The mystery through the ages is many Christians have been in ignorance as to what God’s will or purpose is. Even in Christ’s time, Christians did not understand His will or His purpose. They questioned Christ as how they should pray, what they should pray for and to know what His will was for them. To know His will, His purpose, His plan, you must understand that first, we talk to God when we pray. But He talks to us when we read His word. God is teaching us through his scripture, “After this manner therefore pray you: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be they name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6: 9-10).
For almost two thousand years, Christians have been reading these verses and have not understood one word of what He was tell you. But here for the world to read, God’s will and His plan reveals for all humanity. Read and reread each verse, “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” Do you realize what Christians have been praying for, even if they didn’t know what those words meant? Every time you say “God, I want Your Will to be done.” Christians have had God’s clues to His mystery all along, but can’t see the forest because of the trees. Though the clues have been there for all to see, He has kept His purpose and His will from the main stream of humanity. Why? Everything in its time. God’s plan must be met according to His overall purpose, and in His own time frame. Perhaps this is close to the end time when more Christians will begin to understand His mysterious plan. His good news of the Gospel. “For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles. If you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: How that by revelation He made known unto me the mystery; [as I wrote afore in few words]. Whereby, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ, which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it is now revealed to His Holy Apostles and prophets by the Spirit: That the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, and of the same body and partakers of His promise in Christ by the gospel.” (Ephesians 3: 1-6).
God is very organized and according to the acceptance of His plan, He reveals His overall purpose. When God’s plan and purpose was rejected by Adam and Eve who had the first opportunity to have eternal life, then God offered the same opportunity to The Israelites. They too, rejected God’s plan. Adam and Eve and the Twelve Tribes of Israel also rejected God’s offer of eternal life. So, in verse 6, God opens His plan to The Gentiles and the Gentiles are not only The Greeks and Romans but all the peoples of the world.
So with rejection to follow God, the mystery was never revealed to anyone in The Old Testament. The only hint given them was a seed that would come through one tribe of the Israelites that would save everyone. During Christ’s teachings in The New Testament, this mystery was unraveled and revealed to only one Apostle, Paul. “For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles. If you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward.” Verse 3, He states something very startling and we always thought this was just given specially, “How that by revelation He made known unto me the mystery [as I wrote afore in few words], whereby, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ.” There is some kind of mystery about Christ, “which is other ages and was not made known unto the sons of men,” so God purposely kept this hidden. Prophets didn’t know about it. Moses didn’t know about it. Who was the first one to have this mystery revealed? It was revealed to Paul first and there is a very good reason why God chose Paul and not Peter, or the other apostles. “As it is now revealed unto His Holy Apostles and Prophets by The Spirit.” Verse 6, “That the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs and of the same body and partakers of His promise in Christ by the Gospel.” Remember when we use the word Gentile, many think of the Greeks – he’s talking about all the rest of humanity. He said, “Until God revealed this mystery,” this secret, “to me Paul, it was never known before.” Never known about the promise that God opened up the opportunity to the rest of the world to be saved. Hell-fire people want to burn them in the lake of fire. This offends many people. Some people want to see people go in the lake of fire. They are called hell-fire preachers. God’s purpose has been hidden all this time. The Book of Ephesians was written in about 62 A.D. So until about 62 A.D. prior history of anything about God, no one knew this secret. It had just started to be revealed to Paul. Peter didn’t know it. James didn’t know it. Bartholomew didn’t know it. Mark didn’t know it. None of them knew it. Remember in II Peter 3, where Peter says that as all the Epistles were hard to be understood. Why? Because he had something to reveal that they didn’t understand. It was not yet made known to them. Now turn to Colossians 1. We will see a little more about this mystery. “Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you to fulfill the word of God; Even the mystery which has been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints. To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: Whom we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.”
