The Mystery: Uniting the World Through Jesus Christ

We are living in a divided world. Fighting and division are rampant. And sadly, that has been the case ever since the fall of man into sin, recorded in Genesis 3. We are seeing this in our politics in America today, with the left versus the right. And tragically, this has lead to the assassination of good people like Charlie Kirk, a brilliant Christian young man who was doing his best to spread Christian and conservative values to the next generation of our country. And now, because of this great divide, there is a young wife without a husband and two young children without a father. Not to mention the movement that he left behind that is trying to pick up the pieces and continue where he left off.

This disunity comes not just from a war of ideas. It is rather a spiritual warfare that is caused by both Satanic attacks, with his desire to destroy the plan of God, and is also the natural outcome of our sinful, fallen nature. Apart from Christ, we are all sinners and are enslaved to that sin. That nature, inherited from Adam, is selfish and wants its own way, not compromising with anyone. So, we fight and hurt each other, and are divided.

We see this disunity happening between countries who can't get along with other countries on a national scale. But it also happens in families as brothers and sisters fight. It is further seen in neighbors who can't seem to get along and respect each other's boundaries. There are racial, social, and even denominational divides within the Christian church.

Furthermore, there are even divides within churches of the same denomination, usually over things that don't really matter for eternity. I personally have seen the church I went to as a child break up, and to this day, I really don't know what caused the divide. I do know that it wasn't over any major disagreement in theology. The two churches that are still there from that divide, essentially believe the same things. They just couldn't get along with each other.

So, what is the answer to division, both in the church and in the world? It begins with the understanding and complete acceptance of the gospel given to Paul, which he calls 'My gospel' and the preaching of the cross according to the revelation of the mystery. Paul says this in Romans 16:25-27. He writes:

"Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith: To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen."

We have to emphasize that Paul's gospel was not something totally new in the sense that it was completely divorced from the rest of Scripture. In many ways, it was an unprophesied fulfillment of God's plan of salvation that began right after man's fall in the garden because it was something in the mind of God before the world began. But there was a part of it that the Lord kept secret until he revealed it to the apostle Paul. That aspect, which Paul called the mystery, was the fact that the Gentiles became fellowheirs with the Jews of God's promises and were placed into the same group known as the Body of Christ. Before this time, the Gentiles had no part in God's plan of salvation, unless they became a Jew and followed the law.

The Mystery was not Plan B for God because Plan A failed. It was what he had planned all along. But it was kept secret and didn't become a reality until it was revealed to Paul.

In a previous message, we talked about the aspect of Paul's gospel that wasn't a secret. That is Jesus' death, his burial, and his resurrection. We looked at some of the verses in the Old Testament that foretold all of these things many centuries before they happened. Paul himself, in talking about the gospel, gave this summary of it in I Corinthians 15:1-4. He tells us:

"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also you have received, and wherein you stand; By which also you are saved, if you keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless you have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures."

These Scriptures that Paul was talking about, had to have been the Old Testament Scriptures at this time in history. We went through some of them last time, including Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22 as well as others.

In God's mind, there has always been a plan for the salvation of the world through his Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. But for centuries, the Gentiles were left out of that plan, except, as we said, by becoming a part of God's chosen people, Israel. Paul summarizes the plight of the Gentiles before Christ in Ephesians 2:12 when he said:

"That at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world."

But with the temporary setting aside of Israel due to their rejection of their Messiah, God uses the Apostle Paul to reveal the mystery that he had been hiding from everyone. It was the mystery that he was going to unite all mankind, Jews and Gentiles alike under his son, the Lord Jesus Christ "and that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross."

We see all of this summarized by Paul in Ephesians 3:1-7 when he writes:

"For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, If you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power."

With this in mind, let's take a closer look at this wonderful mystery that Paul was privileged to receive.

First of all, a “mystery” in the New Testament is the Greek word mystērion. This word means something that had at one time been hidden but is now revealed to God’s people. Paul uses this term mystery 21 times in his epistles.

This mystery includes the mystery regarding salvation, or how a man can be justified before God. And it also includes the mystery regarding sanctification. Sanctification is how a believer grows and becomes more holy, set apart for God's service and more like the perfect man, the Lord Jesus Christ.

First, let us look at the mystery regarding salvation. This is the truth that by the gospel of Christ, any man can be justified freely by God’s grace through faith in Christ Jesus as our propitiation (Rom 3:20-26, 15:16; Eph 6:19).

