Mysteries of Our Faith



Posted: Monday, September 01, 2008

by
firstcenturychristian

In our modern age, most people feel they have outgrown such things as mysteries. They tend to equate religious mysteries with superstitions, claims of Catholicism or the slight of hand trickery of self-proclaimed miracle workers. When the Bible speaks of miracles, it ordinarily implies knowledge withheld. In the New Testament it speaks of knowledge once withheld, but now revealed. Rather than one mystery, there are many in our faith.

I. The mystery of Christ's earthly ministry. Paul writes, "Without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: He who was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the spirit, Seen of angels, Preached among the nations, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory" (I Tim. 3:16). Who can comprehend or fully explain the incarnation of Jesus, his virgin birth (John 1:14)? He was justified by the Holy Spirit at his baptism (Matt. 3:16), during his ministry( Luke 4:18), in his resurrection (Rom. 1:4) and in his written testimony (II Pet. 1:21). Angels announced his conception(Luke 1:26 ff), they sang at his birth (Luke 2:9-13), they were with him in his temptation (Matt. 4:11), in Gethsemane (Luke 22:43), at his arrest (Matt. 26:53), at his resurrection (Matt.28:2) and his ascension when he was received up in glory (Acts 1:10).

II. The mystery of God's will was made know to humanity in God's good time. "...the God and Father of our Lord Jesus...(made) known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good-pleasure which he purposed in him..." (Eph. 1:9). He summed up all thing in Christ, whether in heaven or on earth (Eph. 1:10). We would never have known or fathomed these mysteries had He not revealed them to us.

III. The gospel (the good news) about Jesus and our salvation was a mystery kept silent from time eternal, but was revealed to humanity through the apostolic ministry. Paul wrote, "how that by revelation was made known unto me the mystery, as I wrote before...whereby, when ye read, ye can perceive my understanding in the mystery of Christ; which in other generations was not made known unto the sons of men, as it hath now been revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; to wit, that the Gentiles are fellow-heirs, and fellow-members of the body, and fellow-partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel" (Eph. 3:3-6).

IV. It was a mystery that Paul, a Jew, would be God's chosen instrument to take the gospel of Jesus to the Gentiles. Paul solicited prayers on his behalf that utterance would be given unto him "in opening (his) mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel..." (Eph. 6:19).

V. There were mysteries regarding the kingdom of heaven. Jesus said to the apostles, "Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven..." (Matt. 13:11). Contrary to Jewish expectations, it was to be a spiritual, not a political kingdom. Jesus insisted "My kingdom is not of this world..but now is my kingdom not from hence" (John 18:36). It was to be a universal kingdom for all races, rather than reserved for Hebrews (Matt. 28:19).

VI. The relationship of Christ and his church was a mystery. Paul wrote that "the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church...Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself up for it...This mystery is great: but I speak in regard of Christ and of the church" (Eph. 5:22-33). It teaches us to love and honor Christ and be obedient to him. It tells us He loves us in return, that he gave his life for our salvation. It reminds us that our relation to him is found in his body, the church. To be united with Christ in his church we must receive the washing of water with the word, which is Christian baptism (Acts 10:47-48). Most of the religious world has yet to understand this mystery.

VII. The resurrection of the dead is a great mystery. "Some one will say, How are the dead raised? And with what manner of body do they come?" (I Cor. 15:35). How could it possibly be that people long dead, whose bodies have completely returned to dust be mad alive again? Paul then explains the mystery, "...flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We all shall not sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of the eye...for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed" (I Cor. 15: 35, 50-52). Christ was the first to be raised, never to die again. He is the living proof that they who belong to Him will be raised at his coming (I Cor. 15:23). Even the wicked will be raised, but to everlasting pain and sorrow (John 5:28-29).

VIII. The mysteries of Christ, his kingdom and his gospel are now revealed to mankind through the message of His inspired teachers. Thus Paul writes, "Whereby, when ye read, ye can perceive my understanding in the mystery of Christ; which in other generations was not made known unto the sons of men, as it hath now been revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit..." (Eph. 3:4-5). When we read or hear those inspired truths we will be comforted by the "full assurance of understanding, that (we) may know the mystery of God, even Christ, in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden" (Col. 2:2-3). Our responsibility is to hold "the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience." (I Tim. 3:9). Great were these wonderful mysteries of God. We thank Him that they have been revealed unto us in Christ Jesus our Lord.

This Article has been viewed 82 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
No comments yet.
We want your comments! If you can read this, you don't have javascript enabled, so you can't use this comment system. Please enable javascript.