THE WORLD'S MYSTERY MAN
A. THE BIBLE SPEAKS OF TWO GREAT MYSTERIES
- The mystery of iniquity:
- The great counterfeit system spread all over the world - 2 Thess. 2:7
- Great Babylon - Rev. 14:8; 17:1-9
- The mystery of the gospel of Jesus Christ:
- The mystery of godliness - 1 Tim. 3:16
- The mystery of the gospel - Rev. 10:7
B. THE WORLD'S MYSTERY MAN
- In His conversation with Nicodemus, our Lord introduces the
world's mystery man:
- Nicodemus, a learned church leader, a master in Israel, seemed to know nothing about this man.
- "Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?" - John 3:4
- "Art thou a master in Israel, and knowest not these things?" - verse 10
- Some Bible facts about the world's mystery man:
- He is not of this world -
- "If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you." - John 15:19
- "I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world." - John 17:14
- He is born from above -
- "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." - John 1:12, 13
- "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures." - Jas. 1:18
- He is not of this world -
C. THE CREATION OF THE WORLD'S MYSTERY MAN
- He is a totally new creature:
- "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature" - 2 Cor. 5:17
- "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works" - Eph. 2:10
- He has:
- A new heart - Ezek. 36:26; Ps. 51:10; Jer. 24:7
- A new and upright spirit - Ps. 51:10; Ezek. 36:26
- A new life - Gal. 2:20; Phil. 1:21
- A new speech - 1 Pet. 1:15; 2 Pet. 1:20; Phil. 3:20
- New affections - Col. 3:2; Rom. 12:1-6
- New association - 2 Cor. 6:14-17; Rom. 13:11-14; 2 Cor. 13:14; 1 John 1:3
- The world's mystery man has a mission in this world:
- He is to be a light to the people in this sin darkened world - Matt. 5:14-16; 1 Thess. 5:5; Phil. 2:15
- He is the salt of the earth - Matt. 5:13. This means that his usefulness is universal.
- He is to foster the interests of heaven - 1 Pet. 2:9-11
- Anyone may become the world's mystery man:
- By accepting Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour - 1 John 5:1-5
- By being born again - John 3:1-6; 1 John 3:1-9
- By letting the Holy Spirit of God live in him - 1 Cor. 6:19, 20; Rom. 8:12-16
- By walking in the Spirit and crucifying the sinful habits that are common to the natural man - Rom. 6:1-6