Ciphers
according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets Romans 16:25-26
Mystery – “Why don’t they see it?” The question concerned the Jews, but it could just as easily be applied to anyone who finds the claims of Yeshua unwarranted. It just seems so obvious to believers. However, for some reason, even those who have held the Scriptures in highest regard for centuries still don’t see that they all point to the Lord and Savior Messiah Yeshua. It’s a mystery.
Perhaps those of us who are followers of the Way, who have experienced the transformation that accompanies a relationship with Yeshua, don’t give enough weight to this word – mysterion. The Greek idea is not about something extra-terrestrial or intractably perplexing. Mysterion simply means something not fully revealed, something hidden. There are two important implications here. First, because the plan of God is a mystery, it can never be worked out through our own reason. From the perspective of human understanding, it will always remain hidden. Don’t underestimate how crucial this really is. God may have designed the universe in such a way that the heavens declare His glory, but that does not mean that we are capable of figuring out how God will deal with our unholiness on our own. In fact, the full impact of this statement means that every human effort to find a way into the presence of God is doomed. There is no human way to find God. He has to find us. Revelation does not come from the human side of the equation. The answers must be given to us, not reasoned through us. Wherever you find religious activity that asserts Man’s essential ability to connect to God through rational exploration, you will find hubris and futility. A mystery is not a riddle. It is an impenetrable cipher. Without a key, it will forever remain locked.
Secondly, the fact that God’s plan is a mystery explains why so many don’t get it. If I refuse to use the key, it’s impossible to unlock the box. In order to peer into God’s method of redemption, I must receive the key of the Messiah. Until I open the mystery with the perspective of the Messiah as the key, it just won’t make any sense. In this regard (and only in this regard), faith comes before understanding, but not much before, for the moment that I accept the key, the mystery unlocks and the world changes before my eyes.
Why does God use this method? Why not just make it so plain and obvious that no one could ever miss it? That’s the tendency in our evangelical penchant for rational evidence. We think that the gospel is Greek and that all we need to do is present a compelling case. But that’s not what is happening here. The gospel is a mystery, held in secret for ages. The reason that faith comes before the mystery is unlocked is that faith is obedience, not understanding. I commit myself to the Lordship of the Messiah. Then I understand. I am not Greek, waiting to collect all the information and evidence before I decide if I want to join forces with God. From the Hebrew perspective, I am confronted by a holy God. My unworthiness stinks. I see my true state. And there is no escape. I accept what He has done on my behalf in faith. I acknowledge Him as my Lord. Then the box opens.
Are you enjoying the mystery of obedience?
Topical Index: Obedience
