Mysteries of the Bible

The Gospel, sometimes called a mystery, contains the mysteries of the Kingdom of God. In this article we will survey some of the mysteries of the Bible. Each of these could take a full article of itself, or perhaps even a book, to thoroughly explain. But for the purpose of this article some of them are covered in a summary fashion, along with a discussion about why the Bible itself is a mystery to most people.

The gospel, God’s word, the Bible, is indeed a mystery. Though the most widely distributed book in history according to guinnessworldrecords.com, its teachings are properly understood by, relatively speaking, only a handful of people. Many specific truths are revealed in the Bible, that are themselves mysteries, even though, ironically, they are explained clearly in the Bible.

Why is the most widely published Book in the world a mystery? Why are its teachings mysteries? To help us understand, let’s look at the word mystery itself, as used in the Bible, and discuss its meaning.

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Christian Love, Part 1

We are instructed in Scripture to examine ourselves, to see if we are in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5). How can one know if “Jesus Christ is in” himself, or herself? Is there a measuring stick we can use for this purpose? Is it how often we attend church services, or church activities? Is it what church we belong to? Is it Bible knowledge? Or something else?

Jesus said, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: `You shall love your neighbor as yourself'” (Matthew 22:37-39). We are instructed to “walk in love” (Ephesians 5:2). John wrote, “He who does not love does not know God, for God is love” (I John 4:8). We are to strive to become like God (Leviticus 19:2; Matthew 5:45).

Scripture says, “God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him” (I John 4:16). But merely professing to love God or our neighbors is not enough. We are to love “in deed and truth” (1 John 3:18).

But what is love? How is love defined? Are there specific items we can examine to test how we measure up, and how we can improve? Find answers in this message, as these questions are addressed in some detail, so we may follow the admonitions we are given, and with God’s help, improve our standing before him in terms of love.

Copyright © 2024 by Messenger Church of God

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

cogmessenger.org

Messenger Church of God
PO Box 619
Wentzville, MO 63385
USA

Is Heaven the Reward of the Saved?

A common idea among professing Christians who believe in an afterlife is that when a believer dies, he “goes to heaven,” that is, his “immortal soul” goes to heaven.

Where did that idea come from? And does it stand up to what the Bible actually teaches? Does the Bible teach that when a faithful person dies, he doesn’t really die, but instead “goes to heaven”?

Copyright © 2024 by Messenger Church of God

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

cogmessenger.org

Messenger Church of God
PO Box 619
Wentzville, MO 63385
USA

The United States and Britain in Prophecy

Although perhaps most professing Christians are aware that the people of Israel are featured in the “Old Testament” of the Bible, many are not familiar enough with the Scriptures to understand that the terms “Israel” or “Israelite” are not necessarily synonymous with the “Jews.” The patriarch Jacob, whose name God changed to Israel (Genesis 32:28), had twelve sons. The progeny of each of his twelve sons eventually became one of the twelve tribes of Israel (Genesis 49:28; Exodus 24:4).

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Smoke Ascends Forever?

Will the wicked really be tormented forever in hell? In this sermon, pastor Rod Reynolds examines in detail passages in the book of Revelation that have traditionally been used to establish the common belief in a never-ending hellfire reserved for punishment of the wicked. To understand what the Bible says about hell, we must carefully study the context of the scriptures in question.

Copyright © 2024 by Messenger Church of God

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

cogmessenger.org

Messenger Church of God
PO Box 619
Wentzville, MO 63385
USA