It's A Mystery

At a recent Bible study - I won't say where (My point is not to condemn or point fingers at anyone person or church.), we were on the topic, "mystery kept hidden for ages" in Col 1:26.

This mystery being about Jesus Christ made known through the prophetic writings  Ro 16:26.  These prophetic writings would be Psalms and Isaiah, among other prophets. 

It's all about Jesus; the Old Testament and the New.  The Old Testament leads to and points at His coming.  The New Testament is about that life and death and the second coming.  Yes!  Jesus.  All Christians know this much.  No problem in the Bible study group.  So why is it called a mystery? 

Let me back up by saying that this revelation is a bit new to me.  I never could understand the writings of Paul until I understood this "mystery", which has been made clear to me in the recent couple years.  Then, Paul's writings took on so much meaning.  I have been in church for many (many) years.  A couple years back, I really stuck my nose into "the book".  I purchased a Hebrew Bible with translation and have learned more in the past two years than in my other sixty-nine.  I am so thrilled with what I am seeing that I want to study 24/7.

The "mystery" is the plan of redemption through Jesus Christ.  Again, something all Christians understand:  Jesus took our sins upon Himself so we might be free of sin.  Let's pause and think about that statement for a minute.  Jesus took our sins on Himself.  All of them; past, present and future.  After all, He is the beginning and the end.  We are free of sin.  FREE of sin; past, present and future.  How does that work?

This plan of redemption is: grace trumps the 10 commandments.   There, I said it.  I said it in that Bible study and really opened a can of worms.  People were demanding I show a verse that states this fact.  Well, there is none.  No one verse that specifically states "the ten commandments are done away with through Jesus".  You have to read and search out answers; we are told to "seek and find", "knock and the door will be opened".   I went home in shock.  Shouldn't have because, until two years ago, this was new to me.  I had come to believe that I was the odd man out for years - the only one who did not understand grace over the 10 commandments, the "law".  I thought every believer knew.  Now I am thinking there are more people out there walking a fine line of me or God, self centered or God centered, I do or God gives, law of stone or grace of God.

I always thought "the law" meant the temple laws, the sacrificial laws.  Not so.  Bible refers to the 10 commandments as "the law written on stone".   Ex 24:12, Ex 31:18,  Ex 34:4   Paul constantly refers to law versus grace.  

There is nothing wrong with the Ten Commandments.  They are perfect; perfect law of God.  Only a God can keep them.  They were broken before they were given on Sinai and through to the end of the Old Testament.  They are still broken today by good Christians everywhere.  God knew when He gave these laws that they could not be kept by mortals.  (Satan himself, as a high ranking spirit being, could not keep them.)  God had the plan of redemption (the great mystery) in mind when He gave the laws. 

You cannot go through life and keep the letter of the law.  Example, stealing: ever cheat on income taxes?  Ever keep the wrong change from a store clerk?  Example, false witness (lying):  Ever stretch the truth to save the feelings of a friend?  Lie!  Ever exaggerate a story?  Lie!  Ever wish someone dead in your mind?  Murder!  Ever admire a friend's spouse in a lustful way?  Adultery!  Do you go to church on Sunday?  Sabbath!  Do you value your children over God?  Idolatry!  Jesus explained in the Beatitudes that even thinking against the law is breaking it. The "law" can't be kept.  We all break the law on a daily basis in thought and/or deed. 

Here's the Good News (gospel means "good news"):  We don't have to keep the law "written on stone".  Jesus brought new law:  "Love your God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself".  Then, Jesus took all our sins (past, present and future) on Himself, once and for all.  (Ro 6:10)  It is over, done, finished, ended.  Jesus took ALL our sins upon Himself and nailed them to that cross.  We are free and do not have to put the stress upon ourselves to abide in a law that cannot be kept.  This is what grace is.

Oh, great, that means we can all go do any evil we want.  Of course not!  As believers in Jesus and what He has done, we don't want to.  That would be tantamount to slapping our Savior in the face.  What a wonderful thing He did for us.  As understanding believers who are grateful for His sacrifice, we want only to please Him.  That is all we have to do - believe, turn our back on a wayward life and try.  Easy - peasy!  God and The Son have made it easy for us - out of perfect love.  No one wants to knowingly defy such love.

This plan of redemption, this great mystery is the grace of God through the sacrifice of Jesus that covers us with the blood of the perfect sacrifice to be seen as pure in the eyes of our Heavenly Father.  We have been redeemed from all our past, present and future wrong doings.

It's all about Jesus, the Great "I Am" 
Amen