Let us turn once more to the
Word of God and turning to the epistle of Paul to the Colossians
in Colossians chapter 2 and we'll read verses 1 and 2 Colossians
chapter 2 verses 1 and 2 For I would that ye knew what great
conflict I have for you and for them at Laodicea and for as many
as have not seen my face in the flesh that their hearts might
be comforted being knit together in love and unto all riches of
the full assurance of understanding to the acknowledgement of the
mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ. And the words
that I want to center your attention upon for a text are those that
we have at the end of verse 2, where Paul speaks of all the
riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgment
of the mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ. And he sees this really as the
answer to that burden that he feels. He mentions the word conflict
there at the beginning of the chapter. I would that you knew
what great conflict, or as the margin says, fear or care I have
for you. He had never seen them in the
flesh. And yet we see how he has a real
pastor's heart to them. He wants to see them comforted,
knit together in love. And how can such be experienced? It is only by what he goes on
to speak of in the words of our text, all the riches of the full
assurance of the understanding to the acknowledgement of the
mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ. It is the doctrine
of God, the right understanding of the truth concerning God Himself
that will bring comfort to poor and also comfort to those to
whom He is addressing this particular epistle. and he speaks of that
doctrine of God in terms of mystery, the mystery of God in that hymn
that we just sang on the subject of prayer and
in it John Berridge clearly addresses prayer to each of the persons
in the Godhead, to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy
Spirit there at the end of the hymn, praying to the Holy Ghost,
he says, disclose the heavenly mysteries and bring the gospel
feast. Give gracious hearts and opened
eyes that we may see and taste. So we need that the Spirit himself
then should grant to us such an understanding as is being
spoken of here in the words of our text. When Paul writes to
Timothy in what we call the pastoral epistles, epistles that are dealing
with order and office in the churches of Christ, he speaks
of course of the overseers, the elders, he speaks also of the
office of the deacon, And there in 1 Timothy chapter 3 and verse
9 he speaks of one of the qualifications of the deacon. Must be a man
holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience he says. Those who would hold office in
must hold the mystery of the faith and the expression the
faith there refers not to the grace of believing not to saving
faith in our experience the mystery of the faith is a reference to
doctrine and the great mystery of the faith of course is the
doctrine of God himself that is the first, that is the greatest
of all mysteries the most glorious of all doctrine Canst thou by
searching find out God? Canst thou find out the Almighty
unto perfection? It is high as heaven. What canst
thou do deeper than hell? What canst thou know? The measure
thereof is longer than the earth and broader than the seas. We
read in Job chapter 11. It is that that is so incomprehensible
with regards to this doctrine, the faith, the mystery. of God Himself. How we see that
there is but one living and true God, the great emphasis of the
Old Testament Scripture is to constantly remind the children
of Israel of that great truth, that the gods of the nations
round about are but the works of men's hands, are idle, Hear
O Israel the Lord, our God is one Lord, He is the Creator and
the Sustainer of all things. And yet, though God be one, He
subsists in three distinct persons. This is the mystery. This is
the mystery. There are three that bear record
in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost and these
three are one. The great thing is that God reveals
Himself. All God is to be known. He has
revealed Himself here in His works and all that revelation
of course comes to its fulfillment with the appearance of the Lord
Jesus Christ. And that great work of salvation
that Christ accomplished Presently we will sing that lovely hymn
of Joseph Hartz. To comprehend the grave 3-1 is
more than highest angels can or what the Trinity has done
from death and hell to rescue man. But all true Christians,
this may boast, the truth from nature never learned that Father,
Son and Holy Ghost to save our souls are all concerned. All the three persons, Father,
Son and Holy Ghost, all have a great interest in that tremendous
work of salvation. God reveals Himself. God reveals
Himself in the saving of sinners. And it has been well observed
that salvation itself is built on those distinctions in the
Trinity. those distinctions in the Trinity
that we see in that portion that we read. As I remarked in our
authorized version, the punctuation of the chapter is not without
significance. Remember what I said after the
normal customary way in which Paul would begin with a word
of greeting, speaking of the grace of God in Christ, in verses
1 and 2. Then from verse 3 to verse 6
we have that one sentence that speaks really of the great purpose
of the Father, how He has made choice of a people. in the Lord
Jesus Christ and predestinated them to salvation. And then the
next sentence, from verse 7 through 12, he speaks of that work of
redemption that was accomplished by the Lord Jesus Christ, God,
the Son, manifest in the flesh. And then that shorter sentence,
verses 13 and 14, that speaks of the great work of the Spirit,
It is the Spirit who seals that salvation in the soul of the
sinner, applies the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. We have the
purpose of God, the purpose of God the Father in eternity. We
have that that was accomplished by God the Son in the fullness
of the time, the great work of redemption, and then the experience
as these things are brought home by the Spirit. in the sinner's
soul, the three persons of the Godhead involved in salvation. The doctrine of the Trinity,
it's everywhere in Scripture. When we think of the work of
the Lord Jesus Christ, where does that work begin? His public
ministry really opens of course when he goes to the river Jordan
and submits to John's baptism the baptism of repentance. He
identifies himself with those whom he has come to save. He
needs not to receive such a baptism. But he will identify with sinners. And there as he is baptized of
John, we're told as the heavens opened and the Spirit descends
upon him in the form of a dove and then the Father speaks the
words from heaven, this is my beloved Son in whom I am well
pleased. All the persons of the Trinity
are there. God the Son in human flesh being
baptized, the Spirit descending the Father, give us not the Spirit
by measure unto Him. He's anointed with the Spirit.
And then the word of the Father, this is my beloved Son, in whom
I am well pleased. And as with Christ's baptism,
so with Christian baptism. Isn't Christian baptism in the
name of the Trinity? as we have it there at the end
of Matthew 28, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and
of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. And interestingly, you will observe
how the word name is singular, it doesn't say the names. It
says the name. What is God's name? God is One. and God's name is Father, Son
and Holy Spirit. Here is the great mystery then,
the mystery of the Trinity and that's the subject matter that
I want us to consider from these words here in Colossians chapter
2 and verse 2. Unto all riches of the full assurance
of understanding to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of
the Father, and of Christ. First of all, consider God the
Father. We have it here. His name is
mentioned. The mystery of the Father. Now observe that there can be
no eternal Father, except there is also an eternal Son. If God is eternally Father, He
must have an eternal Son. There was a time, of course,
when there was no creation. God is the One who created all
things. God is the One who created time.
They might speak of God's creatures as His children. Christians rightly
speak of believers as God's children. But there was a time when there
were no Christian believers, no believers at all, no creatures
at all. And yet God is the Eternal Father. And in order to be an Eternal
Father there must be an Eternal Son. And isn't this what lies
behind the words of John There in the first epistle general
in chapter 2 and verse 23 it says, Whosoever denieth the Son,
the same hath not the Father. But he that acknowledgeth the
Son hath the Father also. We have to acknowledge the Son.
in order to acknowledge God the Father. Again, in verse 9 of
the second epistle, John says, Whosoever transgresses and abides
not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God. He that abides
in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the
Son. Here we see then the great truth
of God the Father. God, the Father, is that one
who has an eternal Son, yes? Believers are the sons of God,
but believers are God's sons by adoption. But the Son, that is the Lord
Jesus Christ, the Son of God manifest in the flesh, He is
the only begotten of the Father. is the eternal son not the adopted
son and so there is a distinction and we see it here at the beginning
of the epistle where as I say in his customary
fashion we see it in Colossians as in Ephesians Paul begins with
his word of greetings his words of grace he says in verse 2 to
the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colossae.
Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus
Christ. We give thanks to God and the
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now observe the distinction here.
