The Sacred Secret - Empowered For Service

“Surely you have heard about the administration of God's grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly” (Eph 3:2,3 NIV).

There are two Greek words used in Scripture for the word “secret.” They are “Kruptos” and “Musterion.” The Greek word “Kruptos” is where the word “crypt” comes from. It was used when something was secret or hidden away (Matt 6:3-4, Luke 8:17, Rom 2:16, 1 Cor 14:25). The English word “mystery” means something that is incomprehensible; unknowable and beyond understanding.

The Greek word “Musterion” was only used of secrets in the religious realm including mystery religions. In the Bible, they are sacred secrets. A secret is something that can be known, but it is not known by every person. The things of God are not mysterious or impossible to understand. They are secret only to those who don’t take the time to study God’s Word. When Jesus taught a Parable, He was speaking a facet, or portion, of the sacred secret of the Kingdom of Heaven (Matt 13:10-11).

On the day of Pentecost, something incredible happened that had never happened before – the Holy Spirit came as a love gift from the Father to dwell within those who would receive Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior and to reveal the sacred secret of God held hidden for all of eternity past. It is now no longer a mystery (Rom 16:25,26, Col 1:26, also Eph 1:9).

The enemy and the hordes of hell didn’t know this secret. If they had, they would have never allowed Jesus to be crucified. No human eye had ever seen, no ear had ever heard - no mind had conceived what God had prepared for those who love Him because they were hidden until the Cross (1 Cor 2:6-10).

In the Old Testament when the Holy Spirit came upon a person, they often gave a word of prophecy. In the New Testament - the Church Age of the Sacred Secret - when a person gives their life to Jesus Christ they receive the Holy Spirit, and they also receive the right and privilege to receive the manifold Sacred Secret of Heaven.

The Facets of the Father

It was God’s intent that through the church:

“the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Eph 3:10-12 NIV).

The word “manifold” means “many-faceted,” and the wisdom of God’s sacred secret was revealed after the Cross. Listed below are just some of those facets of blessings.

Starting from the creation of Adam and Eve until the Day of Pentecost that was spoken of in the book of Acts, God dealt with mankind as a master would to an indentured servant. God changed the way that He dealt with mankind because of the blood sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross.

The Church is one Body with Jesus as the Head because of the Cross. The Father chose to lavish His great love on those who would receive Jesus and willfully choose to become a Christian (1 Jn 3:1; 1 Pet 1:23). Every Christian is a child of God and a member of His body. They are spiritually identified with Jesus.

Christians are partakers of the divine nature and are now a new creation (2 Pe 1:4; 2 Cor 5:17). Jesus has anointed every Christian and set His seal of ownership on them, and placed the Holy Spirit in their hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. Nothing can separate them from God’s love (Rom 8:38-39, 12:4-5, 1 Cor 10:17, 12:12-27, 2 Cor 1:21-22,5:22, Eph 1:13, 2:16, 4:4; Col 3:15).

When Jesus was crucified, the Christian was crucified. When He died, they died. When He was buried, they were buried. When He was raised, they were raised. When He ascended, they ascended. When Jesus sat down at the right hand of the Father, they sat down as well! (Rom 6:4,6,8; Eph 2:6)

The sacred secret revealed that God is now working through His Church - each individual member of His Body - to do those things that He did directly prior to the Cross. Every Christian has been given power and glory, unlike anything that has existed on the face of the Earth before.

It is the responsibility of every Christian to make His wisdom known by living naturally in that glory and power and includes operating in the miraculous manifestation gifts of the Holy Spirit and actively healing the sick, raising the dead, giving sight to the blind, setting the captives free, casting out demons, teaching the truth, and turning people from darkness to light through the love and goodness of God because, as a result of the death of Jesus, the world has entered the Age of Grace (Luke 4:18).