Tag Archives: mystery

THE MYSTERY OF GODLINESS

Apologetics, ,

1 Timothy 3:16 NIV
[16] “Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.” Hu

First, a Bible “mystery” is different from all other mysteries.

Meta defines a mystery like this…

Definition
1. “Something unexplained or unknown”: A mystery is an event, situation, or phenomenon that cannot be fully understood or explained, often due to a lack of information or evidence.
2. “Enigmatic or puzzling”: Mysteries often involve enigmatic or puzzling elements that challenge our understanding or interpretation.
3. “Intriguing or thought-provoking”: Mysteries can be intriguing or thought-provoking, inspiring curiosity and encouraging exploration or investigation.”

These definitions are inadequate and incomplete to explain Biblical mysteries.

“A “mystery” in the New Testament is something that had at one time been hidden but is now revealed to God’s people.” (gotquestions.com – article: What is the mystery of God referred to in the Bible?)

“The apostle Paul used the word mystery 21 times in his Epistles. In each case, the “mystery” involved a wonderful declaration of spiritual truth, revealed by God through divine inspiration. A mystery is that “which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets” (Ephesians 3:5). (gotquestions.Com – article… What is the mystery of God referred to in the Bible?)

Revelation of the mystery of godliness answers the question, “How can a holy God accept and have fellowship with sinful people?”

God has a way for sinful humans to approach Him and be acceptable to Him that was hidden from the beginning of time but has now been revealed.

“The Bible tells us that the mystery of God is Jesus Christ: “My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:2–3). (gotquestions.com article… What is the mystery of God referred to in the Bible?)

Who JESUS is and what He did He do that is the key to our understanding of the reason God has freely forgiven our sin and accepted us into His family as His beloved sons and daughters?

Let’s examine, step by step, wha Paul said about the mystery referred to in this passage of Scripture…

1 Timothy 3:16 NIV
[16] “… He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.”

“He appeared in the flesh… “

Despite all the objections to the historical reality of Jesus, there is enough secular evidence to authenticate the Bible’s witness that Jesus is a real person who was born in Bethlehem and died by crucifixion in Jerusalem, not a mythical figure of someone’s imagination.

However, He was more than a mere human.

Jesus claimed to have been pre-existent before He was sent by the Father.

John 3:13 NIV
[13] “No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.”

John 16:28 NIV
[28] “I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”

How did Jesus prove that what He said was true? He affirmed in His human life everything that the prophets wrote about Him before it happened…

Luke 18:31-33 NIV
[31] Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. [32] He will be delivered over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him and spit on him; [33] they will flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again.”

…and He was and did everything they prophesied.

Luke 24:6-8 NIV
[6] “He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: [7] ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” [8] Then they remembered his words.”

Luke 24:25-27 NIV
[25]” He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! [26] Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” [27] And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.”

So, how was the truth of Jesus’ claims about Himself vindicated?

… was vindicated by the Spirit…

Romans 1:4 NIV
[4] and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Jesus could not raise Himself from the dead. Death could not hold Him only if He spoke the truth. The resurrection of Jesus has been attacked and tested by unbelievers who have had to reach the conclusion that it is impossible to disprove the resurrection. (Frank Morrison – “Who Moved the Stone?”)

… was seen by angels…

Why is it important to for Paul to  testify that angels saw Jesus after His resurrection? Angels were the messengers who told the women  who came to the tomb that Jesus was alive. How did they know? Who would believe their testimony if the were not eyewitnesses?

The angels were the ones who sat in the tomb in the very spot where the body of Jesus had been lying. His body was gone. He had risen. They had seen Him.

… was preached among the nations…

Jesus gave His disciples the commission to take the good news of salvation to all the nations of the world. Poised to leave them to return to the Father, He instructed them…

Matthew 28:18-20 NIV
[18] “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. [19] Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, [20] and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you… ”

…and promised that He would always be with them.

