1 Timothy 3:16
And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
Believed on in the world
As we continue our study the next couple of posts, and examine the fifth and sixth parts of the mystery of godliness, we will see the results and purpose for which the first four parts were designed by God. As we looked at in the last post, the apostle Paul had a special commission from the Lord, to preach the gospel of the grace of God to the Gentile world and to reveal the mystery. We too, by the Holy Spirit’s instructions through the pen of Paul have been charged to preach the gospel as well, being made ambassadors for Christ. God’s Word illustrates a clear principle that before someone can believe, the gospel has to be preached or published. We see this in Romans 10:14-15
How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? As it is written, how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
Everyone of us has a ministry and is a preacher in a sense to someone. That someone could be a family member, a co-worker, or someone who you meet randomly. All saved men and women since the beginning of time have been saved based on the Lord Jesus Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. But it is not until the apostle Paul was saved and instructed, that the secret of God’s grace and His plan for the heavens and the Body of Christ was made known. To Paul was given a dispensation or administration that was never made known before and was distinct from God’s plan for Israel. In this age of grace it is in the apostle Paul’s epistles that we find the explanation for our salvation by God’s grace, the faithfulness of our Lord Jesus Christ, and through faith in His finished work on our behalf. In the epistle’s of Paul we learn how to stand, walk, and run in Christ. It is not until we learn this truth, that we can appropriately apply the spiritual truths found in the Old Testament Scriptures to our lives as Paul did, while we at the same time leaving the physical ordinances of the law and convenant promises where they belong with Israel.
We rejoice that the Lord’s grace abounded in Paul as he preached to the Gentiles and the Lord Jesus Christ was believed on in the world 2000 years ago. And we rejoice that almost 2000 years later, God is still graciously empowering members of the Body of Christ to preach the good news and the Lord Jesus Christ is still being believed on today. But as we rejoice, we also shed a tear because we know people who have not believed. Sadly many have had the gospel preached to them, but they have not believed. So what explains this, how come some believe and some won’t believe? What does the word “election” really mean? There are plenty of lengthy theological explanations out there today, with some saying that God picks and chooses who is saved and who is not saved, and some people saying that it is totally by a person’s choice. We know that the natural man or flesh is completely depraved, so can a totally depraved person choose to believe God? Well, let’s not ponder a bunch of theological positions with a bunch of words that aren’t found in the Bible, but are popular in theology. Instead, let’s take a look at the cross, for it is there where we see election defined.
Matthew 27:38-44
Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left. And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads, and saying, Thou that will destroy the temple, and build it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, He saved others; himself he cannot save. If He be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God. The thieves also which were crucified, cast the same in his teeth.
So let’s notice some things about the three crosses. We have two thieves, both of whom are guilty and deserve their punishment. One on the right hand and one on the left hand of our Lord. Both are nailed to their crosses totally unable to save themselves. And they are both equally near to the Savior of the World, but both of them are hurling insults and mocking the Lord. Now let’s consider the state of every man born into this world except the Lord Jesus Christ (who was sinless being both God and man). We read Romans 3:10-18
As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one. There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulcher (grave), with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips; Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes.
This Scripture we just read describes man in his original state as a child of Adam, both those who would go on to believe in God and those who wouldn’t believe in God. And returning back to the thieves we see that they both have mouths that are full of cursing and bitterness as they mock our Lord on the cross. We need to remember that we were there that day as well, for it was our sins and the punishment we deserved that the Lord Jesus Christ graciously shed His blood for us. He was also shedding His blood for both the thieves as well. Let’s look what happened a little later. When we look at this time when Christ was on the cross in the Gospel of Luke, when we come to chapter 23 and verse 37 we see that this the exact point where we left off in the gospel of Matthew. We read in Luke 23:35-37
And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him saying, He saved others; let Him save himself, if he be the Christ, the chosen of God. And the soldiers mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar and saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself.
What happens next is absolutely awesome, as the Holy Spirit gave us view in Matthew, we saw two thieves, equally guilty and deserving punishment, both mocking the Son of God. And we see this is the same timeframe that Luke records in Luke 23:35-37. Then as we look in Luke 23:38 we see words being published, these words were in three different languages that all the world could read. The words were true words, though perhaps written in mockery, they were true words describing the Lord Jesus Christ, God the Son, King of kings, and Lord of lords, they described His attribute as “King of the Jews”. We read Luke 23:38
And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
Let us now read the rest of this passage and see how these words being published caused one man, a thief of the world, to believe on the Son of God. We read further in Luke 23:39 -43
And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.
So as we again consider the two thieves we see them equal in depravity, equal in their ability to look at the Savior, equally mocking, and then the Word is published, and they equally have a chance to read it. After the published Word they equally have a chance to fear God, one thief does, one thief does not, this then is free will. Both were unable to choose to believe God before the Word is published, but after the Word is published one thief fears God and one thief doesn’t. Before the foundation of the world, God knew which thief would believe and which thief would not, therefore as pertaining to election, He manifested the Way to salvation, the Truth of salvation, and the Life of salvation, the Lord Jesus Christ. And in election according to his foreknowledge, He ensured that all those that would believe were thoroughly equipped unto good works which He created in Christ Jesus for us to walk in.
As we again consider these two men on either side of our Lord, we see that the one man believed, because he spoke, “And he said unto Jesus, Lord remember me when thou comest into they kingdom” and then the Lord spoke to him, “Verily I say unto thee, Today thou shalt be with me in paradise”. How unsearchable are His judgements and His ways past finding out! When this man was mocking the Lord, the Lord knew all along that the man would believe in Him, and inspite of the mocking, that He would save him. What grace, what mercy, what manner of love this is! When we look at the thief on the other side of Jesus, we notice that nothing more is said to him or by him. Silence and an eternity of suffering and seperation from God await him. The savior is right there next to him, but he will not believe, he does not fear, he is dying, he does not care, he witnesses the other man speaking to the Lord and the Lord assuring that man that they shall be together that day in paradise, but all we have is defiant silence from the unsaved thief, before he is ushered into an eternity in hell. Oh may we pray that those who are not saved, would hear the good news of God’s grace in the finished work of our Lord Jesus Christ, and would be pricked in the heart. But while our hearts hurt for these people we know, we realize that is up to them to accept God’s free gift of salvation and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
As members of the Body of Christ, we know that we have much more of God’s Word available to read than did the thief on the cross. May we then yield to God, through prayer and the study of His Word, so Christ would manifest His life through us and we might speak the truth in love, and tell others of the Lord Jesus Christ and how He saved us by shedding His blood and dying for us, being buried and rising from the dead. And as He is believed on in the world, may we praise Him and thank Him for His awesome power and working.
