The Open Secret of a Godly Life

1 Timothy 3:16

Pastor Colin begins his sermon by inviting the audience to open their Bibles to 1 Timothy 3:16, highlighting that during the weeks leading up to Christmas, the focus will be on the person of Jesus Christ. He stresses the importance of understanding who Jesus is, what He has done, and why it matters.

Colin explains that 1 Timothy 3:16 contains six marvellous statements about Jesus, divided into three pairs: His manifestation in the flesh and vindication by the Spirit, His recognition by angels and proclamation among the nations, and His being believed on in the world and taken up in glory. These statements encapsulate the deity and humanity of Jesus, His widespread recognition, and the ultimate glorification of His believers.

Colin suggests that these six statements might be part of an early Christian creed or hymn, possibly one of the first Christmas carols focusing on Jesus’s incarnation. Over the next three weeks, he plans to address Jesus in various aspects: born and raised, seen and proclaimed, and believed on and glorified.

He delves into the significance of godliness, mystery, and Jesus. He defines godliness as being God’s man or woman, emphasising loving and living for God above all else. This contrasts with holiness and relates to being set apart for God as mentioned in Psalm 4:3.

Colin moves to the word ‘mystery,’ explaining that in the New Testament, it signifies a secret God has revealed, though its full wonder is yet to be disclosed. He illustrates this with the mystery of the resurrection, revealing that while believers await the full realisation of their resurrection bodies, God has revealed the promise for their comfort.

Finally, Colin explains that the secret to a godly life hinges on Jesus Christ. He argues that godliness is possible through Jesus, not merely by following His example but by having His life within us.

1 00:00:00,000 –> 00:00:21,700 Well, good morning everyone. 2 00:00:21,700 –> 00:00:26,959 If you would open your Bible in these verses that have just been read for us in 1 Timothy 3 00:00:27,040 –> 00:00:35,799 In the weeks that lead up to Christmas each year, we try to focus our attention particularly 4 00:00:35,799 –> 00:00:41,279 on the person of the Lord Jesus Christ Who is he? 5 00:00:41,279 –> 00:00:42,919 What has he done? 6 00:00:42,919 –> 00:00:44,939 And why does it matter? 7 00:00:44,939 –> 00:00:51,840 The whole Bible, of course, is about him, and he is always at the center of any true 8 00:00:51,840 –> 00:00:54,119 Christian preaching 9 00:00:54,360 –> 00:00:59,880 This year, I want us to focus on or camp out on just one verse 10 00:00:59,880 –> 00:01:03,259 and that is 1 Timothy Chapter 3 and Verse 16 11 00:01:03,259 –> 00:01:05,860 Let me read it again for you 12 00:01:05,860 –> 00:01:11,459 Great indeed we confess is the mystery of godliness 13 00:01:11,459 –> 00:01:20,000 He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed 14 00:01:20,000 –> 00:01:27,540 among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory 15 00:01:27,540 –> 00:01:34,180 Here we have the 6 marvelous statements about our Lord Jesus Christ 16 00:01:34,180 –> 00:01:37,800 And you may notice that they come in 3 pairs 17 00:01:37,800 –> 00:01:46,919 First we know Jesus because he was manifested in the flesh and vindicated by the Spirit 18 00:01:47,900 –> 00:01:55,419 That is we know God through Jesus because he was manifested in the flesh 19 00:01:55,419 –> 00:02:02,019 And we know that Jesus is God because he was vindicated by the Spirit 20 00:02:02,019 –> 00:02:07,360 Here we have the great truth of the deity and the humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ 21 00:02:07,360 –> 00:02:13,500 He was manifest in the flesh, he was vindicated by the Spirit 22 00:02:13,500 –> 00:02:19,300 And then we have two phrases that speak about how Jesus was made known 23 00:02:19,300 –> 00:02:24,020 He was seen by angels and he was proclaimed among the nations 24 00:02:24,020 –> 00:02:27,699 The contrast here is- angels are as near to God as you can get 25 00:02:27,699 –> 00:02:35,820 The nations, otherwise translated, the Gentiles, were as far from God as you can get 26 00:02:35,820 –> 00:02:43,059 And Jesus Christ brings those who are furthest away into proximity with God himself 27 00:02:43,139 –> 00:02:46,940 This great act of reconciliation for which he came 28 00:02:46,940 –> 00:02:51,580 And then the third pair of statements speak about how Christ is received 29 00:02:51,580 –> 00:02:55,979 he is believed on in the world and taken up into glory 30 00:02:55,979 –> 00:02:59,899 Notice that the way in which we know Jesus here on earth is by faith 31 00:02:59,899 –> 00:03:02,460 by believing in him in heaven 32 00:03:02,460 –> 00:03:05,220 His immediate glory is seen and known 33 00:03:05,699 –> 00:03:09,539 And for those who do believe, one day our faith will be turned to sight 34 00:03:09,539 –> 00:03:13,820 and we will see the King in his beauty 35 00:03:13,820 –> 00:03:19,380 Here then, are 6 marvelous statements about our Lord Jesus Christ 36 00:03:31,380 –> 00:03:34,820 Scholars have