In verse 2 he speaks of God our Father Grace be unto
you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Then
he goes on, we give thanks to God and to the Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ. There's a distinction between
God our Father and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He's
the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ in quite a different sense. And so after his resurrection
from the dead, what does the Lord say to Mary Magdalene? I
ascend on to my father and your father and to my God and your
God. He doesn't say I ascend on to
our father. No, He says I ascend on to my
father and your father. That relationship that is between
God the Father and God the Son is something quite distinct and
different. I say again The Eternal Father
is that one who, in order to be the Father, must have an eternal
Son. And here, the Apostle speaks
of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ. Well, in the second place, let
us consider something concerning God, the Son. He is that one,
of course, who in the fullness of the time, is made of a woman. It was not God the Father that
became incarnate, it was not God the Holy Spirit, it was God
the Son. When the fullness of the time
was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under
the law. And remember how we read there
in the opening chapter of John's Gospel, and we beheld His glory,
said John, as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace
and truth." The only begotten of the Father. All others who know anything
of sonship are God's sons by adoption. Oh, it is the Lord
Jesus Christ alone the Lord Jesus Christ alone who is begotten,
the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. And so John again writing in
his second epistle, and there at the end of verse 3 speaks
of him as the son of the Father in truth and love. He is the son of the Father in
truth and in love. God is love. God is love without
regard, without reference to anything outside of himself.
That inter-trinitarian relationship between the three persons, how
the Father loves the Son, and the Son loves the Father, and
the Father and the Son love the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit
loves the Father and the Son. God is love, and love from all
eternity, the very relationship between those divine persons. And so, the Lord Jesus is spoken
of as the Son of the Father in truth and love. As I say, He is that One who
is eternally begotten. eternally begotten and remember
how he speaks there in Proverbs chapter 8 as the wisdom of God
he says when there were no depths I was brought forth when there were no depths I was
brought forth when there were no fountains abounding with water
Before the mountains were established and the hills were formed, I
was brought forth. Before there was any creation
at all, He was brought forth. That is a relationship. The Father
begets the Son and the Son is begotten. But it is one that
is eternally begotten when we consider that relationship. And so he is equal to the Father,
is he not? He is eternal as the Father is
eternal. And how the Jews understood that. Now that was the reason why they
wanted to see him killed. They accused him time and again
of blasphemy. Remember in John chapter 5 where
he heals that lame man on the Sabbath day, that's a great offence
to them. But we read there at John 5.18, the Jews sought the
Moor to kill him because he not only had broken the Sabbath,
but said that God was his father, making himself equal with God. Or they knew what he was saying.
And they said that's blasphemy, you're making yourself equal
with God when you say you're the eternal Son of God. And not
only in chapter 5 of John's Gospel again, you turn to chapter 10
and verse 33, and we read these words of the Jews, for a good
work, which thou didst not, but for blasphemy, because thou being
a man, makest thyself God. That was what they charged him
with. They would have stoned him. But of course, his time
was not yet come. He could only die at the appointed
time, just as he was born at the appointed time. All the sovereignty
of God, in all these things, when the fullness of the time
was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under
the law, And as there was a time to be born for Christ, so there
was a time to die. And when the fullness of the
time was come, what does he do? He sets his face to go to Jerusalem. The hour was come, he sets his
face. His face is as a flint. And though there be those various
occasions throughout his life when the Jews would have stoned
him to death, we're told his hour was not yet come. His hour
was not yet come. But when He comes, what is the
charge? They make a charge when they
present Him to the Roman governor. They must bring a charge against
Him before Pontius Pilate. And so there in John 19.7 we
have a law, they say, by our law He ought to die because He
made Himself the Son of God. Blasphemy! That was the very
thing, and yet He was the Son of God. He is the Son of God. It was altogether a false charge
that they laid. Here is the mystery, you see,
the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ. Oh, what
a mystery when we come to consider God the Son. Without controversy, Paul says,
great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh,
justified in the spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the
Gentiles, believed on in the world. Oh, what a statement is
that there in 1 Timothy 3.16. Why? It's the very sum and substance
of the Gospel and it all concerns the Lord Jesus Christ. It's a
mystery. The mystery of the Incarnation.
