The Mystery of Godliness

​1 Timothy 3:16 ~ “Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.”
 
Godliness is a quality of personal piety that, when set to glorify the LORD is a beautiful expression of the Christian. Paul warns the young pastor in 2 Timothy 3:2-5 against those who only have a form of this condition, “For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant..., etc., ...having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.” All the wickedness revealed in those who have a “form of godliness” are the expressions of selfish self-interest and their “godliness” is only a shell hiding the rottenness within. Later in 1 Timothy, Paul would decry another aspect of false godliness, exposing those who believe “godliness is a means of gain” (1 Timothy 6:5).
 
Godliness cannot be worked up on our own. Paul says at the beginning of our text today, “Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness.” It is a mystery because it his hidden from those who are outside of Christ. Godliness will always be a veiled thing to those who love the world. All man-made religions cannot formulate any means of becoming acceptable to God. In a like expression, Paul speaks of his own nation in Romans 10:3, “For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness.” They wanted to be righteous, but their desire was to do so without submitting to Christ. That, dear ones, is impossible. What we will see in the continuation of our text for today is the glorious Savior, the One who was faultless, and it is in Him that our godliness must be found. Otherwise, it will remain a mystery.
 
Taking one aspect at a time, let us first see that, “He was manifested in the flesh.” The LORD Jesus was born of a virgin, lived a human life, was tempted and tried and victorious. 2 John 1:7 says, “For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist.” Next, we discover that He was, “vindicated by the Spirit.” The word “vindicated” also means “justified or shown to be righteous.” The LORD Jesus, for all the temptations He endured, was and is sinless. Hebrews 4:15 declares, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” Then we learn of the LORD that He was, “seen by angels.” Of what great value is this? To be “seen” is to be perceived or recognized. Thus, the LORD Jesus was known by angels, both fallen and righteous, to be exactly who He is. Even the demons said as much in Luke 4:34, “Ha! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.” We see next that the LORD Jesus was, “proclaimed among the nations.” There is no godliness without faith in Christ and there will be no faith without hearing the gospel. Jesus said in Matthew 24:14, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” And let the proclamation of Christ bring forth a people believing on Him as well. As it says in our text today that He was, “believed on in the world.” How do we know that the message has run across the entire globe? Simple: look at the diverse gathering who stands before the LORD in glory. “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands” (Revelation 7:9).
 
There is one more—and it says that Jesus was, “taken up in glory.” This final one is the pinnacle, the zenith of the rest, for it is the one that shows His glorious ascendence, His grand exaltation and the fulfillment of the work to bring many sons to glory. It is also fitted with a promise that the LORD will return again to receive all who belong to Him. In Acts 1:11, The angels declared the LORD’s return, even as the apostles stood gazing into the clouds when Jesus departed, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
 
Beloved, the mystery of godliness is to know Jesus Christ, for it is through Jesus that our sins can be forgiven and His righteousness imparted to us. If we desire to be godly, then let us desire to draw nearer and nearer to Christ.
 
In His Grace,
Pastor Michael

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