"HE REVEALS MYSTERIES FROM THE DARKNESS, And brings the deep darkness into light" (Job 12:22 NASB). "And without controversy great is the Mystery of Godliness: God was manifest in the flesh..." (1 Timothy 3:16).

To know the mysteries, those things of God that have been kept secret since the foundation of the world (Mathew 13:35)! How do we come to understand them? Is it by spending hours upon bended knees in prayer? Can we come to their realities by attending power-filled meetings? Or is the source and manifestation of God’s mysteries found, perhaps, in the great books of the world?

If we should gather all the books written by learned men and women who claim to have unraveled God’s many mysteries, we would have a mountain too high to climb. One would think that with the tons of books and other printed material available, and with countless students seeking out the ways and purposes of the Father, there would be no mysteries left to solve. Yet, He and His secrets remain by and large behind a dark glass and unknown by most.

That which is declared as truth is more often than not the opinions of men. Very seldom is it the reality of Christ. The human creature may think he can take heaven’s treasures and bind them between the covers of books, and then lay them open for all to freely eat; but it doesn’t work that way. In their efforts to unlock these mysteries, at best, they preserve yesterday's revelations, which eventually end up on a shelf to gather dust. Meetings and prayers are both good; yet neither are they the keys that unlock the reality of these mysteries. Very seldom do we see their manifestations in the earth, and there are reasons why.

Man is bent on doing things the easiest way possible, so it is not strange that he would view God as the same. Man’s way of doing things would be to have the Lord of mysteries to lift his unrefined soul into the bright light of Himself, and from there to lay out His secrets of the ages. The creature would then expect the Father to send him forth declaring his new-found understanding to the world. But don’t we know, secrets are not so easily come by? They are not to be paraded in the open for all to see. They are not for every ear to hear. They are sequestered. They are hidden from the view of the majority.

There is a certain mystique about mysteries. They can be overwhelming at times as they stir the inquisitive mind of the human creature. Sown into the very fabric of the human soul is the driving force to look into every secret and solve all mysteries. There is no mystery too small nor great, too sacred nor vile, which does not pervade men's minds. The compulsion to solve mysteries is as natural as breathing.

The world is full of unsolved mysteries; yet without controversy, the greatest of all mysteries are those pertaining to Godliness. The most common avenue Christians choose to travel in their endless search for answers to these mysteries is the Bible, Sunday morning church services, TV evangelists, Bible studies, books, and plethora of other avenues. Very often, however, their true desire is not to possess Godliness, but to have knowledge about Godliness.

Knowledge alone will usually gratify their hunger; for it is more comfortable to view it from a safe distance rather than actually getting into the midst of it. Generally speaking, people want to go to heaven and live forever, but they don't want to die and leave their carnal world behind. If possible, they would drag their temporal things with them into the arms of eternity.

The common pursuit to solve mysteries is the same as it was with the Pharisees. The clergy, and students alike, sifted through the scriptures with hopes of finding that place wherein they might have eternal life, but they refused the One that the scriptures say could give them life. (rf. John 5:39-40). On a broad scale, it seems that down to this late hour, dogmas, creeds, precepts, programs, and performances continue to be more important than Life Himself.

The point Jesus made was very clear — knowledge is not the answer to the great mystery of Godliness. Paul reinforced this truth when he said, "knowledge puffs up" (1 Corinthians 8:1). No amount of human intellect will unlock the vast reserves of God's unsearchable riches. Man's ways will always fall short of this great mark. Reading good books and listening to sermons and tapes may instruct, strengthen, encourage, and at times quicken life in the Spirit; yet the true essence of divine mysteries can still be lacking. Becoming fluent in the Greek and Hebrew languages can also be valuable tools, but they are not the end product. At most, they are a means to the end. Paul said that we are to study and show ourselves approved of God. This is good; but neither he nor Jesus said this was the Life. Jesus did say of Himself, however, "I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE," and as wonderful as they are, He was not referring to the scriptures

Chastising our flesh with the laws handed down from Moses will not do it. Some try a more natural approach of eating their way into the Kingdom of God. This avenue brings the person to religiously ingesting green algae, alfalfa sprouts, pycnogenol, Noni juice or an array of other wonderful health foods and herbs of the field. Please don’t misunderstand me. I believe all of these are good for promoting good health, and we stand for good health; but there is nothing spiritual in the purist of health foods. It is certainly better to be healthy than sickly; but diets are not the answers to the mystery of Godliness.

