The mystery of godliness (2) - All The Good Seed Daily Devotionals for 2025

Without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh.
1 Timothy 3:16.

The mystery of godliness (2)
The word "godliness!" or the fear of God does not so much indicate certain forms of piety that people observe; true godly fear is rather expressed by the fact that the Lord Jesus is the central Person in the life of a believer. He Himself must ever be before our eyes, not merely on Sundays or religious holidays.

The first statement about the Person of the Lord Jesus reveals a great wonder: the eternal Son of God became Man and revealed all God's glorious characteristics like love, grace, righteousness and truth.

Our verse says more than that, however: the Son of God was and is the eternal God. Only at the incarnation did He become visible and known by partaking of "flesh and blood". The apostle John wrote: "The Word became flesh" and "Jesus Christ has come in the flesh" (cf. Hebrews 2:14; John 1:14; 1 John 4:2).

These three descriptions of His incarnation apply to no ordinary person: all were "flesh" from the start of their existence and only present and visible physically. Of the Son of God alone can it be said that He was "manifested in flesh", for His existence was eternal.

Acknowledging Jesus Christ as God and Man in one Person is an essential mark of true godliness. Whoever sees Jesus solely as a benefactor or miracle-worker has only a "form of godliness, but denying its power" (2 Timothy 3:5). The believer derives the strength for godliness from a personal relationship with the Son of God who became Man, but lives from eternity to eternity.

(to be continued next Wednesday)

Today's reading: Hosea 12:1-14 · James 5:13-20