"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." 1 Tim. 3:1616And 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. (1 Timothy 3:16).
Godliness is a mystery to everyone except to those who have been indwelt by the Spirit of God and have responded to His teaching.
"God was manifest in the flesh"-God was in the world in the person of His Son. Is that the center of the truth on which you stand, that God was manifest in the flesh in the person of Jesus?
"Justified in the Spirit"-He was justified in the Spirit in the display of the power of the Spirit in His works here in this world. What He taught, His works justified, proving the justification in the Spirit. There was only one Man who ever walked through this world who could say, "If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin." He was the only One who could say, "Which of you convinceth Me of sin?" That was the Lord Jesus Christ. Do you hold that truth? If you rest your soul on anything else, you will be disappointed, because if the sacrifice which put away all of our sins was not made by the Son of God Himself, the Holy One, the perfect sacrifice, who was justified in the Spirit in all that He did, then you and I have no Savior.
"Seen of angels"-In Luke 2, we find the whole heavenly host coming down and worshipping their Creator as they saw Him for the first time, and that, as a babe in a manger.
"Believed on in the world"-Thank God, some have believed on Him. Others have made only an empty profession which carries an eternity of punishment from the One whom they have spurned in their hearts. Are you trusting in the precious blood of Christ? Can you say, "He is my Savior," from the heart? "Believed on in the world" because all those who believe on Him in this world will be caught away soon to the Father's house to be the companions of Christ forever.