With Eyes Wide Open

Picture this: I was in my mid-thirties driving from Indianapolis to Detroit on Monday as I did about every week. I seldom listen to radio, preferring the music of my own thoughts. Cognition plays a sweet melody if accompanied by discernment. I was playing the song "Why?" in my mind as it all became clear! "Why" wasn't really a song, but an "Ah Ha!" moment.  The "Mystery of Christ" was revealed to me!

Romans 16:24 "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. 25 Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, 26 But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:"

My "Ah Ha!" was the revelation of this mystery. The scriptures of the prophets (aka, The Old Testament prophecy) is all about Jesus!  The "Mystery of Christ" revealed to me is that it was all about Jesus since the world began, but not only that; but it was to be "made known to all nations", not just the Jews!

Ephesians 3:9 "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:"

In patriarchal times some knew Jesus. Most didn't. Jesus was hidden under the cloak of God, but he was there at day one. John Chapter 1 tells us that Jesus was there in the beginning. Mankind failed to know Jesus. However, some believed as did Abraham. He knew the mystery because The Word told him in person all about it.

Romans 4:16  "Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all..."

This verse says much! "The faith of Abraham" is the standard of faith for every Christian. He was the man whose faith was so strong that he obeyed God without question, not because it was commanded, but because he knew that Jesus was Savior... BEFORE Jesus was ever born. He knew that because when "God" spoke with him, it was Emmanuel speaking! My "Ah Ha!" moment was when I understood that Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his own and only (sic) son on a pile of wood was a picture of God sacrificing his first born and only son on the cross of wood. Abraham knew that Jesus was the way to salvation and he accepted the propitiation that Jesus was to make for him before it was ever made, and long before Jesus was ever born.

The "faith of Abraham" is "faith in Jesus Christ"!  While I was joyous that "with eyes wide open" the mystery was revealed to me, I was angry that it was never preached to me! I had never had the "Mystery of Christ" taught to me before and I was upset that those called by God to preach had never had the mystery revealed to them!

Furthermore, there is so much more to the mystery!  Salvation was not only for the Jews, but for "all the seed" (of Abraham). That's all of us! Likewise, salvation was never by The Law, but was always by faith! That faith was believing in and trusting in Jesus Christ. Abraham was saved by faith in Jesus, just as we are, but it was faith in that which someday would be rather than what has been done! Believing in a promise required more faith than believing in an event. That's Abraham's faith and he, from a justice standpoint, deserves eternal life for his faith more than anyone!

Part of the "Mystery of Christ" is that salvation was never by works! It has always been by grace. The dispensation was always one of grace. The Law was so that the faithful would have a way of measuring their love of Jesus! We know that Jesus didn't come to replace The Law, but to fulfill it! He was the Way to salvation and his fulfilling The Law was grace to supplement obedience in love.

With that said, and a close examination of John Chapter 1, we find that faith in Jesus and his sacrifice to save all of us was God's plan on day one! It was Emmanuel who was "The Voice" who walked in the garden in the cool of the evening. It was Emmanuel who was in the burning bush, it was Emmanuel who was "The Angel of God" wrestling with Jacob in the wilderness, and it was Jesus who was in the fire with Shadrack and his brothers, saving them from death by heat seven times hotter than fire! The "Mystery of Christ" is that salvation was always through faith in Jesus and that his grace is sufficient to cover all the sins of all the nations! "Emmanuel" was called "Jesus"!

Christianity is not a sect of Judaism. Christianity preceded Judaism and Judaism is a sect of Christianity. It's a religion that over time failed to see that the Messiah was the Way and Only Way to salvation! While I now see "With Eyes Wide Open" Jews everywhere have closed their eyes to truth. I now know that from the first day Jesus life and death were the way to salvation, Jews "With Eyes Wide Shut" are still waiting on him! After the rapture 144,000 Jews will have their eyes opened and have to face tribulation. Now is the time to face Jesus "With Eyes Wide Open"!