Mystery of Godliness: 1Tim. 3-14-16

I'd like you to turn with me please to the book of 1st Timothy and chapter number 3. I just want to go over a passage that is well known to us. What I say will be basic and fundamental. I know it is nothing new or earth-shattering, but something that I have enjoyed immensely recently.

1st Timothy chapter 3 and reading at verse number 14. These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly. But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself, or how one is to behave himself or conduct himself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

And without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh. Justified in the spirit.

Seen of angels. Preached unto the Gentiles. Believed on in the world.

Received up into glory. We are going to focus on verse number 16, that mystery of godliness. But let us consider for a moment the previous two verses that teach us that the local church, as it is speaking of here, is responsible to be the pillar and ground of the truth.

It is not correct to say that the church is truth. We can say that about our Lord Jesus. He said it in John 14 and 6. I am the way, the truth, and the life.

He himself is truth. You wouldn't say that the church is truth. You could say that the scriptures are truth.

That's what the Lord Jesus himself said in John chapter 17. Thy word is truth. The word is truth.

And our Savior is truth. And while we are not the source of truth, we have the responsibility as well as the privilege of being holders and defenders of truth. It is a responsibility.

It isn't just a magical badge that we can wear, as in just by sticking Matthew 18 and 20, for example, on the on the wall of our gospel hall, you know that that doesn't confer a magical status upon us. Where I live, not far from where our assembly meets, there is a building. And very recently when I drove by it, we were going to do some work on a university campus, and they had on their sign outside, they had the words Matthew 18 and 20.

They had the reference and they had the verse written right on their sign at their building. Despite the fact that they had Matthew 18 and 20 there, I doubt that you would be comfortable in breaking bread there. They advertise traditional worship, they advertise a wonderful choir, but putting Matthew 18 and 20 on their sign isn't what qualified them.

I would encourage you to break bread there. In other words, what I am saying is that it is more than just wearing that badge, but it is capturing the spirit of it and the truth of it and recognizing the responsibility of upholding God's truth. A responsibility and a privilege.

You are not interested in hearing, and I am not interested in talking about philosophies that capture and captivate our world. But you go back to the beginning of the previous century, and the philosophy that held sway and has influenced our world was a philosophy of modernism. That basically taught that, yes, there is truth that we need to capture, but that truth does not require revelation from God.

It doesn't need the Bible. Just with our own rational thinking, we can discover truth. That's modernism.

And that has been set aside by and large to a postmodernism. That says, no, it isn't a matter of using our rational thinking to come to the one statement of truth, for there is no real truth. And he may have his truth, and someone else has his truth, and I've got my own truth.

That's the spirit of a postmodernism. And both of those philosophies hold sway in our world and point a world of unbelievers away from God. Now, as an assembly, as a house of God, a church of the living God, we have the privilege of pointing people to God by upholding the truth of God.

We accomplish that in our spreading the gospel and in our instructing one another and in how we live the truth before the world around us as a testimony to the truth of God. Let us remember that it is always the truth of God that we want to uphold, not the truth of man. We don't really want to be noted and remembered for our own peculiar ideas or some concept that we have invented, but we would love to be noted and remembered and recognized as people that stand for the truth of God and the word of God.

And that that is what we uphold. Truth. Well, what has fascinated me in these verses is that after saying that the house of God is the pillar and ground of the truth, he then gives us a truth statement in verse number 16.

I don't know how you would have expected him to sum up the truth. Maybe we would have anticipated him to give us a statement about man's ruin and God's remedy and man's responsibility. That would have been good.

We would have approved of it, but that's not what he gave us. And maybe we would have expected a statement in a local church epistle like First Timothy that would have reminded us that there is no one man pastor. All things are to be done decently in order.

Remember the weekly breaking of bread. Those things are all true. They're necessary.

But that isn't how he has summed up truth. What has fascinated me is that when he now has this opportunity to describe a statement of truth, he gives us a collection of six phrases regarding our Lord Jesus Christ and it teaches me that truth about our Lord Jesus is paramount. It is foundational.

There's the core of the existence of the church is truth about our Lord Jesus. And as a pillar of truth, we are to uphold truth concerning Christ. You know that Timothy was likely in the city of Ephesus when he received this letter and in the city of Ephesus was that great temple of Diana.

Remember when Paul brought the gospel there and people shouted, great is Diana, great is Diana. And there's their center of worship. If you ever have a chance to visit the UK, Great Britain, I encourage you to spend at least a day in the British Museum in London and get a hold of a book that gives you a Bible believers guide to the history contained in the British Museum.

