Did you know God keeps secrets too? Moses tells us:
'There are secret things that belong to the Lord our God, but the revealed things belong to us and our descendants forever.’
Deut. 29:29
In fact, our eternal God kept a secret not just for days or weeks or months or even years, but for centuries. Ever since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, He gave hints and clues about something big that would happen in the future. He spoke to Moses, Abraham and David about it. He spoke through many of the prophets, who foretold of a Coming One who would save Israel from their sins. One they named the Messiah.
As wise men studied the Scriptures they came to understand that on the horizon of time there was a great King, who would be raised up among them, whose Throne and Kingdom was eternal and who would be the deliverer of all Israel. This Messiah was the great hope of every Jew, yet the fullness of God’s plan was still a secret. The details were hidden. For so long, no-one knew when this Messiah would come, who he would be, or what all these prophecies really meant.
The Apostle Paul continues the story:
‘But when the right time came, God sent His Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent Him to provide freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that He could adopt us as His very own children. And because you Gentiles have become His children, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, and now you can call God your dear Father.’
Gal. 4:5, 6
When the right time came, God sent His own Son as the promised Messiah, and suddenly now His secret plan was revealed! It was like God was shouting from Heaven, ‘Surprise!!’ As Jesus walked the earth, the great mystery of the ages was being made known. The hope of all Israel – who many had longed for – was now here!
As Jesus said to His disciples:
‘How privileged you are to see what you have seen. I tell you, many prophets and kings have longed to see and hear what you have seen and heard, but they could not.’
Luke 10:23, 24
Paul tells us more about this divine secret:
‘God’s secret plan has now been revealed to us; it is a plan centred on Christ, designed long ago according to His good pleasure.’
Eph.1:9
‘I was chosen to explain to everyone this plan that God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the beginning.’
Eph. 3:9
‘This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to His own holy people. For it has pleased God to tell His people that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too.’
Col. 1:26, 27
So what is this great secret?
‘The mystery in a nutshell is just this: Christ is in you, therefore you can look forward to sharing in God’s glory. It’s that simple.’
Col. 1:27 (The MSG)
The New King James version reads ‘Christ in you, the hope of glory.’
In Christ, both Jews and Gentiles are united into one church, so that both those who already knew God and those who didn’t know Him at all, could become His adopted children. When I accepted Christ as my Saviour, I died! Now it is no longer me that lives, but Christ lives in me.
‘I have been crucified with Christ. I myself no longer live, but Christ lives in me.’
Gal. 2:19, 20
I am never alone! Everywhere I go Christ is in me and I am in Christ. And because He is in me, I have a great hope.
Now biblical hope is a little different to the way we normally use the word hope in the modern English vernacular. For example, if I’m planning to go to the beach at the weekend, I might say, ‘I hope the weather will be good.’ I don’t really know for sure – I just hope. But biblical hope is different. It carries the idea of expectation. For example, I don’t just hope that Jesus will come back again, I firmly believe that He will because it is promised in Scripture. His return gives me hope – something to look forward to. It’s not a weak kind of hope but an expectant hope. Biblical hope is a joyful and confident expectation of good.
The writer of Hebrews instructs us:
‘Without wavering, let us hold tightly to the hope we say we have, for God can be trusted to keep His promise.’
Heb. 10:23
Therefore Christ living in me gives me a joyful and confident expectation of sharing in God’s glory! God’s glory is the magnificence of all that He is and has and does. It is the majestic beauty and awesome wonder of Heaven. It is the splendour of His eternal Kingdom. It is the joy of a new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness reigns. It is the wonder of Christ and his amazing love and incredible salvation.
This is the great hope that we all share as believers in Jesus Christ! It’s not a myth or fantasy but an absolute certainty, for ‘the Word of our God stands forever.’ (Isa 40:8)
So let’s be encouraged by this hope and hold on to it.
‘We are God’s household, if we keep up our courage and remain confident in our hope in Christ.’
Heb. 5:6
God’s secret is out! All is revealed and the time to be saved is now!
‘Indeed, God is ready to help you right now. Today is the day of salvation.’
2 Cor. 6:2
So let’s not keep this amazing Good News to ourselves, but as we have opportunity share it with others who haven’t heard yet, that they too may have Christ in them, the hope of glory.
Amen!
