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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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