Heritage Reformed Baptist Mission
ROMANS
Sermon 54
The Mystery Revealed
Romans 16:25-27
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, 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: To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen.
The word mystery appears 22 times in the Bible, all in the New Testament. The use of the word indicates something that cannot be known by man apart from the revelation of God. It is a thing which God had in His mind and purpose from eternity. It is something man could never have thought of himself.
The use of the word mystery in the New Testament primarily has to do with four basic truths which were unrevealed or veiled in the Old Testament. First, there are the details of the church age, which was not revealed to any of the prophets in the Old Testament. Second, there are the details of resurrections, which the Old Testament mentions but briefly and without explanation. Third, there is the full revelation and application of the truth that Christ lives in the hearts of all who believe on Him in the Person of the Holy Spirit, a truth prophesied in the Old Testament, but never experienced by the whole body of believers during that age. And fourth, there are the details of just how the Gentiles fit into God's plan of redemption. God's purpose to save Gentiles is very clear in the Old Testament, especially in Isaiah. But, how they would ultimately fit in with the Jews was never revealed.
That last point is the basic meaning of Paul's use of the word mystery in our text. It concerns the purpose of God to unite believing Jews and Gentiles during this present age of grace into one body, the church, through the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul declared the importance of that Gospel in the very first chapter of Romans when he said in vv.16-17, I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes; to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile; for therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
Now, that truth, as I have already indicated, was in the mind of God from eternity. And He kept it there, a secret hidden from mankind, until after the death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ. It could not be fully revealed until then because the Person of Christ, in all His fullness, and the work of Christ, in all its completeness, were necessary to both understanding and experiencing God's plan. The parts of His plan which were revealed to, though not completely understood by, the Old Testament prophets, God commanded the apostles and New Testament prophets to explain. This they did in the light of the full revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ.
We find several examples of that in the Book of Acts. One of those is in Acts 17:1-3. Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews: And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ.
Though Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles, his habit in his ministry was to go into Jewish synagogues (which, by-the-way, were attended by a large number of Gentile proselytes and other God-fearing Gentiles). There Paul would take the Old Testament Scriptures and, using what the prophets had written many hundreds of years before, point out what they had said about the coming Messiah, and then show how Jesus fulfilled those prophecies, proving He was the Messiah.
Peter did the same thing on the Day of Pentecost when he spoke to the people, speaking from the prophecy of Joel and from the Psalms. That is recorded in Acts 2.
In this way, the message of the Old Testament prophets was shown to be completed and properly interpreted by the Person and finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus, the mystery was revealed.
Just before Jesus ascended back into heaven, He told the apostles they would be His witnesses unto the uttermost part of the earth (Acts 1:8). His command was for them and their successors to go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15). Paul interprets that as the command of God to make the good news known to all nations. The reason: for the obedience of faith.
Very early in man's history after the flood, especially in connection with and following the Tower of Babel, Satan put it into the minds and hearts of men that they could reach heaven by their own good works. That false idea of how to please God invaded even God's chosen people, Israel. At the time Christ came, the predominant religious leaders of that nation were teaching the people it was by the works of the law they would be saved. Among the Gentiles, who had no knowledge of God, religious works were the end-all-be-all of righteousness for whatever hope they might have had to reach whatever they might have called heaven. But, the works of men have no saving power, whether they be the works of God's law or the religious works of heathen idolaters. Sin must be forgiven and cleansed, and sinners cannot do that. You cannot cleanse away dirt with more dirt. Sinful people can only produce sinful works. However good they look in the eyes of men, they are as filthy rags in the sight of the Holy God. So, God commanded the gospel, which gives the only way sin can be forgiven and cleansed, to be preached everywhere. Everyone who believes it is forgiven and cleansed from their sin, declared to be right with God.
That is the obedience of faith, simply trusting in the Person and finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Those who do that follow up that faith with the real good works which are a part of God's plan for their lives. For right faith leads to obedience and right obedience comes from faith. A person may have apparent good works without faith. But no one who has saving faith will be without good works. That is the kind of faith which justifies.
Sometimes in our preaching and teaching, and in our living as Christians, we are prone to forget the ultimate goal of the so great salvation God has provided in and through the Gospel. But, Paul didn't have that problem. He knew, and never failed to give the glory to God.
Paul knew the joy of being saved out of a very strict religious life that sought righteousness by the works of the law. He knew his salvation was the work of God from beginning to end. It was not only his personal experience, but, as a specially called apostle, the gospel was revealed directly to Him by the Lord Jesus Himself. Paul never wavered, as some do, about God's ability to both save sinners and keep them saved. He preached that. He taught that. He wrote that. And for that, he magnifies God through the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul declares only God is wise. That wisdom assures God's purposes and actions are not just good, but best. And, in case anyone questions why so many years passed before Christ came and the gospel was preached to all nations, it also assures that the mystery was revealed at the best time in the best way for the best good. The wisdom of this world argues with that. But, in God's sight and next to the wisdom of God, the wisdom of this world is foolishness.
The closing statement of Romans is for the only wise God to be glorified through Jesus Christ forever. Forever begins now! We do not have to wait, we must not wait, to glorify Him through Jesus Christ until we get to heaven. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven,commanded the Lord Jesus in Matthew 5:16. Forever continues in the Kingdom Age when all nations will be obedient to Jesus as He sits as King over all the earth on the throne of David in Jerusalem and rules the nations in righteousness with a rod of iron. And forever continues in eternity when the glory of God lights up the New Jerusalem and the Lamb is the light of it, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. Truly, God is and will always be glorified in and through the Lord Jesus Christ, and we who believe on Him should be in the forefront of those giving Him the glory.
Finally beloved, as we close this most important and wonderful study of Romans, let me sum up this lesson like this. God has revealed in these last days the Gospel of Christ is His power unto salvation to everyone who believes. He has further revealed all who believe on Jesus are united into one body, the church, called the body of Christ. He has also revealed He is able to establish and thus keep forever all who believe. These things God has commanded to be made known to all nations.
Now, let me ask a couple of questions. First, in view of God's command, what are you, as a believer, doing to get the gospel into all the world? Are you living a godly life? Are you ready to share the gospel with the lost? Are you involved in a local church ministry and through that church in missions in other places? Examine yourself and see if you are giving God the glory in these ways.
Second, in view of God's revelation, as an unbeliever, you may give glory to God now by confessing that Jesus Christ is Lord and believing that God raised Him from the dead after He died and paid for your sins. OR, you will give glory to Him in eternity when every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. But, if you wait until then, you will be lost forever.
If you will be saved from sin and from eternal death in the Lake of Fire, repent of your sin, believe that Jesus died for your sin and that God raised Him from the dead, and receive Him as your own personal Savior, confessing that He is Lord. God will place the righteousness of Christ on your account and accept you in Him if you will. Do it now!