The Revelation of the Mystery (conclusion)

Before the eyes of my understanding were enlightened to rightly dividing the word of truth according to Mid Acts Pauline dispensationalism, I thought being a Christian was all about me. My first experience with Christianity was through the ministry of a church named after an Old Testament law abiding Jew who never one day in his life heard or knew anything about the gospel of the Grace of God. Yep, the Baptist church. ( People's Baptist Church). In the Bible, there is but one person called a Baptist, and he never preached the gospel that saves a never dying soul in this administration of the grace of God, John the Baptist preached the kingdom is at hand, not that Christ died for your sins, was buried and rose the third day with victory over death, hell and the grace.

After a few years of story telling from the Bible, and all the legalism associated with the Baptist denomination such as water baptizing , church membership, tithing of course, and all the doctrines associated with Israel which has nothing to do with who we are, I began to search for a church that met my needs, whatever that means, I found one. Faith Assembly of God. They had a rock and roll jitterbug for Jesus band that could play the tunes that would motivate you to do what ever the agenda was for that week. It was a revival service every week. Little did I know at the time a revival service is nothing more than a guilt trip with musical accompaniment and has no association with the church, the body of Christ.

Finally, I began to study the word of God for myself, and when I did, I was not welcome in any church setting I knew of because I began to understand what 2nd Timothy 2:15 was all about. The vast majority of your Bible pertains to God's earthly, kingdom people, function: to have dominion on the earth. Only about 100 pages of your Bible are written pertaining directly to God's heavenly people, the church, the body of Christ, function: a spiritual body of believers to occupy the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. That's us!!

Aspect #6 It's not about us, it is about Christ!

From this one point alone, the doctrine installed in your inner man should be activated. Verses should come to mind such as....

Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

If you are crucified with Christ, it should be apparent should it not, it is not about you anymore, it is though about Christ. Isn't it troubling to hear someone say or speak about being "born again"? Doesn't that terminology stand in contrast to being crucified with Christ? If you don't think so, let's take another swing at the same concept in Colossians 3....

Colossians 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
Colossians 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
Colossians 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

Does not that passage go against just about everything you will hear at any given church on any given Sunday morning in your area? I don't know where you live, but there are churches in my area who have been engaged in such heathen activities such as Easter egg hunts proclaiming they are doing that to "bless" their city. Good night Irene! And of course, they claim to have folks "making a commitment to follow Jesus" or "giving their life to Jesus" as well as other completely off track salvation professions with never once hearing the gospel of Christ, which is the power of God unto salvation. How did things get so goofed up? If someone doesn't know what the Gospel is, how can they be saved? Go figure. Apparently, it is just a good time getting together on the weekend with the hip hop Jesus band and playing church for 60 minutes a week.
This situation makes verses such as this come to mind....

2 Corinthians 4:3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
2 Corinthians 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

The glorious gospel of Christ! It is about Christ, not about us doing something such as turning from sin, making a commitment, asking Jesus into our hearts, getting dunked in a baptistry, or anything else....it is all about Jesus Christ! We are dead, not born again and our blessing are found where?

Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

Our blessing are not found in getting better gas mileage because we paid a "tithe" last week so God is blessing me now. Our blessings are not to be found in physical things on this earth but only in heavenly places...where?...in Christ!

I am going to conclude this series and post with just one more passage in Colossians 2. This is one of my favorites, showing that there is nothing we can add to that which never had anything to do with us to begin with. In chapter 2, we read....

Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
Colossians 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
Colossians 2:10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

If your church ever speaks about philosophy in a manner such as "what the author intended to say in this passage is"....or vain deceit in a manner such as a preacher always talking about himself....or the tradition of men such as..."we will have a water baptism at the conclusion of the service" ....after the rudiments of the world.(just because everybody does it does not make it correct to do)....the concluding statement is ..AND NOT AFTER CHRIST. Does this not jump off the page that is is ALL ABOUT CHRIST? I think it does.

To conclude this series of posts on the "revelation of the mystery", It would not be complete without the presentation of the gospel given to Paul from the risen Christ for usward in this present dispensation of the grace of God.

The Gospel....
1 Corinthians 15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
By which we are saved.....
1 Corinthians 15:2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
This is the object of our faith.....
1 Corinthians 15:3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
1 Corinthians 15:4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

Place your trust and faith in what Christ has already done to save your never dying soul, God will count your faith as righteousness and save you, seal you unto the day of redemption, seat you in heavenly places in Christ Jesus......the only thing missing then would be your service to Him as His ambassador with the word of reconciliation just as I presented it to you. Grace and Peace!

Philippians 1:2 Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.