Part Two
God reveals His plan to the Church to fulfill His eternal purpose.
Ephesians 1:9; He has made known to us the “mystery” or secret (shut the mouth) of His Will!!!
God hid the “mystery” of His will from the foundation of the world. And He hid the mystery of His will in the types and shadows of the Old Testament. There is a revelation concerning the Church hid in the types and shadows of the Old Testament as well.
- 1 Corinthians 2:4-13; And my speech and my preaching was not with the enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom (lower, worldly, devilish) of men, but in the power of God. Howbeit we speak wisdom (higher, spiritual wisdom) among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to naught: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
From the foundation of the world until the day of Pentecost the wisdom concerning Christ and His Church had purposely been hid by God. The reason this wisdom was hidden is that if God had revealed it, the princes of this world would not have crucified our Lord and atonement would not have been made for our sins. And as it is written in Isaiah 64:4 God concealed His wisdom from the eyes, ears, and heart of man the things that He had prepared for them that wait for Him.
But at the advent of the New Covenant, at the beginning of the Church Age, God begins to make the mystery of His wisdom known by revealing it through the Holy Spirit to the apostles, who, in turn, revealed it to the Church in general.
- 1 Corinthians 2:9-10; But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things with God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea the deep things of God.
It is the Holy Spirit’s function to search out the deep things (hidden wisdom) of God and reveal them to us. The definition of “deep things” is: profundity, that is, extent; (figuratively) mystery. God desires for us to know the “deep things” that His wisdom has provided for us in and through the Person and work of Christ and His Body, the Church.
- 1 Corinthians 2:11-13; For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Spirit teacheth comparing spiritual with spiritual.
It is important to understand that the Holy Spirit teaches the wisdom of God. We must realize that no man can know the deep things, i.e., the hidden wisdom of God without the teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit.
Now let us consider that Paul said he spoke the wisdom of God to them that are perfect (1 Cor. 2:6). The word translated perfect means: complete (in various applications of labor, growth, mental and moral character), completeness: It can also be translated as full age, or mature as in Hebrews 5:11-14; where the writer, speaking of Jesus says; of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing. For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God: and are becoming such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. But strong meat belongeth (is possessed by) to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
Notice what Jesus said to the apostles concerning the ability to teach them many things He had to teach them. They were not able to bear it until after the Holy Spirit had come. The Holy Spirit would teach them and they would be able to bear, or receive this truth in their understanding and embrace it into their practice.
- John 16:12-15; I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit, when He, the Spirit of truth is come, He will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear that shall He speak: and He will show you things to come. He shall glorify me; for He shall receive of mine and show it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that He shall take of mine and show it unto you.
The Father had the eternal purpose and plan: because of Jesus’ obedience to His Father’s will He now has that plan as well; He then shows it to the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit reveals it to us that we might know that plan as well. The Holy Spirit searches out the deep things (hidden wisdom) of God and reveals them unto us; this includes the plan for and purpose of the Church.
When Jesus told the apostles that He would build His church (Matt. 16:18), He knew exactly what the Father had planned for its structure, governance, maintenance, and mission to be.
This plan is revealed, by the Holy Spirit, to the foundational, Ascension gift servants, who are the apostles and prophets (Ephesians 2:20) so they can establish the structure, governance, maintenance, and mission of the church. It is critical that the divine structure and government of the Church not be altered or changed by man for the following reason: the “Church” is supposed to make known to the principalities and powers in heavenly places the manifold wisdom of God.
- Ephesians 3:8-10; 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; 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 Christ Jesus: To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be made known by the church the manifold wisdom of God.
God’s design for structure and governance in the church is the only design that will display the manifold wisdom of God. It is this wisdom that will dethrone satanic, governmental structures in the second heaven facilitating the ascendancy of the church on earth as she is seated together with Christ in her heavenly place.
- Ephesians 2:5-6; Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together (corporate) with Christ by, (grace are ye saved;) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
This positional ascendancy gives us access to the wisdom and power of God to fulfill the Fathers will for the ascendancy of the church on earth. In other words for the Fathers will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.
When the church is flourishing in the wisdom and power of God, she will overcome all her enemies, the last being death and she will then be the light of the world to which the nations will run for a refuge; the end time harvest will be gathered and the Lord can return.
- Isaiah 60:1; Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of the rising.
This verse will not be fulfilled as it applies to the church, until the church is restored to the apostolic structure and governance. It is the restoration that God is shifting the present day church into.
To continue reading click on Part Three