suggested that these 6 statements 37 00:03:34,940 –> 00:03:36,139 Which you may notice 38 00:03:36,139 –> 00:03:41,539 when you have the church bible printed in a poetic form 39 00:03:41,539 –> 00:03:45,580 They may actually be part of a very early Christian creed 40 00:03:45,580 –> 00:03:50,380 Or they may have been part of a very early Christian hymn 41 00:03:50,380 –> 00:03:52,940 that was sung by congregations 42 00:03:52,940 –> 00:03:59,619 And since the first line of what may be a very early Christian hymn 43 00:03:59,619 –> 00:04:03,100 is about the incarnation, the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ 44 00:04:03,580 –> 00:04:05,100 He was manifest in the flesh 45 00:04:05,100 –> 00:04:08,179 I think that what we might have here is actually 46 00:04:08,179 –> 00:04:13,339 one of the very earliest, the very first Christmas carols 47 00:04:13,339 –> 00:04:16,820 I think that’s what we have here in this verse 48 00:04:16,820 –> 00:04:19,459 So the plan for these next three weeks, God willing 49 00:04:19,459 –> 00:04:22,420 Is that we will look together at Jesus 50 00:04:22,500 –> 00:04:25,299 Born and raised 51 00:04:25,299 –> 00:04:28,380 Seen and proclaimed 52 00:04:28,380 –> 00:04:32,500 Believed on and glorified 53 00:04:32,540 –> 00:04:36,459 So today, what I want us to do is to focus in on the introduction 54 00:04:36,459 –> 00:04:40,019 To these six great statements 55 00:04:40,019 –> 00:04:42,899 For this reason, I want us to see right from the beginning 56 00:04:42,899 –> 00:04:47,059 Why what we’re going to learn about Jesus matters 57 00:04:47,059 –> 00:04:50,420 And how it is of immediate relevance 58 00:04:50,420 –> 00:04:53,899 To every one of us here today 59 00:04:54,660 –> 00:04:56,380 So I want to focus on these words 60 00:04:56,380 –> 00:04:58,739 Great indeed, we confess 61 00:04:58,920 –> 00:05:02,500 Is the mystery of godliness 62 00:05:02,500 –> 00:05:04,459 And we’ll look at just three words today 63 00:05:04,459 –> 00:05:08,540 The word godliness, the word mystery 64 00:05:08,540 –> 00:05:10,500 And then, of course, Jesus 65 00:05:10,500 –> 00:05:11,980 First of all, then, godliness 66 00:05:11,980 –> 00:05:19,019 Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness 67 00:05:19,019 –> 00:05:21,619 Now what is godliness? 68 00:05:21,619 –> 00:05:25,859 How is it different, for example, from holiness? 69 00:05:26,859 –> 00:05:30,940 Well the place to begin is in Psalm 4, verse 3 70 00:05:30,940 –> 00:05:32,579 Where we read this 71 00:05:32,579 –> 00:05:39,980 That the Lord has set apart the godly for Himself 72 00:05:39,980 –> 00:05:41,660 That’s the key 73 00:05:41,660 –> 00:05:48,500 To be godly means that you are God’s man, or God’s woman 74 00:05:48,500 –> 00:05:54,179 To be godly is to love God more than any other love in your life 75 00:05:54,179 –> 00:05:58,940 It is to live for God more than any other thing or person you live for 76 00:05:58,940 –> 00:06:04,500 It is therefore to become more and more like God Himself 77 00:06:04,500 –> 00:06:08,940 Godliness in other words is what you were made for 78 00:06:08,940 –> 00:06:11,579 God made you for Himself 79 00:06:11,579 –> 00:06:14,540 You are not your own 80 00:06:14,540 –> 00:06:17,459 And if you are godly you know that you are not your own 81 00:06:17,459 –> 00:06:22,700 You know that you belong first of all to him 82 00:06:22,700 –> 00:06:25,500 Not only did God make you for Himself 83 00:06:25,500 –> 00:06:28,779 He also made you like himself 84 00:06:28,779 –> 00:06:34,339 Adam and Eve were made in God’s image and in His likeness 85 00:06:34,339 –> 00:06:39,980 What that means very simply is that Adam was made to be God’s man 86 00:06:39,980 –> 00:06:43,739 Eve was made to be God’s woman 87 00:06:43,739 –> 00:06:47,059 But they chose not to be godly 88 00:06:47,059 –> 00:06:50,700 Adam said in effect that he wants to be his own man 89 00:06:50,700 –> 00:06:54,380 Eve said in effect, I want to be my own woman 90 00:06:54,380 –> 00:06:56,980 And so the image and the likeness of God 91 00:06:56,980 –> 00:06:59,260 Was marred and it was defaced 92 00:06:59,260 –> 00:07:01,940 And instead of being godly 93 00:07:01,940 –> 00:07:07,179 The man and the woman lived under the tyranny of self 94 00:07:07,179 –> 00:07:09,579 Instead of loving God 95 00:07:09,579 –> 00:07:13,660 We find that they were very quickly hiding from God 96 00:07:13,660 –> 00:07:16,100 Instead of knowing God walking with them 97 00:07:16,100 –> 00:07:18,140 As they had once experienced 98 00:07:18,140 –> 00:07:19,980 Now they were far from the God 99 00:07:19,980 –> 00:07:21,660 Who had once been near to them 100 00:07:21,660 –> 00:07:23,459 And there was a great chasm 101 00:07:23,459 –> 00:07:26,540 A chasm that was filled with guilt 102 00:07:26,540 –> 00:07:29,100 And filled with shame 103 00:07:29,100 –> 00:07:32,820 Now from that opening of the Bible story 104 00:07:32,820 –> 00:07:34,420 The rest of the Bible story 105 00:07:34,420 –> 00:07:36,540 Is really framed around this question 106 00:07:36,540 –> 00:07:39,739 How then can we again become godly? 107 00:07:39,739 –> 00:07:43,100 How can godliness be restored? 