| Whatsoever
Things Are True
by Dan Coburn Pastor, Emmanuel Baptist Church pastordan@mtida.net In the New Testament, there are Seven Specific Mysteries. Let’s see how many we can get through this week. A Mystery is something hidden from understanding until “the fullness of time”. The first Mystery is – The Incarnation. This is much more than a dispute over whether or not Jesus was born (although many do deny this historical fact, much like the Holocaust), it is a dispute over the very Deity of Christ. Is He God or not? “But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory.” - 1st Cor. 2:7-8. Col. 2:2 talks about: “the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ”. Then vs 9 says: “For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily”. In John 8 the Pharisees seek to kill Him because He claims to be God. In Hebrews 1, God the Father calls Jesus God; So does John ch. 1. So with all this evidence, why is it so disputed. Because it’s a Mystery. Fasten your pew belts, and I’ll share a Nugget. No one ever came to Christ Intellectually. There is a war going on for your very soul. Next is the Mystery of the Gospel. “And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel.” - Eph. 6:19. The Gospel has five points to it, and is spelled out in 1st Cor. 15, vs 1-4. It is the Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Christ - for our sins, according to the Scriptures. Simple right? Evidently not. Remember the war I mentioned? “But if our gospel is hid (veiled), it is hid to them that are lost (perishing): In whom the god of this world (satan) hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” 2nd Cor. 4:3-4. The next is Christ ans His Church. “This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.” – Eph. 5:32. This has been both polluted and diluted. The relationship pictured here is that of a Faithful Husband toward the love of His life, His bride, the Church. According to the first two chapters of Ephesians, God ordained before the foundation of the world, that we/(you?) would be part of His Chosen Bride. This was not some knee-jerk reaction to sin. When I perform a wedding, my favorite part is to watch the reaction of the groom when his bride walks down the isle. There is both a strength and a weakness in his eyes, and it fascinates me. His look says: “Just look at her. As long as I have breath in my lungs, nothing is going to hurt her”. That’s how Jesus is with His Church. Shame on us for thinking it is something we do when there is nothing else going on, or reserve it for Christmas and Easter. Does all this make you smile? Does it seem distant and vague, or does it make you angry? Jesus said: “Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand”. By Grace are ye saved through Faith. Ask Him. |
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