Romans 16 Hidden Mystery

Romans 16

Hidden Mystery

Paul closes the letter to the Romans with Seven Impact Statements

1. Now to him who is able to establish you by my Gospel

2. And the proclamation of Jesus Christ

The third Impact Statement Paul makes as he closes the letter to the Romans is

3. According to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past

This Impact Statement

The revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past

Is found in Christ

And because of the revelation

We can spend the rest of our lives unpacking this Impact Statement 

All the hidden mysteries are found in one package

Jesus Christ

 

 

Hidden Mystery

 

Paul closes the letter to the Romans

with Seven Impact Statements…

 

1.     Now to him who is able to establish you by my Gospel

 

2. And the proclamation of Jesus Christ

 

The third Impact s\Statement Paul makes as

he closes the letter to the Romans is…

 

3. According to the revelation of

the mystery hidden for long ages past

 

A mystery is something that is difficult

or impossible to understand or explain.

 

A mystery is a novel, play, or movie

dealing with a puzzling crime,

especially a murder.

 

Human curiosity causes us to love mysteries.

 

The hunt for the answer drives us,

whether it is to sit to the end

of a 2-hour mystery movie…

 

Or, search for the answers in the stars and galaxies.

 

I think we all love to solve mysteries.

 

I think Paul loved mysteries.

 

 He uses the word mystery 15 times or more

as he writes letters to the churches.

  

Paul tells us there is a mystery

that has been hidden for ages.

 

It is one of those mysteries that has been

undiscovered long before his life time.

 

Solving the mystery of where

the cookies on the counter went is…

 

 Much easier to solve than

a mystery from the beginning of time.

 

Paul is talking about a mystery that has been

hidden since the world began.

 

This mystery has been God’s secret.

 

Every generation has tried to find the answer.

 

A mystery takes a revelation in order to solve.

 

Paul says the revelation has come and

it is part of God’s work in establishing you and I.

 

Now to him who is able to establish you by…

Romans 16:25

 

Paul says God establishes us…

 

By  His Gospel, the proclamation of Christ.

 

And the third thing he says is…

 

By revelation of the mystery.

 

So, what is the revelation of this age-old mystery?

 

Paul uses the word mystery

one other place in Romans, chapter 11,

when he writes about Israel who

discovered a key clue to the mystery.

 

Abraham discovered that

by faith and obedience in God,…

 

God becomes a friend who makes

great promises of provision.

 

Abraham and his children saw great

revelation of God’s love for them.

 

But Paul says that this new revelation

of the mystery to the Gentiles

of God’s love and provision through faith

and obedience should not make us conceited.

 

The revelation to the Gentiles is…

 

Not greater than the revelation to Israel.

 

One take-away from Romans 11 is…

 

 Revelation does not make you

any better than someone else.

 

Don’t become conceited.

 

Here are some other uses

Paul makes of the word mystery…

 

The mystery of life after death…

 

Listen, I tell you a mystery:

We will not all sleep,

but we will all be changed— in a flash,

in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.

 For the trumpet will sound,

the dead will be raised imperishable,

and we will be changed.

1 Corinthians 15:51-53

 

The mystery of time, heaven and earth.

 

Christ is the head of it all…

 

And he made known to us the mystery of his will

according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ,

to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment — to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.

Ephesians 1:9-10

 

The mystery is, through the Gospel,

Gentiles are heirs with Israel…

 

The mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets. This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 3:3-6

 

The administration of the mystery

is to be made plain to everyone…

 

And to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery,

which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things.

Ephesians 3:9-10

 

The mystery is for everyone Christ

in you the hope of glory…

 

The mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations,

but is now disclosed to the saints.

To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles

the glorious riches of this mystery,

which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Colossians 1:26-27

 

The mystery is known in Christ,

the treasure of wisdom and knowledge…

 

so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding,

in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ,

3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Colossians 2:2-4

 

The Great Mystery is summed up…

 

Beyond all question,

the mystery of godliness is great:

He appeared in a body,

was vindicated by the Spirit,

was seen by angels,

was preached among the nations,

was believed on in the world,

was taken up in glory.

