You Can Know You Have Eternal Life
#696
The Divine Mystery Revealed (3)
by Jim Mettenbrink
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Although many think the way of
salvation is a mystery and the worship of God must have some
sort of mysterious rituals in order to be acceptable to God today,
the Bible does not present such to us. However, indeed
the New Testament refers to a mystery 26 times. The apostle
Paul wrote, by
revelation He made known to me the mystery,
the mystery
of Christ (Ephesians
3:3,4). What is the mystery of Christ?
From the first sin in the garden
of Eden, the repair of broken relationship between God and man
seems to be a mystery. It must have been so to people before
Christ came to earth, being born into flesh as a human being
(Philippians 2:5-8). Gods intention to save
sinners was revealed ambiguously, immediately following Adam
and Eves sin And I will put enmity between you and
the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise
your head, and you shall bruise His heel
(Genesis 3:15). God spoke this in His curse upon
Satan. One must read through the Bible to know this is
the first hint of Gods scheme of redemption. Upon
reading it the second time, it becomes clear
this is the
beginning of the mystery of Gods intention regarding mans
hopeless condition separated from God!
The next recorded revelation is
Gods promise some 2000 years later, given as we are introduced
to Abraham I
will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your
name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those
who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you
all the families of the earth shall be blessed (Genesis 12:2,3). Again
it is still quite ambiguous, but now we know Abraham would be
the source of Gods blessing to all the families who would
live on the earth. Again only partial revelation
mystery!
God revealed more of the mystery
some 30-35 years later after Abraham obeyed the command to offer
Isaac as a sacrifice to God In your seed all
the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed
My voice (Genesis 22:18). The word seed
is singular, thus we know all people would be blessed by only
one of Abrahams descendants, but the mystery still existed.
No wonder the apostle Peter wrote, Of this salvation the
prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied
of the grace that would come to you
(1 Peter 1:10). The Old Testament prophets attempted
to solve the mystery too. But they couldnt
mystery! When would the mystery be revealed and what was
it?
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