The Mystery of the Gospel

By Eric Wheeler eric@sharingtheway.com

Many people don’t realize it, but God made His plan of salvation (commonly referred to as “the Gospel”) a mystery!  That is, He purposely hid the Gospel (which means “good news”) of the Kingdom of God from mankind.  He made it a secret that is hidden from the world!  He has blinded the eyes of most people so that they cannot see or discern the things of God nor find salvation.  Notice the following Scriptures that clearly state this:

Mark 4:11-12 – "He [Jesus] told them, ‘The mystery of the Kingdom of God has been given to you.  But to those on the outside everything is said in parables so that they may be ever seeing, but never perceiving, and ever hearing, but never understanding."

Rom. 16:25 – "Now to Him who is able to establish you by my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past …"

I Cor. 2:7-8 – "But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began.  None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory."

Eph. 1:9 – "And He made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ."

Eph. 3:1-9 – "For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles– Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly.  In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets.  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 in Christ Jesus … Although I am less than the least of all God’s people, this grace was given to me to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God who created all things."

Eph. 6:19-20 – Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel for which I am an ambassador in chains.  Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should."

Col. 1:25-27 – "I have become its [the Church’s] servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness — the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints.  To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."

Col. 2:2-3 – "My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."

Rev. 10:7 – "But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as He announced to His servants the prophets."

A fair question then is, why?  Why did God make the Gospel a mystery to mankind?  Why did He blind the eyes of the whole world, as well as the eyes of some of His own people, to the only Way of salvation?  Why did He hide the Truth of God which is able to make us free?  The answer is “because we sought Him not by faith” (Rom. 9:32).  Simply put, we didn’t seek to know Him with our whole hearts.  We didn’t love Him and trust Him and desire Him completely.

God is not far from each one of us (Acts 17:27).  But He is not forcing Himself upon any of us at this time.  He is offering Himself to anyone who calls upon Him.  For it is written: “For God is not a respecter of persons. But accepts men from every nation who fear Him and do what is right” (Acts 10:34-35).  And again, the Bible promises, “Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved” (Acts 2:21; Rom. 10:13).  Right now, God is “commanding all men everywhere to repent and to seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him” (Acts 17:27-30).  The word grope here means to reach out for, to feel for, and to blindly search for – as a blind person does looking for something.  This is why Jesus said, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” (Matt. 7:7).  God wants us to put forth some effort to find Him and the Truth.  That is why God made His Truth – the Gospel of the Kingdom – a mystery.  For the Bible says that “it is the glory of God to conceal a matter; but it is the glory of kings to search it out.” (Prov. 25:2).  God wants us to earnestly seek after Him to find the Truth.

Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matt. 5:6).  And He told His disciples, “Blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear” (Matt. 13:16).  Meanwhile, the rest of the world was made blind and deaf to His Truth.

Beginning with His own rebellious people, Israel, God blinded the whole world to His Truth and to His Holy Word – the Bible.  He declared by the mouth of one of His holy prophets: “Pause and wonder!  Blind yourselves and be blind!  They are drunk, but not with wine.  They stagger, but not with intoxicating drink.  For the Lord has poured out on you the spirit of deep sleep, and has closed your eyes, namely, the prophets; and He has covered your heads, namely, the seers.  The whole vision [of the Bible] has become to you like the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one who is literate [educated], saying, ‘Read this, please’; and he says, ‘I cannot, for it is sealed’.  Then the book is delivered to one who is illiterate [uneducated], saying, ‘Read this, please’; and he says, ‘I am not literate’” (Isa. 29:11-12).  For God says, “Inasmuch as these people draw near to Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but have removed their hearts far from Me, and their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men, therefore, behold, I will again do a marvelous work among this people, a marvelous work and a wonder.  For the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden” (Isa. 29:13-14).

God is not interested in people calling upon Him for what they can “get” from Him.  That is, He despises when people have a relationship with Him for financial and material gain, for prestige, or to appear righteous unto others, and to feel good about themselves.  He is not interested in people serving Him with their mouths and not with their hearts.  For God is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.  He reads men’s thoughts and knows what is in the heart of every person (I Kings 8:39; John 2:24-25).  There is no fooling God.  Therefore God blinded the people of the world as a whole, as well as some of His own people, from understanding His ways and from knowing the hidden mysteries of the Kingdom of God.  But if and when a person truly repents and seeks to know God and His ways from their heart, God will forgive that person and then open their mind by giving them His Holy Spirit so that they might begin to understand spiritual things.  Notice this in the Scriptures:

“But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory…But God has revealed them [the hidden things of God and His wisdom] to us through His Spirit.  For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.  For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him?  Even so, no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.  Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.  These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.  But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (I Cor. 2:10-14).

And in another place, the Scripture says:  “Then He [Jesus] opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures” (Luke 24:45).

When a person truly calls upon Him from their heart, and not just with their lips, God hears and answers them.  If a person really wants to know God, and is willing to follow Him no matter what the cost, God promises that He will reveal Himself to that person by opening up their mind to His truths.  Yet, not everyone who calls Him “Lord, Lord” will be saved though either.  Just as Jesus said, “But only those who do the will of My Father will enter into the Kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 7:21).  “For many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonderful works in Your name [that is, in the name of Christianity]?’  And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you!  Depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” (Matt. 7:21-23).  God is not interested in our forms of religion.  He is not interested in our ceremonies, formulas, and traditions!  In fact, they stink in His nostrils and are abhorrent in His eyes!  For He looks upon the heart!  Just as He told Samuel the prophet, “For the Lord does not see as man sees.  For man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart!” (I Sam. 16:7).

The Bible says that it is with the heart that man believes unto righteousness (Rom. 10:10).  And consequently, it is also with the heart that man does not believe unto his own condemnation (John 3:18).  It is not about his outward appearance or his adorning!  It is not about his church attendance or his education.  I tell you the truth; God knows the thoughts and intents of the heart, and this is what He looks at and judges!  Nothing escapes His eyes or His knowledge.  Men are fools if they think that they can hide their true thoughts and feelings from Him.  For it is written that He sits atop the heavens, and from there He sees all the works of men, and that nothing escapes His view (Psa. 33:13-15).  “For there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must all give account.” (Heb. 4:13).  Therefore, seek after the Lord with all your heart and discover all of the wonderful mysteries of the Kingdom of God!

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