Tuesday, April 30, 2013

The Secret in You (Part 2)


Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Colossians 1:25-27


The Apostle Paul received a revelation, the truth about Jesus Christ, while traveling on the road to Damascus.  As we know, this revelation revolutionized his life.  True repentance was his response and a 180 degree turn from the persecution of Christians to becoming a witness to the gospel.
In this passage, Paul seems to be reflecting upon that very experience when God shared with him the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations and entrusted him to fully carry out the preaching of the word of God.  He, as we, received the revelation of Jesus Christ and it changed his life.  That which was revealed was Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Paul tells us that the mystery has been hidden from the past ages and generations.  God knows how to keep a secret.

The Duke of Wellington is best remembered as the general who defeated Napoleon at Waterloo in 1815. During his earlier service in India, Wellington was in charge of negotiations after the Battle of Assaye. The emissary of an Indian ruler, anxious to know what territories would be ceded to his master, tried in various ways to get the information. Finally, he offered Wellington a large sum of money. "Can you keep a secret?" asked Wellington. "Yes, indeed," the man said eagerly. "So can I," replied Wellington and refused his offer.

Like Wellington, God knows how to keep a secret. God kept that secret hidden from the ages.  You see, it was a secret that God foreknew before the foundation of the world, that his Son, Jesus, would be our pathway to salvation and oneness with God.  Even though God’s plan of salvation was secret, there were hints of it throughout the Old Testament from Genesis through Malachi.

There are things in life a child just cannot understand until life lessons mature them to a place where their mind has the reference points in place to comprehend certain truths.  So it was with the revelation of God.  The full meaning of Christ’s coming could not have been understood without the revelations of God concerning who He was and what He required for salvation and fellowship.

Throughout scripture this secret was referred to as the Star of Jacob (Num. 24:17), the Root of Jesse (Isa. 11:10), the Prince of Peace (Isa. 9:6), the Mighty God (Isa. 9:6), the Branch (Isa. 11:1), the Ancient of Days (Dan. 7:9), the Son of Man (Dan. 7:13) and many other metaphors.  Each one of these revelations pointed toward the one who would be the promised Messiah.

Are you aware that many today are not able to receive the secret of the gospel because they have not yet grown in their understanding of their need of salvation?  The gospel begins with man’s separation from God and his sure death.  Those who reject that revelation are certainly not able to receive the gospel message with repentance and assurance. 

The mature Christian has received many revelations from God through studying His Word and prayer that support and enhance his everyday life.  It is important for us to seek the treasures that are imbedded in the Word of God and receive the riches of the gospel.

Scripture to Claim:
For God, who said, "Light shall shine out of darkness," is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:6)

Devotional Archive