Finally, you will find that answer. Verse 25: “Wherefore, I am made a minister,” Paul speaking about his calling, “according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you,” speaking to the Gentiles. By the way, the letter to Colosse could also be called the letter to Laodicea. Laodicea was only about 7 – 8 miles away from Colosse. Paul said when you finish reading it in the churches in Colosse, read it to the churches of Laodicea. It probably was a very meaningful message to the Laodiceans who already thought they were the only ones who knew the truth. Sound familiar? I don’t have all the truth, do you?
Verse 26, “Even the mystery which had been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest,” or known to whom? “to His saints:” You know what he is telling you? If all these years, you did not know this mystery, you have not been what? You have not been growing spiritually. You are spiritually dead. The author learned this only three years ago. Many of us have been spiritually dead for a very long time. “To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is.” What is the mystery of God? “Christ in you.” Not only to all the Jews, to all the Israelites, to all the Gentiles, to all the world. “Christ in you.” In Verse 28, “When we preach warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present” Notice “Every man.” Who could be excluded? Perhaps the pagans, the murderers are excluded. No one! “Every man perfect in Christ Jesus.” Christ said in Matthew 6:48, “Be you therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” When do you think you must come to perfection? Right now! People talk about becoming perfect. I Corinthians 5 tells us, during the Feast of Un-leaven Bread, Christ made you what? Un-leaven or sinless. Have you got a time limit? We are supposed to be like Christ right now. Most people in the Christian world believe you will become like Christ at the resurrection. But if you wait that long, you aren’t going to be there. To make this point, read about the five virgins who weren’t wise.
Jesus Christ Himself tells us what God’s will is and what God’s real purpose is. Remember the account where the 5,000 men were fed with the few fishes and loaves of bread. Have you ever wondered what that meant? He sat down and was told they were hungry. The Apostles or Disciples asked if they should go into town to get some food. Christ said, “No, let it suffice what we do have.” What they had were two fishes and five loaves of bread. So he prayed and blessed the food. After he prayed, the 5,000 men, including the women and the children, may have totaled ten to twelve thousand people. Yet, when they all finished eating, they found there were twelve baskets left over. “And the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh” (John 6: 4-4).
Here’s another question for you. What is God’s work? Write down your answer. Then we hear Christ tell us what God’s work is. When we read Christ’s answer, we will see if you were right. To learn God’s truths, you must go to the scriptures themselves. Read them out loud to prove it for yourselves. When did this feeding take place? “And the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh.” The time of the sacrifice of the lamb. A picture of Christ. After they were fed and had the twelve basketfuls left over, what did they want to do? They wanted to make Him King They wanted God’s Kingdom right then. They decided to make Him King. What did Christ do? He ran. He jumped into the boat and rode away. So they started looking for Him. When they found Him they wanted to know why He left. “And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither? Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I saw unto you, Ye seek me, nt because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves and were filled. Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for the meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.” (John 6: 25-27).
In Verse 25, “And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, ‘Rabbi’ or master ‘when camest thou hither?” Where did you come from? And “Jesus answered them and said, ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, You seek me, not because you saw the miracles, but because you saw the miracles, but because you did eat of the loaves and were filled.” He said, “Look, you human beings, you’re just here because you want physical things.” You know, as tragic as human life problems seem, it doesn’t matter. We seek physical things, you follow Christ for physical things. Jesus tells you, “Look you came here because you want to eat.” He goes on: Verse 27: “Labour not” Don’t spend your life “for the food which perishes, but for that food which endureth unto” What? “everlasting life.” Spiritual. True Christians should not belong to a religion. Religion is a physical ritual and it makes you feel better. It makes you think like you are doing something holy or religious. So the next question is: How much better of a person have you become? One example will be eating un-leaven bread all your life will not make you perfect. It’s what un-leaven bread means that’s important. Will keeping the Passover make you perfect? Will keeping all the Holy Days make you perfect? “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days” (Colossians 2:16).