108 00:07:43,100 –> 00:07:45,859 How can we have a genuine love for God 109 00:07:45,859 –> 00:07:48,220 A genuine heart’s desire for God 110 00:07:48,339 –> 00:07:49,700 How can we escape 111 00:07:49,700 –> 00:07:54,140 Living under the tyranny of self 112 00:07:54,140 –> 00:07:55,019 And let’s face it 113 00:07:55,019 –> 00:07:58,220 Even for us who believe 114 00:07:58,220 –> 00:08:00,059 It is so often the case, is it not 115 00:08:00,059 –> 00:08:03,339 That we come even to a place of worship like this 116 00:08:03,339 –> 00:08:05,019 And our minds are distracted 117 00:08:05,019 –> 00:08:08,700 Somehow spiritual things can seem far from us 118 00:08:08,700 –> 00:08:11,700 And we feel far from being God’s man 119 00:08:11,700 –> 00:08:16,500 Far from being God’s woman 120 00:08:16,500 –> 00:08:19,779 God made you to reflect His glory 121 00:08:19,779 –> 00:08:24,339 His purpose is that you should share His joy 122 00:08:24,339 –> 00:08:26,859 But how can you become the person 123 00:08:26,859 –> 00:08:29,459 Of which it would truly be said 124 00:08:29,459 –> 00:08:31,779 She is God’s woman 125 00:08:31,779 –> 00:08:35,299 He is God’s man 126 00:08:35,299 –> 00:08:38,419 Now that’s really is the question 127 00:08:38,419 –> 00:08:41,460 That is at the very heart of this chapter 128 00:08:41,460 –> 00:08:44,979 First Timothy and chapter three 129 00:08:45,380 –> 00:08:48,059 And just so you get the context here 130 00:08:48,059 –> 00:08:49,820 Some of you will be well aware 131 00:08:49,820 –> 00:08:52,340 That this very important chapter of the Bible 132 00:08:52,340 –> 00:08:55,140 Is one of the places where God lays 133 00:08:55,140 –> 00:09:01,619 Out the qualifications for Christian leaders 134 00:09:01,619 –> 00:09:04,940 And the reason that there are these qualifications 135 00:09:04,940 –> 00:09:08,820 Which could be summarised as a godly life 136 00:09:08,820 –> 00:09:10,900 The reason that there are these qualifications 137 00:09:10,900 –> 00:09:13,859 For Christian leaders is that 138 00:09:14,260 –> 00:09:16,700 are called to lead in the life 139 00:09:16,700 –> 00:09:20,340 in which all Christians are called to follow 140 00:09:20,340 –> 00:09:22,340 and therefore these things must be sought 141 00:09:22,340 –> 00:09:25,900 and must be identifiable in those who lead 142 00:09:25,900 –> 00:09:27,140 Look at them with me 143 00:09:27,140 –> 00:09:28,859 Just to get the sense of the chapter 144 00:09:28,859 –> 00:09:30,419 From the beginning 145 00:09:30,419 –> 00:09:34,140 Therefore an overseer 146 00:09:34,140 –> 00:09:36,140 Someone who’s trusted with responsibility 147 00:09:36,140 –> 00:09:37,299 of leadership in the church 148 00:09:37,299 –> 00:09:38,940 must be 149 00:09:40,940 –> 00:09:43,020 above reproach 150 00:09:43,179 –> 00:09:44,539 The husband of one wife 151 00:09:44,539 –> 00:09:45,419 Sober minded 152 00:09:45,419 –> 00:09:47,539 Self-controlled 153 00:09:47,539 –> 00:09:48,500 Respectable 154 00:09:48,500 –> 00:09:50,179 Hospitable 155 00:09:50,179 –> 00:09:52,059 Able to teach 156 00:09:52,059 –> 00:09:53,140 Not a drunkard 157 00:09:53,140 –> 00:09:55,020 Not violent 158 00:09:55,020 –> 00:09:56,900 But gentle 159 00:09:56,900 –> 00:09:59,340 Not quarrelsome 160 00:09:59,340 –> 00:10:01,820 Not a lover of money 161 00:10:01,820 –> 00:10:06,260 He must manage his own household well 162 00:10:06,260 –> 00:10:06,739 Next verse 163 00:10:06,739 –> 00:10:08,619 He must not be a recent convert 164 00:10:08,619 –> 00:10:11,219 or he’ll be filled with conceit 165 00:10:11,219 –> 00:10:12,059 Moreover, he must be 166 00:10:12,059 –> 00:10:15,380 well thought of by outsiders 167 00:10:15,380 –> 00:10:18,340 so that he won’t fall into disgrace 168 00:10:18,340 –> 00:10:19,780 Deacons likewise must be 169 00:10:19,780 –> 00:10:21,700 Dignified 170 00:10:21,700 –> 00:10:24,260 Not double tongued 171 00:10:24,260 –> 00:10:26,700 Not addicted to much wine 172 00:10:26,700 –> 00:10:29,179 Not greedy for dishonest gain 173 00:10:29,179 –> 00:10:31,539 Well, you get the picture don’t you? 174 00:10:31,539 –> 00:10:34,859 This is a list that is laying out 175 00:10:34,859 –> 00:10:38,979 what a godly life looks like 176 00:10:38,979 –> 00:10:43,140 And the question, when you’ve read through this long list 177 00:10:43,140 –> 00:10:47,820 is OK, how is that possible? 178 00:10:47,820 –> 00:10:49,659 Is what is being laid out here 179 00:10:49,659 –> 00:10:52,780 a truly godly life, simply a dream? 180 00:10:52,780 –> 00:10:55,820 Or is the apostle actually describing something 181 00:10:55,820 –> 00:10:58,380 that we today can pursue? 182 00:10:58,380 –> 00:11:01,219 And if it’s something that we today really can pursue 183 00:11:01,219 –> 00:11:05,020 then how do we go about doing that? 184 00:11:05,020 –> 00:11:07,659 Well, our verse right at the end of the chapter 185 00:11:07,700 –> 00:11:12,419 1 Timothy 3 in verse 16, gives us the answer. 