Episode #93 Embracing the Mystery of Christ, Understanding God Part 2 – Noticing God

I think every believer wants to know God more. And I'm guessing that's why you're here. Hey, I'm Jen. And as a Bible teacher, I love to help people talk with God. I'm so excited to spend these few minutes with you today as we talk about the mysteriousness of God.

God is so much greater than us. His ways are higher than ours and different and beyond our understanding. Even in the things that we do understand, there are so many aspects that still remain a mystery.

There's so many things that we can wonder at and marvel at about God. We started talking about this specifically in the very last episode and talking about how as we grow in our awareness of Him most of the time that quickly leads us to an awareness of how much we still don't understand.

I read a passage for us from Ephesians 4, it talks about the role of church leaders for equipping the body of Christ. And I'm going to read just a part of that same passage to kick us off here today. So it's talking about equipping the saints for the work of the ministry and building up the body to maturity.

“to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13) and then skipping down to verse 15.

“Speaking the truth in love, we are able to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ.” (Ephesians 4:15)

And that's what we're talking about today. Now, honestly, I don't know entirely what that means, to grow into the stature of the fullness of Christ, but I know that I want that. I don't know entirely what it looks like. I can imagine some things as it gives us the analogy of the bride being built together in love and growing up into him who is the head into Christ.

I want that. That sounds good to me, even though I don't fully understand what that looks like. And so we're going to continue in this theme here, and I'm flipping over to Colossians 2. This is a letter that Paul has written to the church in Colossae. So Colossians 2:1-4, and then I'll skip down and read verses 6-10.

“For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments… Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.” (Colossians 2:1-4, 6-10)

There's great significance in growing in our understanding of God and our understanding of the word so that we are not deceived. So that we're not swayed by popular opinion. So we're not misdirected by deceitful teachings, but that we are rooted in Christ.

And we gain this knowledge by growing in our knowledge of Christ. In Philippians, Paul says, “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing with him and his sufferings.” We just read here in Colossians, knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ in whom are hidden all treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Sometimes I can forget that.

When I seek understanding from God, of God, from the Bible, of the Bible, I can forget that the understanding I'm seeking, the knowledge I'm seeking, is to know Christ.

I want to get better at remembering that.

That invitation is to know Him, to live with Him, and to marvel at God's mystery, which is Christ, to seek Christ in whom is hidden all wisdom and knowledge.

So as we end our episode, I have a question for you to take into conversation with God. And my encouragement for you is not to auto fill the answer to this question. I'm sure you can think of a lot of really great, practical, likely even beneficial answers.

But the purpose here is to take a question to God, to engage in a back-and-forth conversation with Him. To hear what answer He would want to give you personally today.

So here's that question.

God, how are you inviting me to know you more?

Have a good talk.

And if you've been encouraged by this content, please share it with a friend and help them grow in their conversational relationship with God too!

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