Colossians 2:16 says, “Let no man judge you about the Sabbath, the new moons and the feast days.” Paul is telling Titus, “Don’t get into arguments about the law because these are just a shadow of things to come.” The meaning of the Sabbath rest, pictures the new heaven and the new earth, but it doesn’t make you righteous. It doesn’t make you perfect. It doesn’t make you a Christian. Better understand what things are for. It is better to understand the real meaning of what you read in The Bible.
Christ said, “You look for the food that gives you everlasting life where the twelve basketfuls are left over. You never go hungry.” Fully understand this. “Which the son of man shall give unto you for him hath God the Father seals.” Speaking of the Holy Spirit, “Then said they unto him what shall we do that we might work the works of God.” What is God’s work? Is it to preach the gospel? No. The gospel is the message of the kingdom; it is not the work of God.
“Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that you believe on Him whom He hath sent. They said therefore to him, What sign show us then, that we may see and believe you? What do you work? Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. Then Jesus said to them, Verily, verily, I say to you, Moses gave you not the bread from heaven; but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” (John 6: 29-33). The work of God is: Verse 29 “Jesus answered and said to them, this is the work of God. That you believe on him whom He had sent.” It can’t be clearer can it? The work of God is Jesus Christ. Read it again. Read and reread it. No kingdom is coming without Him. Without Jesus Christ in you, there is no kingdom. “They said therefore to Him, what sign show us then, that we may see and believe?” What work do you do? They ask Him if the Father’s work is to believe on Him whom He had sent. In verse 31 He said, “Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. Then Jesus said to them, verily, verily” or surely, “I say to you, Moses gave you not the bread from heaven.” No, it wasn’t Moses who gave it? Who gave it? God, The Father. “But my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He which comes down from heaven and gives life unto.” To whom does He give life? The called out ones? Or the Church? Or only those who go into the Lake of Fire? “God The Father gives the bread from heaven” to whom? “The World.” The World.
“Then said they to Him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. And Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life: He that comes to me shall never hunger; and he that believes on me shall never thirst. But I say to you, that you also have seen me and believe not.” What is His will? “Then said they to Him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.” You never get hungry with this bread. You live forever. “And Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life; he that comes to me shall never hunger and he that believes on me shall never thirst. But I said to you, that you also have seen me and believe not.” Christ is the work of God. He is God’s work. “All that the Father gives me shall come to me; and him that comes to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven.” Christ is telling you the reason He came down, “not to do mine own will. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. But the will of him who sent me. And this is the Father’s will which has sent me” Verse 39 “and that of all which he has given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again.” When will this happen? “at the last day.” This is not the Church. This is talking about the world. The first resurrection is not the last day of resurrection. That is why he fed the 5,000. That is why from two loaves, they had twelve basketfuls left over because feeding never ends. It’s for everyone. Let us prove this point.
“All that The Father gives me shall come to me; and him that comes to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father’s will which has sent me, that of all which he has given me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that everyone which sees the Son and believes on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.” Check Verse 40, “And this is the will of him who sent me, that everyone which sees the Son and believes on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.” What happened at the last day? “In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, if any man thirst, let him come to me and drink. He that believes on me, as the scriptures has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”
This is during the Feast of Tabernacles and the eighth day is the last day of the Feast. The last day is The Day of Judgment. Most think The Day of Judgment is the day of condemnation. In reality, it is the day when the big harvest of salvation happens. Most people who are to be saved are going to be saved then. In John 6, He said, “I will raise them up the last day, in the last day, that great day of the feast.” Now notice the remarkable difference when He was preaching that last day (the eighth day). “Jesus stood up and cried, saying, if any man thirst, let him come to me and drink.” This is just the opposite from what we read in John 6 when He said, “all that The Father sends me.” Notice what He is saying here. So this is the time of that last great day of the great harvest when most people are saved. They will be called to the truth at that time. It’s for anybody who wants it. That is what happens on the last day. What happens on that last day? What does God do at The Day of Judgment? Old Dante has got his hell, those seven layers of hell that you work your way down or up. This is what most people think of when they think of The Day of Judgment.
“Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the Word of God, the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
When we read II Peter 3, it gets clearer and clearer as God teaches His truth. As you allow God to tell you of His plan, it gets simple. It is not complicated. It’s very, very plain. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist. You don’t need an education. It’s simple. In II Peter 3, Peter talks about the end of time, just before the new heaven and new earth. This shows the attitude of the people before Christ comes. “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,” or sinning “And saying, where is the promise of His coming?” People insist He is never going to return. Thousands of years have gone by. Christ still hasn’t come back. But there is a reason, “For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.” Nothing has changed. People still covet, lie, steal and kill. “For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water” (speaking about the flood). “Whereby the world was then was, being overflowed with water, perished.” In Verse 7, He is talking about the future. “But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store or reserved unto fire against The Day of Judgment.” There’s to be a fire “and perdition.” Two things happen at that time: It’s the time of judgment and the time of perdition. Judgment is the time of trial. People think the time of judgment is the time of sentencing. It’s not. Remember Peter said that judgment is upon the house of God. Now. We are being judged now. That’s why we go into the first resurrection. You aren’t going to be judged in the first resurrection because you are being judged now. Now if everyone else hasn’t been judged until then, that’s when they are what? Tested. Verse 8, “But beloved be not ignorant of this one thing.” Now I want you to get this. Re-read it and re-read it a million times. Many have read it a million times and still didn’t get it. “That one day with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” Why? What’s the reason? “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish. Thy Kingdome come, thy will be done.”
You have been praying for it. Did you know that you’ve been trying to save the whole world and didn’t know it? That means Judas Iscariot. That means Adolph Hitler. I can just see some of you, No, No, not Hitler. Do you believe that it is God’s will that none should perish? Do you believe it? This tells us the reason that God is so patient. He wants no one to perish. Is this God’s will? Didn’t we read in John 6 that my Father doesn’t want me to lose anyone? “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (I Timothy 2: 1-4). I Timothy 2:1 “I exhort therefore, that first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions and giving of thanks,” what? “be made for everybody.” Everyone – the whole world – “for kings and all born authority that we may lead a peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.” Here’s the reason you are going to pray for the whole world; so we can have it easy. Is that what you think? That’s what you think it says. Right? It does say that. Let’s read the next verse. “Who will have all men tol be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” That is God’s will. All, every single person is to be saved.
“And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world” (I John 4:14). He sent his Son to save the world. Nobody can lose? This was and is the will of God. This is the mystery that was hidden for ages. This secret was given only to Paul. Why? Paul was the Apostle to the Gentiles. God revealed this mystery to the rest of the world and to Paul before it was told to the other apostles. This caused a lot of trouble among the other apostles. They never went to headquarters to figure out what headquarters wanted. Instead, they went to headquarters to see if they were all preaching the same thing.
In the first place, they found that they had a difference about preaching about circumcision. Peter finally reminded them that God revealed to them (through his dream) that no man should be called common or unclean. The Apostle didn’t realize this. In studying the Bible, one must find out by reading God’s word, to understand God’s plan – to further understand this study. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world, through him, might be saved” (John 3:16-17). How many of you have read this and have not understood it. Let me give you a big secret. Read verse 16 again: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son.” Ask yourself what is the work of God? The answer is to believe on him whom he has sent. He sent his son for this specific purpose. “For God sent not his Son to condemn it.” When Christ said, “I judge not.” How much judging do you do? He didn’t send Him to condemn us. He tells us very plainly that God’s purpose is that the world through Him might be saved. That is God’s purpose. That is God’s Plan. Now, when you read or pray and say, “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done,” you know what it means. You are praying for the salvation of the whole world. That’s the message. God’s will is to save the whole world. That is His purpose.
This is another piece of the puzzle that unravels the mystery hidden for so many thousands of years.
Copyright Arthur C. Mokarow March 28th2011
