Is godliness really a mystery?

 

1 Timothy 3:14-16

“Great indeed we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.” (Verse 16)

Is godliness really a mystery?  Jesus the Creator took on flesh, now that can be written, it can be proclaimed to all that have ears to hear, or eyes to read, but it’s not a simple thing to understand, in fact, the older you are and the more education you have can be a real road block to understanding this truth.  We are told in the Scriptures that only a person who has the Spirit of God living in them has a chance of grasping the truths in the Bible.  Now to the person who is well educated, who may have “Doctor” before their name, they see this as a book of stories, and many of them will not bow their knee to God and ask him by faith to open the mystery of godliness.  Paul has this to say about God the Father in 1 Timothy 6:16, “Who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see.”  The apostle John refers to Jesus as the “Word” and in John 1:14, has this to say; “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.  Before Jesus stepped out of heaven and took on flesh, verses 17&18 explain, “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.”

So the answer is yes, godliness is a mystery to the unbeliever, but to all who receive the grace of God by faith that God has given them the answer to this mystery, and it is Christ in you the hope of glory.  In 1Timothy 3:14&15, “I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, if I delay you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of truth.”  If only we grasp the truth of Colossians 1:27, Christ in you the hope of glory, not some building, you are His church, and that mystery needs to be seen in our homes, in the market place, in our schools, in our government, and by our neighbors.

In 2011 Texas was dry, we had fires breaking out all over the state, and many lost both homes and businesses and in the eastern part of the nation, many have also lost homes and businesses to flood waters, and many in our nation have been without jobs for months and even years, many are without hope.  It is a Sunday morning and it is time to leave for church, and Pastor Ray Still’s message is titled, “Hope for the Hopeless”.  Three points that were key to the message, “What breath is to the physical body, hope is to the human spirit.”  Ray went on to share what many do not know: “Deep mystery that pervades all human existence, resulting in humility.  In 2 Corinthians 12:9, we are reminded that Jesus spoke these words to us; “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”  When the mystery of godliness is evident in a Christian, it is the results of humility, letting go and letting God express love through your earth suit.  That brings me to Pastor Still’s second point, “What we do know: a holy one is the generous one.”

My fellow believer, we must be light in this present darkness.  “But How?”  By letting Christ be sufficient in your life, and remembering this great truth found in John 3:17, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice