Great is the Mystery of Godliness
Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 3 viewsNotes
Transcript
Intro
Intro
Text - 1 Tim 3.14-16
14 I am writing these things to you, hoping to come to you before long;
15 but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one should act in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.
16 Beyond question, great is the mystery of godliness: He who was revealed in the flesh, Was vindicated in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Proclaimed among the nations, Believed on in the world, Taken up in glory.
Title - Great is the Mystery of Godliness
What is “godliness”
What is “godliness”
“eusebeia” (noun)
Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words Godliness, Godly
eusebeia (εὐσέβεια, 2150), from eu, “well,” and sebomai, “to be devout,” denotes that piety which, characterized by a Godward attitude, does that which is well-pleasing to Him.
“eusebes” (adjective)
Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words Godliness, Godly
eusebes (εὐσεβής, 2152), akin to A, No. 1, denotes “pious, devout, godly,” indicating reverence manifested in actions;
“eusebeo” (verb)
Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words Worship (Verb and Noun), Worshiping
eusebeo (εὐσεβέω, 2151), “to act piously towards,” is translated “ye worship” in Acts 17:23.
IN ENGLISH
Piety
pi•e•ty \ˈpī-ə-tē\ noun
plural pi•e•ties [French pieté piety, pity, from Old French, from Latin pietat-, pietas, from pius dutiful, pious] 1579
1: the quality or state of being pious: as
a: fidelity to natural obligations (as to parents)
b: dutifulness in religion: DEVOUTNESS
Pious
pi•ous \ˈpī-əs\ adjective
[Middle English, from Latin pius] 15th century
1 a: marked by or showing reverence for deity and devotion to divine worship
b: marked by conspicuous religiosity 〈a hypocrite—a thing all pious words and uncharitable deeds—Charles Reade〉
Devout
de•vout \di-ˈvau̇t\ adjective
[Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin devotus, from Latin, past participle of devovēre] 13th century
1: devoted to religion or to religious duties or exercises
References
1 Now there was a man in Caesarea named Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian cohort,
2 a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, and made many charitable contributions to the Jewish people and prayed to God continually.
Cornelius was a devout man, one who feared God
9 then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from a trial, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment,
God knows how to rescue the “godly”
23 For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ Therefore, what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you.
the Athenians “worship” in ignorance
Comparison of translations
16 Without question, this is the great mystery of our faith: Christ was revealed in a human body and vindicated by the Spirit. He was seen by angels and announced to the nations. He was believed in throughout the world and taken to heaven in glory.
16 and, confessedly, great is the secret of piety—God was manifested in flesh, declared righteous in spirit, seen by messengers, preached among nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory!
16 Without any doubt, the mystery of our religion is great: He was revealed in flesh, vindicated in spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among Gentiles, believed in throughout the world, taken up in glory.
Our definition of the word godliness
Godliness is devotion and reverence toward God or in the name of God, that is demonstrated in one’s service, worship and proper conduct.
Godliness is a life deoted towards Christlikeness
Note - Paul connects godliness with conduct in the house of God
15 but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one should act in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.
and so did Peter -
11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,
12 Godliness is the goal of the Christian life; we must please God by being, thinking, doing, saying, and feeling in the ways that He wants us to.
Jay Adams
Godliness Through Discipline (1972)
Jay E. Adams
Godliness separates us from the pollutions of the world, and by true holiness unites us to God.
John Calvin
What is the “mystery of godliness”
What is the “mystery of godliness”
The mystery of godliness is another way of saying -
“the mystery of our faith”
“the mystery of our religious life”
Christian, or biblical, belief and religious practice is UNLIKE other religion!
it is not based on the teachings of a dead leader!
it is not based on the person and character of a dead man!
it is not a belief on a god or gods that cannot and does interact and has no concern with their worshipers.
Christian godliness is based on the teachings and on the very person of the One, True, and Living God who was manifested in the flesh
The mystery of the Christian faith is the fact that God was manifested in the flesh we call Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ is the mystery of God revealed!
