THE DIMENSIONS OF THE MYSTERY - PART 3 of 3

Photo taken by B Smith from the kitchen door

 

215 – THE DIMENSIONS OF THE MYSTERY  # 3 of 3

February 28, 1960

Henry F. Kulp

 

Ephesians 3: 17 - 21 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

Here we have Paul’s second prayer in the book of Ephesians, and as he prays this wonderful prayer, he prays that we may be able to comprehend with all saints, the dimensions of the mystery. But he says something is necessary before we can understand this truth and understand it the way we should, Verse 17, we should be Christians and have Christ enthroned in our hearts, and we should be thoroughly rooted and grounded in love. Now in the portion that we are rooted and grounded in love in that manner, understanding of the dimensions of the mystery will be ours.

1/  The believer will increase in ability and knowledge of the Word, if he has the proper foundation in love. You will notice, we are to be rooted, and then grounded in love.  

When I was a boy, the school teacher used to tell me that I should not mix my metaphors. For instance, I should not start with a figure of a ship, and end with that of a railroad in the same sentence. But the Holy Ghost is independent in His use of metaphors. Rooted like a tree, and grounded like a building which is raised upon a great foundation. Rooted and grounded in love. As we are rooted and grounded in love, we can go on to the next step. We can comprehend the dimensions of the mystery.

2/  First of all the breadth. How broad is the mystery? Broad enough to include men of every race, color and tongue. Before the mystery was made known, God dealt with only one nation. It is true that all nations were to be blessed through this nation but God gave all his direct dealing through this nation. He gave the covenant, He gave the ordinances, and the Messiah was coming unto them.  But now this was all changed.  

I Timothy 2: 4 - 7 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not;) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity.

Romans 10: 12, 13 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

The length of it. How long is the mystery? And this astounds and thrills me.  

Ephesians 1: 3, 4 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

Ephesians 2: 7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

This truth was founded before the foundation of the world, and it will go on into eternity future—forever and ever. Folks may say to me—why has God created the earth? Why did He create the universe? I know why, God tells us here. He created it for this eternal eternal purpose, of having a Heavenly body from eternity past to eternity future. That’s how long it is—it staggers the mind, we cannot comprehend it.

3/  Notice, it was hid in God. It was decided before the foundation of the world, and hid in God, for it was to be revealed at this present time. Heaven is to be filled with a body, that is to be the halo of God.

4/  The depth of it? How deep is this mystery? As we think of it all—the depth of it, we must first of all think of how our Lord lowered Himself, to what He sank to in order to save us. We read in Paul’s letter, Philippians 2: 6, 7 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

This is the record of Christ’s self-humbling. And here we read about Jesus Christ, who thought it not robbery to be equal with God, made Himself of no reputation, and became, not just a servant, but a slave. He who never took orders, now takes orders.  He put Himself in the place of subjection that He might save us. Oh, the depth of this mystery of God putting Himself in this position that we all might be saved. 

Then let’s follow this stepping down of God the Son to another step, and that this, He not only became in the place of a slave, but finally He suffered the agony of being made sin for us—Oh, the humiliation and the shame that He suffered as He was made the propitiation for our sins. So you see, He not only suffered, He not only became a slave and became obedient, but here He became sin for us, and died on the cross of Calvary for us.

5/  Now, the fact that we can see, is that even though Israel refused to be the channel of blessing to the Gentiles, God shows them He did not need them, because He sets them aside and offers salvation full and free to the Gentiles through the death which Christ suffered for us.

6/  Then, as we consider the depth of the mystery, Ephesians 2: 1 - 3 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

God reached down to the sinner who had nothing, the Gentile who had no hope in this world and gave him hope if he would believe in Jesus Christ. He reached down to us without any covenants, without any oracles of the law, and freed us from the desires of the flesh and mind and the devil.

9/  Now we come to the height of this wonderful mystery. How high is the mystery?  

Ephesians 4: 9, 10 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)

Here we read about the humility of Jesus Christ when he was made sin for us, when He lowered Himself. Then, it talks about His exaltation, and it tells us He ascended far above the Heavens, up into the super-heavens. This is not speaking of distance, but rather, it is speaking of position. Christ is seated far above everything, He Who lowered Himself now has the exalted position. And, of course, when we are in Jesus Christ, we share in the height of this glorious mystery.  

Ephesians 2: 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

We who were children of disobedience, and by nature the children of wrath are now seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. And then Ephesians 1: 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

He tells us that we are blessed with all spiritual blessings in Heavenly places. This is the height of this mystery. We are blessed from Heaven to Heaven—not on earth with heavenly things. Oh, that we might see this truth and see the height of this mystery.

10/  Then Paul prays that we might know the unknowable. That is a paradox, isn’t it?  But nevertheless that is Paul’s prayer. How can we know how He loves us, or how much He loves us. Certainly we are unlovable, there is nothing good in us, so how can He love us? But nevertheless, the Scripture tells us that He does love us. Then how can we understand this love that He has for us.

