Mysterium Tremendum

Which is weirder for the Christian? That Christ is in you (Colossians 1:27), or that you are in Christ (Colossians 1:28)?

Our pastor, Eric May, made a wonderful point today. (I'm afraid this is going to sound like a, "stop me if you've heard this one..." kind of thing, but, well, since this is a blog, and you can't very well stop me...) He said, regarding these verses, "are we in air, or is air in us?" *Dramatic silence* Then he said, "is a fish in water, or is water in a fish?" The answer is, of course, "Yes." Both are true.

I like this not just because it's clever and presents a bit of a mind-bender. I like it because it points out that, though they may at first sound like opposites, both statements can be true: we can be "in Christ" and Christ can be "in us."

I also like it because
it points out a wonderful truth about God: He is Mysterious. He's 'weird' if I can say that without getting a call from the deacons. Paul even used the word, "mystery" three times in this very same passage of scripture:

"...the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints.  To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Col. 1:26-27


"that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." Col. 2-2-3

I'm so glad that God is Mysterious. That He does things mysteriously. Imagine a God whom we could always figure out. Who is just like us and who has our level of wisdom and who has our smarts and who does things just like we would expect. What kind of God would that be? No, that wouldn't do at all. But rather than feel baffled and frustrated by His mysterious ways, let's revel in His Mystery!

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD." Isaiah 55:8