It is also better for the rebellious and disobedient to give themselves to the holy laws of God than to live like the wild asses of the wilderness that the prophet spoke of. (Jeremiah 2:24). Giving themselves to the law will not bring them one step closer to the Kingdom of God; but it may make it much easier on those close to them. It is usually better, but not always, to live with a law-abiding church goer than to live with a mean reprobate.

Nevertheless, health foods, rivers of sweat from works, or the bit and bridle of the law will not advance anyone closer to the mystery of Godliness. Shear obedience to the law will steer one in a better direction and clean his outward appearance, and health foods will surely elevate one's natural quality of life; but none of these can change one’s nature from carnal to spiritual. The mystery of iniquity will remain intact and continue its perpetual reign. Mechanical legalism alone has always failed to possess the mysterious ingredient of Godliness. Godliness is found in no other place than JESUS CHRIST! Without Him, people will abide godless. Religious perhaps, but godless for sure!

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance gives an excellent definition of the word, MYSTERY which will help in understanding why knowledge and works are not our tickets back to God. The Greek word is MUSTERION, which simply means: TO SHUT THE MOUTH; a secret or mystery (through the idea of SILENCE IMPOSED BY INITIATION). The Westcott and Hort Greek Interlinear New Testament translates musterion as being A SACRED SECRET. Kittle's Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, in essence, says this about the word: The musterion is to be shared only with those initiated into the mystery... but the New Testament musterion has an eschatological reference, which (in the proper season) rejects no one. The musterion is not itself revelation; but is the object of revelation.

What a deathblow to our burning desire to share every secret we know! Where we had presumed that we were to shout God’s mysteries from the housetops, we are now told, "SHUT YOUR MOUTH!" A rush of questions flash through our minds. For instance: why were we given the word of reconciliation, the ministry of reconciliation, or called to be ambassadors of Christ in 2 Cor 5:18-20 if we are to keep our mouths shut. It doesn't make sense to be sent out for the purpose of reconciling the world, and then to be told to shut up. Why is it, with such wonderful things in our lives, are we to keep them secret? Discounting what Kittle's says about no one eventually being rejected, there seems to be a colossal paradox, especially when we consider 2nd Corinthians 6:2 — "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." There must be some sort of mystery about this mystery that merits an unveiling.

The truth is, we can easily fulfill our calling, and still keep the secrets. To clarify the point, we will draw our attention to a mystery I have spoken of on many occasions. It is a great mystery with which most of us are familiar — the Mystery of Marriage as noted in Ephesians 5:22-33. I like to use this mystery as an example, for in it we can see the simplicity of keeping something a secret, while at the same time divulging it to the whole world.

Anyone who has been married for a while will agree — that they knew nothing about marriage before they were initiated into it. Before they were married, most of them had thought they knew a lot about the subject, and there is reason for this. It is likely that they grew up in a family with a mother and father who were married, or at least they had grandparents, aunts and uncles who were married. What they saw was the fruit of the marriage and not the process. Such observation alone had instilled a false perception of this mystery, and what sealed their ideas about marriage was when they fell in love with the ones they would marry.

What else was there to know about it? Twenty years of observation and two months of being in love should be all anyone needs to vault into the easy life of marriage, right? Wrong! Of course it is wrong, for once they were married, after they were firmly initiated into it, they came to realize that there is a lot more to marriage than their imaginations had assumed. No amount of observation, instruction, or love could have revealed the mystery of marriage to them. They had to experience for themselves not only the good, but the bad and ugly as well. If something was broken, it was fixed rather than abandoning it. And so it is with the mystery of Godliness.

The nature of marriage, like all Godly mysteries, prohibits its secrets from being revealed by words alone. Words may describe the outward shell, the principles of a relationship called marriage, but its inner essence will stay hidden to those who have not been initiated into it.

