Tag Archives: mystery

Mystery of Freedom

Leave a reply

God’s approach to freedom has dumbfounded believers from the very inception of the Church. Why? Because it flies in the face of the elementary principles (earning or way to God) of the world, with which man has reached a certain level of comfort. In our humanity, we just don’t see things the way God does. But that doesn’t mean that His truths must remain shrouded in secrecy.

To be sure, the mystery has been solved! Jesus Christ—“God’s mystery”—is the answer.(John 1:18, Colossians 1:26-27 & 2:2-3) And God’s eternal intent and purpose has not only been openly divulged to His children, but also has been broadcast through the Church to every spiritual being of any authority throughout His creation.(Ephesians 3:9-10)

The reason God’s grace is often so hard for us to comprehend is twofold: not only does it come as a free gift, but it’s also easy to miss because of its sheer simplicity. We think we ought to earn our way. Such a strategy makes a whole lot more sense to us as humans, so we instinctively devise more difficult steps in an attempt to accomplish it. Thankfully God has a better plan!

Righteousness through Law

Leave a reply

Man’s motivation to be righteous before God is the product of his conscience. And the bedrock of man’s conscience is God’s law. Law has reached its pinnacle of perfection in the Law and Prophets of the Old Testament. The Law is indeed the epitome of God’s will for man prior to His revelation of what Paul calls God’s mystery—Christ Jesus Himself.(Colossians 2:2)

The truths of God’s law have filtered into all cultures in varying degrees to become the cornerstone of man’s attempt to gain acceptability in the eyes of whoever he perceives to be his god. Such law is the “elementary principles of the world” identified in Scripture. (Colossians 2:20) 

There are two basic elements of man’s attempt to be righteous before God: doing good (in an attempt to please Him), and restraining ourselves from doing evil (to keep from displeasing Him). These elements are at the heart of the activities of all religious systems, and may be thought of as the positive and negative aspects of man’s attempt at righteousness—the opposite sides of the same coin. But all this effort boils down to just one thing: earning one’s own way in an attempt at self-justification.

Excerpted from: Free from the Power of Sin: The Keys to Growing in God in Spite of Yourself

The Good News: Part 6

Leave a reply

By faith I have received all that God has promised (Galatians 3:22). And in the very same way that I have received Christ Jesus the Lord—that is, as a free gift—I am now to walk in Him (Colossians 2:6).

It was for freedom that Christ set me free. Therefore, I will stand firm and not subject myself again to the yoke of slavery (Galatians 5:1). For the promises of God are valid for me only if I continue in the faith, firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel (Colossians 1:23).

The hope of God’s promise is that by grace I have been saved through faith This is the gift of God, not a result of my own goodness or deeds (Ephesians 2:8-9). In this same way I have every opportunity to attain to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding—the true knowledge of God’s mystery, Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:2-3).

Excerpted from: Free from the Power of Sin: The Keys to Growing in God in Spite of Yourself

God’s Mystery Revealed

Leave a reply

Christ’s gospel holds marvelous privileges for us as God’s children, doesn’t it? But the sheer scope of the gospel can’t help but raise the question as to how Jesus applies everything He’s accomplished to our lives. Sometimes we excuse ourselves from the pursuit of the whole truth, thinking it’s just not realistic to fully comprehend it. Didn’t Paul himself say, “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered into the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him?” Ah, but we tend to forget that the very next verse plainly tells us that we can: “For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.” (1 Corinthians 12:9-10)

            The fact of the matter is that the “mystery of Christ” was never meant to be undiscoverable (Colossians 2:2-3). Just as in a good novel, the mystery is always solved at the end (the Greek word for mystery in fact means that we can expect to uncover what’s hidden). And God knows that until we really get it we have little chance of emerging from what can only be described as a state of stunted growth. So what do you say? Why not go for it!

(Excerpted from “Free from the Power of Sin: The Keys to Growing in God in Spite of Yourself”)