Our God's contracted to a span. Incomprehensibly made man. Why? It's beyond. It's beyond our comprehension. How can we how can we come to
really understand these things that that little babe that was
born at Bethlehem and laid in a manger that little babe that
was so dependent upon his earthly mother just as any newborn babe
is completely and utterly dependent well so too that babe that was
born to Mary And yet that little babe is never anything less than
Almighty God. What a wonder it is. I do like
those lines of Joseph Hart's. His shoulders held up heaven
and earth when Mary held up him. As she held that little babe
and encouraged him as he began to take his first steps and to
walk, why his very shoulders were then holding up heaven and
earth. That is the great mystery, you
see, concerning the Incarnation. There are great mysteries to
the faith, holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience,
the mystery of God. That God is one, and yet God
is three persons. The mystery of the Incarnation
that the Lord Jesus Christ is God's, and yet the Lord Jesus
Christ is man, and there are two distinct natures, and yet
but one person, one Lord Jesus Christ in his person, those two
distinct natures, the divine nature, the human nature, oh
what mysteries. But then also we have God's,
the Holy Spirit, And it is that I really want to concentrate
on more particularly tonight. The acknowledgment of the mystery
of God and of the Father and of Christ. That expression, the
mystery of God, is a reference to the Holy Spirit. It's the
Holy Spirit who is spoken of. the mystery of God, God the Holy
Spirit, the mystery of the Father, God the Father, the mystery of
Christ, God the Son. I refer you to that remarkable
little work of William Huntington's called Contemplations on the
God of Israel. Many say it's the finest of all
his writings. In a series of letters to his
great friend Jenkin Jenkins at Lewis, and he speaks of the doctrine
of God, the doctrine of the Trinity. But he very much majors in those
letters on that great truth of God the Holy Spirit. God the
Holy Spirit. And one of the observations he
makes concerns the words of our text here in Colossians 2 and
verse 2. He says this, that if the Holy
Spirit were not essentially God, he never would have inspired
the Apostle to name and place him as God before the Father. If he were not essentially God,
he never would have inspired the Apostle to name and place
him as God before the Father. Here we have it you see, the
mystery of God. We are to understand that in
terms of the Spirit, and of the Father and of Christ. Now, at the end of a service
we more often than not use the apostolic benediction that we
find at the end of 2 Corinthians 13 and you know the words, we're
familiar with them. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ
and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you
all. And there, of course, Christ is placed first. The grace of
the Lord Jesus Christ is first. In that much disputed verse,
in 1 John 5 and verse 7, we've already referred to it, there
are three that bear record in heaven. The Father, the words,
and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one. They're the Father. is mentioned in the first place. But here in Colossians 2 and
verse 2 it is the Holy Spirit who is placed first, the mystery
of God and of the Father and of Christ. Now, we are wont,
and I confess I'm as guilty as the next man, we're wont to speak
of the persons in the Trinity as the first person and the second
person and the third person. We say the Father is the first
person, the Son is the second person, and the Holy Spirit is
the third person. But I think there's great danger
in using such words as that, because really there is no priority
or inferiority, but only an eternal equality when it comes to those
three persons. The Son might be spoken of in
the first place, Or the Father might be spoken of in the first
place. Or the Spirit might be spoken of in the first place.
Because they are equal. They are all first, in that sense. And we see in Scripture now that
the Holy Spirit is quite clearly and specifically spoken of as
God. Remember the case of Ananias
and his wife Sapphira. in the opening part of Acts chapter
5. In Acts chapter 5 we read, A certain
man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,
and kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to
it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles'
feet. What they're doing is they're giving the impression that what
they're laying at the feet of the apostles is all that they
had received in the sale of this possession, that they were keeping
back part of it. But Peter said, And Ananias,
why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and
to keep back part of the price of the land? Was it remained?
