The Secret part 4
"Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith: To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen" (Romans 16:25-27). The mystery that was kept secret since the world began is now made manifest to us and in us and through us. It is the secret of life; the secret that God has always, and will always, love us. The secret that we don't have to DO in order to BE, but rather we do BECAUSE we be. The secret of our true identity in Christ. Kept secret until the appointed time, until the Holy Spirit stopped striving WITH men and took up abode IN men. Kept secret until the Holy Spriit stopped coming ON men in power and FILLED men WITH power! The power of revelation. The power to BE transformed (into what we have already been transformed into) by the renewing of our mind. The power to stop working and start resting. And I always like to point out when speaking of work and rest, it's Spiritual work I'm talking about. Because a "Christian" at rest looks a whole lot like a "Christian" who is working. It's simply the difference between working to GET something, and working because you HAVE something. If you already have it (and we already do have it) then the work isn't work at all. It's not trying to get Jesus' life, or live Jesus' life. It's resting in the work that He did and enjoying the fruit (love) of His labor. It's letting Jesus live His life in and through and as us. And that's the secret. It's not us doing anything at all. It's the power of God that works in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure. He's the river of life, and we just flow wherever He goes--because He's going there in us. Now let's hit on "obedience of faith." I really like that term, because New Covenant obedience IS faith. Jesus said if you want to work the work of God you must believe. And faith isn't hoping that something will happen. Faith is believing in what HAS happened. There was a mystery called Christ in you the hope of glory. And that mystery was kept secret since the world began. But now the secret is out. Now we know who we are, and where we are, and why we're here. Now we know that God is our heavenly Father and we are His beloved Son in whom He is well pleased. Now we can offer our bodies as a living sacrifice because we know what Daddy is going to use them for. He's going to use them for love! The love in us flows out of us. When we know that secret (that Daddy loves us), then we can SHARE that secret. When we know the work is finished we can stop working and start living! And by "living" I mean we can let Jesus live HIS abundant, everlasting, eternal, Resurrection Life in us. We can stop trying to be somebody else because we know the secret of who we really are. We can BE who we really are by letting Jesus be Himself in us!