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Articles 2021-2023
In all wisdom and insight He made known (lit., making known) to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him.
God is progressively making known the mystery of His will to His people. Obviously, we do not know every detail of His plan concerning our future; we know in part. But as we humble ourselves before Him, He has promised to graciously give us a measure of insight. God hides truth so that He might reveal it to those who seek Him. The Lord Jesus demonstrated this when He spoke in parables so the proud could not understand. Here was His kingdom strategy, His plan to establish the Kingdom of God on earth. His approach has not changed.
And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” And He answered and said to them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. And in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, ‘You will keep on hearing, but will not understand; and you will keep on seeing, but will not perceive; for the heart of this people has become dull, and with their ears they scarcely hear, and they have closed their eyes lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart and return, and I should heal them.’ But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.”
It was a blessing that the disciples had a measure of insight. For us, it is a sign of God’s judgment when we cannot hear Him; it is a sign of His mercy when we do. The disciples could hear because God had granted to them the grace to do so. Since the Father had shown His Son those specific men who were to be His apostles (Luke 6:12 - 13), Jesus knew that Heaven had mercifully granted them the grace to hear.
On the other hand, when speaking to the multitudes, He would say:
He who has ears, let him hear.
Among the multitudes, there were those who had ears to hear and many others who did not. While those whose hearts responded to God’s Spirit received the message of the kingdom, the truth passed right over the heads of the rest. Though they had heard physically, they did not understand. Here was God’s kingdom strategy; it has not changed. The meek will hear, understand, and ultimately inherit the earth; the proud will not.
Is it possible to know if others have really heard the message of God’s kingdom? Yes. If their lives continue on the same as before, they have not heard. But if their hearts begin to change, then they are starting to hear. Many times, people clearly hear in their hearts the convicting message of God’s kingdom while not immediately evidencing visible change. But deep inside, they have been pierced to the heart. The Spirit of God has deeply convicted them. And they walk away unable to shake an awareness that He is real and is pursuing them. Change has begun. While it may not be visible at first, something is indeed happening. Now they have to deal with a growing consciousness that deep inside, they have been confronted with truth. At this point, their unsaved friends will wonder what is happening. To them God’s work of establishing His Kingdom is a mystery. They cannot know because:
unless one is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.
(John 3:3)
Multitudes of people today are totally unaware of God’s kingdom in its present expression. But it is as real (even more so) than the present visible world. God, His kingdom, His will, and His purpose are hidden so that He might make them known. The proud and arrogant will not understand even as His kingdom is extended right in front of them. Remember Jesus’ words.
I praise Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that Thou didst hide these things from the wise and intelligent and didst reveal them to babes.
Many of those who had the most training in the Scriptures (the Pharisees and Sadducees) had the most difficulty with the truths of the kingdom. Paul said it well.
Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies.
Love (Greek, AGAPE) describes God and defines His character (1John 4:8). While knowledge about Him can be intellectually stimulating, He wants to make Himself known to us and develop in us His holy character. Our tendency however, has been to substitute knowledge about God in place of the intimate experience of knowing Him. It is a poor alternative.
Knowing Him intimately is the essence of Christianity. Jesus said:
You are My friends, if you do what I command you.
In effect, He was promising that we could have what Abraham had in the Old Testament. Abraham walked with God in a friendship relationship. The same was true of Moses (Exodus 33:11). A common significant characteristic of these two men was that God included them in the secrets of His heart. They gained insight into what many others did not know or understand. For example, when the time was ripe for judgment upon Sodom and Gomorrah, the Lord did not send the fires of destruction without first consulting His friend Abraham (Genesis 18).
Consider Moses. One of the distinguishing marks of his life was the precision with which he built the house of God in his generation. This accuracy did not come from books, a college education, or methods he learned from other men. It came from being in the presence of God on the mountain. While reading certain books or obtaining a Christian education can be helpful, they must point us to a lifestyle of living in the presence of God.
The Jewish people found their national identity as they considered the lives of Abraham and Moses. They saw themselves as the seed of Abraham and custodians of the Law as revealed to Moses. But they missed a key issue. Abraham and Moses were friends of God. While the Jews studied and accepted what Abraham and Moses wrote, by and large they failed to seek the relationship with God that these two great patriarchs had.
It can be easy to walk in the “glow” of one who has stood in the presence of God and not take the time to pursue the One who anointed him. Indeed, it is healthy for God’s people to identify with certain Christian leaders. God blesses and edifies His people through godly leadership in the Church. But it is possible to enjoy the works of God without taking time to enjoy the One who authored them. Too many of us are learning about God more than taking the time to become His friends. As a result, His will for our personal lives remains a mystery. While we may understand His general instructions (to read the Bible, to be faithful to our spouse, to be committed to a local church, etc.), His personal direction for us remains something of a mystery. Insight comes from intimacy.
You are My friends, if you do what I command you.
If we respond to Him, He will welcome us as His friends.
No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.”
God includes His friends into the secrets of His heart, into Heaven’s councils, and gives them insights into the mysteries of His kingdom.
Today, while many ministries are going forth in the Name of Jesus, many messages spoken in His name have questionable value in the Spirit. Deception is in the house. The way to spot what is counterfeit is to spend time with the Author of the genuine. He promises to reveal His will to us in such a way that we will both understand and then be able to embrace it. He knows our personalities, our tendencies, and our weaknesses. He knows how to deal so uniquely in each of our lives that each of us will be enabled to recognize Him in what is occurring. That is why Paul says:
In all wisdom and insight He made known (lit., making known) to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him.
Our hope does not lie in our ability to hear Him; it is in Him, His wisdom, and His ability to reveal His truth personally to us. The foundation for a sound Christian lifestyle is found in being a friend of God.
Donald Rumble – October 2022
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