They don't advertise it maybe on their front, but it is there because so much of the history that they advertise confirms the truth of God's word. There are fascinating things there. There are doors bearing the image of Sennacherib, king of Assyria.

There are coins with the image of Caesar. And what I enjoyed and we took a picture of is a piece of a pillar from the temple of Diana. It's right there, but they had many pillars.

In Diana's temple, maybe a hundred and twenty seven pillars, each of them bearing testimony to a different man. But in a local church, one pillar, we uphold a pillar to one man, the risen Christ. There, he says, is the foundation of truth without controversy, by common agreement, beyond all question.

Great is the mystery of godliness. And he points us to Christ. It's an interesting title for it, the mystery of godliness.

Remember that in our New Testament, the word for mystery is not maybe how we use it today, is something that is just beyond figuring out. But the word for mystery conveys the idea of truth that is now being revealed, previously hidden and now revealed. Great is the revealed truth of godliness.

Why not the mystery of God? Or the mystery of Christ? He says it's the mystery of godliness. Godliness is an important theme in 1st and 2nd Timothy and Titus. Mentioned godliness or godly, I think, mentioned thirteen times.

It means being well-pleasing to God. It corresponds to that common expression in the Old Testament and in the New as well, the idea of fearing God and pleasing God. That's godliness.

Who's our perfect example of godliness? But our Lord Jesus Christ. And he is telling us that grasping this truth about Christ is a truth that will promote godliness. It will lead to godly living.

Grasping and appreciating and adoring truth about our Lord Jesus will lead us to worship. And if we are truly worshiping, flowing from that will be godly living. He's the example of godliness and appreciating him will lead to godliness.

A godly life rests upon appreciating truth in Christ. That's why as young believers we are counseled to get a hold of and to appreciate the truth of John 1 and Colossians 1. Teenagers should note these passages. John 1 and Colossians 1 and Revelation 1 and Hebrews 1 and Philippians 2. These passages that teach us so much of the glory of our Lord Jesus.

Getting grounded in them and learning to appreciate them more and more. It gives us, it creates within us worship to our God and Savior. That is why Robert Murray McShane, I was just reading about him on the plane on the way out here.

I took a little pamphlet about him. He is the man when he died that people said it is as if Christ has left our streets in Scotland. And he preached to his congregation.

He says if you have Christ, prize him, treasure him. If you're doubting about it, go to it and you'll find it solved by him. And if you don't have him, receive him now.

And his elders said that he had that unique power and ability to draw people to Christ in his preaching. Something that I would love to have more of. Godly life rests upon appreciating truth in Christ, the perfect example of godliness.

It's important, truth in Christ. If as an assembly we are responsible then to uphold the truth. And truth about Christ is paramount.

Then it is necessary for us to be conscious of taking time to expound Christ in our teaching. For he is the center of our gathering, isn't he? We don't gather to a doctrine. While we recognize the basis of our fellowship, the apostles' doctrine, the teaching of the New Testament, we don't gather to a doctrine but to a person.

We don't gather to the brethren but to the risen Savior who has promised his presence with us. I was thrilled at a recent conference when they chose as their subject for the Saturday afternoon Bible reading at their conference, Hebrews chapter 1. And Sunday morning was Hebrews chapter 2. And it was a lift to the conference because it forced us, it was good for us and healthy for us to listen to teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ being taught us. I know that I am a stranger to you here.

And with just 30 years it's not that I can look back on a vast experience and survey this as the grand problem. But I would say this, in my own speaking and in my own area, it would seem to me that there is a possible lack of teaching that is content focused on Christ. I don't know why that is.

We had a brother visit us a little while ago from another area. He confirmed that and he said he had attended a conference and in that Friday night prayer meeting at that conference, he prayed audibly that there would be ministry focused on the person of Christ. And he said he went back home on Sunday night and his prayer had been unanswered.

It's not that I'm trying to answer that prayer specifically. It's not that all that I speak on is the Lord Jesus. I'm not saying that.

But if the assembly is to uphold truth and Christ is paramount to truth, then we do need ministry that is focused on Christ. I refuse the idea that ministry about Christ is not practical. I refuse that.

Because ministry about Christ, one thing that it should do is make me want to be more like him. It should lead to a godly life. That's practical.

And number two, it should create worship in me. And I think that worship is also very practical. Ministry about Christ is exalting to God and it should have practical outflowing.

I'm not saying it's the only line of ministry that is needed. You may think that we need more ministry on how to spread the gospel or more ministry on local church truth. Or maybe you think we need more ministry on what color socks and shirts we wear.

Whatever you may think is the needed line of ministry. There's room for plenty of ministry. But let us not set aside ministry about our Lord Jesus.