11/  Maybe we can use this illustration to show you. See that darling little baby in its mother’s arms? Looking up cooing and responding in its mother’s arms? You and I might say, “Let me hold that little one,” and we hold out our hands. I do that to quite a few folks as they go out the door, or they come in with their babies. The baby looks especially attractive and you hold out your hands and say come to me. But the baby looks at me and clings more tightly to the mother, it would probably cry out with a loud wail, and it would be saying, “I don’t know you, I don’t know if you like babies or not, but I do know that my mother loves me, and I know I can trust her.”  But you might say, what does that baby know about love? Can it understand the reason behind the mother’s love? Of course not, but it still enjoys it. And so the youngest saint in Christ knows about the love of Christ, and so does the oldest saint, the most mature saint. He knows it in a better way, of course, because he has lived longer with the Lord, and he has a deeper experience, so we may not be able to understand just with our minds this wonderful truth, but we can enjoy it and rest securely in it.

12/  Ephesians 3: 20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

Here we have an astounding Bible verse. Notice, it does not say that God is able to do what we ask. It does not even say that He is able to do above all that we ask. Nor does it say He is able to do abundantly above all that we ask—nor does it say that He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask, but it does say that He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think as well.

13/  Oh, the tremendous ability of God. Anyone in his right mind would agree with this.  But we often have a God that is too small—He doesn’t have the power we think He needs. O, we wouldn’t say that in words, but our lives, and our thoughts and our actions prove it. This is the doxology of the benediction of this prayer.

14/  God has always been willing to do this for men. Take the Red Sea experience of the children of Israel. They passed through the Red Sea, but they passed through on dry land. It didn’t have to be dry, it could have been muddy, but God was making their journey across the Red Sea in a comfortable way. And then also He could have just kept the enemy on the other side, but He didn’t do that. He did more than that which was needed when He removed the enemy. How God does do more then we can ever comprehend.

15/  II Kings 4: 7  Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest.

Here we read of a certain preacher’s widow, struggling along in the days of Elisha.  Doing her very best to make ends meet. Her husband had left many debts, and his creditors came and took her two boys to be slaves. She went to the man, Elisha.

16/  But Elisha told her to borrow vessels from all her neighbors. Then behind closed doors she was to pour out into the vessels from her little pot, and she was to keep pouring until all the vessels were full. Then the man of God said, go and sell the oil and pay thy debts, and live, thou and thy children with the rest. If she didn’t live in great abundance it was her fault, if she didn’t live in great wealth it was her fault, not God’s.  He not only said, pay the debt, but live as well. God always does exceeding, abundantly above all that we ask or think.

17/  Then I want you to notice the word, able, is in the present tense. He is able to do it right now. So the two important words are the words able, and do.

18/  Then take the word, ask—in the Greek it means to ask that something be given, and here it is in the middle voice—and it means to ask in one’s interest. So God is able to do exceeding, abundantly above that which we ask or think in our interest. Or even when just think in our own interest. There is a difference here, of course.  We may ask for something that our thinking goes way beyond our asking, we will think things that we never put into words, or actually never put into a prayer. Many times we think things that are utterly fantastic, and ridiculous. We would never frame them, or put them into words and say them. But God says He is able to do, not only what we ask, but what we think—and it means for ourselves.

19/  Notice, exceeding abundantly. These two words in the Greek are actually and literally thrilling. The first one, in the Greek is HOOP – ER, and it means beyond and above.  The word, abundantly, is PER – IS – SIGH – AH and means super-abound, or surplus. So it is just not a matter that God is able to do in super abundance or surplus for us, but even over and above that.  It is super-abundance for us. This last word, translated abundantly, can be found in Romans 5: 17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)

Matthew 14: 20 And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full.

20/  How many Christians are faint hearted, how often we become weak-kneed, how often we fail to recognize that God is able to do, and is willing to do in over super-abundant fashion for us. No wonder we have Philippians 4: 6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

Here it says we are to make all requests known unto Him—notice, it is requests, not demands in this age—not a matter of ask whatsoever ye will, and I will do it. But that God is able to do, He is willing to do it, but He wants our requests to be made known, and we should be thankful to be able to present them to Him, knowing that he is able to take care of the situation.

21/  John 10: 9, 10  I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Here we have that same word used again. He said, it is possible for those folks to have an abundant life. Throughout the entire Bible, God has wanted His children to have an abundant life. You will notice the two propositions here. I am come that ye might have life. And it is possible to stop here. But it is also possible to go on to the second proposition—life more abundantly.  Jesus Christ says here, I am the door, if any man enter in, he shall be saved. Notice, you cannot have life without Jesus Christ, but He tells us there is a life far more abundant. The words, abundantly are from the same Greek word, Per-Is-Sigh-Ah that is used in Ephesians 3: 20.  In other words, I am come that ye might have life, and that ye might have it in super-abundant form. In surplus.  

Williams translates it in a way that I really love—TILL IT OVER FLOWS. And I believe this abundant life is wrapped up in knowing how to take your requests to the Lord Jesus Christ, as God the Father.

22/  Here in the Bible we have a warning that Jesus Christ gives us about the abundant life.  

Luke 12: 15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

Here He says, take heed—beware of covetousness, for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of things which he possesseth.  

Many folks think they can have the abundant life through things, and of course, there must be an abundance of things. And here it is the same Greek word, Per-is-sigh-ah, and it means to super-abound, and so the overflowing of things. God said it is not just that which brings the abundant life. Paul had many of these things but he didn’t have a home, he didn’t have a lot of clothing. He didn’t have money in the bank, he didn’t have many friends because they had all left him, but nevertheless he had the abundant life, because the abundant life does not consist of material things.

AMEN

Ref: 02/28/1960 / 215 - THE DIMENSIONS OF THE MYSTERY - PART 3 OF 3  / 10/06/2020