MYSTERIES

The mysteries of God are incomprehensible. but it is my contention and belief that in searching the depths of God we grow in our relationship and realize our utter dependence upon the Godhead. Consider the Godhead, as it is in itself an incomprehensible mystery or concept, i.e., one God in three persons. This leads to attempting to understand persons and what is meant by scripture saying that we are created in God’s image. Of course, God is the Uncreated One who has no beginning or ending. This is the tip of the iceberg in attempting to comprehend our God.

Faith is the Start

Proverbs 9:10 tells us the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. The prerequisite for understanding the mysteries of God is faith and a relationship with Holy Spirit. These are mysteries in themselves. Faith being, as Hebrews 11:1 puts it is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen and in Hebrews 11:6 we find that without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is and is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. By faith the first Apostles locked themselves in a room and awaited Holy Spirit to come upon them as Jesus had promised. No physical recognizable form, such as Jesus was to them, rather a spiritual manifestation. What I’m saying is that one must realize that the spiritual world is more real than the physical and the spirit world is eternal. The proof is in the manifestation. Faith allows for manifestation of God’s promises. Holy Spirit endues the believer with power and the ability to commune with Almighty God. Jesus is our advocate whose perfect human sacrifice opened once and for all the barrier presented by the first Adam’s sin. All creation awaits the full manifestation of the sons of God, the Godmen, the one new man referred to in Ephesians 2:14-16. And as 1 Corinthians tells us, our eyes have not yet seen all that God has prepared for those who love Him.

Similar to Marriage

Basically, there are no real shortcuts to understanding God because development of a relationship with Him is prerequisite to the ability to delve into and understand the depth and mysteries of God. The relationship can be compared to a marriage. A good marriage is cultivated by extensive work and submission of personal will. When we discover a pleasing relationship with a person of the opposite sex (which is the only form of covenant between two persons ordained by God) we usually get so caught up in the emotion of “love” that we can’t seem draw upon wisdom. If the two reach a point where they believe that person is destined to become their mate, we too often jump into marriage based on needs and emotions. Each person is showing their best and sex is amazing. After this “honeymoon” of bliss we begin to really discover our mate. Just as layers of the onion are peeled back, we get beyond the superficial and discover what we really have. These days many are not willing to do the work requisite to a good marriage and the marriage is in the fast lane toward destruction. Wisdom says that if we fail to let God build the marriage we labor in vain. If we seek God rather than letting our mind and emotions control the relationship, we have a good shot at the purpose God set forth for this covenant relationship. My initial Christian denomination put little emphasis on the Word of God, and I learned lessons the hard way and failed at marriage. I found a relationship with Jesus Christ and married again at 36 years old and through hard work we now have a strong marriage.

Persistent and Focused Effort

You will never completely understand the mystery of your covenant marriage partner, a complex being created in the image of God. You know I’m speaking truth. Conversely, when we attempt to understand the Godhead, we are considering a uncreated one who has constantly called out to us and patiently awaits a response from His created ones to seek Him. God is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent, meaning He is all knowing, all powerful. and everywhere at all times. How are we to understand? The answer is we can’t because He is God.  We can’t see Almighty God and live, but the Son has been seen and in John 14 Jesus told His disciples that seeing Him is seeing the father because they are one. The mysteries of the Godhead are complex, but God is God. Although we were created with free will, God loved us so much that He redeemed us from our fallen state through His Son Jesus who became the Godman that we might choose life with Him now and in eternity. Consider Jesus Himself and how He came into our midst. The Incarnation is a mystery in itself. A virgin woman whose conception was by Holy Spirit?  How do we understand? It is by faith and realization that we live in an eternal spirit realm. If the Incarnation is hard to understand we can go deeper into what is referred to as hypostatic union, or how Jesus could be God and man at the same time. Jesus has always been God and He says in John 8:58 “before Abraham was I am.” The Incarnation allowed Him to be a man, the Godman, and have two distinct natures fully God and fully man.

