We have truth and we have mystery.
If you believe it is is all truth with no mystery, you are claiming what Satan said that if they ate the fruit they would be like God (Gen 3:4-5)
If you believe it is all mystery with no truth, you are denying the Logos/Word – Jesus – who came to take much of the mystery and reveal the secret things of God’s plan to humanity in his person. Peter says even angels longed to understand these mysteries that have now been revealed to us (1 Peter 1:12).
Truth and mystery…Much has been revealed but not all has been revealed.
In our attempt to stamp out mysticism we may have also stamped out mystery itself but I believe we need a little more mysticism and a lot more mystery and here is why.
We have talked a lot about how those of us who grew up in churches of Christ learned to read the Bible looking for authorization through command, example and necessary inference.
And if you think about it, that is basically an attempt to remove the mystery from the text…to bring clarity to silence! To bring clarity from inference! To remove the mystery and replace it with certainty!
We went too far…we don’t know everything. So let’s not pretend like we do. Let’s have some humility and embrace a bit more the value of actually having a relationship with God and the mysticism that introduces into our Christian walk.
That doesn’t mean we reject truth! We uphold the truth that is clearly proclaimed in the gospel! It does mean that we also acknowledge that our understanding is limited and that we are not God…
A quick note on mysticism – mysticism is the direct, personal experience of God. This can be experienced in many forms. I used to deny it was possible but God has been graceful enough to me to see the value in a deeper walk with Him that goes beyond the intellect.
Learn how you cannot understand the truth without grace, love and the Spirit!