Now we ask, can such a thing as marriage be taught? Can our children or grandchildren understand anything we tell them about this wonderful mystery? Not in a million years. But there is a way to relate this mystery which will draw and cause them to desire it: We can express the mystery in our lives! We can exemplify the mystery! WE CAN MANIFEST THE MYSTERY! This is how we first tell, or unveil, this illusive secret, yet much of what we manifest comes out of the furnace of fire wherein we were tried and purified. And it is no different with the mystery of Life in Jesus Christ.

Jesus spoke of this unveiling when He prayed to His Father:  "I HAVE MANIFESTED THY NAME." John 17:6. Everything He did or said was His Father's Life being manifested. He was the very expression of His substance as Hebrews 1:3 states. His words and deeds were powerful and had great impact upon the lives of those who heard and were touched by Him. But we must realize that what He spoke and did were more than carefully chosen words and innovative works. His words and actions flowed from the well-spring of God, from the very essence of divinity. And even at that, those who walked with Him were only temporarily helped. There were no changes in their nature until they too were initiated into that same life at Pentecost.

When we truly live the mystery of Godliness, we are the very examples of it. By living it we radiate the light of God’s powerful love. This is what it is to share such a mystery to those yet to be initiated into it. Once the mystery becomes a part of our lives, it is clearly seen and desired by those with eyes to see. We may even be asked to teach the great mystery of Godliness, but our answer will always be the same — "Sorry, my friend, Godliness cannot be taught; but I can introduce you to the One who can make it possible!"

The scriptures say that His ministers are flames of fire. Can we teach classes on how this becomes a reality in our lives. Again, it is no! Our mouths will be shut, for there are no words that can convey such a thing. We can relate these wonderful things in a measure; but how can you reduce the high and holy works of God and place them in human language? I don’t think it can be done without losing something in the transfer. So it stands — Godliness cannot be fully known until there is an initiation into it, and ministers fire cannot be until they are initiated into Godliness.

Once they are joined to the Lord, as it is in a true marriage between a man and woman, we can then share to a degree things with them that they can understand, but not before. It is as impossible to teach the mystery of Godliness to those outside a thriving relationship with Christ, as it is impossible to teach any other mystery: It is impossible to teach Fire, it is impossible to teach Love, it is impossible to teach Immortality, it is impossible to teach Christ — but anyone can be initiated into all these mysteries and know the reality of them by experience.

The beautiful thing about this is that we don't have to be intellectual or religious giants to know love or understand all the mysteries of Christ; nor do we have to embrace certain doctrines, or quote a string of scriptures. Praise God! Intelligence, religious demeanor, fluid rhetoric, or demonstrations of gifts have nothing to do with it. We can't teach a relationship, but we can surely live it! That is what Godliness comes from — a relationship!

Ask a child to explain the love he has for his parents. He won't be able to; but his love goes to the core of his little heart, and it is manifested continually. You see, he was initiated into love. His mom and dad first loved him, and they saturated him with it, and before his infant mind could even form a thought, he loved them too. And we also love our Father and Mother, for He and His Church (not the organization) first loved us, as the apostle of love wrote of God so many centuries ago: "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us....We love Him because HE FIRST LOVED US." 1 John 4:10,19.

God's mysteries, His secrets, are dimly seen at first. "For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known." 1 Corinthians 13:12. In a measure, we understand these mysteries when they come by the Spirit of revelation, but they cannot be fully grasped until they are tried by fire and we walk in them to be seen of the world if their eye catches the light of these flames of fire.

What I am saying in no way suggests we can "know" nothing of God’s mysteries without experiencing them; for Jesus said: "Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand. Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God." Luke 8:10–11.

The word, know is from the Greek word gnosko, and is used in a great variety of applications and with many implications (rf. Strong’s). Gnosko, therefore, must be taken in context of what is being said to grasp its intention. In this verse it speaks of knowing something, even on the intellectual scale, once it has been clearly spoken and heard. Let us note that the Pharisees were not told these mysteries, except in parables, so they would not know the mysteries of the Kingdom of God. Even so, this is not our point of interest today. We are looking farther down the road to where we are presently walking. We are deeply appreciative of knowing about God’s Kingdom from receiving the Seed revelation; but to understand what is happening to that Seed is our quest at the moment.

