FELLOWSHIP OF THE MYSTERY

What is the mystery that Paul discusses?  Paul discusses the unfolding of the eternal plan of God.  This plan was born in the very heart of God in the beginning of beginnings. Our Heavenly Father wanted to have sons for a relationship and a love fellowship.  In order to eternally accomplish that result, God would have to live in them with His eternal Spirit and nature so that they could relate to Him, understand Him, and have fellowship with Him. Man in his natural senses cannot see, hear, and know God (I Cor. 2:9,12).  God has to reveal Himself to man by the Spirit in a Spirit renewed mind (I Cor. 2:10,13; Eph. 4:23).  The mystery has to be revealed by the Holy Spirit to man.  Revelation comes from the Greek word apokalupsis. The prefix apo means forth from, and kalupto which means to envelop, wrap around as bark, skin, shell or plaster, to cover over, by implication to hide or conceal. So revelation means the removing forth from the veil. Revelation is an uncovering, unveiling, or laying bare – a disclosure of all facts of Divine truth.  Revelation is the means that God uses to uncover and show us the mystery.  At the Spirit birthing, we are put in Christ and Christ is put in us.  The heart and glory of the mystery is that we are in Christ, and Christ is in us (Col. 1:26-28).

This is why we are called a new creature in Christ Jesus (II Cor. 5:17).  Never before had God come to live inside of man as his very life.  In the Old Testament, prophets, priests, and other special leaders had the anointing of God upon them.  They were His servants, but never His Spirit birthed sons.  Paul said, "the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints" (Col. 1:26). Paul said that the Gentiles are now fellow heirs of God in Christ (Eph. 3:6).  Paul said that his goal was to make all people see what is the fellowship of the mystery (Eph. 3:9). We now have a shared life in Christ in this new creation life.  This means we do things together and not separate.  Just as a husband and a wife do things together, so should every member of the body of Christ live and do things together with Christ. The fellowship of the mystery is Paul's focus, when he compares it with marriage (Eph. 5:32).  Spiritual fellowship with God is not found on the outside of us.  Spiritual fellowship is not found by doing things for God in our own flesh and strength.  Spiritual fellowship and communion with God is found through Christ living on the inside of us as us.  The fellowship of the mystery of Christ in us is the source of genuine fellowship with God! V

Written by Dwight Davis
Christ-Ministries