Title: The Secret of Godliness
Contents
the secret of godliness
1 Timothy 3:14-16
The word 'secret' has two meanings. One is to mean "something that is hidden and should not be revealed or made known to others" and the other means "undisclosed or unknown content". For example, What we know about the vast universe is said to be extremely limited and a mystery.
However, this secret and mystery are different in two respects. First of all, it is not good if the secret is generally revealed, but it is good if the mystery is revealed. When a secret is revealed, it is very difficult for the person concerned.
And it's not very helpful to the church community, so it's good to just keep it a secret.
On the other hand, a mystery is good when it is revealed, and it is often beneficial not only to the person who uncovered it, but also to the entire community and everyone.
Next, secrets can be easily known if they are known, but secrets are difficult to understand even if they are known.
In particular, the mystery is known, but only the capable people know.
Meaning of the secret of godliness
In today's text, the phrase “the secret of godliness” appears, which means “mystery”.
Since the word "secret of godliness" is a mystery, the more it is revealed, the better it is for people, and the more we realize and know this secret, the greater our blessing.
The other one is difficult for anyone to know.
This mystery, this mystery, requires ears to hear, and eyes to see, so we must seek the power to realize this mystery of godliness.
What, then, is the content of the secret of godliness?
Verse 16 says, “He was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached in the nations, believed in in the world, and taken up in glory.” There is a secret that allows you to fear God and live a life devoted to God, and that secret is Jesus.
Today's text is a hymn poem, and the author who made it is the apostle Paul.
Paul's original name was Saul, and Saul was like a treasure in his family who would brighten up his family in the future.
Judging from his abilities, passion, and the history he has built up so far, his life is supposed to be on the road to success unless there are any surprises, so the family had great hopes for Saul.
But one day, the family's hopes were shattered.
It is about preaching Jesus of Nazareth in Galilee, who suddenly died on the cross.
I threw away the path to success and career that almost all of them had in my hands, and instead I became a target for removal by the Jewish religious leaders. Moreover, after changing my name to Paul, I cut off contact and ran around saying, 'Evangelize and missionary'. It must have been a big shock.
Paul tells his family and friends the reason for this change in a simple way.
“Because of Jesus…” In fact, after Jesus came into Paul’s life, his life was completely changed and he became a different person.
That's right. Jesus is the secret. When anyone meets Jesus properly, a person changes.
Paul calls this the mystery of godliness, because in him there is a mystical power to transform people. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ;
Dear all! Do you know the secret of this godliness? How has Jesus changed your life?
Contents of the secret of godliness
In today's text, the Apostle Paul reveals the specific details of the mystery of godliness that he discovered.
First, the secret of the incarnation
As the text says, “He was made manifest in the flesh,” Jesus Christ became flesh and came into this world.
The first of the mysteries hidden in Jesus is the mystery of the incarnation.
In John 1:1-3, Jesus' original appearance is explained like this. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. is that He is the one who was in control of the beginning of creation.
But in John 1:14, it says this. “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” This Jesus became flesh and came to dwell among us.
This is the secret of secrets.
Although Jesus is only a human on the outside, He is not an ordinary human being, He is the Son Jesus who came from God as a human being.
We should be able to discover this secret, and discovering this secret changes us.
John 1:18 says, “No one has ever seen God, but the only begotten God has made him known from the bosom of the Father.”
As we look at the incarnate Jesus, we can open our spiritual eyes and see God, which we cannot see with the naked eye. And as we are with the incarnate Jesus, we can experience that Immanuel, that is, God is with us.
How amazing is it to experience that God is with you now?
Dear all! If we meditate deeply on Jesus, we can discover that God is with us now.
This is the secret of the incarnation. I hope you can realize this secret.
Second, the mystery of the cross and resurrection
In today's text, it says, "He was justified by the Spirit, and was seen by angels."
This is that Jesus, who was without sin, was crucified like a sinner to pay for our sins, but was justified by resurrection.
Another secret hidden in Jesus is the mystery of the cross and the mystery of the resurrection.
1 Peter 2:24 says this. “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness. By His wounds you were healed.” And 1 Peter 1:18-19 says, are doing “You know that it was not with perishable things like silver and gold that you were redeemed from the vain acts of your birth, but with the precious blood of Christ, like a lamb without blemish and without spot. When we look at the crippled Jesus with faith, our sins are washed away and we are forgiven by God.
This cannot be the secret of secrets.
In 1 Corinthians 15:20 and below, it says: “But now Christ has risen from the dead and is the firstfruits of them that slept. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead also came through a man. As in Adam all died, so in Christ all will be made alive.” The resurrection of Jesus does not simply refer to the resurrection of Jesus himself, but it is the firstfruits of the resurrection of believers.
This means that the way is opened for all who believe in Jesus to be resurrected.
When we look to the resurrected Jesus with faith, we will overcome the power of death and we will be able to be resurrected after we die. This cannot be the secret of another secret.
Dear all! When we meditate deeply on Jesus, we discover that our sins have been forgiven and that the power of death has been lifted from its grip on us.
This is the secret of the cross and resurrection. I hope you realize this secret.
Third, the secret of ascension
Today's text says, “He was taken up in glory.” After Jesus was resurrected, he was taken up into heaven.
Another secret hidden in Jesus is this secret of ascension.
Ephesians 4:10 says, “He who came down is the one who ascended above all heaven, so that all things might be filled.”
When we look at the ascended Jesus, we can discover that the work of salvation unfolded through Jesus has been completed, and now there is no other way of salvation and there is no need for it.
It is only through Jesus that the way to salvation is complete. This too cannot be a secret.
John 14:2-3 says, "In my Father's house there are many dwelling places, otherwise I would have told you. Where I am, you will be there too.” Jesus went to prepare a place for us in the kingdom of God.
When we look at the ascended Jesus, we can realize that Jesus has provided a dwelling place for us in that kingdom of God, so we can look at the place of God's kingdom that we will enter in the future with the eyes of faith. This too cannot be a secret.
There is a story about when Pastor Peter Marshall passed away. As Pastor Marshall's death hour drew near, the wife wept. At that time, the pastor smiled and said, “Let’s meet again tomorrow morning” and died. It was here that she gained the courage of faith to write a book called “My Husband Was a Pastor”. The book became a bestseller.
Dear all! When we meditate deeply on Jesus, we can discover that we are saved and that there is hope for that heaven. This is the secret of ascension. I hope you realize this secret.
Dear all! We have the secret of godliness. That is Jesus.
If you believe in Jesus, you will realize the wonderful secret of godliness hidden within.
So, you will live a more devoted and devoted life to God.
First of all, there is the secret of the incarnation. In it we realize that God is with us.
Next, there is the mystery of the cross and resurrection.
In it, we realize that all our sins are forgiven and the authority of death is broken.
And there is the secret of ascension. We realize in it that our salvation has been completed and that we have hope for that heaven.