Identity Defined By Pete BriscoeSampel

The Christian Faith is a Mystery

Mysterion: noun. Greek.

1. A mystery. Something inexplicable by normal means.

2. What theologians call something when they don’t have a clue about what is going on.

I like to have everything figured out. Most Christians in the Western world feel the same way. We have systematic theology, four spiritual laws, diagrams and charts to describe the Trinity, constitutions and bylaws to spell out what church is, etc. That's all well and good… but it's not enough. I mean, it's really not enough.

Authentic Christianity doesn't come from just facts and figures; it comes out of a mystery. Sure, religion is based on formulas and to-do lists, but a relationship with Jesus Christ takes place in a completely different realm: The realm of the mysterious. The apostle Paul spoke about this in Colossians 1:25:

I have become its (the churches) servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness—the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people.

What is a mystery? According to Scripture a mystery is something formerly hidden in God from all human eyes, but now revealed through Christ, and made understandable to His people by the Holy Spirit.

In other words, “There ain’t no way we can figure this out on our own.” We can read about it, listen to sermons about it, and study it all we want, but unless God brings it to life in us, we aren’t going to get it. This is particularly true when it comes to our self-identity.

Second only to our concept of God, our concept of “self” is the most important thing about us—and in a world that is bombarding us with lies, we desperately need to know the mysterious Truth about who we are.

Lord Jesus, You have taught us is that if we want to experience “the mystery”, then we’ve got to surrender to the Holy Spirit. I’m doing that right now. I want to know the Truth. Reveal the mystery to me. Make Your Word come alive in my heart. Take the blinders off my eyes, unveil it. I want to know the Truth about who I am so that the Truth can set me free.