The Mystery part 4
The mystery is God's love for us. Because a lot of the time it doesn't seem to make any sense. We are our own worst enemies a lot of the time. Because we are with ourselves ALL of the time. We know the worst things we've done. We know what we're capable of on our worst days. And those bad things always seem to weigh so much more than all of the good things we do. So we think, "How can God possibly love me when I don't even love myself?" We think we aren't worthy of love. We think it's something that must be earned and we think we always fall short of earning it. But look at Colossians 2:2-3, "That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knoweldge." It's an acknowledgement of the mystery. Not a "figuring out" of the mystery. "Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so." Faith comes from hearing, and hearing from the Word (which is Jesus, which is love) of God. Believing that what He says about us is true. Period. Becuase in Him is hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. And in us... is Him. We have an unction from the Holy Spirit and we know all things. But we don't always accept everything we know. Or we don't always fully understand everything we know. We KNOW the ultimate truth of the universe--the God is love and He loves you--but we don't seem to fully embrace that truth. The truth HAS set us free and made us free, but it's only in knowing and believing that truth that we can experience that freedom. The jail cell is unlocked. But we need to step out of prison. The way of grace has been made for us. But we have to respond to it with the walk of faith. The mystery is "God loves me. All of the time. No matter what. Nothing can separate me from His love." And the mystery is revealed to us (and in us, and through us, and as us) as God loves us. No matter what. He makes the mystery plain and clear. He makes it really simple. Love others as God loves you. Let Him love you and love Him back by loving people. It's that simple. That's what this life is for. That's what this life is all about. It's all about love! God works in mysterious ways because He works through people. The same people that get down on themselves for those terrible things they've done... are the same people who are capable of great love. All we have to do is let what's truly inside us come out... by knowing and believing it's in there. Fill ourselves to overflowing with the love that God has filled us with. Hurting people hurt people, right? But loved people love people. The mystery is, "How could God love me?" The answer is, "Because He IS love!" The mystery is, "Why does God love me?" The answer is, "Because you're His." The mystery is, "How do we love each other?" The answer is, "Because He first loved us." Receiving and releasing what God has done, is doing, and will do in us. Releasing who God is in us. Letting the love that's inside come out. That's the mystery--Christ in you, the hope of glory--revealed!