Posted on May 4, 2017 by Steven Richichi

God Of Secrets

Colossians 1:3-6 (NLT)  We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of God’s people, 5 which come from your confident hope of what God has reserved for you in heaven. You have had this expectation ever since you first heard the truth of the Good News.  6 This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about GOD’S WONDERFUL GRACE. Faith is the assurance and conviction that things that have not yet occurred will do so without fail.  

Faith is a grace by which the people of God do exploits!  The Bible definition of faith.  Hebrews 11:1 (ESV)  Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.  This Scripture is followed by many examples of real, God given faith, every one of them connected with God saying something.  Romans 10:17 (ESV) So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.  NEB “faith is activated by the message.”   IF YOU WANT FAITH YOU MUST HEAR FROM GOD!  All hear the word of Christ, but not all have faith imparted.  The rhema word.  God given hope (confident favorable expectation) is a certainty, man’s hope is not.

  1. Too many Christians know about God, but they don’t really KNOW Him.  That is why they so often appear powerless.  That is NOT the way it is supposed to be!  Daniel 11:32 (NKJV)  Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.

God is a God of secrets.  He hides and reveals things at His pleasure to accomplish His purpose.  Deuteronomy 29:29 (ESV) The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.

  1. His elect have access to these secrets that others do not.  Matthew 13:10-13 (ESV)  Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 11 And he answered them, “TO YOU IT HAS BEEN GIVEN to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but TO THEM IT HAS NOT BEEN GIVEN. 12 For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.  Matthew 13:16-17 (ESV)  BUT BLESSED ARE YOUR EYES, FOR THEY SEE, AND YOUR EARS, FOR THEY HEAR. 17 For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.  One illumination builds on another.  You have to have a foundation.  God is the sovereign keeper of secrets, revealing them at His time and for His purpose.
  1. However, sometimes even they are “locked out” depending in God’s plan and purpose.  He is the Sovereign! Acts 1:4-7 (ESV)  And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”  6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.
    1. This kind of thing happened often with the disciples.  Luke 9:43-45 (ESV) But while they were all marveling at everything he was doing, Jesus said to his disciples, 44 “Let these words sink into your ears: The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men.” 45 But they did not understand this saying, and it was concealed from them, so that they might not perceive it. And they were afraid to ask him about this saying. A dissonant message is something you hear but it immediately passes through, like when you tell your child to clean his room. 
    1. Luke 10:21-24 (ESV) In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 22 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”  23 Then turning to the disciples he said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! 24 For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.”  People in a different time did not understand what is revealed in this time.
    1. Luke 18:31-34 (ESV) And taking the twelve, he said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. 32 For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. 33 And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise.” 34 But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.  There was a later time when it was revealed.
    1. Luke 19:41-44 (ESV) And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, 42 saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43 For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side 44 and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”  They had 430 years to figure out what Scripture had declared – but God keeps secrets.
    1. Luke 24:13-35 (ESV)  That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14 and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. 18 Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” 19 And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. 21 But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. 22 Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, 23 and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. 24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” 25 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.  28 So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, 29 but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. 31 And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” 33 And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, 34 saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” 35 Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.  God is a secret keeper but at the right moment and to the right person He reveals it.
  1. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is to reveal things at the appropriate time.  John 14:25-26 (ESV) These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.  The purpose of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are one and the same.
  1. John 16:12-15 (ESV)  “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear (grasp or comprehend) them now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
  1. 1 Corinthians 2:6-16 (ESV)  Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. 7 But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”—10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. 13 And we impart this in words not taught by hum an wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.  14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 15 The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. 16 “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
  1. 1 Corinthians 14:1-2 (ESV) Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. 2 For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries (secrets) in the Spirit.  1 Corinthians 14:13 (ESV)  Therefore, one who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret.  Oral Roberts said he attributed all his success in ministry to praying in the Holy Ghost and then interpreting.
  1. All the help you need is there for the asking!  Matthew 7:7-11 (ESV) Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!  Remember, IF YOU WANT FAITH YOU MUST HEAR FROM GOD!  When someone wants to tell you a secret YOU MUST DRAW NEAR TO THE SPEAKER!  God only reveals secrets to His friends, the ones who communicate with him.  Read your Bible.   That’s what He will use to reveal secrets to you.  Pray in the Holy Ghost and ask God for the interpretation.