What leaps to mind when you hear the word mystery? I immediately think of sleuths like Sherlock Holmes, Hercules Poirot, and sometimes Nancy Drew. Anyone?
The Great Mystery Made Known
The Apostle Paul is not normally in that group of classic sleuths. Yet, Paul writes about the mystery made known to him, in several of his books.1 He writes of a “mystery which for ages past was kept hidden in God”.(Ephesians 3:9).
What is it?
Paul’s revelation is that the murdered one is also the resurrected one. The long-awaited Messiah is Jesus, the holy sacrifice. Through the crucified body of Christ, everyone can become part of one spiritual body. Through faith in Jesus, God in human form, everyone can be reconciled to God. Even you, even me.
The Great Mystery – The Foundation for inSPIRE®
The “I” of the SPIRE, our intellectual life, finds its foundation in this greatest mystery of all.
God reached out to us. When we respond to him, and believe in him, through faith, we become children of God, and part of a spiritual family. We are not alone in the world! As heirs of his promise of eternal life, we have hope that transcends death. Believers will spend eternity with the God who came to the world in the form of his Son, Jesus. Those enormous truths will and should impact how we live – Spiritually-Physically-Intellectually-Relationally-Emotionally.
That’s a lot for our hearts and minds to absorb and accept by faith. So, we unpack God’s truths and adjust our lives through the The inSPIRE® Journey. We become the sleuths, with curiosity and conviction fuelled by the Holy Spirit, who generously gives us increased understanding, amidst mystery. On our journey we consider how close, or how far, we are from living as heirs of God, and make adjustments.
The Great Mystery and History
Many ancient Jews, described throughout the Old Testament, were living far from the God and his ways. Still, some were holding their corporate breath, waiting for the Messiah, their deliverer. Paul describes what happened next, as God-fearers prayed and waited. He writes:
Author and singer-song-writer Glen Packiam, and Jennie Lee Riddle, summarize The Mystery of Faith this way: “Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.”
The Messiah came! Imprisonment and persecution could not silence Paul, or other ancient followers of Jesus. Modern-day worshipers are still compelled to share the great mystery.
The Great Mystery in My Story
My spiritual story began as a child, when I understood that God loved me and Christ made the ultimate sacrifice for me. I understood that I could invite God into my life and put my hope and faith in the power and promises of Christ. Or I could live without God and do things my way, which didn’t sound like a good idea even then! I accepted the gift of God by faith, even with that limited understanding. I’ve certainly sought out more understanding as I’ve gotten older. With time and study, I am increasingly awed and humbled by the power, beauty and love I find, as I embrace the mystery of Christ that I understand, and I look forward to the mysteries yet to be revealed.
Mystery and Your Story
Let’s not keep our faith stories, or the Christ story, a mystery today. As believers, it is our turn and our time in history to reveal the greatest mystery ever known. The inSPIRE® journey is intended to be a place of learning and of sharing authentic stories. Begin a journey and invite others to join in with you. Share your lives. Share Christ.
Join the Conversation
1 – Are you settled or unsettled in accepting the mystery and magnitude of God’s love and sacrifice for us?
2 – Are there aspects of the Ephesians 3:6 mystery that challenge your faith, or channel your faith, in your daily walk?
- Romans, 1 Corinthians, Ephesians, Colossians, 1 Timothy ↩︎
2 Responses
I am settled in accepting the mystery and magnitude of God’s LOVE and sacrifice for us. I believe that the secret is by means of the Gospel the Gentiles have a part with the Jews in God’s Blessings; we are both members of the same body and share in the Promise that GOD made through Christ Jesus.
Standing firm in a foundation of love is such an amazing thing. I’m excited to explore God’s love as we get a little further down into Ephesians chapter 3.