Memorize: Understanding of the mystery
Key Verses: 6, 8, 12, 16-19,
PLOT SPOILER! I love a good mystery. Don’t you! For Paul the mystery revealed to him was so radical that he had to be shown it through a direct revelation from God. Remember, Paul studied Judaism under the best teachers of his day. He was as Jewish as a Jew could get. He could probably have out argued himself! And yet this Jewish Jew comes to a realization that all his Jewishness means nothing. In Jesus it is all meaningless. The mystery is that people can come to God and be in right relationship with Him without any Jewishness. They do this by coming as every faithful Jew had come: by faith.
Paul remembers his persecution of these new Jesus-followers and realizes that he deserves judgment and punishment, but God instead chose to use him to spread this freedom bringing message. It would be like God choosing Osama bin Laden to bring a message of peace and freedom. His character and history would lead us to doubt his integrity and the veracity of his words. And yet God chose Paul. In Jesus we can approach God freely and confidently.
One of the signs of a good Christian leader is humility. And I think humility starts with the ability to look back and see the depths of our lostness and the greatness of God’s grace in bringing us so far. Here Paul has let us in on the secret of the Gospel, that everyone comes by faith. And Paul is so overcome with God’s grace that he breaks into prayer.
Look at this. Paul prays that God’s Spirit would create in you a “safe room” where Jesus may dwell. A “safe room” is a specially constructed room in your house that you can retreat to and stay safe. It has reinforced walls, doors and ceiling. It can resist almost any outside force that might come against it. Sometimes they double as tornado shelters, able to withstand 250 mile an hour winds. Paul says that the Spirit will strengthen our inner being so that Christ can live there. The power of the Creator of the Universe will live in you without destroying you! Only God can accomplish this kind of strengthening.
God’s limitless love will transform us. We often view God’s love for others as limitless, but we see our sins and failings as beyond God’s loving forgiveness. We extend grace to others, but not to ourselves. That is why our inner being needs to be strengthened. When the vastness of God’s love comes in it might just blow us away. This transformation is immeasurable. And it keeps increasing as we continue to walk by faith.
The Arnold Journey 