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Today, The Bible & You

Today’s Front Page

The Nation’s Christian Newspaper

May 2023

What Does God Require Every Born-again

Believer to Be Faithful In?

1st Corinthians 4:1-2, “Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.  Moreover, it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.“

  Can you be counted a steward of the mysteries of God?  Do you know the mystery of Christ?

 The word “mystery” appears twenty-eight times in the New Testament but is not found in the Old Testament.  The Greek word “musterion,” translated “mystery” does not mean something that is obscure or incomprehensible; rather it meant a truth given and revealed only to a select few that was unknown until it was revealed.  Only those initiated into the group learned the secrets and after initiation the mystery was revealed.

 Does this mean that Christianity has secrets?  No!  Some cults and false religions teach that there are special secrets that God only gives to a select few.  This select few generally are leaders in some false religion or cult which teaches that God reveals things to them that He does not reveal to the lay person in their religion.  They explain that the ordinary man in the pew cannot understand spiritual things and God has granted that privilege only to a small elite few.  According to their corrupt teachings, God has secrets that the common man cannot know without consulting the religious leader.  This reveals a possible motive for such a teaching and that these “leaders” use the secrets to control the people.  If only the leader knows the truth then you must go to the leader to learn what to do.

 Deuteronomy 18:20 says, “But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.”  An example of this is found in the Book of Jeremiah.  He prophesied that Israel would be taken into captivity by the Babylonians.  Israel’s false prophets said it was not so and Israel should reject Jeremiah’s message.  These false prophets all died when Babylon invaded the land and destroyed Jerusalem.  Jeremiah, however, was spared by the Babylonians and even honored.  God’s true message and messenger was authenticated in the fulfillment of the message of God’s prophet.  Joshua 1:8 also attests to the authority of Scripture in the 14th Century BC and that Israel had God’s written word to follow.  God promised them “good success” if they turned not to the right or left in following His word.

 God tells us, “Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith“ (Romans 16:25-26).

 The chief use of the word “mysteries” in the New Testament was by the apostle Paul.  He used the term “mystery” to refer to some operation or plan of God that had not before this time been revealed.  It is never used to carry the idea of a secret that was to be withheld, but of one that is to be published in time.  Therefore, the word mystery in the New Testament refers to a previously unrevealed truth, that is now revealed and contains a supernatural element that still remains in spite of the fact that it has been made known.  For example, we can look at the passage of scripture in 1st Thessalonians 4:13-18 which reveals the coming Rapture of all the Christians.  It reveals to us the basic event, but not all the details. What we need to know God tells us, but when it will happen, is not told to us.

 Paul says, “by the Scriptures…the mystery is made known to all nations.”  The truth is that biblical Christianity has no secrets!  Any truth that God has revealed is open to all to understand.  The Bible declares to all the world the good news of salvation to all men through the shed blood of our Lord Jesus.  Man has access to the Bible which is God’s Word and can know and understand spiritual truth for himself.  He does not have to rely on someone else to teach him.  He can examine the teachings of church leaders, preachers and pastors to see if the things they teach are correct and what the Bible actually teaches.  Be careful if any teacher becomes offended when you question what they teach or believe. To the contrary, God’s leaders should welcome all questions as to what the Bible says.  When questions are asked, the opportunity is presented to verify the teachings according to God’s Word.  That has a threefold benefit of teaching the truth, strengthening a person’s faith and enabling them to teach others (1st Timothy 2:2).  This responsibility is given to every believer to know first-hand what the truth is.

 “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2nd Timothy 2:15)

“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” (1st John 4:1)

 The problem today is not with the Bible though some would falsely say it is.  The problem is with those who will not study and become approved in the Word of God.  This is the source of false doctrine and division within Christianity today.  God has clearly revealed to us His truth and all we need to do is to believe and follow it.

 The List of Truths which were mysteries in Old Testament times but were revealed in the New Testament.  Here is a list of the Mysteries: 

1.) Mystery of Christ IN YOU, Colossians 1:27 and Church as the Bride of Christ, Ephesians 5:28-32.

2.) Mystery of Israel’s blindness Romans 11:25, The “fullness of the times of the Gentiles.”

3.) The Mystery of Babylon, the False Church, Revelation 17:5.

4.) Mystery of the Kingdom of Heaven, Matthew 13:11.

5.) Mystery of the Rapture, 1st Corinthians 15:51-52, 1st Thessalonians 4:13-18, Romans 8:10-121; Of Godliness 1st Timothy 3:16.

6.) Mystery of the Jews / Gentiles One Body — Church, Ephesians 3:3-6.

7.) The Mystery of Iniquity, 2nd Thessalonians 2:7.

8.) Mystery of Godliness, the Incarnation, 1st Timothy 3:16.

9.) Mystery of God’s Will, Ephesians 1:9.

 CHRIST IN YOU — The Most important mystery God wants us to declare is given to us in 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; Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: 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:  Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.”

 Sadly, this mystery of CHRIST IN YOU continues to be a mystery to the overwhelming pastors and Christian leaders around the world, which is Christ in you.  Because of this they cannot fully understand verses such as these:

Philippians 2:13, “For it is God which works in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”

Galatians 2:20, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live: yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

 What does God wants us to know?  Simple.  That it is God that worketh [who is energizing / creating the power] in you!  It is often thought to be the very reverse, and people often feel that if God works “in us to will and to do.”  How many times do you hear, “Do the best you can.”  “Be a good Christian.”  “Be a good example to others.”  This is exactly the opposite of what God intends.  God tells us in Jeremiah 33:3, “Call unto me and I will show you great and mighty things that thou knowest not.”  God says, “Pray to me, and when you do, I am going to show you things that you know absolutely nothing about.”  When we yield to him, Christ Jesus in us, will guide us and place us in positions to fulfill the good works He has planned to complete in us.

 This is what God is telling us in Ephesians 2:10, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”  God who knows the end from the beginning has already prepared before we were ever born, the good works that He wants to complete through each believer.  God himself will be the one who will be energizing us TO WILL and who will also be THE DOING of this work IN US.  CHRIST IN YOU will be doing this work. 

 A great example is given to us how God worked in the life of His disciple Philip BOTH to WILL and to DO.  God provides us with this account in Acts 8:26-35, “And the angel of the Lord spake unto Phillip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.  and he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship, was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet.  Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.  And Philip ran thither to him and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?  And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me?  And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.  The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth:  In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation?  for his life is taken from the earth.  And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this?  of himself, or of some other man?  Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.”

 At the time these things are happening, we don’t really understand that it is God who is leading us.  But when we look back on our lives, we can clearly see CHRIST IN YOU, who has led us all the way.  Any good that can ever come from us is the result of CHRIST IN US.  How do we know?  Because God tells us in John 6:63 that the flesh profits nothing.  Nothing good can ever come out of our human soul . . . we have a sinful nature.  It is written in Isaiah 64:6, “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.”

 God does not compel or force us against our will.  He leads us to will as well as to do.  The will cannot be forced; and the meaning here must be that God exerts such an influence as to make us willing to obey Him. 

Printed with permission of Today, The Bible & You located at P.O. Box 1722, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma 74013, Phone No. (918) 279-1136.  The name of the original article in the May 2023 issue of Today’s Front Page was “What Does God Require Every Born-Again Believer to Be Faithful In?” www.JohnBarela.com.