The Mystery of Christ

After the death of the last apostle we know that the church went into the dark ages. And in doing so apostolic order was discarded. The church no longer followed the apostles’ doctrine and many other doctrines were added to the faith. Thus we have the birth of denominationalism.

We ministers of the gospel have all preached that we should all be speaking the same thing. But the truth is, we really did not believe the Body of Christ would ever come to that kind of unity in spite of what the scriptures said. We are well established in the things that have separated us.

We have even developed unlawful spiritual protocol which states that we should let a man teach and preach what he will in his own house. We are careful not to offend by offering correction or a more perfect revelation of the word. Therefore the enemy has been extremely successful at keeping us separated.

Nevertheless, the Scriptures declare that we will come to the unity of the faith; this is the plan of God. For some reason I choose to believe that whatever God has purposed, He is able to bring about. Therefore, I have to proceed as if God is going to do what he said he would do.

One day the real church will rise out of the ashes and be identified as that glorious sinless body of baptized believers God ordained before the beginning of the world. Moreover I am thoroughly convinced that the revelation of salvation, (which can only be found in the mystery of Christ) is that missing information that will bring the body into the unity of the faith.

I am amazed at the encouragement I feel whenever I begin to think on the Mystery of Christ. In the more than forty years I have been saved I have never heard a completed revelation of our salvation experience. This does not mean that the revelation has not been given to someone. It simply means that I have never heard it preached in a church, read in a book or taught on television.

The mystery of Christ holds the key to the Sons of God fulfilling their call to righteousness.

When Paul wrote to the church, he implied that they needed to understand the knowledge he had received concerning the mystery. The mystery of Christ, the mystery of God and the mystery of Godliness are all the same. They can be used interchangeably.

Ephesians 3:9

And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:

The word mystery means “a secret” or “to shut the mouth.” It is a hidden revelation of the work of the Father. This mystery of Christ remained hidden in God until the formation of the Church.

The word mystery does not occur in scripture until we reach the New Testament. In all but two of the scriptures where it is found, it makes reference to the Mystery of Christ. At the end of this chapter, I have listed all of the verses in which this word is used. Some of them we will examine thoroughly, while the rest will be for your reference.

In this chapter I simply want to discuss the mystery itself. I want you to understand my knowledge in the mystery that was hid in God before the foundation of the world. By revelation, I was given understanding of the mystery of Christ as He gave to the Apostle Paul.

First of all, I want you to understand salvation is a lot more than we thought it was; even though we have been saved and filled with the Holy Ghost. We do not understand the extent of what God has done or allowed us to experience as sons of God. Brothers and sisters, I am not a novice. I am very much aware that you may be wondering why now?

Why is it that we are declaring that there is a revelation of salvation that has not been ministered in the mainstream church in all these years?

To answer that question we must look at the Scriptures below.

Ephesians 3:9-10

9. And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:

10. To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God.

Salvation itself is a mystery. And according to Paul’s writing to the church at Ephesus we are now a part of that mystery; that’s what the word fellowship means. Let us also take note of the fact that this Mystery of salvation was hidden in God. But now if we back up to the beginning of this very same chapter we will see why this Mystery is just now being revealed to the latter day church.

Ephesians 3:1-5

1. For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,

2. If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to youward:

3. How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,

4. Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)

5. Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;

Apostolic order maybe dead in our present church environment, but it is very much alive in the kingdom of God. The Scriptures declare that God changes not. And this is one of the areas in which that statement is truer than ever. But the above scripture holds truth many in the body are not willing to admit.

The Lord gives revelation to the Church today the same way He did in days of old. He established apostolic order. The Scripture declares that the early church continued in the apostles’ doctrine which in some circles has become a bone of contention. But to be in apostolic doctrine simply means that each church was established based on the knowledge and the revelation that was given to the apostles.

Therefore Paul is able to write to the church at Ephesus regarding his knowledge and revelation in the Mystery of God that was given to him. He goes on to say that this mystery was only revealed to the holy apostles and prophets by the Holy Ghost. Therefore it became the responsibility of the apostles to install this revelation in the church while it was the responsibility of the prophets to confirm it.

Revelation 10:7

But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

We are about to discuss a secret that was hid in God before the beginning of the world. However, John, the Revelator saw the mystery finished at the sounding of the seventh trumpet.

Now the events initiated by the blowing of the seventh trumpet revealed in the thirteenth and fourteenth chapter of Revelation culminate with the Rapture of the Church. The Apostle Paul also confirms the time of this event in his writings to the Corinthians.

1 Corinthians 15:51-54

51. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

52. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

53. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

54. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in Victory.

Paul has allowed us to conclude that this mystery of God is relative to the residency of the Sons of God on the earth. We know that the verses above describe the Rapture of the Church. Therefore, we are able to surmise that the mystery of God begins and ends with the Sons of God. I am really attempting to discuss this awesome feat of the Father in the most simplistic terms. I want to be able to talk about it without the formalities of a conference setting and make sure everyone is grasping these truths. Please allow me to casually discuss the secrets of our faith.

First of all, we are the partakers of a plan that God did not reveal to anyone, until the Day of Pentecost. It is a mystery, a secret that He did not even reveal to the angels until the time appointed. The text declares that none of the prophets of old were privy to the mystery. They were only given the promise of the coming Deliverer.

Romans 16:25-26

25. 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,

26. 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:

But what exactly is the mystery? What is the thing that was hidden? This is what I really want to discuss. The mystery itself needs to be explained in simple terms and then confirmed by scripture.

Colossians 1:26

Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:

The mystery that was hid from ages and generations is now made manifest (made known, revealed) to the saints. Not only did the Spirit reveal it to us, but we were also made the mystery by the same Spirit. Once again we ask, what is the mystery?

Colossians 1:27

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:

Now we come to the responsibility of the apostles;

And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: Ephesians 3:9.

The revelation of Christ in the church is given to true apostle and confirmed by real prophets. Our job is to install these truths in the Body of Christ, the same way the first apostles did in the early church.

The mystery is: CHRIST IN YOU.