Let us recognize the value of it. Not throwing stones at others. Not mandating it as the only thing to speak upon.

But it seems to me that it makes that time of ministry around the breaking of bread meeting especially valuable. At least where I come from, there is usually time for ministry after the breaking of bread. It's important.

It's valuable. There should be time for the word of God to be opened. And in light of the remembrance of our Lord Jesus that has just preceded it, what a special opportunity with our hearts having been touched and our ears tuned.

Then we are ready to hear truth about the Lord Jesus. It is a blessing to us. I want to unpack a little bit this true statement regarding the Lord Jesus in verse 16.

Statements that are often quoted but maybe very little explained. The structure of the verse is fascinating in itself. I can't go into everything.

But it seems to me I'd suggest to you that the statements in verse number 16 are divided into three couplets. Three sets of two. Notice with me if your Bible is open.

Manifest in the flesh, justified in the spirit. Flesh and spirit. Seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles or preached among the nations of men.

Angels and the nations of men. Believed on in the world, received up into glory. The world below and the glory above.

There is an element of chronology to it. Although that last expression received up into glory seems to throw the chronology off. The emphasis is on his present place in glory.

And it is teaching us no matter the form, flesh or spirit. No matter the persons, angels or men. No matter the place, world below or glory above.

The greatness of the Lord Jesus is acknowledged in every sphere. May it be so in our lives and in our assemblies. May Matthew 18 and 20 be reality that we gather in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

And we recognize the authority of the Lord. God manifest in the flesh. It is a reference to the incarnation.

The word incarnate means taking on flesh. You've got the words of John 1 and 14. The word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory.

The glory is of the only begotten of the Father. He became flesh. And deity was revealed.

The fullness of the Godhead dwelt bodily in him. So that what is so vital to remember is that when God became man, there was no deity that was set aside. That's why we often hear said that when he became a man, he never ceased to be what he always was.

But now he has become man. Taken on human flesh. Hebrews uses the expression the days of his flesh.

Sinless humanity. When does his humanity begin? It wasn't in Bethlehem. Follow me.

His humanity did not begin in Bethlehem. But when he was conceived in Nazareth. That's the mystery in the sense that we do use it.

You believe probably that abortion is wrong. The reason that you believe that is that life begins in the womb. And the miracle is that that one tiny cell invisible to the naked eye in the womb of the Virgin Mary.

There's God taking on humanity. Acknowledged he had to come and be born and live to reveal God to mankind. But God taking on humanity at the moment of conception.

Great is the mystery and the revelation of godliness. God manifest in flesh. Here's the great wonder of Christianity.

And all the religions of the world can talk about how you can alter your life so that you can ultimately become God. But in Christianity, it is God becoming man. The foundation that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself.

Justified in the spirit. It's interesting that it speaks about the Lord Jesus being justified. It is the same word that is used to talk about sinners being saved.

In what sense was Christ justified? Perhaps it helps us if we understood the sense of the word to be vindicated. Justified is an acceptable translation. But the idea is that he is vindicated in his resurrection.

Man declared him guilty, unclean, and they hung him on a tree. That was a place that was reserved for the criminals. But on resurrection morning, God said, no, he's righteous.

Declared to be righteous. And God overturned the verdict. And Christ was vindicated.

Man said he's a guilty criminal. And God said he's the righteous son of God. Justified in the spirit.

Now, we have a spirit, a human spirit. But when it says that Christ was justified or vindicated in the spirit, not speaking now of a human spirit, but of the Holy Spirit. It's not just that it was some sort of spiritual resurrection.

People say that they'll say, oh, yes, Christ arose from the dead. He lives in the hearts of people. But it's more than that, isn't it? We know the value and the importance of the bodily resurrection.

Romans 1 and 4 declared to be the son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. First Peter 3 and 18 also contrasts human flesh and the spirit of God. He was put to death in the flesh, quickened by the spirit.

And the spirit of God vindicated him by declaring his deity. Great truth is foundational to our Christianity. The incarnation and the resurrection.

And it might surprise you then that he has gone from the incarnation to the resurrection, and he has made no mention of the crucifixion. No mention of the cross explicitly in these six phrases. Isn't the cross central? Absolutely.

But what gives the death of the Lord Jesus value to us? Many men died on crosses. And the crowd may have looked at him that day as just another troublemaker or maybe an unlucky man, but we know different. What makes his death and his cross unique is that the man was God.

That's testified in the incarnation and the resurrection. He's stating his deity. God manifest in the flesh to die.

Raised from the dead after he died. But the emphasis is this man is God. There's the centerpiece.

Remember what Peter said? Thou art the Christ, the son of the living God. And the Lord Jesus said, upon this rock, I will build my church. Manifest in the flesh.

