Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:5-8.
By common confession, 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. 1 Timothy 3:16.
Today your LORD (יהוה) God (אלהים) says:
Reject the profane, godless chatter and ways of the world—they are not fruitful and they hold you back from reaching maturity in Christ. Such things block your hearing from Me. Not that I am keeping silent, but that you have taken yourself out of the flow of My conversation. Your life should be godly, for My divine power has given you everything you need for life and godliness, so it is available to you, but it is not automatic. It has to do with an attitude of the heart.
Godliness. That is the next step on the ascent to holiness, for starting in faith you supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, GODLINESS. And that is today’s Life Lesson, “The Mystery of Godliness.”
What is the mystery of godliness? A mystery is something that is hidden and past finding out. But mysteries are in Me to be revealed at the proper time. Jesus told His disciples He had much more to reveal to them but they could not bear it at that time. But that was not the end of it, meaning they would never know, He promised them the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, would come and guide them to all truth, teach them all things, and disclose to them the things to come. John 16:12-13; John 14:26. I reveal My deepest thoughts to you by My Holy Spirit, mysteries you otherwise could not know. 1 Corinthians 2:10. I am the revealer of mysteries when the proper time comes. In the fullness of time I revealed the mystery of Jesus, that is God with you as one like you. And there are ever deeper mysteries of all that you have in Him. Christ is My mystery, and in Him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Colossians 2:2-3.
The mystery of godliness, that is, how one could arrive to being clearly identifiable with Me, in My image and likeness, living in the same pure light of love in which I live and am, a sanctuary of devotion and love—a sanctified life of holiness, again clothed in majesty and glory. Once Adam fell this stature seemed unattainable for mortal man. But I had a better plan, the mystery of godliness. This mystery, which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to you, to whom I willed to make known the riches of the glory of this mystery among all people (My angel announced the glad tidings of what was coming the night Christ was born among you in the flesh), which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. And the knowledge and application of this will grow you up to be complete in Christ according to My power which so mightily works within you. Colossians 1:26-29. And this is the mystery of grace, which is My divine life flowing into you giving you abilities, skills, grace endowments, supernatural gifts for the benefit of all. The law was given to Moses but grace and truth came through and in Jesus Christ. It is by grace you are saved.
As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries, seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. 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 My Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long to search. 1 Peter 1:10-12.
By common confession, 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. 1 Timothy 3:16.
In Jesus the mystery of godliness manifested among you in one like you yet not like you in sin and holiness. He came into the world sinless, as Adam did when I created him, and he remained sinless, the devil never could find a place in Him. He was the hidden treasure, the jewel of Heaven, come to dwell (tabernacle) among you in your midst. All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, all the beauty of holiness, all the majesty of My glory, all that is pure and lovely was among you and you could reach out and touch Him and be blessed by His hands, and yet you esteemed Him not. The rich young ruler turned down the most precious treasure for a few trinkets of the world, Herod scorned the greatest power he could have tapped into forever for a brief crown of ill gotten power that did not last and turned into a life of immorality, vice, and entrapment that ended making him the murderer of the greatest prophet who ever lived and scornful of My Son. Pontius Pilate turned down the truth for a lie, trying to hold worldly favor but later lost it all. Martha was too busy in the kitchen and with worldly affairs to sit at the feet of the greatest teacher that would ever walk the earth and the true light that enlightens every man.
What were you all thinking of? Things that fade away and lead to sorrow rather than the joy that is joy indeed. Jesus was the most precious, most wonderful, most amazing man that ever walked the earth, He was greater than Solomon, and yet people did not come from across the world to hear His wisdom as the queen of Sheba did to hear Solomon. He was greater than Jonah whose preaching caused a huge metropolis and its king to repent and yet the rulers rejected and scorned Him and refused to repent.
