The Mystery of the Kingdom
And He said to them, “To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God….
Mark 4:11
I usually don’t like taking verses out of context, but I want to focus on one little phrase in this passage. I want us to examine Jesus words, “the mystery of the kingdom of God.” The word “mystery” is used in conjunction with spiritual matters throughout the new testament.
The question is why would Jesus call the kingdom of God a mystery? I think perhaps one reason is that its nature was so unexpected to the people of His day. The kingdom Jesus brought was not the kingdom most people expected. The first century Jews had problems with the Romans. They thought when the kingdom came, God would destroy the Romans and judge the gentiles. Yet, something happened that was so unexpected that Paul called it a mystery. God brought not the gentile’s destruction but their forgiveness. He made the Jew and gentile brothers.
Others thought that when the kingdom came, God would meet all their needs and end all of life’s troubles. Jesus indeed came that they might have an abundant life, but that life would not be getting everything they ever wanted. It would not come through being exalted above everyone else. It would come through being given and counting others more important than themselves.
Just as it was for them, so it is for us. The kingdom of God is still a mystery. Yet, it is a mystery Jesus gladly reveals if we ask Him. Yet, when He does, we must be able to accept the unexpected. In the next few posts I would like to talk about the mystery of the kingdom of God. I believe we will see that what is so mysterious about the kingdom is the idea of grace.
Doug Reed
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Hi doug, sorry i have not ben around for a whil.I have been setting up a new site to share the message of the grace of God.I read this post and i look forward to reading what you have to share..It is indeed an internal kingdom that as jesus said,would not come by observation.It is a kingdom of th heart.
G&P
kenneth
Kenneth,
Thank you. Be sure to email me the link to your new site. I am looking forward to seeing it.
Hi doug,thankyou for your reply.I answerd her comment with these word's below.
Hi betty,thankyou for our comment.
You said,"The speaker emphasized God's acceptance of man"
Yes betty this is true,because with out the knowledge of God's acceptance of man how can we believe in his grace to us all?It is God our father's view and oppinion of us all in christ that make's a believer out of us,not the other way about.It is not what we know about God for it would take all enternity to even scracth the servise.But knowing what God think's about us will bring us to repentance, ie, the changing of our mind's.If w study roman's five we can se there by one man's disobedince that many,meaning all where made sinner's,and that we recieved the condition of sin througt the first adam without our having did anything to recieve it.But in the same chapter,paul goe's on to say,but by one act the many,meaning all,have been made righteous by the last adam.Paul use's this comparrison here not me.So i have to ask the question?Where we made righteous when we believed?Or where we made righteous when christ authered and finished faith for us all.By grace we have been saved throught faith,(Christ's faith)And that not of ourselve's, (by the work's of the law,for the law is not of faith) but it is the gift of God ,not of work's least anyman should boast.Our faith only embrace's the faith and obedinece of christ in redeming us from the sin condition brought about by the disobedinece of the first adam.
It is for freedom that christ has set us free.This is the good news.
So to me betty it is because of God's view and oppinion of me and the entire world in christ that has made a believer out of me.
It is finished.
I now live by the faith of the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.I know i have been accepted in the beloved and so are all for whom christ tasted of death for.heb2v9,The knowlege of the completed work of our savior in securing man's redemption will cause men to repent,(Change their mind) thus bringing salvation to their soul's.
Betty thankyou for the comment.i have been to your ther site's and they are just great.I hope to read more on them.i don't really want to get in debate.w both are on a journey in the grace and peace of God.I respect your view's and opinion's.But God our fathe view and oppinon of us all in christ is all that matter's to me.It is all about Jesus.He is my rest.
I love all of your heart's here for i know that you love the Lord each and every one.
I have put your teaching on the body of christ there today.
Here is the link to this group and my page.
http://wwjdtube.ning.com/profile/Kenneth?viewAsOther=1
G&P my brother.
Kenneth,
You said:
"It is God our father's view and oppinion of us all in christ that make's a believer out of us,not the other way about."
I couldn't agree more. Thank you.