There are two worlds: man’s world and God’s world. If we are really going to walk with God, then it is necessary for us to learn how to function in His world. It isn’t an easy thing to do, though, because it is contrary to man’s nature. The influences of a world opposed to God are continually upon us, and the carnal mind is adapted to those inputs. Thus, the apostle Paul tells us that a transformation is needed. Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:2.
We talk often about being led by the Holy Spirit and living in the Spirit. Now we’re finding that we really have to do it! That means, for example, we need to learn how to think as God thinks. The religious world tends to think in absolute terms – black or white, this or that, either you’re saved or you’re not saved. We have discovered, though, that we are in between the two extremes. Our born-again experience is not yet complete; it is progressive. We are not where we used to be, but we haven’t arrived at our final destination, either. We’re beginning to get glimpses into God’s world, but we are like the blind man in Mark 8:22-25. Jesus ministered to him and asked if he could see, and the man said, “I see men as trees, walking” (verse 24). He wasn’t totally blind anymore, but his eyesight wasn’t completely restored, either. So Jesus blessed him again and his eyesight was fully restored. We’re just beginning to learn; it is an ongoing process.
A common problem among Christians that impedes spiritual growth is their assumption to have more than they really have. For example, Paul said in I Corinthians 2:16, “We have the mind of Christ.” So many would say they have the mind of Christ because they are Christians. Who is Paul referring to when he says, “We have the mind of Christ”? He is referring to himself and anyone else who has the mind of Christ. It is not a blanket statement involving all Christians. It is not this or that. We are in the process of learning how to live in God’s world.
The realm of God is a mystery hidden in the Scriptures. The mystery realm is God’s world. The history realm is man’s world. Religion is primarily involved in the history realm. We are earnestly striving to enter into the mystery, which is God’s world.
Matthew 13:9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
In this chapter Jesus gives the parable of the sower. The sower went out to sow the seed. Some of the seeds were eaten by the birds, some fell upon stony ground, some fell among the thorns, but others fell upon good ground and were fruitful – some thirty-fold, some sixty-fold, and some a hundred-fold. All of these are those who have heard a living Word but all are not fruitful. Everyone who hears a living Word does not respond and become fruitful. What is the fruitfulness anyway? It is His life! He is the fruit!
After Jesus gave the parable, He said. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. Now the Lord didn’t say. “Alright folks, gather around and I’ll explain this parable to you.” He didn’t do that. He just said, “If you have ears to hear, then hear it!” A similar occasion is found in John chapter six. There was a multitude following Him because He broke the bread and a few fish and fed them. They were moved by that – “Hey, we ought to make this man king. He can feed us, heal us, and do good things for us. He could serve us well.” Then Jesus said, “Unless you eat My flesh and drink My blood, you have no life in you” (John 6:53). That was repugnant to them and they began walking away. They probably felt they would rather be someone else’s disciples; this man had gone off the deep end. Jesus didn’t say, “Hold it, men! Let Me explain to you what I’m talking about.” He let them go. Can’t you imagine the twelve disciples thinking, “He’s never going to get a congregation like this”? Then Jesus turned to His disciples and asked, “Will you also go away?” It not only didn’t seem to bother Him that the multitude walked away, but now He is giving the twelve an opportunity also to walk away.
Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. We have to decide. He is not begging people to walk with Him. He is not begging people to enter into His world. He is looking for a people who are willing to become as He is in His world. Don’t you think that in 2,000 years He could have accomplished that? Is God so limited that He couldn’t have created a people by this time? He is putting some responsibility on us. If you have ears to hear, then hear! The realm of God is open to you. If you want to walk in it, then walk in it.
John the Baptist came on the scene preaching, “Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2). In other words, it is available for you now. It’s here! It’s available! In Matthew 4:17 Jesus came out of the wilderness and began His ministry proclaiming, “Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.” It’s now! Again, in Matthew 10:1-7 Jesus sent His disciples out telling them to proclaim “the Kingdom is at hand.” God’s world is available right now for those who want to walk in it. All these many hundreds of years it has been available.
Some have predicted that Christ would come on a certain day. I read an article recently that predicted the coming of the Lord would take place in the year 2003. I knew a young brother in Christ back in the late 1970s that wrote a tract giving a date for the coming of the Lord. That day came and went, and the young man was devastated. He was so sure, but it didn’t happen. As long as you are looking on a timetable in the realm of history, you are going to be disappointed. The Kingdom of heaven is at hand! It’s now!
