“…that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 3:8,9
In the Apostle Paul’s personal testimony that he relates to the believers in Ephesus in his day, he spoke of how God gave to him a particular mission, one which was accompanied by a specific, and special spiritual capacity, to communicate to the believers in Ephesus, as well as all those who would exist to this present time. His words and their confirmation by the demonstration and power of the Spirit of God, ring out through the centuries since writing his letter around 60 A.D. Their importance cannot be fully grasped because of the dimension of their application to every believer’s life. This revelation of this hidden mystery was unveiled to Paul, and then to the church, so that God’s glory would be manifested in and through the church as a testimony of the presence, power, and preeminence of Christ. What then was this revelation, this mystery of Christ now revealed by the Spirit “…to His holy apostles and prophets?”
The mystery was first the unveiling of the “unsearchable riches of Christ,” the Christ who is risen from the dead and now seated at the right hand of the Father. To the Colossian believers, Paul would express this in this manner: “…that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (2:2,3) Paul’s objective in communicating that which the Spirit of God communicated to him of the hidden riches of Christ, and the Father, was to make all believers to see, receive, and grasp by faith that which God in Christ has made available to them to know and live by. He speaks of being “…partakers in Christ through the gospel.” (Eph. 3:6) He also speaks of “…the fellowship of the mystery.” (3:9) John the Apostle would write of the same thing in his first letter: “…that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have FELLOWSHIP with us and truly our FELLOWSHIP is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.” (1 John 1:3) The message of God to the church of God, the living body of Christ, and to every believer in that body is this: the time has now come to understand that the fulness of the Father is revealed in the coming, dying, resurrection, and ascension of Christ. By virtue of the Father’s work of placing every believer in living union with Christ at the time of the new birth, the believer has participated in the death, burial, and ascension of Christ, being NOW seated with Him in heavenly places, “…far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.” (1:21) The significance of this revelation begins to be seen when the believer, by virtue of the objective truth of Scripture begins to see that all the fullness of God dwells in Christ. (Col. 1:19) Then the Apostle declares that the mystery has now been revealed. To all believers God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: “…which is Christ IN you, the hope of glory.” (Col. 2:27) Not only is the truth of the believer’s union with Christ revealed to this present age, but also the riches that are IN Christ, the very life of the believer. The call of God is to KNOW Him, to partake of Christ’s blessed life by the Spirit, and to know something of true fellowship with God the Father, and the Son. The mystery has been revealed that we may know, walk with, and love God by the Holy Spirit.
Dear Father, Show us Your mystery. In Jesus’ name, Amen.