“This mystery is that through the Gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise of Christ Jesus.”
~ Ephesians 3:6
Hi James and Ellen,
Do you like to read books? Do you like to read mystery books? Do you like mysteries? What to you would be a mystery? A mystery may have to do with something that is unknown. A mystery may have to do with something that is unidentified. A mystery may have to do with something that has been done anonymously. Your grandpaa likes mysteries. Your grandpaa has just begun to read a book that the book’s author titled ‘Minnesota Mysteries’. Your grandpaa a couple of months ago read a book that the book’s author titled ‘The Shack’. The book ‘The Shack’ that your grandpaa read had been left by Kayla – a young lady who went to Matamoros, Mexico to spend time with the young guys and gals who were on Adventures In Missions (AIM) First Year Missionary (FYM) team that was in Matamoros. When Kayla finished spending time with the First Year Missionary team of young guys and gals that was in Matamoros, Kayla left her copy of ‘The Shack’ – as she had finished reading the book, for whoever wanted to read it. Your grandmaa and grandpaa had been asked to go to Matamoros to do closure sessions with the young guys and gals who were on the First Year Missionary team that was in Matamoros. Because your grandpaa had time to do some reading while he was in Matamoros, your grandpaa began to read Kayla’s copy of ‘The Shack’. After your grandmaa and grandpaa returned to Gainesville after having spent about a week in Mexico with the young guys and gals who were on the First Year Missionary team that was in Matamoros, your grandmaa and grandpaa flew to San José, Costa Rica to spend five days with the September 2007 World Race team. One of the first things that your grandpaa saw when he walked into the room where the guys and gals who were on the September 2007 World Race team ate their meals was a copy of ‘The Shack’ lying on one the tables in the room. Because several of the guys and gals on the September 2007 World Race team had read ‘The Shack’, your grandpaa was able to share his thoughts about this thought provoking book with them. In his book ‘The Shack’, the author sets up a heart wrenching scenario where God – as God the Father, is a wholly benevolent, portly Afro American lady, while God – as God the Son, is an unconditionally kind, puttering handyman and God – as God the Spirit, is an always present, peaceful being. The mystery here to your grandpaa is the timing that defies coincidence which had your grandpaa reading the same book at the same time that some of the guys and gals who were on September 2007 World Race team were reading the same book – even though they and your grandpaa were in different countries, which gave your grandpaa and some of the September 2007 World Race team guys and gals something to interact about when your grandpaa first arrived in San José, Costa Rica.
Paul – in Ephesians 3, wrote about a mystery. The mystery that Paul wrote about in the letter that he sent to the Christ-follower guys and gals who were living in the city of Ephesus was that it had been revealed to him that the Gospel of truth that he had been teaching to the Jew people group guys and gals, was also for non-Jew guys and gals who were called Gentiles. Paul – in verse 6, explains to the Christ-follower fellowship of guys and gals who were living in the city of Ephesus what God – as God the Spirit, revealed to him, “This mystery is that through the Gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise of Christ Jesus.” Paul wrote of himself as being both a literal and a figurative prisoner of Christ Jesus when he wrote what he wrote to the Christ-follower guys and gals who were living in the city of Ephesus. Even though Paul was being held as a prisoner under house arrest in the city of Rome, Paul rejoiced in the grace that God had blessed him. Even though Paul knew of his shortcomings – which he said made him ‘the least of all God’s people,’ Paul rejoiced in the opportunity that God had given him – through His grace, to preach to Gentile guys and gals ‘the unsearchable riches of Christ.’ Even though Paul had to suffer as a prisoner in the city of Rome, Paul rejoiced in the chance that the Christ-follower fellowship of guys and gals in the city of Ephesus had to bring glory God because of the opening that they now had to internalize Gospel truths alongside Gentile guys and gals in an equal way. Paul recognized the role of God – as God the Father – Who Gentile guys and gals can now go to with complete freedom and with total confidence, the role of God – as God the Son – Who Gentile guys and gals can now accept as their Lord and Savior and Who has given them the gift of faith and the hope of eternal life through His death and resurrection and the role of God – as God the Spirit – Who Gentile guys and gals can now go to for the strength and power that are needed to live with the glorious riches that come with enormous and unending love from God – as God the Father.
Do you understand the meaning of the mystery that had been revealed to Paul that the Gospel of truth was for both Jew and Gentile guys and gals who make a personal faith decision to accept what took place on a cross after Jesus was hung on and nailed to for them? You now can, too, grasp the endless length, infinite width, unsearchable depth and unbounded height of Jesus’ love for you. You now can, too, tap into the immeasurable, unimaginable power that is in you because of having God – as God the Spirit, enabling you. You now can, too, enjoy family life as Christ-follower kids who are being guided by God’s wisdom within the body of likeminded Christ-follower kids. If you have personally come to know God as Father, Son and Spirit, your purpose in life is no longer a mystery to you.
Ephesians 3 (920)