I would like to present to you the unlocking of a mystery that was hidden, but has now been revealed.

This mystery was also hidden from the religious leaders of the day when Jesus walked this earth in the form of a man and I would also venture to say, that this mystery still remains hidden in varying degrees from today's religious organisations and institutions.

.....the message to mankind is this, the mystery is now revealed to His saints - which is "Christ in you, the hope of Glory"

A foundation to understanding this truth of the mystery, is to receive by faith.
Then, we need to know what is the difference between operating by faith to receive from God and attempting to receive from God, by the works of our own resources.
Faith is the way we are to approach God and the way we must receive from Him, through what Jesus provided for us.
Hebrews 11:6 "without faith it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."

In the bible verses in Colossians we are told what the mystery is "Christ in you, the hope of Glory". However, without an understanding of what this means, we truly won't be able to receive all of what God has for us and benefit from His love towards us.

Understanding, will unlock knowledge of these truths and empower us to activate and participate in the essence of "Christ in us".
We need a foundation to build upon and act upon, that will stand up and produce what the desired finish should be in Christ.

Now, the very mention of these truths will no doubt raise many questions in your mind, when we try to fathom God's ways which are higher than our ways.

We must look at the difference between a religious approach to be good and then an operation of faith to achieve righteous acts. From this study we will arrive at the very foundation of faith and how God works with the sin problem in mankind.

In order to see why we need faith to approach God, we will need to examine a background of who we are, without Christ in us!
Romans 5:12 "Just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all have sinned,"
Firstly, what is the purpose of the law, which is the ten commandments which God gave to Moses?

Romans 3:19,20. "Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore, by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin."
We see that the purpose of the law is:- " by the law is a knowledge of sin." Mankind in its fallen state are now made aware, that we are all guilty before God, of unrighteous acts and our sinful condition is the nature of flesh, as no flesh will be justified in His sight.
If man doesn't think he has a problem, then he wouldn't repent, but as it is, when we are faced with trying to fulfill the law, we come to the realisation that we are sinners in need of a saviour.
In other words, when we are faced with the law and having to fulfill this standard of perfection, we all suffer the same outcome of missing the mark.
As tough as it is, to acknowledge this glaringly obvious truth, this is how it is.
Whether the psychologists come up with a different outlook or not, they are only spouting forth their hypothesis and speculation, that we are born in a state of innocence, the truth remains, we are born with a sinful nature and are separated from our God and that is why Jesus came.

Romans 3:21-24 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets (the word of God), even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference, for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through redemption that is in Jesus Christ."

Galatians 3:10 - 13 says much the same as Romans. "For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse, for it is written, Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident for the just shall live by faith Yet the law is not of faith, but the man who does them shall live by them Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written cursed is everyone who hangs on the tree)."

Galatians 3:1-3 "O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? having begun in the spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?"

Romans 9:30-33 "What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith, but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at the stumbling stone. As it is written Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and a rock of offense, And whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame."

Where has Israel missed it? They did not seek the righteousness of God by faith, but by the works of the law.
Colossians 2:8 "Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ."
Colossians 2:20-23 "Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations- Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle, which all concern things which perish with the using- according to the commandments and doctrines of men? These things have an appearance of wisdom in self imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh."
The use of the word world, refers to the thought patterns and system of the people of this world, who were born into it, with a sinful nature, that is separate and is incapable to do what is right, as compared to the righteousness of God.
In other words, what Paul is saying to the Colossians, is that you are unable to live in what Christ has done for you, if you live according to teachings of men and self imposed religious activities, which will never activate by faith in Christ, the true workings of God in your life.
We do not want to fall into the snare of self righteousness. We see that religious thinking was a great threat to the early church, such as in the Galatian church and they had received the teaching from Paul the Apostle and were saved and then, after the church was established, Paul had to then address this false teaching to go back under the law to please God and attempt to achieve, righteousness.
We see that religious thinking and the doctrines of men had crept into the church, which were cloaked by clever devices with an appearance of good.
I would have to say that this is also, a very real problem in the church today. If we are under the impression that we believe that, we are doing what's right, when in fact, we have fallen from grace into works, we are defeated and are out of our rightful position to receive the blessings of God and to grow up as Christians, in the image of Him.

How do we then serve Him?
Romans 7:6 "But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the spirit and not in the oldness of the letter of the law."