Please open your Bibles to the Letter to the Ephesians.
We read in Ephesians 1:9-10…………
The mystery of God is revealed to us today!
What is a mystery? A mystery is something that is amazing but not understood. God is amazing but He doesn’t want to be misunderstood! God desires to be understood!
God does not have to be a mystery! Do you personally know the One and Only God? Are you still trying to figure out who you are, where you came from, what are you to be? Will you follow many who say that all religions can “coexist”? In other words, will you really believe that the God of the Bible is equal to other gods?
Now, you personally may no longer be asking these questions but we all have relatives and friends who are confused about God aren’t they? Many today believe that there are many ways to God. Even the Chosen People of God, the Israelites of old, were influenced by foreign gods and were confused; many Jews today are still confused!
God is sad that many today still don’t understand His love for them! God does not have to be mysterious!
What does God say in His Word? But before reading, let us pray our commitment to God’s Word……
Let us note that, Ephesians is a letter written 2000 years ago to a church made up of Christian Jews and Gentiles (non-Jews). Read along with me Ephesians 3:1-13…………
As stated in verse 4, one of the reasons for writing the letter to the Ephesians is to reveal a mystery. How does God explain the mystery? The answer is verse 6…….
There are at least 4 truths in verse 6:
1. The mystery is revealed through the gospel!
God is understood by the Gospel. It is therefore important to know what the gospel is! What is the gospel? The gospel is actually defined in Ephesians 1:13-14. Let’s take a quick look back……..
The gospel is the word of truth which when heard and believed leads to being saved from sin. And what is this truth?
Look at Ephesians 1:4-8………..
The gospel is Jesus Christ shedding His blood for man’s sins! No one will understand the mystery of God until they accept the gospel, which is Jesus Christ dying on a cross for man’s sin. I trust that you believe in Jesus Christ as your Savior who died on a cross and was buried for your sins and as your God who rose from the dead for you so you can truly live!
Believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ and understand the mystery of God!
The 2nd truth we can note from Ephesians 3:6 is the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel; in other words,
2. All Believers of Christ will inherit heaven.
Remember that the letter is addressed to both Jews and non-Jews (the Gentiles). The Jews of course knew that they were the Chosen People of God. And those in the Old Testament who believed in God and the Promised Messiah the Savior, belong to Israel, the saved people of God.
Ever wonder how people in the Old Testament will go to heaven?
God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow! Salvation from sin and the right to enter heaven is always by faith in God. Please open your Bibles to Hebrews 11. Look at v1-3 with me…...
Faith is complete trust in God and those Old Testament saints were commended for their faith. Verses 4-38 states the Believers in the Old Testament expressed their faith by taking godly actions. Read with me v39-40 of Hebrews 11..
You see, the promise to the Old Testament Saints was not realized until Jesus died, was buried, and rose again! And those Old Testament Saints become perfect with the New Testament Saints! Whether before or after the Cross, perfection with God is only available through Christ!
The third and fourth truths from Ephesians 3:6 are related to the perfection of Saints through Christ.
Because both are perfected in Christ,
3. All Saints, whether Gentile or Jew or any other ethnicities, are united in ONE body of Christ.
And the fourth truth from v6 is
4. All Saints share the promise in Christ!
What is the promise? All will be perfected and go to heaven because of their belief in Jesus Christ. No matter the background, all believers of Jesus Christ are equal at the foot of the cross!
And so, God revealed His mystery through Christ and through this letter to the Ephesians. Why does God reveal His mystery?
Look again at verses 10-11……….
Do you see the significance of the building of the church?
Do you see the significance of All Nations Bible Church?
Do you see the significance of us glueing together as a church?
Through the church, the manifold wisdom of God is being known to angels in the spiritual world!
Rulers in the spiritual world are watching us as a church and learning how great God is!
What does this all mean to us today?
Here are the things we need to think about:
A. Believe in Jesus Christ!
B. Share Jesus Christ!
C. Do we see our equality and connection with other Christians?
D. Angels are watching us! What do we need to do as individuals in this
church to teach angels about God?
What are angels learning with your involvement in church?