“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

In the first generation after His return to heaven, the apostles, and especially Paul, despite massive resistance and persecution, took the gospel to the known world. Since then, the message of Jesus has been preached and believed throughout the generations and on every continent on earth.

Mark 16:20 NIV
[20] “Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.”

… was believed on in the world…

There is no need to verify the power of the gospel to impact the lives of every person who has believed the message. Since faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the message of Jesus, the Bible has been translated into most languages on earth. Through the internet, every person who has a cellphone has access to a free copy of the Scriptures in some language they can understand and read.

… was taken up in glory.”

Acts 1:8-9 NIV
[8]” But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” [9] After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.”

As much as the disciples were witnesses to Jesus’ resurrection, they also saw Him return to heaven. His ascension was a visible event so that they could testify to the world that they saw Him go.

Through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, as Jesus promised, the apostles interpreted and wrote the Scriptures that give us understanding of all the events surrounding Jesus’ life and death on earth.

Mark 16:19 NIV
[19]  “After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God.”

Paul gave his readers a resume of the all that Jesus accomplished by His life, death, and resurrection as the solid ground for believing and receiving a new life. Jesus is the “mystery of godliness” revealed, the only way to be freed from the sin that condemns us, and to live new lives of trust and obedience to Jesus through the power if the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

Romans 5:1-2 NLT
[1] “Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. [2] Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.”

THE MYSTERY OF GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY

Bible Study, ,

John 13:18, 21 NLT
[18]“I am not saying these things to all of you; I know the ones I have chosen. But this fulfills the Scripture that says, ‘The one who eats my food has turned against me.’…
[21] Now Jesus was deeply troubled, and he exclaimed, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me!”

This scene plays out in fulfillment of God’s purposes decreed from before time and prophesied centuries before the event.

John 17:12 NLT
[12] “During my time here, I protected them by the power of the name you gave me. I guarded them so that not one was lost, except the one headed for destruction, as the Scriptures foretold.”

Paul encouraged Timothy to stay away from sin, implying that he, Timothy, was a vessel created for godly purposes.

2 Timothy 2:20, 21 NLT
[20] “In a wealthy home some utensils are made of gold and silver, and some are made of wood and clay. The expensive utensils are used for special occasions, and the cheap ones are for everyday use.”
[21] “If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work.”

It seems, then, that God has created some people to reflect His glory by holy lives and others to reveal His glory by His power in judgment of their ungodliness.

Romans 9:14-18 NLT
[14] Are we saying, then, that God was unfair? Of course not! [15] For God said to Moses, “I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose.” [16] So it is God who decides to show mercy. We can neither choose it nor work for it. [17] For the Scriptures say that God told Pharaoh, “I have appointed you for the very purpose of displaying my power in you and to spread my fame throughout the earth.” [18] So you see, God chooses to show mercy to some, and he chooses to harden the hearts of others so they refuse to listen.

Romans 9:19-21 NLT
[19] “Well then, you might say, “Why does God blame people for not responding? Haven’t they simply done what he makes them do?” [20] No, don’t say that. Who are you, a mere human being, to argue with God? Should the thing that was created say to the one who created it, “Why have you made me like this?” [21] When a potter makes jars out of clay, doesn’t he have a right to use the same lump of clay to make one jar for decoration and another to throw garbage into?”

Another huge subject…the sovereignty of God!

We attempt to understand God’s sovereignty against the backdrop of human reason and logic. We make no sense of God’s ways and accuse Him of being unfair. How can He save some from, and judge others for being who He created them to be?

From our viewpoint, we consider such actions unjust. Should God not treat all people alike?

Is it right that God should deliberately create people for judgment? What about Pharaoh? What about Judas Iscariot? How does human choice and accountability connect with God’s purposes?

At this point, our perspective and God’s perfect wisdom part company.

We have great difficulty understanding how God works and why He works the way He does, since His ways and thoughts are far above our own. However, the Apostle Paul elevates our understanding above our perception of justice and fairness to the nature of God.