Justified in the spirit. And seen of angels, again likely referring to the resurrected Christ. Seen of angels at his resurrection at the tomb.

Seen of angels as they watched a man ascend into glory. Preached among the nations unto the Gentile. We preach the unseen risen Christ.

That was the command of our resurrected Christ to us. Think of that great commission of Matthew chapter 28, for example. Go and make disciples of all nations.

In Mark chapter 16, go into all the world and preach the gospel. And Acts 1 and 8, you shall be my witnesses unto me in Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria and the uttermost parts of the earth. And you and I are thankful that that meant that the gospel spread to Europe.

And it spread further west to North America. And it came to Blue River. People came and they preached among the nations the gospel of the Lord Jesus.

And the local church is seen to be a pillar of the truth. Actively upholding the truth of God in our spread of the gospel. In our evangelistic outreach as we preach Christ.

It's a pillar. We're upholding the Lord Jesus. Maybe you hardly need that reminder of our responsibility to be actively upholding the truth of Christ in the spread of the gospel.

When we do it, we are acknowledging this great truth of godliness. What a blessing it is to our children. When young ones grow up in an assembly environment, in an environment that is active in the spread of the gospel, it's a blessing to them.

And they just learn very naturally that this is what we are supposed to do. We're supposed to spread the gospel. And maybe it is your children.

That as they grow up in an environment that is actively upholding the truth. Lifting Christ up. Maybe it is your children that will also fulfill that commission of going to the uttermost parts of the earth.

There are languages. There are people on this world today. And in their language there is not yet a verse of scripture translated.

They still exist like that. Maybe your children would go and translate it for them. Or maybe they would recognize still the requirement of reaching out into Blue River and other parts of Wisconsin and in Iowa.

Knowing that there are people around us that have never heard true gospel. The responsibility of upholding Christ being a pillar preached among the nations. Scene of angels preached among the nations.

Come to the last pair. Believed on in the world and received up into glory. The world below and the glory above.

It is Christ. That is to be believed on. Because it is Christ.

That is to be preached. The benefit. The blessing.

The scripturalness of a Christ centered gospel. Leading in Christ centered conversions. No, I'm not trying to instruct people on how to preach the gospel.

I know that you have been doing it a lot longer than I have. I'm not saying that sin isn't to be preached or judgment isn't to be preached. What I'm getting at is this.

Is that salvation isn't to be found in some sort of five step formula that we invent? We aren't looking for a magic phrase that they can utter. What we want is that they believe on Christ. Well, then what we want to be doing is presenting Christ as the solution.

Christ centered in that sense. Because we know that the Bible says that everlasting life is found by what? Believing on the sun. Repentance toward God.

Faith toward our Lord Jesus. Acts 20 and 21. It's what Mr. Thompson was just saying.

That it is that there is no salvation without Christ alone. Not in our religion, but in Christ. And it is belief.

It is faith in the unseen Christ that grants people that salvation. So let us present Christ to them. So that they know what they have to believe and whom they have to believe.

Believed on in the world. Even though they don't see him. He's seen in glory above.

Received up into glory. I love the words of Acts chapter 1 and verse number 9. It says that he was taken up and a cloud received him out of their sight. It seems to be a picture of heaven anticipating him.

Waiting for that day of his return. And they joyfully receive him out of the sight of man into the presence of God. The man with wounds in his body is in sight.

He is visible in heaven. Flesh and bones in glory. And people can see him there.

A man in the glory. And Hebrews chapter 6 says that his being there is a sure testimony that we will join him. He is a forerunner.

For it means he's gone on before and we are sure to follow. And Christ's presence in the glory means that we are going to join him. He is our forerunner.

A man dwells in glory and men and women are going to join him there. He is our great high priest. He ministers to us from the throne above.

Here is the church then as the pillar and ground of truth about our Lord Jesus. Again I reference Robert Murray McShane. He wrote to his family and said, isn't it strange how sweet and how precious it is to preach about the Lord Jesus Christ more than any other subject of teaching or preaching that I do.

He lived it. He bought it. He studied it.

He sought Christ's likeness above everything. And there's the power in his speaking that caused his elders to say he draws men to Christ because he lived it. He grasped it.

He appreciated it. And he sought to share him with others. The truth is basic.

It's fundamental. Truth about our Lord Jesus is fundamental and it's foundational and it's healthy to repeat manifest in the flesh, vindicated, justified in the spirit. Seen of angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

It should lead to godliness. It should lead to worship and adoration of our Lord Jesus when we recognize that this man is God and we have the privilege of representing him and upholding him to a lost world around us.