Concealed and revealed

DEVOTION

PROVERBS

CONCEALED AND REVEALED

Prov 25:1-2

These are more proverbs of Solomon, copied by the men of Hezekiah king of Judah:

2 It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings.

NIV

We might see this in two different ways. We might think that kings or men in general are always about researching to find answers to everything. We want to know, we want knowledge, and we want understanding in all matters. It may be our nature, it may be the way God designed us, or that we have trained ourselves over the ages to think more highly of ourselves then we should. We may have evolved into being self-centered in all matters, believing we can know all things, or have the ability to know all things. We might also think that God hides all things from us. He conceals a matter. He conceals the truth through speaking to us through the prophets, some of which we may never know what is meant until it is all fulfilled as we stand before the Almighty in eternity. He speaks to us in parables, some in allegories and other things which seem to be metaphors. Yet he exposes his will to us through all these formats. He has published his will so we might know it. There is no other reason for him to publish his will other than for his creation to find out what his will is. So although he does seem to use various methods which would conceal in part what his will is, we are also to find it out within his published work or we should say word. Here he tells us to research it, to find out the truth of his will for our lives. It does bring his glory to conceal matters because it proves his almightiness, his majestic quality, his all-knowing. But it is concealed not to hide it from us, but for us to receive his glory as we research and find his will throughout all his published word.

Ephesians 2:10

“For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”

We are his masterpiece, his crowning glory. He created us in his image, but then also recreated us afresh in Christ, for the old has passed away and all has become new. We cannot do the good things unless we are in Christ. This is part of the research we find in the truth of God, in his concealed publication. Some have perverted these good things into acts of good deeds, works. But it is the good things planned for us before the foundation of the world which he speak of. These are the good things of accepting Jesus, being made anew, being born again, being in Christ, being co-heirs with Jesus, being called the children of God. We but have to see the whole of the teaching in Ephesians to understand that. It is but one concealed truth which he also revealed. The whole of his publication is like this. Concealed but revealed

Eph 2:1-10

2:1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

NIV

Saved by grace, for his glory, for his purpose for us to be in Christ, to be made anew. This is his will for us, to be in Christ seated in the heavenly realms. What else can we do? Why are we so insistant  that we have to employ good works? This plan in the beginning was for us to be made anew in Christ, nothing else. There is no Jesus plus. Sure we say that because we love God we must do something good in his name. If we love him we will serve him. But what does serving him look like? What kind of good works can we do that equal his? He has exposed that which is partly concealed all that we are to do concerning works. But then we begin to step backwards when we start doing works. When we start doing works we start thinking about who does better works then others. When we think our works are better than it is a form of boasting. How we always look for ways to do better works then the next believer. Or if we are not doing any works, we might feel or be made to feel guilty but those boasting in the good works they are doing. It can become a vicious circle or trying to outdo each other with works, all the while missing the glory of God. We become man-centered in our works rather than God centered in our spirit. Let us see his truth for us. Let us research it, understand it and employ his truth to our hearts. We live in the love of God. We live in Christ Jesus. He lives in us, his Spirit dwells within us, we contain the very breathe of God. What more can we do but praise him, give him all the glory, all the honor and all the credit for all things. Although God has in part concealed, he sent his Spirit to reveal all truth to us.