Before the Beginning
God created a plan and kept it a mystery, which was foreordained before the world was created and then kept secret for thousands of years until the cross (Jesus and Him crucified)(1 Cor 2:7).
God’s mystery (plan), which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: (Col 1:26)
In the beginning God created (Gen 1:1). God existed before the creation of the earth. The world did not happen by chance. The Bible tells us that God actually had a plan in place for this creation prior to Him creating it.
In the book of Corinthians Paul says he speaks the wisdom (plan) of God in a mystery, which was foreordained before the world was created and then kept secret for thousands of years until the cross (Jesus and Him crucified). Paul goes on to say that if God had not kept it a secret the human rulers (and Satan) would have tried to spoil God’s plan by not crucifying Jesus (1 Cor 2:7-8).
This is a key thought in the understanding of the doctrines of the “free will” of man and the “sovereignty” of God and how they co-exist. God’s plan of Jesus’ crucifixion was put in place (foreordained) before the world was created. Because of the foreknowledge of God, He foreknew of the evil activities of Satan and put a plan in place to defeat him.
The Bible teaches that God is all-knowing and knows of every event, past, present, and future. Nothing surprises God. The Bible says that this plan (mystery) of God that had been hide for ages is now revealed to the Saints (Col 1:26).
There are more than twenty verses in the New Testament that contain the word mystery and focus upon the specific person and work of Jesus Christ.
In Romans Paul references this mystery as he praises (God) as the one who has the power to establish us according to the mystery that was kept secret before the world was created (Rom 16:25). Paul continues that thought in Colossians when he prays that we the followers of Christ might be comforted, knit together in love, and have a full assurance of understanding the mystery of God (Col 2:2).
This is the first sermon in a series attempting to explain the “mystery of God.” As we move through this study, I want us to have the same focus as Paul when he states I desire to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him Crucified (1 Cor2:2). This is the heart of the mystery of God, however as we seek to understand this mystery it will shed new light on many, if not all, of the key Christian doctrines.
In the study of God’s mystery, we get exposed to some key theological issues such as the paradox of sovereignty of God and the freedom of man. This is not a new issue and has been debated since the reformation. Two of the most famous men to address this issue are John Calvin and Jacob Hermann (Arminus). These two will be discussed more shortly.
In Corinthians we saw that God foreordained Jesus’ crucifixion before He created the world. He foreknew that if He had not Satan and the human rulers would have used their God granted freedom to have prohibited Jesus’ crucifixion.
Peter echoes Paul when he says that Jesus’ crucifixion was foreordained before the foundation of the world but now has been revealed (1 Peter 1:19-20). These two verses about God’s foreordination (His plan) and the need to keep it secret from Satan and man because of their ability (their freedom) to try to defeat His plan magnify our need to wrestle with the understanding of how God’s sovereignty, foreknowledge, foreordination, and man’s freedom mesh.
God’s sovereignty is absolute. He has the power to do anything at any moment He chooses. Yet He has chosen to limit the use of this absolute power by delegating certain freedom to man. This freedom is sometimes referred too as the “freewill” of man. A proper understanding of this term does not negate God’s authority, but comes from the authority granted man when God says let them have dominion over all the earth (Gen 1:26,28). Man’s freedom (dominion) is explained as God’s Word reveals His Covenant relationship.
What is a mystery and what specifically is “this mystery” referred to by Paul and Peter? This is the quest of this study, to understand the mystery of God. First of all there are a number of definitions for the word mystery. One definition defines mystery as something not fully understood or something that baffles or eludes the understanding; an enigma. The definition of the word mystery in a religious sense is a religious truth that is incomprehensible to reason and knowable only through divine revelation that is revealed by the Holy Spirit.
As I attempt to explain this mystery and to show why it is the most important mystery of all time, I will combine the two definitions of the word mystery from above with the concept of a good mystery story.
A modern mystery starts out with a major event taking place early in the story and this mystery is not fully understood until little by little it is revealed throughout the story with the final key to understanding only coming at the end. A modern mystery usually contains a villain and a good guy with both being exposed for who they are at the end of the story. This holds true with the mystery of God.
The Bible as a whole is such a story. A major event takes place early in the Bible and is revealed little by little in a progressive way as we read from Genesis to Revelation. The “good guy” is Jesus and the “bad guy” is Satan. The evil event is first mentioned in Genesis chapter three where Satan encourages Adam and Eve to rebel, however as we read the Bible we will discover that the mystery actually started prior to the world being created. God foreknew of the evil activities of Satan and put a plan in place to defeat him.
The final revelation to this mystery of God is revealed in the final section of the Bible, the book of Revelation. Just before the final trumpet that initiates the final events for this world, God’s Word says let there be no more delay the mystery of God should be finished(Rev 10:7).
What is this mystery? The Bible says there is a very important element to understanding the mystery of God and that is we must have the Spirit of God in us to interpret (give us understanding). If you don’t already have the Spirit of God as a companion it is my prayer that during this study you will be “born again” of the Holy Spirit. He then will lead you to full understanding of “the mystery of God”.
