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Mysteries of the Church Age?
The mysteries of the
Church Age were hidden from the Old Testament prophets. They saw two
mountain peaks of prophecy ... the Cross and the Crown ... but not the
valley between the two which is the age in which we are now living.
Only in Paul's writings do we find the doctrine for, the position of,
the walk and the destiny of Church-Age believers. In the Old
Testament, Israel is depicted as the adulterous wife of Jehovah,
whereas, the body of believers in the Church Age is called "the bride
of Christ", as revealed to us in Ephesians 5:28-32.
Instructions for believers in this Church Age were given to Paul by
revelation from God the Holy Spirit. Shortly after his conversion to
Christianity, Paul spent three years in Arabia where he was personally
instructed about the mysteries of the Church Age. ( Galatians 1 :
17,18) . In his letters to seven Gentile churches ... Thessalonica,
Corinth, Galatia, Ephesus, Phillipi, Colosse and Rome ... Paul
revealed to them "the mystery which was hidden from the foundation of
the world," I.e. that the body of Christ would be composed of Jewish
and Gentile believers, and those epistles contain complete
instructions regarding God's purpose for all believers in this unique
dispensation. (Ephesians 3:9)
The mystery of "Christ in us, the hope of glory" is explained in
Colossians 1:26,27. The mystery that was hidden from ages and from
past generations is made manifest to believers to whom God would make
known what is the riches of the glory of the mystery among the
Gentiles; which is "Christ in you, the hope of glory." Christ indwells
every believer in this dispensation, and positionally we are said to
be "in Christ" throughout all of Paul's epistles. |
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The moment a person believes in Jesus Christ as his Savior, he is born
again, and is 'baptized into Christ', i.e. he is IDENTIFIED with Jesus
Christ, as the word baptism always means identification. Being
baptized into Christ is one of the four dry baptisms presented to us
in the scriptures. Paul said in Romans 6:3,4: "Don't you know that as
many of us who were baptized into Jesus Christ were identified with
His death? Therefore, we are buried with Him by baptism unto death;
that just as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the
Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."
The mystery of "Christ being the fullness of the Godhead in bodily
form" refers to the gracious, voluntary act of the Son of God, the
living Word of God, taking upon Himself true humanity and becoming God
and Man in one Person forever. (John 1:14) Theologians call this the
Hypo-Static Union.
The "mystery of Godliness" is explained in 1 Timothy 3:16:
"Without controversy, great is the mystery of Godliness: God was
manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels,
preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into
glory"
In Romans chapter 11, Paul explains that God is not finished with
Israel and that during the Church Age there will be Jews who have
positive volition toward the Gospel and will be saved and will become
members of the body of Christ. The "mystery of Israel's blindness
during this dispensation" is revealed in Romans 11 :25: "For I would
not have you ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your
own conceits, that blindness in part is happened to Israel until the
fullness of the Gentiles is complete."
The "mystery of the resurrection of all believers in this Church Age"
when it comes to a close is our "blessed hope." Paul takes a look at
this exciting event in 1 Corinthians 15:51,52: "Behold, I show you a
mystery ... we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. In a
moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the
trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and
we shall be changed."
Again Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18: "I would not have you to
be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who are asleep, that you
sorrow not, even as others who have no hope. For if we believe that
Jesus died and rose again, even so those also who sleep in Jesus will
God bring with Him. For we say unto you by the Word of the Lord, that
we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord shall not
precede those who are asleep; for the Lord Himself shall descend from
heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the
trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who
are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the
clouds, to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the
Lord. Wherefore, comfort one another with these words."
How fortunate are believers in this Church Age to have not only the
complete canon of scripture but also to have God the Holy Spirit
indwelling us as our mentor who will teach God's Word to us and who
has sealed us unto the day of redemption. (Ephesians 4:30)
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