Now to Him who is able
to establish you according
to my gospel and the
preaching of Jesus Christ,
according to the revelation
of the mystery kept secret
since the world began but
now made manifest, and by
the prophetic Scriptures made
known to all nations, according
to the commandment of the
everlasting God, for obedience
to the faith--to God, alone wise,
be glory through Jesus Christ
forever. Amen.
Romans 16:25-27
Paul is clear and plain; God is alone wise, no one else can claim that fact and due to His wisdom all of His promises are sure and can be relied upon to support our faith. Unfortunately there are those who corrupt the divine truth, troublers of the Church's peace, and are no better than devils. This trouble, brought upon God's people is to bring dishonor to God, to defame Him even though those who do so are doing so in the name of Jesus Christ. Remember the problem Jesus had with Peter? Here is the account: "Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, 'Far be it from You, Lord, this shall not happen to You!' But He turned and said to Peter, 'Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men'" (Matthew 16:22-23). After hearing the words of Jesus Christ who was presenting to him truth, Peter would not agree with that truth, even though Peter thought that he was doing Jesus a favor by his words, Jesus saw this as an attempt to pervert the truth and rebuke him. Notice this, Jesus called Peter; Satan, and that Peter was an offense to Him. Why, because Peter was speaking the things of men, and not of God. Peter did not believe, at least at this time in the wisdom of God, he wanted to change the truth, even if it was done in ignorance. But, once Peter learned the truth, nothing could drag it out of Him, he became a force to be reckoned with, as God used him mightily. Divine evangelical truth will be victorious, as promised from the time when Adam and Eve fell from grace and sinned bringing sin into this world, (Genesis 2:15), and caused a need for a Savior, this Savior is Jesus Christ. It was the Wisdom of God who could promise us a Savior, and it is the Wisdom of God who could keep and work out His promises.
Do you want to strengthen your faith? then look back as far as this foundation promise given to Adam and Eve. Trace this footsteps of God's truth and wisdom, from Adam and Eve to the triumph over Satan upon the Mount of Olives. Judas Iscariot and the soldiers who came to arrest Him that night did so by the decree of God, not just under their power, but by the power of God who was now to accomplish the purpose for which He came to this earth. We confide in the promises of God, but leave the season of its accomplishment to His wisdom. Often in Scripture we read that God would accomplish something "shortly." (Genesis 41:32; Revelation 1:1; 22:6; and more), and we then are somewhat discouraged when God's shortly does not meet our definition and expectation for "shortly." We begin to doubt, even as much as to doubt the wisdom of God. What we do so often is to anthropromorphize God, that is to not see Him as He is, another sort of being, and eternal being, a being without beginning or end, a being that is all knowledge, and all power, and all present; God is God, and not a man. What is long, or short to us is our measurement, but God is not confined to our measurement of time, therefore what is long to us may only be a short time for God. What is important to remember, and this we do by a simple study of His word, that God keeps His promises, and this He does by His very Wisdom. God is the best judge of the seasons in which He distributes His mercies, this is His world after-all, we are His creation, and by His distribution of His mercies in the correct season we can acknowledge that God is all-wise, and shortly God will complete and fulfill all promises that are yet to be completed. Our faith is to be strong in His promises and this we do by strengthening our faith in His wisdom.
Don't turn your back upon this doctrine, that doctrine that is so plainly taught in Scripture and revealed to us in our experiences. Don't be a Peter and try to tell God how He should operate, the time frame in which He is to accomplish those things we wish to have accomplished. Confirm you belief in the Gospel, for it is the very Wisdom of God who became clothed in human flesh to accomplish in time what God had promised. It was once a secret, but now it is manifested, the secret revealed, this mystery solved as to who would be the one to crush Satan. God receives the glory, and He explains to us now this wonderful secret of His promise to Adam and Eve, to the world, to all who read His word; this is the promise fulfilled, Jesus Christ came for sinners, to save the people of God. Rest in this fact, God calls His people and teaches them the truth, His truth, and not some truth devised by men. It has been revealed to us, so now we in obedience to that truth we obey God, place our sure faith in Him. Thus it is proved, God is, as the Apostle Paul stated: "to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen. (Romans 16:27).
Now to Him who is able
to establish you according
to my gospel and the preaching
of Jesus Christ, according
to the revelation of the mystery
kept secret since the world began...
Romans 16:25
The grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
Richard L. Crumb
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