The Mystery Of His Will

GOD HAS BLESSED US WITH INSIGHT INTO THE MYSTERY OF HIS WILL; AND THE UNIFYING PRINCIPLE OF THE WILL OF GOD IS THAT CHRIST SHOULD HAVE THE PREEMINENCE

1. God Has Blessed Us With Insight Into the Mystery of His Will

a. This blessing of wisdom and insight is practical

wisdom = insight into the true nature of things

insight = the wisdom of action; the practical use of wisdom; the understanding that leads to right action

1 Kings 3:12; Proverbs 1:2; 8:1

b. God is not stingy with His blessings

1) All wisdom and insight

2) He made to abound unto us

James 1:5

c. God graciously revealed this insight to us in the proper context of His program for the culmination of history

1) Described as the mystery of His will

mystery = something once hidden and not revealed, but now made known openly

2) He wants us to know this and has determined that we shall know it

3) Understood in the proper context of His program fro the culmination of history "fullness of times"

History is headed somewhere

2. The Unifying Principle of the Will of God is that Christ Should Have the Preeminence

Greek word for summing up -- the Greek practice was to add up a column of figures and put the sum at the top. This is what is really important and ties everything together and helps make sense out of all the other numbers.