Mysteries, Secrets and Intimacy with God*

      When Jesus had taught the parable of the sower and the seed, He ended the parable by saying, "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear." His twelve disciples had asked Him about the parable: "And he said to them, 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." (Mk. 4:9-11). The Lord had multitudes that followed Him, and He had the seventy who followed Him, but then He had the twelve disciples who had the more direct and intimate relationship with Him. It is to these twelve that Jesus said that it was given to them to understand the mysteries of God's kingdom. The word "mystery" used here is the Greek word mysterion which means "hidden thing, secret, mystery, the secret counsels which govern God in dealing with the righteous, which are hidden from ungodly and wicked men but plain to the godly." God's secrets are with the righteous, rather than with the wicked (Prov. 3:32). Psalm 25 says, "The secret of the LORD is with them that fear (awe, respect) him; and he will shew them his covenant." (v. 14). The LORD promised a new covenant, which we have through Jesus Christ, in which He would write His word in our hearts, rather than on tablets of stone. The prophet Amos wrote about God revealing His secrets: "Surely the LORD God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the LORD God hath spoken, who can but prophesy?" (Amos 3:7-8). Paul said that we are allowed to covet to prophesy. We are then prophesying the revealed secrets of the LORD.

     This mystery of God is the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the provision given by God by His grace for the redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins and acceptance in the beloved (Eph. 1:6-7). This is a previously hidden mystery that was hidden since (even before) the world began, written about by the prophets, but now revealed and manifested "according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith". (Rom. 16:25-27) The revealing of this mystery, this hidden wisdom, was for the purpose of our glory, a mystery of which "None of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory...But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God." (1 Cor. 2:7-10, also Eph. 3:3-5). Just as His Word written inside us is an intimate thing, so is His Spirit dwelling inside of us. How is your intimacy with God? Are you hearing the mysteries and the secrets that the Spirit is speaking to your temple?

     There is another reason why God has revealed these mysteries to us who were chosen in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: "Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; having made known unto us the mystery of his will...that in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him." (Eph. 1:1-11, excerpt). Jesus is the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world, and we were chosen to be in Him at that time also. All things are to be made one in God through Christ, including us, by adoption as His children: "And to make all men see what is the fellowship (koinonia/koinonos/syn - intercourse, fellowship, intimacy, communion/shared by all, partakers of/union) of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ." (Eph. 3:9, see also Col. 2:2). All things were made through Christ, and it is through Christ that all things are unified. Genesis 1:1 as written in Hebrew reads B'reshiet elohim aleph-tav: "In the beginning God" The aleph-tav, the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet, are written in Greek as "Alpha and Omega", which is revealed to be Jesus Christ in  Rev. 1:8, 21:6, 22:13. 

     Paul wrote further of another purpose for the revelation of God's mysteries to us: "To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God.: (Eph. 3:10). Is the Church doing this - sharing what we know to be true? Are we afraid to offend? The Gospel IS an offense to those who are perishing, but life to those who are being saved by it. As Paul wrote for the church to enter into the understanding of the mystery of God, he also prayed for them that they "May be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God." (v. 18-19). We are to be filled with all of the fulness of God! Are you walking with Him by His Spirit? Are we boldly making known the mystery of the Gospel? (Eph. 6:18-19, Col. 4:3-4).

     Paul wrote again of the mystery that had been hidden from ages passed, but now made manifest to the saints and to the Gentiles "which is Christ in you the hope (the expectation) of glory." (Col. 1:26-27). This great mystery of godliness, being filled with the fulness of God, being in expectation of the glory that comes by Christ in us, and being unified with all things in Christ, was expressed by Paul as having come into manifestation in the following way: "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." (1 Tim. 3:16). 

     While this mystery above has now been revealed to us (the saints), at the same time, Paul wrote, the Holy Spirit has revealed something else at work: "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience seared with a hot iron." (1 Tim. 4:1-2). We must have that unity and intimacy with Christ, hearing what the Holy Spirit is saying within each one of us, and trying the spirits by the Word of God. There are seducing and deceiving spirits and doctrines abounding like we have never seen before, trying to separate the believers from the truth, and trying to prevent others from receiving the truth. We have seen many destructive cults rise up claiming to believe in Jesus but leading their followers to destruction like the Branch Davidians of Waco, and Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple cult in Guyana. The Millerites sold all that they owned, and waited on a mountain top, believing that Jesus was about to come. We cannot know the day nor the hour, but we are to understand the signs of the times. The Heavens Gate cult offered escape (by death) with extraterrestrials who never came. Who or what are you hearing from? Walking with the Holy Spirit is a gradual learning and maturing process, and we must remain careful to test spirits and doctrines as we grow from grace to grace. 

     Not only has the mystery been revealed, but the time is coming when it will be finished: "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." (Rev. 10:7). Jesus also said, "It is finished" when He became payment for the sins of man. God has declared these things to the prophets. There are many speaking today who have called themselves prophets, but, according to the Word of God, the test of whether or not they are true prophets is if their prophecies come to pass.  Don't be ignorant, and don't be fooled. Walk with the Lord and spend more time with Him and with His Word.

          *Based upon Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson, Jr.'s 3/3/24 message to the church. If you would like to hear the complete message, you can find it on Dr. Stevenson's Facebook page. To contact or support this ministry, or to request prayer, you can write to PO Box 154221, Waco, TX, 76705. To find out more about the Shroud of Turin, and to receive a free e-book now available in several languages, go to http://www.theshroudofturin.org/freebook.