In times past, we often took the words of Jesus and prematurely ran with them, thinking the beginning seed of the Word had the same merit as the ending manifestation — but it didn't. The planting of the seed (the revelation of the Word) is no less valuable than the harvest (the manifestation); but there is a difference between the two. There is also a process of the sown seed. There are three major seasons involved that all life-bearing seeds go through. The First is for planting, the second is for germination and growing, while the Last is for harvesting. The First is hidden in the earth, while the Last is manifested throughout the earth. And can we not see ourselves as seeds of the Kingdom — sown into the earth, to abide in darkness for a season, and then grow to manifestation.

A significant number today assume they are at the end of the race, while they are hardly beyond the starting line. Let us always be mindful of the beginning of God's Word, to hold it very dear to our hearts, for contained inside is the Life of the Ages and waiting to be revealed in its season. But we should not uproot it before the time. Let us also remember, it is not through the strength and determination of those who run that enables them to finish the race: It is by Christ who is of power, and He is the one who will establish us according to the revelation of THE MYSTERY, which was KEPT SECRET since the world began (rf. Romans 16:25).

When the sons of God are manifested, they will teach the world many things; but what they teach, including the Mystery of Godliness, will only be in seed form. This has always been the principle of living things — first the sowing of the seed before the harvest. And to think, all the fulness of the glory of God begins with a single step of the simple words being confessed with the mouth — "Lord Jesus!" (rf. Romans 8:9-10).

It is terribly hard for most of us to keep our mouths shut, especially when we have been enlightened by the glorious wonders and mysteries of our Lord's Kingdom. We want to share them with everyone. Our desire is for others to be blessed by the riches of these great mysteries, but it is often to our own hurt. Swine, as we have learned, trample our pearls underfoot, and dogs rend us for being so giving of these priceless secrets. With such constraining experiences in our lives, we are becoming more cautious of when and with whom we share. Nevertheless, there are proper times and seasons to sow freely the seeds of those things we know:

"Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful." 1 Corinthians 4:2. Although there is a time when we are to be faithful stewards of silence, i.e., being careful not to choke infants or cast our pearls before the unregenerate — there is a time to speak. For Paul also said:

Are we to hold our silence when we come in contact with those who are in union with us, those who are one with us and our Father? We cannot and we should not, for when we gather at His banqueting table of Life, we must share and eat and enjoy the greatness of the feast. How can we keep silent when the ears of those who are called to be heirs of salvation and the Kingdom are opened? And can we shut our mouths when we are sent to reconcile the lost. Again, we can't and we shouldn't, for we have much seed to sow. Paul also asked:

The writer of Hebrews also penned some wonderful words along these lines:

If angels/messengers are sent to prepare one's heart to hear and receive the Word of Salvation, we should be quick and ready to speak when we are called to do so. The words that flow from our mouths will be the very Seed that initiates them into the mystery of Christ, causing them to live for the first time. We will not be able to teach them life any more than we can teach them to be holy, but we can certainly help to initiate them into life. It is here, in Christ's Life, that they begin to know what it is to be holy. And so it is with all the Mysteries of God. They are all hidden, except to those initiated of His choosing.

What is that hidden wisdom? We will borrow again from Paul for some insight:

I am hoping that with a little prompting by the Spirit of revelation we all come to see that God's hidden Wisdom is Jesus Christ. Also, that when He revealed Himself to us, He was no longer hidden. He first became evident in us, not through teachings but by inspired and revelation, and then with our eyes and hearts opened to His life in us. We then began to see Him in His people. No longer was He a hidden Mystery to us; but as each day passed, we became more like Him, for we saw Him as He is, and continue to do so. (1 John 3:2).

The man Jesus was that manifestation of God's great Mystery of Wisdom and Godliness! The princes of the world, the leaders of the church in that day, could not see Him, and He remained a mystery. He was the greatest mystery they had ever encountered; but to those who could see Him, He was no mystery. This Mystery, God in the flesh, became very clear when the eyes of pure hearts were opened. The opening of their eyes, however, was not the end of that mystery. It was only the beginning, and so it is with us.

The Word of God that opened our blind eyes was first a Seed, and in it was the spark of Life that would someday burst forth as the blazing Sun. The Wisdom of God, the Word of God (Christ Jesus) was hidden inside the shell of the letter, until we heard by the Spirit and were made alive at its sound. This Wisdom was then hidden in the earth of our hearts (2 Corinthians 4:7) — waiting to be established by the power of Christ (Romans 16:25). It is partially manifested today, yet shall be fully revealed in the Last Day (Revelation 10:7).