Jesus gave the parable of the sower and then the disciples came to Him and said, “Why are you speaking to them in parables? They do not understand what you are saying.” He answered, “It is given for you to know the mysteries of the Kingdom, but it is not given for them to know.” You can know the mysteries of the Kingdom of heaven, too. It has already been given. The door has been opened for those who have a heart to enter. The heavens have been opened!
John 3:13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but He that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.
Jesus spoke this while He was talking to Nicodemas. He spoke of Himself as being in heaven. He was on earth and in heaven at the same time. He was the connecting link between heaven and earth – God’s world and man’s world. He was the ladder in Jacob’s dream (Genesis 28:12). Then to Nathanael He said, “Hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.” The Son of man has become a many-membered son of man (I Corinthians 12:12), and to them it has been given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom and to move into His world. If you have ears to hear, then hear.
In a sense, you are a world. When I was quite a young lad I remember wondering what another person’s life was like. They were in a different world. I was living my life and was very familiar with my world, but I didn’t know anything about their world. They had their own life. So, in a sense, you are a world and symbolically there is a sun, moon, and stars – the heavens and the earth – within you. Then, as in Revelation 6:2, Christ begins to come forth in your life to conquer your world. Your sun is darkened, your moon is turned into blood, your stars begin to fall, and there are earthquakes in divers places within you as your world is coming down. He cannot establish His world in you without your world coming down. Do you understand the mystery? It is hidden in the Scriptures. Most Christians read the Scriptures and only see the history – “One day at the end of time the sun will be darkened, the moon turned to blood, stars falling from the sky, and earthquakes in divers places,” etc. However, if Christ is entering your life you are already experiencing your world being replaced by His.
I Corinthians 10:1-11 Moreover,
brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were
under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
2 And were all
baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
3 And did all
eat the same spiritual meat;
4 And did all
drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that
followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
5 But with
many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the
wilderness.
6 Now these
things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things,
as they also lusted.
7 Neither be
ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to
eat and drink, and rose up to play.
8 Neither let
us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and
twenty thousand.
9 Neither let
us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.
10 Neither
murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.
11 Now all
these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our
admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
All these things happened in the history. Israel really was in Egypt, and God sent Moses to bring them out. Their wilderness wanderings really happened. Listen, I’m not saying that God isn’t involved in the history of man. He is! And Jesus Christ will probably appear again in history, but the primary thing we are interested in at this time is His spiritual appearance in us. That is the mystery that is most important. So Paul tells us that all these things happened in history for ensamples; it’s the mystery of the Lord coming forth in a people. Hidden within the history realm is the mystery realm and is only made known through revelation. That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him: the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints. Ephesians 1:17-18.
This is true through the whole Bible from the first verse to the end. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth Genesis 1:1. Then in Revelation 3:14 the Lord Jesus Christ is called the “Beginning of the creation of God.” Now, if you only see the history realm in the first chapter of Genesis, you will only see the natural creation of the earth and the heavens. But if the mystery realm has been opened to you, you will see God explaining the spiritual creation of His people in this chapter. Psalm 102 refers to this mystery. This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord. Psalm 102:18.
The mystery takes place within us. The history realm is temporal; the reality of God and His world are in the unseen mystery realm. While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. II Corinthians 4:18. Believing in the history of the Scriptures will not bring you into more of God. Eternal life in God is found in the mystery realm and it is hidden in the Scriptures.
Ephesians 3:1-4 For this
cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,
2 If ye have
heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:
3 How that by
revelation He made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,
4 Whereby,
when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ).
The mystery comes through revelation. You can’t learn it from doctrines. You won’t learn it from the religious Sadducees and Pharisees. It is a mystery that comes only from God. He has to reveal it to you.
Ephesians 3:7-9 Whereof I
was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by
the effectual working of His power.
8 Unto me, who
am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach
among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
9 And to make
all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of
the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ.
Since the beginning of the world, this mystery has been hid in God. Somebody has to enter His world, receive a revelation of the mystery, and then be a channel for it to flow to others. That was the ministry of Paul, and it is the ministry for some today.
Ephesians 3:10-11 To the
intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be
known through the church the manifold wisdom of God,
11 According to
the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
It has been purposed by God for this mystery to be revealed through the Church. We have looked at only a few verses of Scripture in this message, but all the Scriptures of the Bible have this mystery hidden in them. Ask God to give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation that you may be one who has ears to hear and eyes to see the mystery hidden in the Scriptures.
Copyright © 2003 by Henry DuBose