We need to Enlighten all that they may See the Church as the Mystery Hidden in God

The mystery hidden in God throughout the ages and revealed to His saints in the New Testament is the church, the center and focus of His economy and plan.

God has an eternal purpose, which is to work Himself into His chosen people to be their life and everything so that they may be regenerated, transformed, built up, and coordinated together as one body, the body of Christ, the church as God’s corporate expression.

But this plan was hidden from the times of ages, and no one knew what was on God’s heart. Many people lived on earth and wondered what is the purpose of it all, what’s the purpose of the universe and of the human life, and what is in God’s heart concerning them and concerning all things.

Today we as believers can know what is in God’s heart, what was hidden throughout the ages – it is God’s economy to have the church, the Body of Christ, for God’s expression and representation in earth.

God’s eternal purpose is concerning the church, and what God wants to gain in His purpose is just the church, His corporate expression. For God to gain the church, He created all things, including the universe, the earth, the heavens, the animals, the plants, and man. All these were created for the church.

The existence of the universe, the plant life, the animal life, and the human life is for God to have the church. Even the Triune God Himself is for the church, for He is Triune not for our theological understanding but for the producing and building up of the church.

When it comes to God’s purpose for the church, there are three main items.

The first item of God’s purpose for the church is that the church must have the full sonship (Eph. 1:4-5). The second is that God may show His wisdom to the enemy through the church (Eph. 3:9-11). Third, God’s purpose is to head up all things in Christ through the church (Eph. 1:10, 21-23).

This is what God is after, and this is what the church will accomplish. God wants the church to have the full sonship, He wants to manifest His wisdom through the church, and He desires to head up all things in Christ through the church.

What a high purpose God has for the church! And if we as believers see God’s purpose for the church, we need to cooperate with Him to enlighten all that they also may see God’s purpose and be part of the church as God’s expression on earth.

The New Testament reveals that the Church is the Mystery Hidden in God

The New Testament tells us that the church was a mystery in God which was hidden in Him throughout the ages, throughout all the generations before the New Testament time (Eph. 3:3-6, 9; 5:32).

What is a mystery? A mystery is something that is hidden and no one knows about. What is the purpose of God in creating the heavens, the earth, the animals, the plants, and man? Why did God create man in His image?

Throughout the ages many have wondered what is the purpose of the earth and the heavens, and what’s the purpose of man. The New Testament reveals that all things were created and came into existence for the church, for God’s desire and intention is not to merely have the heavens, the earth, and many items, but to gain the church.

So everything exists for the church, both the universe and the earth with all things in it. Today we can understand this because the New Testament clearly reveals this, but in the Old Testament times – and even today among many Christians – most people didn’t know this.

Adam, Abraham, Moses, and David didn’t know what is the purpose of the heavens, the earth, man, and all the living things. This purpose was hidden in God and was revealed to the apostles and prophets in the New Testament.

The mystery hidden in God throughout the ages is the church. All creatures can see that there’s a creation, and especially man realizes how wide and immense and wonderful the creation is, but the mystery hidden in God – the purpose for all these things – is the church.

The mystery hidden in God goes beyond merely something hidden and not known; it refers not only to things that are incomprehensible and unknown to men, but also to things that are hidden in God’s heart.

When you look at God’s creation, the universe with all the things and persons in it, it is evident – it’s not a mystery; but what is the purpose of God in creating all these?

All the people in the world can see the God-created universe, but very few were able to fathom the purpose of God’s creation.

The scientists may try to understand how things work, how life works, and how all things are somehow held together by a higher power or energy. The medical doctors are amazed at the human body with all its parts and organic functions.

But who can tell what is the purpose of it all? What is the mystery hidden in God throughout the generations, the purpose for all creation?

Very few people know what is God’s purpose, His plan, and the mystery hidden in God’s heart; very few know that God created all things and He works in all things to gain the church, His corporate expression.

The purpose for the creation of the universe was hidden in God’s heart, but it is revealed to us in spirit. Whenever we exercise our spirit and read the New Testament, especially in Ephesians, we realize that the mystery hidden in God’s heart is the church, His corporate expression.

