternal life in God's very presence.

No wonder Paul committed his whole life to spreading this Good News.
Once his life was changed that day on the road to Damascus, he couldn't stop talking about Jesus and His transforming power at work in him.  He told everyone he could about salvation through Jesus and invited them to join him on a life-long journey of pursuing Jesus with every fiber of their beings.  Compared to Jesus, everything else was a pile of garbage!  Exactly why Paul himself left everything behind and RAN towards Jesus, pressing on for the prize awaiting him.  And I am confident when Paul crossed the finish line of his life, he was greeted by Jesus Himself with the best reward anyone could ever ask for - a hearty "Well done, my good and faithful servant!"

Paul urges US to live in the same manner, putting everything else aside and focusing on Christ alone, giving our all for HIM.

He rounds out Colossians chapter 1 with this:
So we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect in their relationship to Christ.  That's why I work and struggle so hard, depending on Christ's mighty power that works in me.

Paul poured himself out so that as many people as possible would know this life-changing secret.
I want to do the same.
And so I tell you the secret today.

YOU can have eternal life.
YOU can share in God's glory.
He invites you to do so.
He has given you His only Son that you might not perish but have eternal life.
And He wants you to tell everyone you know that they can join you.

ALL are welcome!
Spread the good news!
Share the secret!
Change someone's life, today!