God is under no obligation to show mercy to anyone. Paul has argued and concluded that the entire human race is guilty of rebellion and the objects of God’s wrath. He created people for a purpose, to be His human family, but we have all been born rebels, having inherited Adam’s nature. All are under His judgment.

God is, therefore, just in condemning all people to eternal destruction. However, God’s mercy desires to redeem those whom He has chosen to fulfill His purpose. He has not abandoned His original plan for a human family created in His image.

Jesus was the Father’s plan to redeem people from the ravages of sin. He “put all His eggs in one basket” by entrusting to Jesus the role of perfect Son and perfect sacrifice.

As a reward for His obedience, the Father gave to the Son a family of redeemed people.

Isaiah 53:10-12 NLT
[10] “But it was the Lord’s good plan to crush him and cause him grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants. He will enjoy a long life, and the Lord’s good plan will prosper in his hands. [11] When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins. [12] I will give him the honors of a victorious soldier, because he exposed himself to death. He was counted among the rebels. He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels.”

Jesus insisted that the Father had given Him many people, that all that the Father had given to Him would come to Him, and that He would save and protect them from judgment.

John 6:37-40 NLT
[37]”However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them. [38] For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will. [39] And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them up at the last day. [40] For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.”

John 17:11-12 NLT
[11]”Now I am departing from the world; they are staying in this world, but I am coming to you. Holy Father, you have given me your name; now protect them by the power of your name so that they will be united just as we are. [12] During my time here, I protected them by the power of the name you gave me. I guarded them so that not one was lost, except the one headed for destruction, as the Scriptures foretold.”

We are to recognise, then, that God, in His sovereign choices, is not about justice or fairness but about mercy and purpose. His justice is vindicated by judgment and His purposes fulfilled through His mercy.

He is not obliged to do anything about the sinful human race because we brought His judgment in ourselves by confirming Adam’s rebellion. However, because He is who He is, He chose to show mercy to some, and justice to others, revealing through His mercy to godly and ungodly alike that He is God. No one has the right or reason to complain.

Most of all, God’s glory, revealed through His words and actions, gives all humanity every reason to trust Him, though the majority do not. He is completely vindicated in all He says and does.

Romans 3:25-26 NIV
[25] “God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— [26] he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.”

So, Jesus is God’s answer to all our foolish and futile accusations. Like His response to Job, God is not obligated to answer us, but He does…. Jesus!

Colossians 2:1-3 NLT
[1] I want you to know how much I have agonized for you and for the church at Laodicea, and for many other believers who have never met me personally.
[2] “I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. [3] In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

God wants us to see His glory so that we worship Him alone, so that we have no other gods because He alone can be to us all we need. He made us. We belong to Him. He is jealous for our love and loyalty. Only in Him can we ever be complete.

So, God reveals to us what we can only ever know through His plan of redemption, that attribute that is heaviest, most important if all, His chesed, His many-faceted, covenant love, His mercy.

PRAYING GOD’S WAY – 1

Prayer, ,

THE “WHY” OF PRAYER

Prayer is one of the greatest mysteries and privileges of our Christian lives! Think of it, God, the Almighty, the Creator of the universe, permits us to approach Him and to engage in conversation with Him. He listens to us. He answers us. He allows us to be partners with Him in His kingdom. How can we ever get our heads around this?

We must, therefore, be careful about the way we use this privilege. We must come to God on His terms and in His way.

We love to pray the words of the Psalms because the psalmist’s prayers so often express the emotions of our own hearts. We iften feel like they did and their words express our hearts in those times when we cry out to God for help.

There is great merit in praying the Bible’s words because we are praying God’s words back to Him.
However, we must remember that the prayers of the Old Covenant, although they teach us great principles, have an important piece missing, i.e., the security and assurance of what God has done for us through Jesus.