"Now the parable is this: THE SEED is THE WORD of God." Luke 8:11. Like any seed, the Word of God is sown, but it does not come forth in a day. Its beginning (its Alpha) is not its ending (its Omega). It must, however, be established in the earth before the mystery begins to be apparent, as mentioned previously. First the Seed — the Alpha; from there the establishing of its roots, the blade, the stalk, the ear and finally the mature corn in the ear — the Omega. Jesus is truly the Author and Finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). It Begins in and by Him, it is established in and by Him, and in and by Him it Ends (Romans 11:36).

Every phase of our journey into the Great Mysteries of God are in and by our Lord Jesus Christ. From the Beginning to the End, from the Sowing of the Seed to its Unveiling in the flesh is in and by Him. Truly we are the workmanship, the masterpiece, of God, but leaves us with no cause to boast: "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is THE GIFT OF GOD: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are HIS WORKMANSHIP, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, WHICH GOD HATH BEFORE ORDAINED that we should WALK IN THEM" Eph. 2:8–10.

Isn't it good to know that it is not our responsibility to make ourselves godly, or to unveil His glory? It is wonderful to see that it is not our duty to make manifest ourselves in His image and likeness godliness, or to unravel all the deep and unsearchable mysteries of the wisdom and knowledge that are hidden in Christ (Colatians 2:2–3).

With this understanding alone, we can stop worrying whether we are going to make the grade or not. The only things we should be concerned about are the condition of our hearts, where our priorities are, and submitting to the unction of the Spirit. With a pure heart, a fervent desire toward Christ and His Kingdom, and being an obedient son — we can each count on sharing to the world all these treasured mysteries of God. We will not share them by teaching the letter of the mysteries, but by manifesting them in their season of unveiling.

Oh, to have those seasons to arrive in full glory — that is our desire — but it is not yet the hour, for these mysteries are still at work in the secret place of the Most High. They are having their way in the area where we abide alone with Him. This place is very close to us, closer than we might think. However, it is like the proverbial saying — "You can’t see the forest for the trees." Sometimes we have to step back a pace or two to get the full picture. Until it comes into focus we are likely to reject the secret place of the Most High, which happens to be where most mysteries are made known and manifested in ones life. Due to the lack of understanding, many have sorely rejected the process, for it is certainly not the way we would choose to bring ourselves forth with Christ’s glorious light. As we noticed earlier: these mysteries are secrets; they are not laid open for all to see; they are not for every ear to hear; they are sequestered; they are hidden. Brethren, they abide in the DARKNESS!

Isaiah knew something of this. He wrote: "Verily thou art a God that HIDEST THYSELF, O God of Israel, the Saviour." Isaiah 45:15. And the Psalmist joins the thought: "He made DARKNESS HIS SECRET PLACE; HIS PAVILION ROUND ABOUT HIM WERE DARK WATERS AND THICK CLOUDS of the skies." Psalm 18:11). Although we flee from darkness, we find ourselves often immersed in it. I don’t mean the darkness of sin, rebellion, and self-willed lifestyles. This darkness is the darkness of pain, of sorrow, of rejections, of calamities, of suffering, and of many afflictions.

Do you still want to know the mysteries of God? Then brace yourselves for a journey through dark waters, deep valleys, and thick clouds; for that is where the Master of mysteries is found. Once you find Him in these places, the mysteries are also found, and then you are initiated deeply into them. When the initiation has worked its purpose, our Lord of glory will be seen coming in His body, the clouds of heaven, shining brightly to a dark world.

Please understand, this is different from the wonderful walk with Him in the Light of His Spirit that we enjoy day by day. It is not that part of God that bears us on eagles’ wings, and brings us into the safe haven of His arms. This speaks of the place where His mysteries are made manifest in our lives which cannot be without walking through the valley of adversities. It is the boot camp for His army of saints. It is the proving grounds for the sons of God. Therefore, gird up your loins to finish passing through the valley, my brothers, my sisters; for there are many of His great mysteries to be made known and had!

To be continued...