We Do Have Resources Available to Us

We were created to worship God and seek His face, to find communion with Him and be an integral part in building His Kingdom. Though we can never fully comprehend, we have a promise in 1 John 3:2 “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” We know God through the His written word and His rhema word delivered via Holy Spirit. Though providing comfort and mission, these sources empower the believer by adding the power of God to our authority. Jesus says in John 14:12 that if we believe in Him, we will do greater things than He. Why do we not see this? This mystery requires relationship and great faith and not all believers attain this level, but we know it exists and is attainable, as some believers do reach it.

Personal Testimony

Though Satan, the enemy of our faith, gave his best shots over almost 30 years, I refused to concede. God has purpose for each of us and He did for us. In early 2015 my wife and I were activated and began to realize our destiny. We often wondered if we had missed it, but God’s timing is perfect. Though we are older, we are wiser and still have the vitality requisite to international ministry. God ordained constraints are profitable, as long as we are open to His purpose for us. It was a costly walk for us in every respect, but the result was invaluable. The sacrifice never ends, but it does become a joy. No sacrifice could begin to compare with what Jesus sacrificed for you and me.

Christ in You

What about the great mystery found in Colossians 1:27, “God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” The Apostle Paul is writing to the believer in Christ Jesus that what was a mystery is now revealed. Holy Spirit in the past had come upon certain designated people to empower but now indwells all believers. John 14:16-17 tells us that after Christ’s ascension He sent Holy Spirit to live within us always and in verse 20 Jesus tells the disciples that “On that day you will realize that I am in my Father . . . and I am in you.”  The hope of glory is the fulfillment of God’s promise to restore us and all creation. In Philippians 1:6 we see a forward-looking guarantee of assurance that God will continue to work in us until He is finished perfecting us. Finally, in Romans 8:11, we have the promise of resurrection “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.”
It is Time to Get it Right

Today there is so much wasted time and effort criticizing each other in the Body of Christ. Leaders grasp at an idea that they believe is a solution to uniting the Body of Christ. Most have scriptural basis and represent good intention. Then some come along and label their effort as a cult or heretical belief of which some are or border on being. Some of this work has given leaders ammunition to exercise their gifts and go into error that harms many. The motivation here is usually found to be pride, power, or greed. The result is Church-anity or church growthism establishing an elitism which tears down the desire of Christ that we be one, Christ’s greatest prayer recorded in John 17. A kingdom divided will not stand. Why do we keep trying something new? I suppose the easiest answer would be that it is in our nature for we are made in His image and prone to creation. The problem is that the Lord Jesus gave His disciples the God ordained model which worked extremely well in the first century until Rome conquered the known world. Finally, there exists an effort today to return to that plan the Master left us with, Ecclesia. Ecclesia was erroneously translated “Church” by the English King James. Ecclesia means active ruling authority whereas church means an assembly

What About You?

My purpose today has been to pique your interest in the amazing God we serve. The more one understands how great is our God and His promises to us, the more revelation of His purpose will begin to draw you into His Kingdom and enable you to discover your destiny. Grasping the truth is so critical in this time. It is an eternal decision you must face because you may not have a tomorrow. Will your eternity be in heaven or hell? If you are sitting on the fence, you’ve made a decision for the deceiver, Satan. Satan is nothing more than a fallen angel, a being created by God. In his pride he thought he could be like God. None of the mysteries of the Uncreated God, who has no beginning or end, apply to Satan. All created beings are eternal for we are all spirit beings, so Satan is allowed to exist. He is part of the eternal plan. God allows him to test you and determine where you will spend eternity. It truly is life or death, heaven or hell. Make your eternal choice today. If you don’t know your eternal destination, ask Jesus to forgive your sins and give Him your allegiance and accept life now and eternally. If you have backslidden, recommit your life to Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. To Him who was, and is, and is to come be all the Glory. Amen.