Righteousness, in the Mosaic covenant, depended on obedience to the Law. The prayers, recorded in many parts of the Old Testament, have an element of uncertainty because pray-ers had no security in their own righteousness. They called on the name of the Lord for mercy and pleaded for His forgiveness based on the knowledge of His covenant love.

‭Psalms 51:1 NLT‬
[1] “Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins.”

However, in the New Covenant, we have access to the Father because of the sacrifice of Jesus for our sins. He has opened the way to God by taking our sin away. We have the assurance that He has made us acceptable to God. By faith in Him, we are made righteous, not guilty, and cleansed of all our unrighteousness.

‭Romans 5:1-2 NLT‬
[1] “Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. [2] Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.”

We can approach the Father freely and confidently because the blood of Jesus forgives, and takes away all our sin.

‭Hebrews 10:19-22 NLT‬
[19] “And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. [20] By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. [21] And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, [22] let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.“

When we pray the prayers of the Old Testament saints, we must attach to them the work of Jesus that removes us from pleading to praise. We do not have to beg God to do anything. We have all His promises which Jesus endorsed by His death, and we can confidently declare our “Amen!” to whatever He said He will do.

Another reason for praying Old Testament prayers with caution is the difference between the focus of the Old and New Testaments. While it is not wrong to pray for physical and material prosperity, the saints in the Old Testament, in the main, were concerned about their circumstances while the New Testament focus is on overcoming the old nature and its influence on our destiny.

We learn God’s way by the many prayers Paul prayed and recorded in his letters.

Paul spent much of his time teaching believers how to overcome sin and how to live by the Spirit. He recognised that continuing in sin negates our new life in Christ and disqualifies us from inheriting God’s kingdom.

‭Galatians 5:19, 21 NLT‬
[19] “When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures,…
[21] envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.”

He prays for knowledge and understanding of this new life so that the church grows in maturity as a witness to God’s grace at work in every member.

In the next few weeks we will explore some of Paul’s prayers, listening to his heart, and redirecting our praying into God’s Word, and His will and ways for us.

TO GOD BE THE GLORY!

Bible Study, ,

TO GOD BE THE GLORY!

“Now to Him who is able to establish you in accordance with my gospel, the message I proclaim about Jesus Christ, in keeping with the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that the Gentiles might come to the obedience that comes from faith – to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.” Romans 16:25-27.

What a magnificent doxology and ending to this superb letter! In Paul’s characteristic style, and in one long sentence, he encapsulated the gospel.

The gospel – what is it about? It is the message Paul proclaimed about Jesus Christ. He is the good news; His birth, foretold by the prophets in detail – who He was, His ancestry, the circumstances of His birth; His life, His character and His works; His death and resurrection; His rule and His coming kingdom – it’s all there in the Old Testament and fulfilled with precision and to perfection by His coming.

The good news, hidden from men’s understanding in the past but revealed in Jesus Christ, is that God’s mercy is for the whole world, not just for the Jews. The prophetic message was that the Gentiles would have a share in this salvation. The Jews thought that God was exclusively for them. The Gentiles were despised and side-lined in their estimation, but they missed the plot. They were to be the vehicle of God’s revelation to the world so that the Gentiles also should come to the obedience of faith.

The purpose of the gospel, and Paul never lost sight of this, was that God’s glory would be revealed to all of creation and, in the process, the usurper, the devil, would be publicly unmasked, disarmed and judged for who he was, once and for all – a liar, and a fraud, claiming the title of “Lord” which belonged to only one person, the Son of God.

God chose a drastic but effective way of exposing him; He put His own Son in the firing line. Jesus – as a human being – faced the worst that the devil could inspire humans to throw at Him, betrayal, injustice and execution in the cruellest way possible, without retaliating. He absorbed it all and then bounced back – alive and free to claim His title because He had earned it by the life of a perfect son, and the death of a perfect Lamb.

“In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what He suffered.” Hebrews 2:10.

