Why is the Mystery So Important?

Living the mystery is a way of life.  The doctrinal basis of the mystery lies in the Pauline epistles, but what does it mean or look like when people get together or live life together according to the New Testament? Paul wrote in Ephesians 3 about his stewardship of what God had him write about and what he was to help people see:

 Ephesans 3:9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:  10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, 11 According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: 12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him. 13 Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.

14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man; ¹⁷ That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, ¹⁸ May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; ¹⁹ And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

Paul was not mentioned in the book of Acts in the beginning. There was a big transition in thinking after the day of Pentecost and was carried on throughout the book of Acts. The transition took place over time and developed. Paul explained it’s significance to our lives in his epistles. Jesus Christ is the central example. By his faith we have access to God and knowledge of what true love is all about. That is what is the basis of our relationship with others.

EW Bullinger in his Companion Bible translated verse 18:

¹⁸ May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height of love is; (God’s love in Christ)

The Christian walk is a strengthened walk.  God fully intended that each of us would be empowered. God is no respector of persons. In the first century, the church was made up of people from all walks of life. Opportunity excluded no one. The wall of elitism was torn down with the veil of the holy of holies.  There is only one mediator between God and man and that was Jesus Christ, a man of faith and love.

Each of us is important to the body of Christ. I need other people to rejoice with and share the Word with. The key is to recognize personal responsibility in believing God’s Word with respect to the spirit of God in each other. The true God wants his kids to thrive, anything short of that is not God’s will. Christians cannot be passive to their spiritual responsibility to seek God and recognize the God-appointed Lordship of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ’s example is huge. I love to look at what he did in the four gospels, his beautiful leadership style, his heart for God, his love for truth. Truth is love because it sets us free. That is big time gigantic love when we share it with each other!

Godly Teamwork

How many books, plaques, posters, cards and conferences are devoted to team-building.  Everybody has a theory on building a team, maintaining a team and making it more effective. Teamwork is such a common thread in our lives, we ought to be all experts at it. I have been on curriculum teams, staff development teams, class teams, sports teams, political teams and many leadership teams. It takes a team to do a baby shower, raise a family, plan a wedding, run a home, grocery shop and worship God. You name it, everything involves teamwork.

On the day of Pentecost, 12 men sat down on their prayer rugs in a temple and manifested power that only God could give, holy spirit. It was the full measure of the spirit that Christ had and each man had an equal amount. Then Peter standing up gave one of the most significant sermons in the history of the world and said at the end:

Acts 2:38-39 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the LORD our God shall call.

What started in the lofty temple on the hill in 12 men moved into everyday life in people who gladly received and became a part of the body of Christ. This team has the potential of being the most effective team on the face of the earth. God supplies the juice. People make it happen. Together.

Ephesians 3:16-20 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

If people would just believe that God called each one of us uniquely and surely we would walk in the power and spirit of God. There would not be manipulation, power struggles, gossip and the damaging comparisons that go on in an uncommitted team. This group of people that emerged out of Pentecost were excited and motivated. They didn’t understand completely what it all meant but as we will see as the book of Acts unfolds, many new and exciting revelations emerged as they started to effectively live and breathe in the new grace administration.

E=mc2 (Ephesians=mystery x completelycompletelycomplete)

According to Einstein and his theory of relativity, matter is a manifestation of energy. Energy can manifest itself in a number of ways, light, heat, sound, electrically, chemically, etc. You can’t see energy, only the effects of it.

How has God manifested Himself?  Light shone out of darkness, creation, a bush burned, the Red Sea parted, a still small voice whispered to Elijah, a man was raised from the dead, tongues of fire showed up on the day of Pentecost, and many, many, many other examples; not to mention the ones not written about. Think about in your own life, all those wonderful moments that you knew that something bigger than you was in operation in your life.

The greatest move of God is in the heart of an individual when he accepts the real deal of Jesus Christ getting up, out and sitting down on the right hand of God.  God needs matter to express His spirit. When we change our citizenship from this world to one from above, we as an individual manifest the nature of God through the spirit that takes up residence in our hearts. Collectively when we gather with others who know how and respect how God works in each individual, God has room to work even bigger.  It is absolute brilliance!

There are a lot of books written about teamwork, management and relationships and they all have some good points on how to work with others. There is no mistaking the dynamics of a group that has the energy of God working in it. Also it can be pretty evident when God is not the force behind something.

Romans 8:28 (Amplified Bible)28We are assured and know that [God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose.

Energy can neither be created nor destroyed but it can be transformed. Thank God! Every person who believes becomes a dynamic force as God comes into manifestation in the senses realm through that person. Put a couple of people together that think this way and it is out of this world. It is what it means to be truly seated in the heavenlies like it says in Ephesians 2:6.