GodReflection: Power Words

I don’t remember mystery being a word used by my childhood church. I grew up with a faith I could touch, see, and smell. In fact, until recent times, mystery didn’t rank high at all in my power word dictionary.

The teaching I received most of my life was concerned more with identifying truth rather than mystery contemplation. What I am going to say next is rather simplistic: It isn’t hard to learn the commands of God. What’s hard is to accept the mystery and live like Jesus.

Paul tells his young colleague Timothy that Jesus leaps into action through the misty light of mystery. “Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great: He appeared in the flesh, 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.”

Once I submit to Jesus everything about life morphs into mystery. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit power my walk. How does that work?  How is it possible for human me to grow more like Holy God? How does the blood of Jesus make me sinless in God’s sight?

It’s nothing less than mystery.

Neither God nor His Holy Scripture is one-dimensional.

A part of the mystery is this: Holy Scripture is simple enough for me to meet God and to know what I must do to reach right relationship with Him. At the same time, it presents the mystery of knowing God and being His representative on earth as being so rich that I cannot fully comprehend it this side of the grave.

Like other words of power, mystery reminds me of the depth of God, the distance He moved toward me for my salvation, the strength of His love, and of how deep my gratitude should be.

This side of heaven I will always have room to grow and increase my understanding. That is living with the power of mystery.

Stay tuned.

Dr. Gary J. Sorrells – A GodReflection on the Power Word Mystery.

Gary@GodReflection.org