1 Timothy 3:16

 

This Impact Statement…

 

the revelation of the mystery

hidden for long ages past

 

Is found in Christ.

 

 Because of the revelation…

 

 We can spend the rest of our lives

unpacking this Impact Statement.  

 

Seven Impact Statements…

 

1. Now to him who is able to establish you by my gospel

2. and the proclamation of Jesus Christ,

3. according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past,

4. but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings

5.  by the command of the eternal God,

6. so that all nations might believe and obey him—

7. to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.

 

 

 

Scripture Reading

 

Romans 16:25-27 NIV

 

25 Now to him who is able to establish you by my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, 26 but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all nations might believe and obey him— 27 to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.

 

A Great Mystery

A Great Mystery

Have you ever given serious thought

to the Holy Spirit?

The Spirit upon you and in you?

 

The Holy Spirit has always been a great mystery to me.

I am amazed that Jesus said we, too, could have the Holy Spirit.

When I read Romans 8,

I marvel that God has placed His Spirit in us

and if we do not have His Spirit

we are not His children.

 

I find it hard to image that the Sovereign Almighty God

would choose to live inside of us.

I can understand my body because I can see it.

I can only begin to comprehend my soul and spirit.

So understanding God’s Spirit

communicating with my spirit

causes me to realize

I need to get more in touch

with my inter being.

(Note, I am not talking about any “new age” junk!)

We can see that it was the Spirit

that anointed Jesus to preach and do the miracles.

I question, is God’s Spirit in me like a prison of flesh. 

Or, am I a vehicle to accomplish His will.

In Romans 8,

we read about the sufferings of man and all creation.

We find that the Spirit of God

grieves with us about suffering

and prays on our behalf.

The Spirit’s prayers come out of our groanings.

As Paul writes in this chapter,

he admits he doesn’t always know how to pray.

But we have the Spirit of God in us

praying according to God’s will

on our behalf.

Even though I find this a great mystery,

I do understand its reality.

There are times when I pray

that something rises up inside of me

that takes me by surprise.

Words and direction come from my lips

that I had never thought of before.

Yes, we do have an advocate

God Himself is closer than we think

and because God lives inside of the believer

what effects you - effects Him.

So when you pray remember:

The Spirit of God in you prays.

If you listen, you will hear Him praying for you. 

Scripture Reading

Romans 8 NIV

8:1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,  

2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life

set me free from the law of sin and death.

3 For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature,

God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering.

And so he condemned sin in sinful man,  

4 in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us,

who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.

5 Those who live according to the sinful nature

have their minds set on what that nature desires;

but those who live in accordance with the Spirit

have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.

6 The mind of sinful man is death,

but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace;

7 the sinful mind is hostile to God.

It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so.

8 Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.

9 You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit,

if the Spirit of God lives in you.

And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.

10 But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin,

yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness.

11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you,

he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies

through his Spirit, who lives in you.

12 Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation

— but it is not to the sinful nature,

to live according to it.

13 For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die;

but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live,

14 because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

15 For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear,

but you received the Spirit of sonship.

And by him we cry, "Abba, Father."

16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.

17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs

— heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ,

if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing

with the glory that will be revealed in us.

19 The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed.

20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice,

but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope

21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay

and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.

22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth

right up to the present time.

23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit,

groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons,

the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved.

But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has?

25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.

We do not know what we ought to pray for,

but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.

27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit,

because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.

28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,

who have been called according to his purpose.

29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed

to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified;

those he justified, he also glorified.

31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all — how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen?

It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he that condemns?

Christ Jesus, who died — more than that, who was raised to life

— is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?

Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

36 As it is written:

"For your sake we face death all day long;

we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."  

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,

neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,

39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation,

will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.