In Romans 16:25-27 the Apostle Paul, having written a lengthy epistle to the Gentile church in Rome in which he discusses justification (removal of all past sins) at length, ends the letter with a cryptic message which placed everything he had written in its proper context. In his message to the church he mentions justification twenty-one times, salvation twelve times and righteousness (the end result of justification and a necessary quality for salvation) fifteen times. Then in the final three verses of the letter he mentions something that has tremendous significance relative to the believer’s walk through this life and the part the Holy Spirit plays in that walk. Unless we get these three verses right, neither justification nor salvation matters. These final verses involve righteousness, without which no man will see the Lord. We will turn there now and examine what Paul said that explains what the justified person must do in order to retain his justification and qualify for salvation upon the return of Jesus Christ. We will examine a mysterious truth and the part it must play in our lives.

In chapter 16 verses 25-27 Paul writes that God is able to establish true believers as Christ’s spiritual brethren as He (Christ) preached in His Kingdom of God message that was the focus of His entire ministry. Paul identified the message as “THE MYSTERY” that had been kept secret for many years and had recently been made known to God’s true saints. The purpose of the mystery in the lives of God’s people was to bring them to “OBEDIENCE TO THE FAITH THROUGH JESUS CHRIST.” Note that, even though the Old Testament prophets had spoken and written about the mystery, the religious community had never fully understand it until Jesus came to earth and manifested it as the example which all salvation seekers have been commanded to emulate from the days of Christ’s earthly ministry until today. Today God’s true, appointed and anointed ministers, though minutely few in number, are spreading the mystery message which, with rare exception, is rejected by those to whom it is being sent–the Institutional Church. The reason it is not accepted by church people is due to their lack of discipline when it comes to the study of the Bible. In the vast majority of cases, what people receive from me in terms of ministry THEY HAVE NEVER HEARD BEFORE AND DO NOT KNOW IT IS IN THE BIBLE. Incredibly, even when they are shown in it in their own Bibles, many, probably most, reject it. Some become angry. Others dismiss the Biblical Truths as not being necessary for salvation, which they supposedly already possess.

As Isaiah tells us concerning the study of God’s Word, we must look throughout the Holy Scriptures in order to determine exactly what the Lord says about a particular subject. This applies to “THE MYSTERY” is and how it applies to our lives. The Prophet Isaiah explains what we must do in order to glean the meaning of the messages given to us by the Lord’s prophets and apostles. Isaiah explains God’s study rules in 28:9-13 where he asks: “Whom can the Lord teach wisdom and give understanding?” He then answers the question: “He who studies God’s word precept upon (added to) precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line; here a little, there a little.” He then repeats the statement. With that study rule in mind, we will turn to Colossians 1:27-29 where it is written that God wants to make known THE MYSTERY among the Gentiles as well as among the Jews. That message was rejected by the Jews and, sadly, is rejected by most Gentiles also. The mystery is: “CHRIST IN YOU, THE HOPE OF (FOR) GLORY (SALVATION).”

In this context the words “in you” mean exactly what they say. The Word “hope” means something we look forward to possessing in the future. The Word “glory” in this context means salvation. Concerning the hope for salvation (glory), Paul states in Romans 8:24,25 that God’s people have the “hope of salvation” (1 Thes. 5:8/Titus 1:2). He points out that we do not hope for what we already have. Read Hope and Salvation, key word–Hope. In that series it is proven Scripturally that we are not saved and born again in this life. Salvation and rebirth will be awarded upon the arrival of Jesus Christ. We are warned by Christ Himself that only a few salvation seekers will have their hope rewarded (Mat. 7:13,14/ 22:14).

As is noted in Romans 16:26, the purpose for Christ being IN THE BELIEVER is to empower him to live according to THE FAITH which Christ had and which we must have in order to LIVE AS HE LIVED–“walk as He walked” (1 Jn. 2:6). Now we will address the “Christ in you” statement. Christ is in the true believer in the form of God’s Holy Spirit. Jesus of Nazareth–a man like all other men–did what He did and lived as He lived by the power of the Holy Spirit that abode within Him. As did He, we must have that same Spirit abiding in us in order to obey His command to, “overcoming (temptation) even as I (Jesus) overcame and have sat down on My Father’s throne” (Rev. 3:21). God’s throne is in heaven. Jesus is sitting at His right hand. The Holy Spirit is everywhere, including in the hearts of God’s true saints.

What the vast majority of salvation seekers do not understand is that WE MUST OVERCOME SATAN’S TEMPTATIONS TO SIN EXACTLY AS DID THE MAN JESUS. We cannot do that using only our own power. We must have “Christ in us” in the form of the Holy Spirit–the power by which He created the universe. We must obey THE FAITH just as He did in order to join Him in the Kingdom of God. Few church people believe this because it is tied to the HOPE OF SALVATION. The HOPE message is rejected due to the universal belief that church people are already saved. This church “truth” is accepted in spite of the Biblical proof presented by “holy men of old who spoke (and wrote) under the power and leadership of the Holy Spirit” (2 Pet. 1:21).

THE MYSTERY must be understood, believed and manifested in us in order for our hope to become reality at the return of the Lord Jesus. We must obey the Father exactly as did Jesus in order to join Them in the earthly Kingdom of God, key word–Kingdom. If you are in a church that teaches that you are already saved and born again, get out immediately as you are commanded to do in Second Corinthians 6:14-7:1. As Paul tells us in that passage, Christ has no concord with the devil. Believers have no fellowship with unbelievers. Righteousness has no communion with unrighteousness. True saints must not walk with counterfeit saints. The Lord says about His true saints: “I will dwell IN THEM and walk among them. I will be their God and they will be My people” (6:16). Note that only those in whom the Lord dwells are His people. L.J.