186 00:11:12,419 –> 00:11:17,419 Having laid out this spectrum of what is involved 187 00:11:17,539 –> 00:11:19,979 in the dimensions of a godly life, 188 00:11:19,979 –> 00:11:23,099 to be God’s man, to be God’s woman, 189 00:11:23,099 –> 00:11:25,619 Paul ends the chapter by saying, 190 00:11:25,619 –> 00:11:28,520 here is how the godly life 191 00:11:28,520 –> 00:11:31,500 I have just been describing 192 00:11:31,500 –> 00:11:34,940 is possible for 193 00:11:34,940 –> 00:11:35,799 you. 194 00:11:37,840 –> 00:11:41,239 And that takes us to the second word. 195 00:11:41,239 –> 00:11:42,320 Mystery, 196 00:11:42,320 –> 00:11:44,280 great indeed 197 00:11:44,280 –> 00:11:45,679 we confess 198 00:11:46,640 –> 00:11:48,640 is the mystery 199 00:11:49,679 –> 00:11:51,380 of godliness. 200 00:11:52,559 –> 00:11:54,679 Now here’s the good news. 201 00:11:54,679 –> 00:11:57,599 The word mystery here 202 00:11:57,599 –> 00:12:00,559 doesn’t mean mystery in the sense 203 00:12:00,559 –> 00:12:03,179 that that word is used with Agatha Christie 204 00:12:03,179 –> 00:12:06,059 or other similar stories 205 00:12:06,059 –> 00:12:08,599 in that genre. 206 00:12:08,599 –> 00:12:11,320 A mystery in other words is not 207 00:12:11,320 –> 00:12:13,640 an unsolved puzzle 208 00:12:13,640 –> 00:12:16,559 that leaves you scratching your head, 209 00:12:16,559 –> 00:12:18,479 if that was the meaning by the way 210 00:12:18,479 –> 00:12:20,000 we would all be in frustration 211 00:12:20,000 –> 00:12:21,520 and we might as well go home. 212 00:12:22,460 –> 00:12:25,640 Here is the godly life to which we’re called 213 00:12:25,640 –> 00:12:27,559 how are we to pursue it? 214 00:12:27,559 –> 00:12:30,200 Huh that’s a mystery. 215 00:12:30,200 –> 00:12:31,799 That’s not good news 216 00:12:31,799 –> 00:12:34,020 and so you will be very glad to know 217 00:12:34,020 –> 00:12:37,539 that the word mystery in the New Testament 218 00:12:37,539 –> 00:12:41,020 does not mean a puzzle that you cannot solve 219 00:12:41,020 –> 00:12:43,080 and it leaves you scratching your head. 220 00:12:43,080 –> 00:12:44,039 What does it mean? 221 00:12:44,940 –> 00:12:47,200 The word mystery is used 222 00:12:47,200 –> 00:12:50,960 more than 20 times in the New Testament. 223 00:12:50,960 –> 00:12:53,559 We read about the mystery of Christ, 224 00:12:53,559 –> 00:12:55,979 the mystery of God’s will, 225 00:12:55,979 –> 00:12:58,059 the mystery of the Jews, 226 00:12:58,059 –> 00:13:00,380 the mystery of the Gentiles, 227 00:13:00,380 –> 00:13:02,659 the mystery of the church, 228 00:13:02,659 –> 00:13:05,059 the mystery of the resurrection, 229 00:13:05,059 –> 00:13:07,659 the mystery of the Gospel. 230 00:13:07,659 –> 00:13:09,359 Right here in this one chapter, 231 00:13:09,359 –> 00:13:11,219 there are two occurrences of the word. 232 00:13:11,219 –> 00:13:13,400 You may notice in verse 9, 233 00:13:13,400 –> 00:13:15,500 the apostle speaks about the mystery 234 00:13:15,500 –> 00:13:18,059 of the faith 235 00:13:18,059 –> 00:13:20,219 and then in our verse 16, 236 00:13:20,219 –> 00:13:23,719 the mystery of godliness. 237 00:13:23,719 –> 00:13:26,460 Now, in each of these cases, 238 00:13:26,460 –> 00:13:29,859 the word mystery has a very distinct meaning. 239 00:13:29,859 –> 00:13:32,500 Let me give it to you like this. 240 00:13:32,539 –> 00:13:34,359 A mystery in the New Testament 241 00:13:34,359 –> 00:13:36,840 is a secret 242 00:13:36,840 –> 00:13:39,460 that God has revealed 243 00:13:39,460 –> 00:13:41,940 though it’s full wonder 244 00:13:41,940 –> 00:13:44,059 is still to be made known. 245 00:13:44,059 –> 00:13:45,960 In the New Testament, 246 00:13:45,960 –> 00:13:47,700 a mystery is not a riddle 247 00:13:47,700 –> 00:13:49,159 that leaves you scratching your head, 248 00:13:49,159 –> 00:13:50,859 it is a secret 249 00:13:50,859 –> 00:13:53,039 that God has revealed 250 00:13:53,039 –> 00:13:55,760 though it’s full wonder 251 00:13:55,760 –> 00:13:59,099 is still to be made known. 252 00:13:59,099 –> 00:14:01,500 Now, this is repeated many times. 253 00:14:01,500 –> 00:14:04,559 For example, in Romans chapter 16, 254 00:14:04,559 –> 00:14:08,400 Paul speaks about the revelation of the mystery 255 00:14:08,400 –> 00:14:12,159 that was kept secret for long ages 256 00:14:12,159 –> 00:14:15,559 but now has been disclosed. 257 00:14:15,559 –> 00:14:17,700 You see, it’s a secret 258 00:14:17,700 –> 00:14:19,559 that God has revealed. 259 00:14:19,559 –> 00:14:21,260 We wouldn’t have known 260 00:14:21,260 –> 00:14:22,900 what this mystery is 261 00:14:22,900 –> 00:14:24,460 unless God had revealed it 262 00:14:24,460 –> 00:14:25,700 but he has revealed it, 263 00:14:25,700 –> 00:14:28,400 it is a secret that God has revealed. 264 00:14:28,400 –> 00:14:29,640 Colossians in chapter 1 265 00:14:29,640 –> 00:14:30,859 you have the same thing. 266 00:14:30,919 –> 00:14:35,260 The mystery hidden for ages and generations 267 00:14:35,260 –> 00:14:40,200 but now revealed to the saints. 268 00:14:40,200 –> 00:14:42,619 So it is a secret that was hidden 269 00:14:42,619 –> 00:14:44,200 for ages and for generations 270 00:14:44,200 –> 00:14:46,599 but now, mystery, what does it mean? 271 00:14:46,599 –> 00:14:50,960 It is a secret that God has revealed. 