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Tuesday, June 10,
2008
Given To Know
Mark 4:11-12 And he said unto them, Unto
you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them
that are without, all these things are done in parables: (12) That seeing
they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not
understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins
should be forgiven them. (KJV)
Isn’t it nice to know something or
someone before you commit your life to it? Better yet isn’t it nice to know
that you have salvation before it is too late and you committed the
unpardonable sin, that being unbelief, where you stand before God some day
and basically tell Him He is a liar? Unto you, yes you right now this day,
it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God so that you
personally can see and perceive the things He has for you. A mystery is
something hidden, concealed, and covered up to mankind and his carnal
thinking but readily revealed, open,
and exposed to those that have their spiritual senses enlightened to the
things of His realm.
Mark 4:13 And he said unto them, Know ye
not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables? (KJV)
If you are not able to comprehend and
know for yourself the mystery of the kingdom of God then you will continue
to be in darkness and unable to know the things of God and the meaning of
His word. So what has been given to mankind that they need to know and is
there a common denominator that will enlighten me to the things of His
realm?
Ephesians 3:1-5 For this cause I Paul,
the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, (2) If ye have heard of the
dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: (3) How
that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in
few words, (4) Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the
mystery of Christ) (5) 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; (KJV)
Thayer’s definition for ‘mystery’:
3466
musterion-
1) hidden thing, secret, mystery
a) generally
mysteries, religious secrets, confided only to the initiated and not to
ordinary mortals
b) a hidden or
secret thing, not obvious to the understanding
c) a hidden
purpose or counsel; secret will:
1) of men
2) of God: the
secret counsels which govern God in dealing with the righteous, which are
hidden from ungodly and wicked men but plain to the godly
2) in rabbinic writings, it denotes the
mystic or hidden sense: of an Old Testament saying, of an image or form
seen in a vision, of a dream
What was made known to Paul by revelation
and the knowledge he taught and spoke of was the mystery of Christ. Christ,
the hidden inward man, the son of God dwelling within Jesus of Nazareth who
was leading and guiding Him in the things of God; who was dwelling within
Paul giving him knowledge into the things of God as well. Many people I
hear today who claim to be speaking on behalf of our Lord teach and preach
in the name of Jesus without a working knowledge of who Christ is,
something that obviously is still a mystery to them, something they haven’t
had personally revealed to them either. Ever wonder why Paul had so much
hardship and persecution? Ever wonder why the enemy of Christians is
referred to as the spirit of antichrist, and not anti Jesus? Obviously
there is a name and a revelation, a mystery the enemy would like to keep
secret, locked up and kept from the people of God to tap into.
Colossians 1:25-28 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; (26) Even the mystery which hath been hid
from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
(27) 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: (28)
Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom;
that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: (KJV)
The perfection, maturity, and
completeness will only be found in Christ by those that come to a working
knowledge of who they are in Him and how they too can access all these
spiritual riches that are given for them to know. Verse 26 is clear to point
out that this wisdom is manifest to the saints, the true saints of God that
preach and teach in the name of Christ, while all the others are still
operating according to their own understanding, basically standing on the
outside trying to look in through a veil.
Colossians 4:2-4 Continue in prayer, and
watch in the same with thanksgiving; (3) Withal praying also for us, that
God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ,
for which I am also in bonds: (4) That I may make it manifest, as I ought
to speak. (KJV)
Our prayers today should be for those
that are called to teach so that they can give utterance to this same
mystery and speak words that will make manifest this mystery for all of
God’s people to see and know for themselves.
1 Timothy 3:16 And without controversy
great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified
in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in
the world, received up into glory. (KJV)
The mystery of Christ, the spirit that
allowed Jesus of Nazareth to be justified by God and received up into glory
seated at the right hand of the Father. Unto us it is given to know and not
just guess what the answer of this mystery is; which is what every person
will have to give someday before our Father. The question today is, do you
know for sure?
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