Where Is the Truth?
Think of a secret. A secret you had… and held onto. How long did you keep it before it got out? A day? A week? Maybe a year? Well, I know of someone who kept a secret for the longest time ever on record.
Turn to Romans 16. Romans is a letter - the first of seven letters God inspired Paul to write:
Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians.
And here’s what makes those 7 letters special... the entire Bible is for us to learn from, but these seven letters are written to us. It’s like the difference between reading someone else’s mail… and reading a letter specifically addressed to you… with your name on it.
These 7 letters all start with Dear [you, “saints, brethren, sisteren, called ones, the church, the faithful.” Romans is the first one. And look what God put right at the end of your letter.
Romans 16:25 – Now to him that is of power to establish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began.
A mystery, kept secret, since the world began. That's a world record! Nobody has ever kept a secret longer than God.
Tonight we're going to learn three things from this verse.
What the mystery is... and why God kept it secret since the world began.
Second, what spiritual truth was revealed (by revelation)... and where we find it.
And third, how we apply it in our lives, so that we can be established.
The Secret Kept Since the World Began
In Romans 16:25, the word “mystery” is the Greek word mustērion. Look it up. It means “a secret” based on the Greek word “muo” meaning to shut your mouth. It a secret that God hid (did not speak one word of)... until He decided that it was time to tell it, to say it, to reveal it. And he kept it secret... “since the world began.” Turn forward to Ephesians 3.
Okay, so what’s the big secret?
Ephesians 3:9 – And to make all men see what is the fellowship (“administration”) of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ.
That word “fellowship” in most critical Greek texts is “oikonomia,” which means an administration, a way God runs His household in a particular period. So it's “the administration of the mystery.” We call it the administration of grace. It's the time we're living in right now.
And the phrase “by Jesus Christ” isn’t in the oldest Greek manuscripts we have. It was added by publishers centuries later. So it reads: “hid in God, who created all things.” Period.
Bruce M. Metzger, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament, 2nd ed., note on Ephesians 3:9
God kept this mystery hid through Adam... through Noah... through Abraham... Moses... David... all the prophets. Generation after generation came and went, and nobody knew.
Before you reveal a secret, before you tell everyone about your secret, sometimes you got to prepare people beforehand. Right?
And that's exactly what God did. Jesus Christ prepped people about this upcoming reveal of a massive secret. Turn to John 13.
Jesus Christ Prepares His Followers
The stuff in John came before Pentecost… while Jesus was still living under the law. Before Pentecost, people lived without being born again of holy spirit.
So the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) were NOT written to us… the way the church epistles (Romans through Thesalonians) are written to us.
But here, in John 13, Jesus Christ is speaking… prophetically. He's pointing forward… to what was coming... and what was coming… is the secret or mystery… that will be revealed… and it is something we have… today. So we read John as the preview, and Romans through Thessalonians… as the entire complete revealing of the secret, this mystery.
So, we’re in John 13. Here’s the setting. It's the night before Jesus is crucified. Within hours he'd be arrested, beaten, and put on the cross... and he knew it. So what was on his mind? On his heart? Check it out.
John 13:1 – Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.
Now jump to John 14.
John 14:12 – Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
“Verily, verily.” That's the Greek amēn, doubled up for emphasis. Jesus is saying, Hey... pay attention to this. “Believe me, and the works I did… you will be able to do... and even greater works than these.”
John 14:16 – And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he (it, that thing) may abide with you forever.
“Comforter” is paraklētos… meaning a helper, counselor, the one standing right by you. Jesus Christ was their comforter, but only for a short time. This new one, this “another comforter,” would stay with them forever.
And in John 14:26, we learn what it is.
26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
the Holy Ghost... better translated holy spirit, the gift, the gift of holy spirit. And since the gift of holy spirit has no gender, when we see “he” in these verses, we’re going to read it as “it, or that thing.”
Now John 16:7 – Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
Put yourself in their sandals. You’ve been hanging with Jesus for about a year. You've watched him heal the sick, open blind eyes, and raise the dead. And now he’s saying that he's leaving... and it's better for you… that he goes. Because something is coming.
John 16:12 and 13 – I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he (it), the Spirit of truth, is come, he (it) will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he (it) will shew you things to come.
There it is: all truth. In the Greek there's a definite article. It's literally “the all truth.” A specific, complete body of truth was coming. They couldn't handle it yet at that time. But it was coming.
Where the All Truth Lives
So when did the all truth show up? Where is the all truth?
In the seven church epistles (Romans through Thessalonians). God revealed them to the apostle Paul by way of the gift of holy spirit.
Look back at verses 8 through 11. John 16:8-11. It says the spirit would deal with sin, righteousness, and judgment. Those three words line up with the three sections of the church epistles.
Romans, Corinthians, Galatians (sin)…
Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians (righteousness)…
Thessalonians (judgement):
Sin points to Romans, with its reproof and correction letters of Corinthians and Galatians. Romans shows that we were lost and helpless... and then shows that we died together with Christ and rose together with him too. And now we are in God's family.
Righteousness points to Ephesians, with Philippians and Colossians. Ephesians starts with God, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Christ. It reveals the great mystery. And we’re one Body… with Christ in us.
Judgment points to Thessalonians. It shows us the hope. And we'll be gathered together forever.
So, the all truth is found in the seven letters written to us: Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Thessalonians.
And the Devil never saw it coming. Turn to 1 Corinthians 2.
The Devil Never Saw It Coming
1 Corinthians 2:7-8 – But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
The princes of this world, Satan and his evil friends, had no idea. If they had known, they wouldn’t have crucified Jesus Christ. It’s easier for Satan to compete against just one Jesus Christ… than it is when there’s “God in Christ in You” in every born-again believer, all over the world, doing his works and greater.
When the adversary thought he was winning, he was actually opening the door to the greatest time… God has ever given to mankind. This is the greatest time to be alive.
Let’s turn back to Romans 16.
So How Do We Turn It Up?
Romans 16:26 – But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith.
It's now. The secret's out. The best spiritual truths that we can apply to our lives… have been revealed. It’s NOT a mystery any longer. It’s readily available for anyone to believe.
Our church describes itself by saying, “We believe in the research, teaching, and application of God’s Word in order for people to transform their lives and live a life of abundance and power.”
The Word of God is like good food… for people to ingest… so they can know and then act on God’s Word, and then manifest a more abundant life.
If people lack spiritual strength… it could be because the Bible is not understood when read. People have not been taught how to understand things like: what parts of the bible are written to us to apply to your lives, and which parts are written for us to read and learn from.
Our ministry, our church, is dedicated to setting before people… God’s Word, accurately and practically applied. And we let people decide for themselves… whether or not… to believe it… or use it.
Summary
So here's what we learned. The mystery was God's secret, hid in Him since the world began. Jesus Christ prepared his followers for it and promised the spirit would guide them into the all truth. That all truth is laid out for us in the seven church epistles. And the Devil never saw it coming.
This week, read John 13 through 17. Every time you see “Comforter” or “Spirit of truth,” stop and realize… that’s what you already got… holy spirit.
God in Christ in you.
That’s what I wanted to share.
You’re the best.
Amen?
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