272 00:14:50,960 –> 00:14:52,559 Let’s apply that, for example, 273 00:14:52,559 –> 00:14:56,700 to the mystery of the resurrection. 274 00:14:56,700 –> 00:14:58,659 Many of you know this verse well. 275 00:14:58,700 –> 00:15:02,159 First Corinthians in chapter 15 in verse 51. 276 00:15:02,159 –> 00:15:05,979 Behold, I tell you a mystery, 277 00:15:05,979 –> 00:15:09,640 in other words, a secret that God has revealed 278 00:15:09,640 –> 00:15:12,940 though it’s full wonder is still to be made known. 279 00:15:12,940 –> 00:15:17,520 We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed 280 00:15:17,520 –> 00:15:20,460 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye 281 00:15:20,460 –> 00:15:22,359 at the last trumpet. 282 00:15:22,359 –> 00:15:24,820 For the trumpet will sound 283 00:15:24,820 –> 00:15:27,539 and the dead will be raised imperishable 284 00:15:27,539 –> 00:15:31,840 and we shall be changed. 285 00:15:33,419 –> 00:15:37,679 Now you stand by the graveside of a loved one 286 00:15:39,260 –> 00:15:42,099 and it all seems so bleak 287 00:15:43,320 –> 00:15:45,059 and so final. 288 00:15:46,780 –> 00:15:51,780 No one would guess from standing at a graveside 289 00:15:52,119 –> 00:15:54,239 as the casket is lowered 290 00:15:55,239 –> 00:15:57,140 that a bright morning is coming 291 00:15:57,140 –> 00:15:59,359 when your believing loved one 292 00:15:59,359 –> 00:16:02,320 will rise to a new and an everlasting life, 293 00:16:02,320 –> 00:16:05,219 but God has revealed it. 294 00:16:06,559 –> 00:16:09,280 And you know, God could have kept it secret. 295 00:16:10,400 –> 00:16:12,119 He could have kept it to himself 296 00:16:12,119 –> 00:16:13,780 so that on the last day, 297 00:16:13,780 –> 00:16:15,960 we who believed in him discovered 298 00:16:15,960 –> 00:16:18,359 that the greatest part is yet to be, 299 00:16:18,359 –> 00:16:20,280 but he has not kept it secret. 300 00:16:20,320 –> 00:16:21,559 Why? 301 00:16:21,559 –> 00:16:24,599 Because he wants you now to have the comfort 302 00:16:24,599 –> 00:16:27,440 of this hope in your sorrow. 303 00:16:27,440 –> 00:16:29,359 God reveals the secret and he says, 304 00:16:29,359 –> 00:16:34,359 now comfort one another with these words. 305 00:16:35,400 –> 00:16:36,760 So a mystery is something 306 00:16:36,760 –> 00:16:38,679 we could never have worked out ourselves. 307 00:16:38,679 –> 00:16:39,919 We would never have guessed it 308 00:16:39,919 –> 00:16:41,840 if we were left to our own intuition. 309 00:16:43,200 –> 00:16:45,559 It’s a secret that God has revealed, 310 00:16:45,559 –> 00:16:48,679 but remember there’s a second part to the definition. 311 00:16:48,679 –> 00:16:51,640 Its full wonder is still to be made known. 312 00:16:51,640 –> 00:16:55,059 Now think about that in relation to the resurrection. 313 00:16:55,059 –> 00:16:57,520 God has revealed this secret, 314 00:16:58,359 –> 00:17:00,679 oh, but it’s full wonder is still to be made known. 315 00:17:00,679 –> 00:17:03,979 What will your resurrection body be like? 316 00:17:05,400 –> 00:17:10,400 What joy will be yours when your whole soul is at peace 317 00:17:10,479 –> 00:17:15,479 and your whole body is made whole and you are at one. 318 00:17:16,479 –> 00:17:19,099 And the likeness of Jesus Christ 319 00:17:19,099 –> 00:17:23,420 is fully reflected in you, what wonder will that be? 320 00:17:24,439 –> 00:17:26,859 The full wonder of it is yet to be made known, 321 00:17:26,859 –> 00:17:29,920 but for our comfort, God has revealed to us 322 00:17:29,920 –> 00:17:33,579 the secret that the resurrection day is coming. 323 00:17:33,579 –> 00:17:35,420 So that’s a mystery. 324 00:17:35,420 –> 00:17:37,520 That’s what it means in the New Testament. 325 00:17:37,520 –> 00:17:40,719 It is a secret that God has revealed, 326 00:17:40,719 –> 00:17:45,719 though its full wonder is still to be made known. 327 00:17:47,439 –> 00:17:50,680 Now, let’s come back to our verse, 328 00:17:50,680 –> 00:17:55,680 great indeed we confess is the mystery of godliness! 329 00:17:59,619 –> 00:18:03,699 So what then is this secret of godliness, 330 00:18:03,699 –> 00:18:06,260 the secret of you living the life 331 00:18:06,260 –> 00:18:08,780 that God has called you to and made you for? 332 00:18:08,780 –> 00:18:11,579 What is the secret that God has revealed 333 00:18:11,579 –> 00:18:14,699 the full wonder of which is still to be made known? 334 00:18:14,699 –> 00:18:19,699 And the answer to that is Jesus, Jesus. 335 00:18:20,900 –> 00:18:25,900 Notice the verse, great indeed we confess 336 00:18:26,239 –> 00:18:28,599 is the mystery of godliness. 337 00:18:28,599 –> 00:18:30,619 What’s the next word? 338 00:18:30,619 –> 00:18:35,619 He, He, and then follow six marvelous statements 339 00:18:35,920 –> 00:18:40,660 about the Lord Jesus Christ. 340 00:18:42,359 –> 00:18:47,359 God has revealed this secret that a godly life 341 00:18:48,699 –> 00:18:53,119 is possible for you through Jesus Christ. 342 00:18:53,119 –> 00:18:56,540 In other words the secret of a godly life 343 00:18:56,540 –> 00:18:59,660 of you pursuing the life to which God has called you 344 00:18:59,660 –> 00:19:00,619 the life for which He has made you 345 00:19:00,619 –> 00:19:03,359 it doesn’t lie in some technique, 346 00:19:03,359 –> 00:19:04,760 doesn’t lie in some programme 347 00:19:04,760 –> 00:19:07,640 or even in some set of disciplines. 