2 that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and that they would attain to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself,
Jesus Christ manifested Deity in person
Jesus Christ manifested the
The mystery of the Christian faith is a Person - the person of Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ is Deity in flesh
9 For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form,
Jesus Christ is the imprint of God’s nature/substance
3 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
3 He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
grk. apaugasma = reflection, radiance, brightness;
the light that that is captured by the eyes
grk. charakter = facsimile, stamp, imprint; the visual representation of a thing;
example - letter/font characters printed on paper
Note -
Bible words related to God
THEOS (noun) - the being or entity
THEOTES (noun) - deity; the essence of being God
THEIOTES (NOUN) - divinity; things that is descriptive of God
THEIOS (adj.) - divine; relating to, or proceeding from God
ex - divine power; divine nature;
The essence of being God (Deity/Godhead)
God is Spirit
God is One
God is Love
The qualities/attributes of God (Divinity)
God is eternal (eternity)
God is immortal (immortality)
God is invisible (transecendence)
God is almighty (sovereignty)
God is holy (holiness)
God is good (goodness)
God is righteous/just (righteousness/justice)
God is faithful (faithfulness/steadfastness)
God is glorious (majesty/glory)
Note - these attributes of God are seen in His works, hence -
Jesus said - believe the works
Jesus worked the worked the work of God
36 “But the testimony I have is greater than the testimony of John; for the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish—the very works that I do—testify about Me, that the Father has sent Me.
25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father’s name, these testify of Me.
37 “If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me;
38 but if I do them, even though you do not believe Me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father.”
Jesus Christ manifested Deity in person!
Jesus Christ manifested Divinity in flesh!
Jesus Christ manifested true godliness as Son of God!
He was devoted to the Father in every way
He was committed to the Father’s works
He was obedient to death!
Why is the mystery of godliness “great”
Why is the mystery of godliness “great”
There is nothing great in “godliness” per se
it is simply a way of life that is religious or pious
it is misused by some
some suppose that godliness is a means of gain
5 and constant friction between people of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain.
godliness can be powerless
5 holding to a form of godliness although they have denied its power; avoid such people as these.
What is great in our “religious belief” is the mystery itself - the Lord Jesus Christ!
What is great in our “religious belief” is the mystery itself - the Lord Jesus Christ!
no other person in history is as profound as the Lord Jesus Christ
He came into this world in the most mysterious way - by a virgin birth!
He taught with authority, commanded nature, and demons, with authority, cast out demons with authority, interpreted scripture with authority - which astounded everyone who knew and saw Him, from the least to the greatest!
He died in the most horrific way for a sinless man
He rose from the dead on the third day and ascended to heaven!
What is great in our faith is in how the mystery unfolded
What is great in our faith is in how the mystery unfolded
“God was manifest in the flesh”
it means the Spirit-God was revealed in flesh form - how?
the Word became flesh!
it means the invisible became visible - Colossians 1.15
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation:
the untouchable became touchable - 1 John 1.1-2
1 What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life—
2 and the life was revealed, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was revealed to us—
the immortal experienced/suffered death
“Vindicated by the Spirit”
His person was witnessed by the Spirit - 1 John 5.5-7
5 Who is the one who overcomes the world, but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
6 This is the One who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.
7 For there are three that testify:
“Seen by angels”
watched by angels - 1 Peter 1.12
12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long to look.
from His birth - Luke 2.13
13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army of angels praising God and saying,
to His death and resurrection - Luke 24.4
4 While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in gleaming clothing;
5 and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why are you seeking the living One among the dead?
6 He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee,
10 And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, then behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them,
11 and they said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”
“Proclaimed among the nations”
the message that we preach to the world is the very mystery of Christ!
5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants on account of Jesus.
3 praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned;
“Believed on in the world”
10 when He comes to be glorified among His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed—because our testimony to you was believed.
“Taken up in glory”
He has returned to His “origin” - John 8.42
42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I came forth from God and am here; for I have not even come on My own, but He sent Me.
Conclusion
Conclusion
The Christian life, belief and conduct of living is based on the mystery of God in Christ -
we live holy because He who called us is holy…
we love because He first loved us…
we aspire perfection even as our Father in heaven is perfect...
we desire to live righteous because He became sin for us so that we may became the righteousness of God…
2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord,
3 for His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.
4 Through these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world on account of lust.
Christ’s divine (theios) power gave everything that pertains to life and godliness!
according to God’s precious and magnificent promises, we are to become partakers of His divine (theios) nature/origin
God wants to see our life as the emanation of Christ’s character for the world to see and hear!
Our godly living becomes
a participation in the mystery of Christ, and
a demonstration of the mystery of Christ
If you have Christ, you possess and are possessed by the very “mystery of godliness.
R. Kent Hughes
SONG - “Oh how I love Him...”