Lord, unveil us to see the church as the mystery hidden in God throughout the ages. We open to You, Lord, and we exercise our spirit to be unveiled and enlightened to see what is God’s purpose in creating all things. Amen, Lord, we want to touch Your purpose and even be a part of Your purpose. Unveil us to see more of the preciousness and importance of the church, the mystery hidden in God throughout the generations. Lord, may our life and work contribute to the fulfillment of Your purpose, the building up of the church!

We need to Enlighten all that they may See the Church as the Mystery Hidden in God

Our life is revolutionized when we realize what is God’s purpose, what is the mystery hidden in God; when we see the church as the purpose for which God created all things, we will no longer be the same. The church is the mystery for the expression of Christ.

God is a mystery, Christ as the mystery of God expresses God and manifests Him, and the church as the mystery of Christ expresses Christ and manifests Him in the flesh. In and with this mystery there’s an economy, which is God’s plan and arrangement to dispense Himself into us to produce the church as His corporate expression (Eph. 3:9).

When we see God’s purpose, His economy, the mystery hidden in God, we will no longer be in darkness, but we will be enlightened, encouraged, and strengthened, and we will also be commissioned like Paul to enlighten others to see this mystery.

The Lord wants us to see the mystery hidden in God, the church, and then enlighten all that they may also see the church and be part of the church!

The Lord wants thousands of young university students to see the mystery hidden in God, the purpose of God, the church; when they see it, they will give their whole being for it, for they will know the meaning of the universe and the meaning of their human life!

Our life is revolutionized when we realize that God has an economy, an arrangement, to dispense Himself into us for the producing of the church, the corporate expression of God!

The Lord commissions us to turn others from darkness to light, that they may see what the economy of the mystery is, which throughout the ages has been hidden in God, who created all things (Eph. 3:9).

How do we turn others from darkness to light? How do we enlighten them?

Many people live in darkness, never knowing what is the purpose of their human existence and the purpose of God in creating them and all things around them.

Many believers also do not realize that God doesn’t want them to merely be in the denomination where they are in, but He wants us to be built up and coordinated together to be the corporate expression of Christ on earth, together with the other believers.

So many today have been deceived by the devil, deprived by the evil one, and defrauded by the liar from the high gospel, and we have the glorious commission to enlighten them, to be a light to them!

Just as Jesus came and was the light of the world, enlightening us all concerning God’s purpose and His intention, so we as the kingdom people are the light of the world, letting the Lord Jesus shine through us for others to see Him and the church!

We were once in darkness, but we are now light in the lord! Hallelujah! If we tell others some points of truth, they may argue and bring in their opinions, but when we let the Lord shine through us to enlighten them, no one can argue with light!

Lord Jesus, enlighten us that we may see what the economy of the mystery is, which throughout the ages has been hidden in God. Grant us to see the church as the center of God’s purpose, the mystery hidden in God. Lord, make us light in You that we may enlighten others that they may also see Christ and the church! Give us a heart for all men and cause us to realize our glorious commission to be a light to them. Lord, enlighten many young ones in Europe to see the economy of God, the mystery hidden in God, the church as God’s corporate expression!

References and Hymns on this Topic

• Inspiration: the Word of God, my enjoyment in the ministry, the message by Ron Kangas for this week, and portions from, Collected Works of Witness Lee, 1965, vol. 1, “The Vision, Practice, and Building Up of the Church as the Body of Christ,” chs. 1-3, as quoted in the Holy Word for Morning Revival on, The Recovery of the Church (2017 fall ITERO), week 1, Seeing God’s Eternal Purpose concerning the Church and Enlightening All concerning the Economy of the Mystery Hidden in God.
• Hymns on this topic:
  # Through countless ages, many men / Have longed and sought and tried to see / The secret of the universe, / So vast, so great a mystery. (Hymns #1093)
  # Two millennia have gone by Christians countless as sands, / God’s economy yet a mystery hidden to man, / Many zealous yet with no vision, no restraint, / Who would kneel down and pray to see God’s central vision? (Song on God’s hidden mystery)
  # The Church the myst’ry is of Christ, / For He is now to man unshown; / No man on earth may see Him now, / But thru the Church He is made known. (Hymns #818)