348 00:19:07,640 –> 00:19:09,640 The open secret that God has revealed 349 00:19:09,640 –> 00:19:11,859 though it’s full wonder is still to be made known 350 00:19:11,859 –> 00:19:16,000 is that through Jesus Christ 351 00:19:16,000 –> 00:19:18,839 you can become the person God called you to be. 352 00:19:18,839 –> 00:19:21,319 The person God created you to be. 353 00:19:21,319 –> 00:19:25,920 Through Jesus Christ you can become God’s man. 354 00:19:25,920 –> 00:19:28,599 You can become God’s woman. 355 00:19:28,599 –> 00:19:33,280 Through Jesus Christ you can pursue a godly life. 356 00:19:34,260 –> 00:19:37,000 And here’s how. 357 00:19:37,000 –> 00:19:42,540 First, we must receive Jesus. 358 00:19:42,540 –> 00:19:44,439 This is the real question. 359 00:19:44,439 –> 00:19:47,920 Jesus is the godly one. 360 00:19:47,920 –> 00:19:52,260 God in the flesh, Supremely God’s man. 361 00:19:52,260 –> 00:19:58,939 How can the godliness that is self-evidently in Jesus 362 00:19:58,939 –> 00:20:02,400 actually be in you? 363 00:20:02,760 –> 00:20:06,199 And the answer to that question throughout the Bible is that 364 00:20:06,199 –> 00:20:10,800 we must receive Jesus. 365 00:20:10,800 –> 00:20:13,880 The answer, by the way, is not simply we must follow the 366 00:20:13,880 –> 00:20:15,699 example of Jesus. 367 00:20:15,699 –> 00:20:22,420 See, if the path to a genuinely godly life was simply 368 00:20:22,420 –> 00:20:26,579 Jesus is the example and you’ve got to follow the example, 369 00:20:26,579 –> 00:20:29,180 there would be no mystery in that, would there? 370 00:20:29,180 –> 00:20:30,500 There’s no mystery there. 371 00:20:30,500 –> 00:20:32,079 Here’s the example. 372 00:20:32,079 –> 00:20:35,520 He did it, you do it, where’s the mystery in that? 373 00:20:37,520 –> 00:20:40,839 Now, what Paul is saying here is, no, God has something 374 00:20:40,839 –> 00:20:45,199 better than simply you making your best effort to copy the 375 00:20:45,199 –> 00:20:46,520 perfect life of Jesus. 376 00:20:46,520 –> 00:20:49,520 They’re not going to get you very far. 377 00:20:49,520 –> 00:20:50,800 God has something better. 378 00:20:50,800 –> 00:20:55,640 And this is the heart of the mystery of the 379 00:20:55,640 –> 00:20:57,819 gospel of Jesus Christ. 380 00:20:57,819 –> 00:21:01,099 Let me put it to you in the words the Paul uses in 381 00:21:01,119 –> 00:21:05,180 Colosseans in chapter 1, where he spells it out. 382 00:21:05,180 –> 00:21:08,640 The mystery he says there, hidden for ages and 383 00:21:08,640 –> 00:21:15,459 generations, but now revealed to his saints is what? 384 00:21:15,459 –> 00:21:20,660 Christ in you. 385 00:21:20,660 –> 00:21:22,020 The hope of glory. 386 00:21:22,020 –> 00:21:23,579 Is that what he’s saying? 387 00:21:23,579 –> 00:21:25,420 This great mystery, and it is a mystery. 388 00:21:25,420 –> 00:21:28,739 The full wonder of it is yet to be revealed, that Jesus 389 00:21:29,239 –> 00:21:32,939 the godly one, would actually be in you. 390 00:21:32,939 –> 00:21:40,619 And his life, the godly life being in you, is the 391 00:21:40,619 –> 00:21:45,040 secret that God has revealed by which you may grow in 392 00:21:45,040 –> 00:21:49,819 the path of godliness, as his life is in you. 393 00:21:49,819 –> 00:21:52,920 Or to put it another way, in Galatians in chapter 2 and 394 00:21:52,920 –> 00:21:57,140 verse 20 where Paul says, basically the same thing. 395 00:21:57,280 –> 00:22:00,859 I have been crucified with Christ, he says. 396 00:22:00,859 –> 00:22:03,260 And it is no longer I who live, but 397 00:22:03,260 –> 00:22:08,579 Christ who lives in me. 398 00:22:08,579 –> 00:22:12,439 Do you that this is way more than I’m doing my best to 399 00:22:12,439 –> 00:22:13,900 follow the example of Jesus? 400 00:22:13,900 –> 00:22:16,199 No, the life of Jesus is in me. 401 00:22:16,199 –> 00:22:20,160 I’ve received Jesus Christ. 402 00:22:20,160 –> 00:22:23,760 Or to put it in the wonderful analogy that our Lord 403 00:22:24,719 –> 00:22:32,780 uses, he says, I am the vine, and you are the branches. 404 00:22:32,780 –> 00:22:36,479 You see what that’s conveying? 405 00:22:36,479 –> 00:22:40,400 This is a different world from, you try and copy my example. 406 00:22:40,400 –> 00:22:41,839 Here’s what I’ve done, you do the same. 407 00:22:41,839 –> 00:22:45,099 No, he is saying, look the life is in me, I am the vine. 408 00:22:45,099 –> 00:22:48,199 And when you are in me and I am in you, 409 00:22:48,199 –> 00:22:53,180 my life permeates your life so that which is in me 410 00:22:53,239 –> 00:22:54,839 will come to be in you. 411 00:22:54,839 –> 00:22:59,680 That’s the very heart of how the Christian life is lived. 412 00:23:01,280 –> 00:23:03,920 In other words, there is no hope of godliness 413 00:23:03,920 –> 00:23:08,260 without Jesus Christ, but when the life of Jesus Christ 414 00:23:08,260 –> 00:23:12,520 is in you, a godly life will 415 00:23:12,520 –> 00:23:15,439 be possible for you. 416 00:23:16,500 –> 00:23:21,099 Therefore, we must receive Jesus Christ. 