And yet, despite the rejection and scorn, My Son was the most joyous man that ever lived. He was anointed with the oil of joy above all men and was fairer than all the sons of men. He was altogether lovely and He came as your brother and friend. He was there to serve you, to heal you, to bless you, and to take the punishment for your sins so you could live with Me forever and inherit the Kingdom. He came to make you godly in your humanity, just as He was. He united God with man in one seamless life. He manifested and revealed the mystery of godliness, of how to be in the world and live a fruitful, holy, joyful life that benefitted all. In the world but not of the world. Citizens of the heavenly Kingdom, walking in godliness. A royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people set apart called out of your darkness into My own marvelous light.
And yet there were some that valued and left all for the treasure that walked in their midst, but almost all of them deserted Him in His final hour for fear of the threats of worldly power. But there was one there at the foot of the Cross, who followed Him from the moment He was born and searched for Him without pause if He was out of her sight, as when He was twelve years old, and her name? Mary. From when My angel first gave her the message of who she was to bring into the world, Mary understood the treasure and pondered all in her heart. And she took her assignment with joy and praise, magnifying My Name. Nothing could stop her, from the accusations of Joseph to the threats at the Cross, from being at His side, of being where He was. Her saddest day, when the sword of sorrow pierced her heart, was when her beloved Son hung dying before her and He told her she now had another son and she would be his mother. All she wanted was the jewel that had set her life ablaze with glory and made all generations call her blessed, she wanted none other.
And that is the way you should feel too. I have given you the treasure that is the joy of Heaven and He dwells in you by the Spirit of holiness. Do not fear the intimidation of godless men and women or enter into their lustful passions with them, they will pull you away from the truth that is in Christ, they will rob you of godliness and take you down in immorality and vice, as happened to Herod, as happened to Samson. Do not become entangled in sin and godless life styles of indifference to the treasure that is among you, that now is in you. Rather, sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to witness to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame. 1 Peter 3:14-16. Walk in godliness. Never descend to the level of the ungodly. Hold on to the One who has reached out to take hold of you. Philippians 3:12,
Paul understood the treasure, he called spoke of the unfathomable riches of Christ. And once he learned of Jesus and saw Him as He is, he counted all he once thought important and desirable as rubbish so that he could gain Christ, and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of his own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from Me on the basis of faith. Philippians 3:8-9. Whatever things had been gain to him, after knowing of Christ, he counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, he counted all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus his Lord. Philippians 3:7-8.
Do you feel like that? Or are you so caught up in yourself and the things of the world that you do not seek to listen to the Word as written and to be caught up in the beauty of His holiness? Do you treasure and ponder all He has done for you in your heart? Do you ever meditate on His healings and preaching and teachings as set forth in the Gospels? Do you ever take the time in your busy day to sanctify Me in your heart and turn your attention to what My Spirit is telling you? Do you whine and complain and never worship and praise? If so, you are missing your visitation.
Have nothing to do with worldly fables. Discipline yourself (and this goes back to the step of self-control again) for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. 1 Timothy 4:7-9.
In Greek the word translated “godliness” is “eusebeia” which is from “eu” meaning “well” and “sebomai” meaning “to venerate, pay homage,” meaning your inner response to Me and those things that are of Me, which shows itself in a life of godly reverence. You see this in the worship in Heaven, “Worthy is the Lamb!”
Godliness cannot be kept hidden under a bushel basket. You will shine with the Light of the world. People will feel and see My love in you. When you witness about Me to someone rejecting that witness but by the end of your short talk with them if they reach out suddenly and hug you, you will know why, they saw My love for them in you.
God became man in Jesus and caught you up to become like God in Him, and that is the mystery of godliness—our oneness in Christ. For I was in Christ reconciling the world to Myself, not counting your sins against you. Why? Because I put them all on Him and He took care of them for you.
I love you. Sanctify Me in your heart and walk always in devotion, reverence, and awe of My sacred presence with you. In all your thoughts, words, and actions be like Jesus in that He only said the Words I said and only did the works I showed Him. And that is true godliness. Just like Me by choice.
Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith; to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen. Romans 16:25-27.