What is the mystery revealed about God's present work with the body of Christ?
The mystery reveals that during this present age God is calling out the body of Christ, not under law and not associated with Israel, Judaism, or the temple. This work operates wholly by God's grace, based on Christ's finished work of death, burial, and resurrection.
Les explains that the mystery is the revelation that God is now doing something different during this nearly 2,000-year period. He is calling out the body of Christ, not under law and not associated with the nation of Israel, Judaism, or the temple. It is totally the operation of God's grace, based on the finished work of the cross—His death, burial, and resurrection. Les stresses that law and grace cannot be mixed. The church is therefore insulated from God's dealings with Israel, like a fish out of water in the tribulation, because that period is primarily God dealing with Israel. When the church age is completed, the church must be taken out of the way so God can pick up where He left off with Israel, introducing the Antichrist's seven-year treaty according to Daniel 9.