Jesus is the central character of the Bible. Who He is and why He came is the central theme of the Bible. As Paul said his goal was to preach nothing but Jesus and Him crucified(1 Cor 2:2). This is God’s plan (mystery) put in place before creation.
This lesson is an introduction to the study of God’s mystery. As we move through this study, I want us to have the same focus as Paul when he states I desire to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him Crucified. This is the heart of the mystery of God, however as we seek to understand this mystery it will shed new light on many, if not all, of the key Christian doctrines.
Some of the verses we have already reference mention that God established this plan (mystery) before the world was created. Elsewhere in scripture we see that God foreknew of the rebellion of Satan and man before he created Adam and Eve. Just with these few references we start to see the “apparent conflict” of God’s foreknowledge, foreordination, and God’s delegated freedom to man.
Different views on these concepts have driven not only the separation of the protestant from the Catholic, but splits within churches and denominations. It is not God’s Word that drives these splits, but man’s interpretation of God’s Word.
Theology is the study of God and His Word. Study of God’s Word is critical for gaining an understanding of God and to be established with full assurance in our faith. The Bible says that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God (Rom 10:17).
In the history of the church there have been a number of great theologians that shared with man their insights into God and His Word. However we must remember they are just men and what they say about the Bible is man’s opinion and not always absolutely correct. For example shortly after the protestant movement started we have two men who published thoughts about the Bible taken from two different viewpoints. John Calvin (1509-1564) viewed the Bible with a strong focus upon God’s sovereignty and Jacob Hermann (1560-1609), best known by the Latin form of his last name, Arminius viewed the Bible with a strong focus upon man’s freedom and accountability.
Each of these views taken to extremes seems to warp the overall Biblical themes of God’s sovereignty and man’s freedom (free will). Two major schools of thought have emerged from the teaching of these two men. One called Arminianism is the belief that men by their own free will could accept or reject salvation and the other called Calvinism teaches that God’s chooses (foreordains) certain individuals unto salvation before the foundation of the world, and God’s choice rest solely in His own sovereign will and that a person has no freedom or responsibility in this selection.
In the early days of the Protestant movement Calvinism was affirmed rather than Arminianism by the Synod of Dort in 1619 as the doctrine of salvation contained in the Holy Scriptures. However today the view of John Calvin is in the minority and more lean toward Armenianism. These two views will be addressed more fully as we continue our study.
In the midst of the heated argument of Arminianism versus Calvinism many neglect the plain statements of the Bible. The underlying concepts of both are taught in the Bible and therefore should co-exist. God is sovereign and nothing is impossible for Him, yet He has delegated certain freedom to Satan, fallen angels, and man and holds them accountable.
The goal of this study is that the understanding of God’s Word be established with full assurance of our faith and by this process many will be presented complete in Christ(Col 1:28). To accomplish this end, our study of the mystery of God is a Christ centered study using the hermeneutic of the Emmas road in Luke where Jesus starts with Moses and the prophets and explains scripture in relationship to Himself (Luke24:27).
In this study of the mystery of God, we will discuss other theological concepts that effect the way one views God and His Word. Our understanding of the Bible is regularly being influenced by theologians, therefore it is important that we understand the fundamental differences between the views of Biblical, Covenant, Dispensational, and Systematic Theology. Like Calvinism and Arminianism these theological concepts are man’s opinion of what God has said in His Word.
In the future lessons we will discuss the key thoughts behind these theological concepts. As we close this lesson let us look at two parables Jesus tells back to back. These are the parable of the Vineyard (Mt 21:33-46) and the parable of the Wedding Feast (Mt 22:1-14).
The parable of the Vineyard is about a landowner (God) who prepares a perfect vineyard (promise land) and then leases it out to a wicked tenant (Israel) who refuses to pay what the landowner requires for the lease. After the wicked tenant kills the land owner’s son (Jesus), the vineyard is taken and given to another (Church).
The parable of the Wedding Feast is about a King (God) who prepares a wedding feast for his son (Jesus). All are invited (Jews first) starting with those who refuse to attend (Jews). Then the gentiles are invited. All that attend are offered the wedding robe (blood of Jesus). One tries to attend but not in the proper dress. He is cast into outer darkness.
This parable ends with the thought that many are called (all were invited), but only a few become the chosen (those that come under the King’s terms).
These two parables shed light upon John 3:16 which states that God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
This is the equivalent to the invitation to the wedding feast. The king showed patience by the multiple invitations and all were invited (whosoever), however in the end he judged.
Peter says that the Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter3;9).
Jesus desire that all be saved, however do to his granting of freedom to man they have the ability to choose to attend the wedding feast and wear the proper dress or not. However with the freedom to choose comes the consequences or accountability of our choices. John says that those who believe on Jesus are not condemned: but those that believe not are condemned already (John 3:18), because he that does not believe in the name of the only begotten Son of God has rejected God’s invitation to the wedding feast.
Have you accepted or rejected the invitation to the wedding feast?