Could there have been another more effective way to show God’s love for all mankind and to reveal His wisdom than by the plan He devised? He punished His own Son for guilt that was not His so that the guilty might go free. Perfect justice and perfect love!

What comfort for his readers to know, and for all readers down through the ages, that this God who accomplished this magnificent salvation, is also able to establish weak, frail and fallible humans in the truth so that they will both stand and persevere until the moment they are removed from the presence of sin into the glorious presence of God forever!

Paul’s reassurance must have meant much to these people who lived under the constant threat of death at the hands of ruthless persecutors. Like believers in the Middle East today who have the sword hanging over their heads for no crime other than claiming that Jesus is Lord, many of the faithful men and women who heard Paul’s words would perish under cruel persecution, but God had established them and they were safe anyway.

To this God, who planned salvation, carried it out and rescues those who believe in Him, goes all the glory and honour. Through the message of salvation, He revealed to all mankind who He really is – not some far off, indifferent or callous tyrant but a God who came near, lived and died and returned in victory to proclaim liberty to the captives.

To Him, and Him alone be the glory! Amen.

Acknowledgement

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

THE MYSTERY REVEALED

Christian life, ,

THE MYSTERY REVEALED

“I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that that you may not be conceited. Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full members of the Gentiles has come in, and in this way all Israel will be saved. As it is written:

“The deliverer will come from Zion;

He will turn godlessness away from Jacob.

And this is my covenant with them

When I take away their sins.” Romans 11:25-27

In the end they just can’t get away from God’s mercy!

Unlike the gods of human imagination who are mostly out to “get” their worshippers and are easily offended like their creators, the God of the Bible is big on mercy. No matter how Paul reasoned or argued, he always came out at the same place. Mercy! Unlike much of our erroneous ideas about God, He has no intention of destroying people if He does not have to.

The history and destiny of His people is inextricably tied up with the destiny of the Gentiles. Israel had no exclusive claim to God’s love. They were chosen to be His messengers and mouthpiece to the rest of the world. “For God so loved the world…” Why should He not love the world? Every human being of every nation is created in His image and for His glory, not just Israel, but He needed a specific group of people to model Him to the rest of mankind.

The fact that they failed does not cancel out their calling and God’s purpose for them. He did not “un-call” them because they failed just as no child can be “un-born” even if he disappoints his family. His parents may disown him but he is still a family member whether they acknowledge him or not.

Paul called it a mystery. There are many “mysteries” in Scripture – things we don’t understand because they are beyond human imagination or human experience; for example, the sovereignty of God. How can God carry out His will in our lives and yet, at the same time, hold us responsible for our choices? It’s a mystery!

However, Paul is not talking about this kind of “mystery”. In the Bible, God hid truths which could only be revealed when all the facts were in place. One of the big mysteries, which only came to light after Jesus died and rose again, was the relationship of Jew and Gentile in God’s big story. The Jews thought they were “it”, but God had a different agenda for them. Through them, He planned to bring the whole world into His story.

“This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 3:6.

Unfortunately, because of their prejudice and bigotry, the Jews could not stomach the idea that God cared about the Gentiles as well but, in spite of their resistance, they were and will always be descendants of Abraham and God’s covenant people. And that makes them players in God’s story until the final chapter.

And what is the final chapter? They will take their place in the story, where they belong.

“As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies for your sake, but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, for God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable. Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, so they too have become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God’s mercy to you. For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that He may have mercy on them all.” Romans 11:28-32.

And how will it happen? Once again, in His own incomprehensible way, God will bring together His choices and man’s choices into perfect harmony to fulfil His will. The Jews, just like the Gentiles, will receive mercy through faith in God’s Son, when they finally recognise who He is.

“And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they pierced, and they will mourn for Him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for Him as one grieves for a firstborn son…On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity.” Zechariah 12:10; 13:1.

“Amen!”

Acknowledgement

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.