A Mystery

 All scripture references, unless otherwise noted, are from the King James Version of the Holy Bible. The Hebrew and Greek meaning of the words mentioned are from Strong's Hebrew Greek Dictionary. 

In 1st Timothy 3:16 the Bible says, "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."  There is no controversy about God! The Bible plainly states in Deuteronomy 6:4,  "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD..." The controversy comes in when carnal man tries to understand God's ways and thoughts. Christianity is not a mystery religion! I looked up on the internet the definition  of mystery religions and found this: "mystery religion," it is a noun, it is described as "a religion centered on secret or mystical rites for initiates, especially any of the number of cults popular during the late Roman Empire." There is nothing secret or mystical about Christianity. And yet the term mystery is found 22 times in the New Testament.

The first mention is where the Lord Jesus,   explaining the purpose of parables, said in Mark 4:10-12, "...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..."  But this was a part of the plan of God that Israel should reject their Messiah to save the Gentiles. The book of Deuteronomy 18:15-16 records a discussion between Moses and God in which Moses told God the desire of Israel to, "...not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not." God's response to Moses in Deuteronomy 18:17-19 was, "...They have well spoken that which they have spoken. I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him." Did God know that Israel would reject the Lord Jesus as the Anointed One or Messiah? The answer is yes.

This was the purpose of parables. The Lord Jesus explained the use of parables in Mark 4:12 when  He said, "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." Does that mean that He didn't want the Jewish nation to be saved? Not at all! But the Lord quoted Isaiah in Matthew 13:15 and said, "...this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them." God isn't willing that any should perish but that all men should repent, Jew and Gentile alike, (see 2nd Peter 3:9).

Which brings me to the point of this posting. If you have never turned to God in repentance, let me encourage you to turn from your wicked ways and put your faith in Jesus Christ, (see Acts 20:21). He died so you could live! Find someone to baptize you in Jesus name,  (see Mark 16:16 and Acts 2:38). Then Let God fill you with the Holy Ghost as He did the early disciples in Acts 2:1-4. He will because He loves you and I, the greatest mystery of all!