Was it not thine own? And after it was sold, was it
not in thine own power? Why hast thou conceived this
thing in thine heart, that was not lied unto men, but unto God? Now what does he say here? Peter
says, In verse 3, Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy
Ghost. And then in verse 4 he says,
I was not lied unto men but unto God. Peter clearly understands
that the Holy Ghost is God. To lie to the Holy Ghost is the
same as lying to God. There is no disputing that truth.
The apostles clearly understood that God, the Holy Spirit, is equal to the Father and equal
to the Son. Now, it's a fact that often what
happens with regards to men is they don't so much deny the deity
of the Spirit, but they deny his personality. They say that
the Holy Spirit is not really a person. He's just a quality
in God or an attribute in God. That's what they say. Those who
deny the blessed truth of the doctrine of the Trinity, they
say, well, the Spirit, that's just a force or a power. The
Spirit is not a person. But when we come to examine the
Scriptures, the Scriptures clearly set Him before us as a person. Personal pronouns are used in
speaking of Him. Personal pronouns are constantly
applied to Him. How does the Lord Jesus speak
of the coming of the Spirit? Christ has much to say concerning
the Holy Spirit in those chapters that we're familiar with in John
14 and 15 and 16, where the Lord speaks of the Spirit as the Comforter. And just one example, there in
John 16, verse 13, Christ says, when He, the Spirit of Truth,
is come, He will guide you into all truth. He uses the masculine
pronoun. He, the Spirit. Christ speaks of Him then as
a person. And when the Spirit Himself speaks
to the apostles there in Acts chapter 13, what does He say? Acts 13 verse 2, "...separate
me, Barnabas, and Saul for the work whereunto I have called
them." me, I, he speaks of himself as a person and so is a person
as a person the Holy Spirit can be sinned against you can't sin
against some impersonal thing you can't sin against a force
or a power but the Holy Spirit is not that The Holy Spirit is
a glorious person. He is God. And so those words
of Peter to Ananias in Acts chapter 5, Satan hath filled thine heart,
he says, to lie to the Holy Ghost. And what was the consequence?
Ananias hearing these words fell down. and gave up the ghost. That's what it says, immediately. Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and gave up the ghost. And fear came upon all them that
heard these things. Oh, the Spirit of God, We think
of that, that the Lord speaks about the gravity of the sin
against the Holy Spirit. Remarkable words, are they not,
recorded in the Gospel there in Matthew chapter 12 and verse 31. Christ says, Wherefore I say
unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto
men, but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven
unto men. Now, we're not to explain away
just what that means. It's a very solemn word, is it
not? There is such a thing as the sin against the Holy Ghost,
and there is no forgiveness. There is no forgiveness. It's
as clear as that. How solemn it is. The glorious
person of God, the Holy Spirit. And this day in which we're living,
this Gospel day, these last days, this is the dispensation of the
Holy Spirit, is it not? When In Acts chapter 1 we see
the Lord Jesus about to leave the disciples he had over a period
of 40 days after his resurrection shown himself to them by many
infallible proofs There in Acts 1 verse 3 we read, to whom also
he showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible
proofs being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things
pertaining to the kingdom of God. And being assembled together
with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem
but wait for the promise of the Father which saith he, ye have
heard of me." What was the promise of the Father? It was that promise
of the Spirit and here it is. Verse 8, you shall receive power
after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you and you shall be
witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and in Samaria
and unto the uttermost part of the earth. and when he had spoken
these things while they beheld he was taken up and the cloud
received them out of their sight the Lord ascends to heaven but
the Lord then will send the Holy Spirit when that day was come
that day of Pentecost they were all with one accord in one place
and now the Blessed Spirit fell upon them was the gift of Christ
Therefore, says Peter, being by the right hand of God exalted,
and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost,
he hath shed forth this which ye now see and hear. And this
day in which we're living is the day of the Spirit, the dispensation
of the Holy Spirit. And friends, how we need to know
that blessed ministry of the Spirit. Here is the apostle Paul
writes into this church at Colossae, a Gentile church, he is the great
apostle, of course, to the Gentiles, and he reminds them. He reminds
them. In the end of chapter 1, verse
25, he says, Whereof I am made a minister, according to the
