The Mysteriousness of God

They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. 1 Timothy 3:9

What does Paul mean when he uses words like ‘mystery’ and ‘conscience’? What exactly is the mystery of the faith? Most biblical commentators agree Paul is speaking about a ‘faith’ that goes beyond just orthodoxy, or in other terms beyond just the mental and physical rituals, liturgies, and formulas of religion. The ‘mystery of the faith’ in my opinion has to do with real relationship with God (Father / Jesus / Holy Spirit) and encompass a real indwelling Presence of the Holy Spirit who guides and instructs the individual. What is conscience? It is the God-given understanding born into every human being that has God’s ‘laws’ programmed into it that can discern right and wrong, good and evil. To have a ‘clear conscience’ would say that the individual isn’t working for nefarious evil reasons that include self pride and desires and direct deception of others. This would obviously exclude the ‘hirelings’ and ‘wolves’ that come into the ‘flock of God’ to prey upon them. So the ‘elder’ is to have evidence that shows their relationship with God through the fruit of the Holy Spirit in word and deed.

The thing that continues to come to my mind is that the mysteries of God are still far greater than we understand. The more that God reveals to an individual there also comes a revelation that there is SO much more than the individual ever imagined. It is the paradox of revelation. God is WAY greater, bigger, and FAR beyond our current understanding. His ways, His creation, the eons of time, His plans, the ancient universe histories not yet revealed. The complexity of His creation — on a universal scale. How many universes are there? How many dimensions are there? How many created species of beings are out there? How many types of beings and what capabilities / powers / technologies do they have? So many spiritual teachers try to remove the mysteriousness of God and simplify things which ought not be made simple. Why do they do that? I can think of several reasons. Control. Manipulation. Self aggrandizement. Deception. Ignorance. And the list goes on. Many are just taking what previous ‘teachers’ have told them as ‘gospel’ rather than questioning and researching for themselves the scriptures and seeking the Holy Spirit for answers. It’s easier to give a ‘simple answer’ rather than just saying “I don’t know.” Pride and fear are often motivators for giving ‘simple answers’ to things beyond our understanding. 

I have come to embrace and enjoy the revelation that God has MANY more mysteries that HE has yet revealed to us. But one can only do that IF they trust God to a level that they KNOW His character and deep love intimately for themselves. We often fear what we don’t know. But with God what is there to fear? The only ‘fear’ that one begins to realize with revelation is that God is the ONLY One to fear — as He has TOTAL control. (look up the omni- powers) So if you are ‘with’ Him there is NOTHING to fear staying within His Presence and allowing the Holy Spirit to guide you.

Pride always simplifies the mysteriousness of God. It takes humility to admit to oneself that you don’t know everything. Are you okay with knowing that you won’t understand everything right away? Are you okay with the concept of being on an eternal adventure of revelation as our Heavenly Father continues to reveal Himself and His heart to us through intimate relationship and His creation? Are you okay asking God to take you to another level of His love? That will mean God will have to remove things in you that you are certain that you think you “know”. The answer from God to that question will always humble you. To be in His Presence REQUIRES true humility. If you are deceiving yourself … that will be revealed in His Presence. If you’ve allowed His love to permeate you enough … you will want to experience MORE of it and earnestly seek God more fervently.

His love IS the answer to beginning to understand it all. Is there more out there? I would ask this question: Can you measure His love? 

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

    so great is His steadfast love toward those who fear Him;

as far as the east is from the west,

    so far does He remove our transgressions from us. Psalms 103:11-12