Before this world’s beginning, God had a plan for it. Throughout the course of Old Testament history, some details of that plan were released to the Jews. Released was enough to help them know the existence of God; that He was a good God; that He cared for His people; and that He would send them a savior.

Though not revealing everything – it was not the fullness of time – God showed them through the rituals and symbols of the earthly sanctuary, how the savior would be used to combat sin. However, such hints went over their heads. They thought of the savior as someone in their own image and as one who would do things their way, fighting their country’s occupying force. As a result, God’s plan and even God Himself became and remained a mystery to them.

As time passed into the New Testament era, the mystery of God finally became undeniably clear. The fullness of his plan and of godliness itself was revealed to His people who made up the church. God was no longer a mystery and neither was his plan.

The mystery of God, both of Himself and of His plan, turned out to be Christ Jesus. Knowing Jesus and having a relationship with Him brings us into the mystery of God. In Jesus, the Godhead is personified, relatable, and enjoyed. It is in Jesus that we begin and will increasingly continue to comprehend the glorious riches of godliness.

All in all, the mystery of God, no longer mysterious, can be summed up as our salvation and our godly righteousness in Christ, and God giving us the assurance of complete understanding in Christ, by virtue of all of creation being unified under Christ.

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“…I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to His saints. To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Colossians 1: 25-27.

“…that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Colossians 2: 2, 3.

“…making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.” Ephesians 1: 9, 10.