Devotional: Already & Not Yet — Christ in You, the Hope of Glory
“...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 1:27 (NIV)“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”
— Colossians 3:1–4 (NIV)
The Christian life is full of tension, what we call the “already and not yet.” On one hand, if you’ve placed your trust in Jesus, you’re already forgiven, already made new, and already secure in Him. On the other hand, we’re still waiting. Waiting for the day when Christ returns, when sin and pain are finally gone, when everything is made right.
That waiting can be difficult. For someone who’s new to faith, it might feel confusing—if Jesus has already saved me, why do I still struggle? For someone who has followed Christ for years, it can feel frustrating—why hasn’t God fixed this yet? Both questions are honest, and both are answered in the same way: our hope isn’t tied to what we see right now, but to the One who lives in us.
Paul says, “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” That means Jesus Himself is the anchor of our future. Hope isn’t about wishful thinking, like hoping the weather cooperates. Hope in the biblical sense is a confident expectation that God will finish what He started. And because Jesus is alive in us, our hope is not fragile; it’s secure.
But Paul doesn’t just point to the future. He tells us to “set our hearts and minds on things above.” Where we place our focus determines how we experience hope in daily life. If your attention is locked on temporary things—money, success, possessions, politics—your hope will always waver. But if your heart and mind are set on Christ, hope becomes more than an idea; it becomes a lived reality.
Here’s the good news: every act of faith—whether it’s forgiving someone who wronged you, serving quietly behind the scenes, or choosing to trust God in uncertainty—is a declaration that your hope is alive. Even the smallest act of obedience becomes a way of saying to the world and to your own heart, “My life belongs to Jesus, and my hope is sure.”
Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank You that You live in me and that my hope is safe in You. Teach me to fix my eyes on what matters most. Help me to forgive, to serve, to sacrifice, and to trust You as I wait for the fullness of Your promises. Remind me each day that my future is secure, and that You are enough for me today. Amen.
Questions for Reflection
Where in your life do you feel the tension of “already and not yet”?
What most often distracts you from focusing on Jesus?
How can you live as a person of hope this week in a way others will notice?
Practical Application
Keeping our eyes on Christ is more than a nice phrase; it’s a daily choice. Here are a few ways you can live it out this week:
Start your day in Scripture. Read Colossians 3:1–4 each morning and ask God to set your heart and mind “on things above.”
Shift your focus. When you feel distracted by stress, money, or success, pause and whisper: “Christ in me, the hope of glory.” This re-centers your perspective.
Look through the lens of hope. Take one challenge you’re facing and ask, “How does this look in light of eternity?” Write down the difference it makes.
Practice hidden faithfulness. Do one small act of service this week that no one else sees. Let it remind you that your life is “hidden with Christ in God.”
Little by little, these practices teach us that our hope is not in circumstances but in Christ, who secures both our present and our future.
Watch: Sermon- David Platt, “Christ in You, the Hope of Glory”
Whether you’re just beginning to follow Jesus or you’ve walked with Him for years, the call is the same: keep your eyes on Christ. Your life is hidden with Him, your future is secure, and your hope is sure. Live today in a way that declares to the world, “Christ in me: the hope of glory.”
