Revealing the mystery
Ephesians 3:12 “In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.”
You have likely noticed that if you talk about something as a secret or a mystery, you will all of the sudden have people very interested and intrigued about what you are talking about. When we promise people that we are going to keep a secret or something confidential, we owe it to them to be true to our word.
At the beginning of the section of Ephesians 3 that our Bible verse for this week comes from, Paul speaks of a mystery. It is not a “whodunit” type mystery or some sort of strange thing with our health or something else earthly. Paul tells us that he is going to give us insight into “the mystery of Christ.”
Why on earth would Paul say that something concerning Christ, our Savior, is a “mystery?” Sadly for many people in our world, the things which we know about Jesus as our Savior who gives us forgiveness and the hope of heaven are a mystery to them. They are a mystery to them because they do not have the saving faith in Jesus as their Savior that you and I are blessed to have.
The big difference between the mystery which Paul is speaking about and most other mysteries or secrets is that this is one which we are not supposed to keep confidential. Instead we are to make it known to everyone to whom it is still a mystery.
The heart and soul of the “mystery” about Christ is laid out in our Bible verse for this week – “In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.” By God’s grace that is a truth and a comfort which we know by faith in Jesus, but sadly for many in our world it is still a mystery.
Listen to people around you and you will quickly understand how the comforts and blessings which we have through our faith are still a hidden secret to so many people. They don’t know who the true God is. They don’t know how to talk to him in prayer and unburden themselves of the problems of sin in their lives. They don’t have the assurance that even the worst of their sins are forgiven and that God has prepared a place for them in heaven.
Stop to think and listen in your life for a day or so and try to figure out who around you is still “in the dark” about Christ. Then as you determine who those people are, what a joy and privilege it will be to reveal to them the mystery about Christ. They may not understand right away everything which you and I do. Our job is simply to share the message, God will make it plain and clear to them.
Have fun sharing a mystery or secret which is meant to be shared and no one will be hurt or offended if you share it. As a matter of fact, when people begin to understand what you have shared with them, they will thank you and be eager to pass it on!