417 00:23:21,099 –> 00:23:22,219 And how do we do that? 418 00:23:22,500 –> 00:23:25,520 We do that by believing in his name. 419 00:23:25,520 –> 00:23:28,439 This is the point that the Apostle John makes very clear 420 00:23:28,439 –> 00:23:30,300 right at the beginning of his gospel 421 00:23:30,300 –> 00:23:33,199 where he introduces the Lord Jesus Christ to us. 422 00:23:33,199 –> 00:23:36,400 He says this, he came to his own, 423 00:23:37,359 –> 00:23:39,880 and his own did not receive him. 424 00:23:40,939 –> 00:23:44,699 But to as many as did receive him, 425 00:23:44,699 –> 00:23:46,540 and then he explains what he means by that, 426 00:23:46,540 –> 00:23:48,300 what does it mean to receive Jesus? 427 00:23:48,300 –> 00:23:52,219 He says this, to those who believed in his name. 428 00:23:53,439 –> 00:23:58,400 So by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ you receive him, 429 00:23:58,400 –> 00:24:01,000 that is his life comes to be in you, 430 00:24:01,000 –> 00:24:04,260 the life of the Godly one comes to you 431 00:24:04,260 –> 00:24:06,979 so that thereby through him, 432 00:24:06,979 –> 00:24:09,439 this is what God has revealed though its full wonder 433 00:24:09,439 –> 00:24:11,859 is still to be made known, 434 00:24:11,859 –> 00:24:16,859 you will be able to pursue a new and a Godly life. 435 00:24:18,439 –> 00:24:21,099 So we must receive Jesus, 436 00:24:21,099 –> 00:24:24,640 second we must hope in Jesus. 437 00:24:24,640 –> 00:24:26,280 Now this is the point maybe where someone 438 00:24:26,280 –> 00:24:27,660 will be saying, well, Wait a minute Colin. 439 00:24:27,660 –> 00:24:29,640 I am a believer, 440 00:24:30,680 –> 00:24:33,479 I have received the Lord Jesus Christ 441 00:24:33,479 –> 00:24:35,400 but I don’t feel very Godly, 442 00:24:35,400 –> 00:24:38,640 I feel I’ve got such a long way to go. 443 00:24:39,819 –> 00:24:41,920 And I want to say to you very simply 444 00:24:43,060 –> 00:24:46,880 that there is way more in Jesus Christ 445 00:24:46,880 –> 00:24:50,900 than you or any of the rest of us here have yet discovered. 446 00:24:51,859 –> 00:24:55,699 Way more in Jesus Christ than you have yet discovered. 447 00:24:55,699 –> 00:24:58,540 Remember the definition of a mystery. 448 00:24:58,540 –> 00:25:01,680 A secret God has revealed 449 00:25:01,680 –> 00:25:06,680 though its full wonder is still to be made known. 450 00:25:09,359 –> 00:25:14,359 Receiving Jesus is a little bit like opening a gift 451 00:25:14,819 –> 00:25:19,819 but only knowing a small part of what it can do. 452 00:25:22,239 –> 00:25:27,239 My mother will reach the age of 90 next month. 453 00:25:27,920 –> 00:25:30,020 She has not been particularly drawn 454 00:25:30,020 –> 00:25:31,939 over the last 20 or 30 years 455 00:25:31,939 –> 00:25:34,599 to the developing world of technology 456 00:25:34,599 –> 00:25:39,400 but last year, she said to me, 457 00:25:40,280 –> 00:25:43,599 I think I’d like to have an iPad. 458 00:25:43,599 –> 00:25:47,040 And I said mom, that’s great, 459 00:25:47,040 –> 00:25:49,000 why do you want to have an iPad 460 00:25:49,000 –> 00:25:52,560 and she said I’d like to be able to do email. 461 00:25:54,319 –> 00:25:57,439 And so when the iPad was bought, 462 00:25:57,439 –> 00:26:00,180 she did a marvellous job of adapting to it 463 00:26:00,180 –> 00:26:03,520 and getting used to it and doing email. 464 00:26:03,520 –> 00:26:05,339 Took a little bit of a while to get used to it. 465 00:26:05,339 –> 00:26:07,560 It was very good typist doing it 466 00:26:07,760 –> 00:26:10,280 with the two-inch to press on the old keyboard 467 00:26:10,280 –> 00:26:14,040 and to get used to the glass was a little bit different. 468 00:26:14,040 –> 00:26:16,640 But she adapted to it wonderfully well. 469 00:26:16,640 –> 00:26:19,560 Once she got the hang of that, I said to her, 470 00:26:19,560 –> 00:26:23,739 you know mom, that iPad can do a lot more 471 00:26:24,780 –> 00:26:26,579 than send and receive email. 472 00:26:28,099 –> 00:26:32,380 For example, you could see pictures 473 00:26:32,380 –> 00:26:36,680 of your great-grandchildren as their mums and dad 474 00:26:36,680 –> 00:26:41,040 put them up, and she discovered the whole world 475 00:26:41,040 –> 00:26:44,660 of pictures instantly being available 476 00:26:44,660 –> 00:26:47,859 in our little family circle that we have going online 477 00:26:47,859 –> 00:26:51,560 and was absolutely thrilled. 478 00:26:51,560 –> 00:26:55,439 Well, what’s happened since is that each time I go, 479 00:26:55,439 –> 00:26:59,560 we find out something else on the iPad. 480 00:26:59,560 –> 00:27:00,900 Mom, do you know that you can actually 481 00:27:00,900 –> 00:27:04,359 hear Moody radio on the iPad? 482 00:27:04,420 –> 00:27:07,959 It’d be six hours different, but you can actually 483 00:27:07,959 –> 00:27:11,500 hear it right here, exactly what is held in Chicago. 484 00:27:11,500 –> 00:27:12,339 Really? 