Classic Christianity Radio – The Mystery of God Part 2 (2-12-19)
Bob George provides insights on the subject of the mystery of God from God’s word. It pleased God to make known to you and me the mystery of His will. The Greek word for mystery is Mysterion. This is not like a Perry Mason novel. It is a hidden truth chosen at a time to be revealed to you. It is a revealing at a proper time. At the proper time, God chose to reveal truth to us, the born again.
Bob reminds the listener, those who are born again, of our great salvation, of the mercy and grace we received from God when we heard the truth of the gospel and believed. We received mercy when our sins were not counted against us because Jesus paid the punishment of death for sin that we deserved. Jesus died for the sins of the entire world when he shed his blood on the cross 2000 years ago. In Him, we received the forgiveness of sins.
Ephesians 1:7
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace
We also received grace, the Spirit of the living God, His holiness and godliness, when we believed and accepted by faith Jesus resurrected life.
Ephesians 1:13
And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit
Mercy is when we did not get what we deserved, the wrath of God against sin. Grace is something we received that we did not work for nor deserved. We received the very life of Christ, declared to be holy and blameless in God’s sight, when we received the very life of Christ, the Holy Spirit sealed in us when we believed. You are not going to get any more blessed than what you already have in Christ. In Christ you already have everything you need for life and godliness. The Jews were elected for salvation and the Gentile was adopted for salvation, and together in Christ both were made into a new creation, and placed into the body of Christ, the church.
About 15 minutes into the audio, Bob continues sharing from the book of Ephesians. Bob shares more detail about the mystery of God’s will revealed to the body of Christ.
In Ephesians, we read about the will of God and the pleasure of God. God had pleasure in saving the world.
Ephesians 1:7
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.
What About 1 John 1:9 ?
What is Grace?
What is grace? Giving you something that you did not deserve. When I am taught that if I ask God to forgive me then he will forgive me. Then by that incorrect thinking, would it be logical to think that I deserved grace because I did what I had been told me to do. If you do something that He told you to do, then you get what you deserved. I can do nothing to receive that forgiveness. But by asking for forgiveness, that would mean that I did something to be redeemed.
Grace is receiving something I did not deserve and mercy is withholding something I do deserve.
Ephesians 1:7-8
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace
8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding,
You, as a Gentile, have the opportunity to be redeemed and forgiven the same way as the Jew. Did you know the Law was never given to the Gentile?
1 Corinthians 9:20-21
20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law.
21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law.
Paul, a Jew, formerly under the Law, was called by God to bring the gospel to the Gentile. When he wrote to the Corinthians, what did he say? He is no longer under the law, but once was as a Pharisee, and that the Gentiles were never under the Law.
In many churches today, people are dragged back under the Old Covenant Law. Bob says this would be like stealing someone’s car and being proud of it. The Law was never given to the Gentile. If you were under that law in those days, how were you forgiven? You sacrificed and God gave. Is that grace? No, you did something and God did something. You go to the average Jewish person today who has no religion, and knowing the temple has been destroyed in A.D. 70, so there is no more sacrifice, what you say to him? How are you, a Jew today, experience forgiveness without the sacrificial system? You are certainly not accepting what Jesus did. How are you staying forgiven? And they would say, “I am doing good things”. How are you experiencing forgiveness? If you see this in light of God’s grace, lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding, then this grace takes care of both the Jew, where no more sacrifices are required, and the Gentile, who never had to sacrifice for sin, for Christ’s sacrifice was sufficient for both.
Yet people build a confession booth or repeat 1 John 1:9 for getting forgiven or staying forgiven before God. That is not grace anymore than telling Johnny you will give him $10 for a book and he gives it to you. Or you wallow and wallow around, asking Johnny to give you a book until he gives it to you. That is not grace for if it were you would not be working for it but resting in Christ’ completed work for you.
John 3:16
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Ephesians 1:9
9 he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ,
He made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure. It pleased God to make known to you and me the mystery of His will. The Greek word for mystery is Mysterion. This is not like a Perry Mason novel. It is a hidden truth chosen at a time to be revealed to you. It is a revealing at a proper time. At the proper time, God chose to reveal truth to us, the born again. Only the born again are the ones who have this mystery revealed to them. Why is that?
Ephesians 3:4-6
4 In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 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. 6 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.
1 Corinthians 2:9-11
9 However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” — the things God has prepared for those who love him—
10 these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.
11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.
Truth can only be revealed to those who have the Holy Spirit. To the lost, all that sounds like foolishness to them.
1 Corinthians 2:14
The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.
That angers religious people, who think they know something. Jesus came along and said to the Jews that they have no clue what He is saying. The natural man cannot discern the things of God. The Jews, blinded in sin and unbelief, crucified the Lord of glory.
Ephesians 1:10
10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.
God has made known something to you, this mystery of His will. He has a will according to His good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, when times reached their fulfillment. What is the mystery? To bring all things under one head, under Christ. You tell that to a religious Jew, and he will be angered and crucify you if you keep talking about it. That wall of hostility exists today and can only be broken down by new birth in Christ. And, realizing you are one body in Christ, there is no longer any hostility for you are unified in Christ. There is one head, Jesus Christ. You will not have a Pope over here as head and a rabbi over here as head. No, just one head.
Ephesians 1:11
11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,
What was purpose of His will? to bring everything under one head, which is Christ. God works out everything to conform to the purpose of his will.
Ephesians 1:12
12 in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.
Why did he want to do that? in order that we, the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory
And who was the first to put their hope in Christ? The Jew.
For what purpose? the praise of His glory
Ephesians 1:13
13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,
And you also, the Gentile, are included in Christ. How? the same way as the Jew.
You are included in Christ when you hear the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed the message.
And what was lavished on you with all wisdom and understanding? You were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit.
That is, you received the very Spirit, the life that is in Christ Jesus. So when you have the Holy Spirit, what do you have? Every spiritual blessing in Christ Jesus!
This grace was lavished on you and I at the moment we come to Christ by faith.