The Mystery of Godliness

The mystery of godliness is revealed in 1 Timothy 3:16. A mystery is something hidden that is revealed by the Holy Spirit.

“And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.” (1 Timothy 3:16)

The “mystery of godliness” sums up several of the main points of the gospel. It is important for us to be very familiar with the gospel, not only so we can be secure in our own salvation and our experience of God, but also so that we can communicate this awesome salvation of Jesus Christ clearly to others so they can believe this good news and be saved.

God was Manifested in the Flesh

The first part of the mystery of godliness is that God was manifested in the flesh.

Jesus took on human flesh for several reasons.One of the most important reasons God became a man was so that he could die (Hebrews 2:14). If he had remained only as God, he could not have died. But because he took on human flesh, he was able to die. It was necessary for him to die, so he could die in our place for our sins and save us.

Jesus also took on human flesh so that he can sympathize with us and help us. Because he lived as a human, he intimately knows what we’re going through (Hebrews 4:15). He is able to understand us and help us because he is closely acquainted with the human condition.

Jesus took on human flesh so that he could conquer sin in the flesh (Romans 8:3). Because Jesus overcame sin in human flesh, and his Spirit is inside us, we now have the power to overcome sin in our own flesh. We don’t need to live in bondage to sin anymore, but through the power of Christ we can get the victory over sin.Jesus manifested the power and glory of the kingdom of God in this human flesh. While living in a body, he brought the kingdom of God to the world. This means that can empower us, while we are living in this body, to experience the power and victory of the kingdom of God.

Justified in the Spirit

The second part of the mystery of godliness is that God was justified in the Spirit.

Wait a minute. Sinners need to be justified. Jesus was perfect and never sinned. Why then did he need to be justified?Jesus needed to be justified because he took our own sins in his own body on the cross (1 Peter 2:24). He became sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21). With all our sins on him, he was forsaken by God on the cross. The wrath of God came upon him. Then he died under the weight of all of the sins of theworld- past, present, and future. He took our place in death.

He went to places we don’t have to go and saw depths that we don’t need to see.Then he rose up again.

In resurrection, Jesus threw off all our sins. He was justified from all of our sins. The resurrection proves that the payment Christ made for our sins was sufficient, and that we are now set free from sin. The resurrection proves that our sins are gone, thrown into the depths of the sea, and taken away as far as the east is from the west (an infinite distance). Praise God for the victory of Christ! We are now free!

Seen by Angels

Throughout his life, ministry, death, and resurrection, Jesus was watched intently by angels.He was seen by evil angels. Through his ministry he triumphed over the devil, defeated fallen angels, and cast our demons. On the cross he crushed Satan’s head (John 12:31). He stripped principalities and powers (Colossians 2:15). These evil angels did their worst, but they couldn’t defeat Christ. They watched helplessly as he rose up from the dead.

Jesus was also observed intently by good angels. They were eager to look into the things that Christ was doing, because they lacked full revelation of the gospel. As they saw what he accomplished, they rejoiced, being astounded by the work of God.

Preached Among the Gentiles

The gospel is for the entire world. Jesus died for everyone. The free gift of salvation is for everyone. They need to hear about it and believe it in order to be saved.

The Gentiles were non-Jews. They were outcasts. Now through Christ, they could be embraced by God and become a part of his family. Everyone who believes in Jesus becomes a spiritual descendant of Abraham (Galatians 3:29). They become heirs of all the promises given to Abraham. You and I become full heirs of God through Jesus Christ.

This gospel of the kingdom of God must be proclaimed throughout the entire world as a witness to all nations and then the end will come.

God was Believed on in the World

When people believe the gospel, they become born again and part of God’s family. The life and power of God comes into them through the Holy Spirit. As they walk in obedience to God, heaven comes down into the earth through them. These people become the firstfruits of God’s creation, now shining forth the praises of him who called them out of darkness into light. Faith is what unleashes the kingdom and glory of God into the world. Faith in the word of God continues the awesome ministry of Christ in the earth.

Received up into Glory

The final part of the mystery of godliness is that Christ was received up into glory. After his resurrection, he sat down on the right of the Father, having received again the glory that he had with the Father from the foundation of the world. All power and authority in heaven and earth was given to him.

Now Jesus is waiting. He’s waiting for his enemies to be made his footstool (Hebrews 10:13). He’s waiting for his people to appropriate the full riches of their inheritance and manifest his kingdom and power to the world. The glory that God gave to Jesus he gave to us (John 17:22). God desires his glory to be revealed to the world through his people. He’s waiting for his people to get ready for him to come back to the earth so he can reign as king over everything.

The mystery of godliness sums up all the main points of the gospel. It reveals how God took on flesh, paid for our sins, conquered sin, rose up again, and gave us eternal life. The more we know about the gospel and understand it, the more we will experience its awesome power. And the more we experience Jesus, the more we will want to share this glorious gospel with others. May the Holy Spirit reveal this mystery to us.