Propitiation is a word we rarely hear these days. To better understand its meaning, we must look to the past. Many ancient religions, and some still today, include the concept of pacifying an angry God or gods. Polytheists, especially, believed that their deities were volatile and unpredictable beings who, if angered, would dole out punishment. To escape their wrath, worshipers offered sacrifices to their gods to appease their anger. This practice was known as “propitiation.”

The Bible applies this exact term only with a slight twist. God is not moody and unpredictable; He is rather unchanging and holy. He cannot stand sin and does have a righteous anger toward it. Jesus took that anger upon himself on the cross. He satisfied or appeased God's wrath for the sins of all who believe. Not only that, but he gave to us his righteousness. II Corinthians 5:21 tells us regarding Jesus:

"For he, (the Father), has made him, (Jesus), to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."

Now God can deal with all who have faith in Christ with grace and accept us as his children.

While man has always been saved by grace, through faith, man after Moses on Mount Sinai, had to demonstrate that faith by following the Law of Moses. However, the Law could never save. It could only cover sin and serve to point out man's utter sinfulness before a holy God. Paul said it served as a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ that we might be justified by faith (Galatians 3:24).

Now, in Ephesians 2:8-9 Paul can tell us:

"For by grace are you saved through faith. And that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast."

Today, in this Dispensation of Grace, man is justified by grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone, to the glory of God alone. This leads us to the next aspect of the mystery. That is sanctification.

What do we mean by the mystery of sanctification? The mystery revealed to Paul regarding sanctification is the identity of a new people of God called the church, the one body of Christ (Rom 12:5; Eph 4:4). The church is made up of Jews, Gentiles, males and females, bond and free, rich and poor from all walks of life who have placed their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. Every person who comes to Christ is baptized by the Spirit and placed into the Church. It is through the church that we are to grow and learn to live in harmony and unity. It is in the church that we use our spiritual gifts that all of us have in order to build up the Body of Christ. In Ephesians 4:11-13 Paul says:

"And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ."

The church is also to practice and preach the gospel of Christ to the world, demonstrating all its blessings that we have been given in Christ. This is with the hope that we might win others to Jesus (Rom 5-8; Eph 1:3, 3:3-9).

A final aspect of the mystery that Paul was preaching includes the idea of Christ living in us. In Colossians 1:21-27 we have Paul telling us:

"And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: If you continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which you have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister; Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church: Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus."

Every one of us who knows Jesus as Savior has the indwelling presence of Christ by his Spirit who lives in us. We are called temples of the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 6:19-20). His presence signifies our relationship with the Lord. None of us have to do this life alone. From beginning to end, we have Christ's power and strength available in our lives. This mystery of Christ's presence signifies the transformative power of Christ, leading us to spiritual renewal and growth.

The hope of glory means that we all have the hope of eternal life that we will one day experience and share together in the presence of Jesus Christ. In the meantime, believers have unity with Christ, sharing in his suffering and resurrection.

We all have the empowerment for living this life for Christ. The presence of Christ energizes us to live according to his teachings and purpose. Jesus is our source of strength. He provides power and guidance in facing life's challenges and decisions.

It really is a wonderful thing to have the indwelling Spirit of Christ is us.

As we sum up Paul's teaching on the mystery revealed to the apostle Paul, it becomes increasingly obvious that it encompasses all of salvation history. It was begun in God's mind in eternity past. And, though it wasn't yet revealed, it also incudes all that Christ did for us on the cross for the salvation of mankind.

This mystery affects us now in the 21st century, as we live out our lives to the glory of God as members of Christ's Body, the Church, loving each other and building each other up with the spiritual gifts that the Lord has given us. It also encompasses the Church's mission together as we share the gospel of God's grace with a lost world as Christ's ambassadors.

Finally, it encompasses eternity future. Here is what Paul says about that:

Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ." (Ephesians 1:9-12).

This is the final aspect of the mystery. When Christ takes over the universe and all, is under his Lordship. Paul then indicates that the Son, who has subjected everything to himself, will also be subject to the Father in the end, so that God the Father may be all in all (I Corinthians 15:28). This is what Paul calls the Dispensation of the fullness of times (Ephesians 1:10).

What a wonderful thing to be a part of the mystery revealed to the apostle Paul! May we all be thankful to God that, through faith in Jesus Christ, we are sharers in that mystery hidden in the Lord's mind since before the foundation of the world.

It will one day bring unity, not only to this divided world, but to the whole universe as everyone and everything is united under one King, the Lord Jesus Christ. Every knee will one day bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:10-11) To God alone be the glory for the mystery! For he deserves our highest honor for what he has done for us through Christ!