Sharing the secret

See first "the lavish grace of God"

Some things are very hard to understand.  Sometimes when you try to explain something to someone they simply do not understand you. You try hard, with better illustrations and examples to no avail.

The first disciples of Jesus lived with him for about three years. They started with considerable knowledge of his background and culture, his Hebrew religion and thousands of years of jewish teaching.

Even so, there were times they didn’t understand him. There were times he was dismayed at their slowness. There was even one notable time when Peter told Jesus off, telling him his plans were all wrong. Jesus response was to tell Peter in no uncertain terms to keep his ideas to himself.

But what if you want to communicate with someone, especially about things that are important to you and more so when those things relate to your deepest of thoughts, feelings and experiences?

 For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them?  (1 Corinthians 2:11)

Yes! I know what I mean, what I want to share. My spirit knows these things.  Your spirit knows your thoughts.  The limitation comes with the fact that my spirit does not communicate with yours. That’s our limitation - but there are no limits for God.

In the same way no-one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us (1 Corinthians 2:11-12)

There are limits to my spirit communicating with yours but there are no limits on the Holy Spirit truly understanding my spirit and revealing to me the mind of Christ. And he can do it for you.

Now I have given myself to Jesus I discover some supremely gracious gifts that God has bestowed on me.  I have to admit that only days before I discovered these gifts they were not only unbelievable, meaningless but also pointless.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3)

If these blessings that are so freely given to me are to mean anything to me then I need the Spirit of God to let my spirit understand them.

The deeper the thought, the more meaningful the matter the more frustrating it can be to understand.

Then I read some more in Ephesians chapter 1:

8-9 With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ,

God wants me to know that he has lavished every spiritual blessing upon me and he wants me to at least begin to understand them, to develop wisdom with the understanding, not only to be given so much by way of blessings but to know their meaning, how I am to respond to them, what I am to do with them.  God has made known to us the mystery of his will! 

It’s not a secret, but it is a mystery until it is disclosed to us, revealed to us.

If this mystery has been made known to us, why not to so many people?

The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. (2 Corinthians 4:4)

We can point out the wonderful blessings we learn of here in Ephesians and pray that our listeners are given the understanding of God’s mystery.  We pray that the Holy Spirit will break into their minds with the light of the gospel, overpowering the father of lies who blinds them to the way, the truth and the life in Jesus.

We ask that their hearts might be softened, their minds and understanding opened.

They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. (Ephesians 4:18)

This mystery of God’s will has been made known because the right time to reveal it had arrived.  This was what God had planned.  It was the way he had before time planned to do it.

The revelation of God’s will depended completely on Jesus. It was Gd’s purpose to draw his plans to their climax, their fulfilment in and through Jesus.

9-10 his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfilment – to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

 Christ is the King of kings, the Lord of lords, our creator, the sustainer. Though people might reject this, rebel against it, even deny it:

The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. (Colossians 1:15-17)

God has fulfilled his purpose in Jesus Christ. Hear this truth, acknowledge it, submit to Jesus as your Lord. Relish his blessings, Allow the glorious mystery of God to bring you wisdom, forgiveness and peace.

Now discover even more spiritual blessings!

11In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation

Can you see this mystery of the will go God being opened to your understanding? 

The Universe is no accident, no random, purposeless event.

It was meant for you! The whole purpose of creation and of Jesus is that God had you included in his plan.  Everything was worked out, scheduled, to include you, for you to put your hope in Christ, to live for the praise of his glory.

Hear and receive the message of truth!

The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ opens to you the means for you to repent of any and all offence against God.  Jesus is the way, the truth and the life.  Follow him, believe him, live the life he has for you to live.

This is the gospel of your salvation! This is how you, too, receive the innumerable spiritual blessings.

13-14 When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession – to the praise of his glory.

Why should you be accepted by God, let alone be given such a generous slathering of spiritual, heavenly, eternal blessings.

It all comes by the gifting, the enabling power of the loving grace of God.  

How do you manage to believe in Jesus at all.  It requires faith on our part. Faith is not “believing something you know isn’t true”. It is not a matter of gritting your teeth and believing anyway, of wishful thinking. It is not something you have, or even something you do.

The faith we need to believe in Jesus is a gift God himself gives us. 

By faith we see that the gospel about Jesus Christ is completely true that we know it’s true with an emphatic certainty.  Is the Holy Spirit telling you about Jesus? He is the Spirit of Truth and he is showing you spiritual realities far more significant than all the rest of your life.

As you believe in Jesus he does not leave you floundering.  Far from that! Jesus himself becomes part of your life as his Spirit, the Holy Spirit becomes part of your spiritual life.

The Spirit of God who knows the thoughts and mind of God will now allow you to understand who Jesus Christ is, what he has done for you, what he wants you to do for Jesus.

He is there to begin your new birth, your new life, your life as a Christian and he is present with you as a first and present guarantee, assurance of your relationship to Jesus and to Father God.  He is there to encourage and enable you in your service for Jesus.

He wants you to be sure that Jesus has redeemed you, purchased you to be his servant and at the same time puts his mark, his stamp of acceptance and forgiveness that marks you out as one of his family who inevitably has a place in eternity with him.

How do you react to this?  He started it, dis what was necessary to be so blessed and now he keeps and supports you by his presence. It was all done to the praise of his glory!

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.