dispensation of God, which is given me for you to fulfill the
word of God, even the mystery which has been hid from ages
and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints,
to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory
of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope
of glory, whom we preach, warning every man and teaching every
man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in
Christ Jesus. all this is a great mysteries
that was hid in God but now revealed that salvation in Christ is not
only for the Jew but also for the Gentile and this is that
ministry that the Spirit himself comes to to fulfill now observe
observe the language that is used by Paul here in verse 25
of chapter 1, I am made a minister, he says, according to the dispensation
of God which is given me for you. Now, the word that we have
there, dispensation, Margie might indicate it means the administration
or the distribution. According to the dispensation,
we might say the administration, the distribution of God, which
is given me for you. Now we find similar words when
Paul writes also to the Ephesians. Again, it's a Gentile church,
and what does he say? There in chapter 3, verse 4, Speaking of his ministry, he's
the prisoner of Jesus Christ to you Gentiles, and he says
in Ephesians 3, 4, "...whereby when ye read ye may understand
my knowledge in the mystery of Christ, which in other ages was
not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed
unto his holy apostles and prophets, by the spirit of the Gentiles,
should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers
of his promise in Christ by the gospel. Whereof I was made a
minister according to the gift of the grace of God, given unto
me by the effectual working of his power." Now again, you see,
He uses the same word as we have at the end of Colossians 1. Here
in Ephesians 3 and verse 2 he says, If you have heard of the
dispensation, that is the administration, the distribution of the grace
of God which is given me to you all. Now what was his ministry? He's speaking of the mystery
of Christ in the calling of the Gentiles which has been made
known by the Spirit, revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets
by the Spirit. And it has to do with the dispensation,
the administration of the grace of God. Well, he goes on to say
in Ephesians 3 verse 9, to make all men see what is the fellowship
of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been
hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ. What is this
ministry that he has? It is to make known to men the
great work of the Spirit in revealing the Lord Jesus Christ to sinners.
The way in which God administers, the way in which God distributes
His grace. It is the blessed work of the
Spirit. As we said at the beginning there
in Ephesians chapter 1 we see the great eternal purpose of
God the Father in making choice of a people in Christ Jesus and
predestinating them to salvation. We have the Lord Jesus Christ
as that one who in the appointed time in history comes and accomplishes
that great salvation. But who is the one who brings
that salvation into the soul of the sinner? Who is the one
who administers the grace of God? Who is the one who opens
blind eyes and non-stops deaf ears? Who is the one who brings
conviction into the conscience? Who is the one who administers
that new heart, that believing heart? It's all the work of the
Spirit. All that blessed work of the Spirit in this day in
which we're living, how our sinners brought to salvation, they must
be born again, how are they born again? They must be born again
by the Spirit of God. He must do the work. He must
do the work. Oh, but what a mystery. What
a mystery. And here, as I said at the outset,
Paul is expressing his desire, he has such a love for these
people, such a care for them, such a pastor's heart towards
them and he wants their heart to be comforted. He wants all
of these believers at Colossae to be knit together in love and
all to this end unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding. He wants them to understand this
great truth, this great doctrine concerning God God, Father, Son
and Holy Spirit He wants them to be brought to acknowledge
the mystery or the mystery of God or God grant that we might know
it ourselves to be brought to that place to be delivered from
all black atheism Maybe sometimes we feel such is the treachery
of Satan, how subtle of who he is, and he can come even to believers,
you know. Believers who might think that
they're well established in the faith, have been believers for
many years, and cannot Satan come sometimes and fill our poor
minds with black atheistic thoughts. We would even deny everything.
We need constantly that ministry of of God the Holy Spirit to
come and dispel from us all the darkness of our unbelief. O God, grant then that we might
be those who know what it is to enjoy the riches of the full
assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgment of the mystery
of God and of the Father and of Christ. Amen.