485 00:27:13,300 –> 00:27:14,699 But the best one was last time, 486 00:27:14,699 –> 00:27:17,380 and what a blessing this is proving to be. 487 00:27:17,380 –> 00:27:22,380 Mom, did you know that you can order your groceries 488 00:27:22,479 –> 00:27:24,520 on the iPad and have them delivered 489 00:27:24,520 –> 00:27:27,500 to your front door every week? 490 00:27:27,500 –> 00:27:29,260 Aw, boy, she got the hang of that. 491 00:27:29,260 –> 00:27:31,979 That has been a life-changer! 492 00:27:32,959 –> 00:27:37,560 Now, I hesitate to use any kind of illustration 493 00:27:37,560 –> 00:27:39,319 to speak of the glories of Jesus, 494 00:27:39,319 –> 00:27:41,479 but I want you to see this and feel it, 495 00:27:43,359 –> 00:27:46,520 that there’s more in Jesus Christ 496 00:27:46,520 –> 00:27:48,880 than any one of us has yet discovered. 497 00:27:51,599 –> 00:27:55,160 The full wonder of Jesus Christ is still to be made known. 498 00:27:57,020 –> 00:27:59,839 There’s more peace for you to enjoy in him 499 00:27:59,839 –> 00:28:01,040 than you have yet enjoyed, 500 00:28:01,040 –> 00:28:02,660 more hope for you to discover, 501 00:28:02,660 –> 00:28:04,900 more love for you to experience, 502 00:28:04,900 –> 00:28:08,380 more comfort for you to savor, more joy. 503 00:28:10,239 –> 00:28:11,479 John speaks about this. 504 00:28:11,479 –> 00:28:12,660 He says to believers, 505 00:28:12,660 –> 00:28:16,180 “‘We are now God’s children, 506 00:28:16,180 –> 00:28:20,520 “‘but what we will be has not yet been made known. 507 00:28:22,359 –> 00:28:23,459 “‘But we do know this, 508 00:28:23,459 –> 00:28:26,520 “‘that when he appears, we will be like him, 509 00:28:26,520 –> 00:28:29,540 “‘for we shall see him as he is.” 510 00:28:30,319 –> 00:28:32,739 God has begun a good work in you. 511 00:28:32,739 –> 00:28:36,040 You may feel a long way from godliness, 512 00:28:36,040 –> 00:28:39,660 but the work that he has begun he will bring to completion 513 00:28:39,660 –> 00:28:41,939 and there will forever and forever be 514 00:28:41,939 –> 00:28:46,180 a perfect reflection of the beauty and the godliness 515 00:28:46,180 –> 00:28:51,180 of Jesus Christ in you by his grace. 516 00:28:51,359 –> 00:28:53,380 And how great will be your joy 517 00:28:53,380 –> 00:28:55,420 when that work that he has already begun 518 00:28:55,420 –> 00:28:58,439 in you is brought to completion. 519 00:28:58,439 –> 00:29:01,119 And so we are not only to receive Jesus 520 00:29:01,119 –> 00:29:03,619 but receiving Jesus by believing in his name, 521 00:29:03,619 –> 00:29:05,939 we are to hope in him, we are to know 522 00:29:05,939 –> 00:29:08,359 that there is more of him, more grace in him 523 00:29:08,359 –> 00:29:11,599 that we are yet to discover and that there is more 524 00:29:11,599 –> 00:29:15,760 that he will accomplish than we have yet dared to dream. 525 00:29:17,199 –> 00:29:19,380 And then lastly, we are to confess Christ. 526 00:29:19,380 –> 00:29:24,380 Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness. 527 00:29:24,959 –> 00:29:27,280 The great task given to the church. 528 00:29:27,319 –> 00:29:29,599 The great privilege that we have together 529 00:29:29,599 –> 00:29:34,599 and individually is that we confess Jesus Christ. 530 00:29:35,219 –> 00:29:37,839 We confess him manifested in the flesh, 531 00:29:37,839 –> 00:29:40,819 vindicated by the spirit, seen by angels 532 00:29:40,819 –> 00:29:44,079 proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world 533 00:29:44,079 –> 00:29:46,079 and taken up into glory. 534 00:29:46,079 –> 00:29:50,959 And great is this mystery of all that is in Jesus Christ. 535 00:29:50,959 –> 00:29:54,479 Jesus Christ and all that is in him 536 00:29:54,479 –> 00:29:56,680 is the greatest good news that this world 537 00:29:56,760 –> 00:29:59,760 has ever heard and it is trusted to us 538 00:29:59,760 –> 00:30:03,479 who confess his name. 539 00:30:03,479 –> 00:30:05,079 We are to receive him. 540 00:30:06,319 –> 00:30:08,060 We are to hope in him. 541 00:30:09,239 –> 00:30:11,300 We are to confess him. 542 00:30:12,339 –> 00:30:15,719 And we do so with joy for the glory of God. 543 00:30:15,719 –> 00:30:17,439 Let’s pray together. 544 00:30:17,439 –> 00:30:21,560 Father, we pray that this Christmas season 545 00:30:21,560 –> 00:30:24,819 may not pass with simple busyness, 546 00:30:25,739 –> 00:30:29,260 but that it may be a season in which in a fresh way 547 00:30:29,260 –> 00:30:34,180 we catch a glimpse of the greatness and glory 548 00:30:34,180 –> 00:30:36,060 of the Lord Jesus Christ 549 00:30:37,540 –> 00:30:40,500 and seeing his greatness and glory 550 00:30:40,500 –> 00:30:45,500 come to be changed increasingly into his likeness. 551 00:30:47,160 –> 00:30:49,939 Bring us to a plce where we love you more. 552 00:30:50,880 –> 00:30:52,520 That we may serve you better 553 00:30:53,420 –> 00:30:57,479 in anticipation of the day when the full wonder 554 00:30:57,479 –> 00:31:01,699 of all that is ours in Jesus Christ is disclosed 555 00:31:01,699 –> 00:31:06,599 and we shall rejoice in you and with you forever 556 00:31:06,599 –> 00:31:08,119 and forever. 557 00:31:08,119 –> 00:31:10,680 And we pray these things in Jesus’s name. 558 00:31:10,680 –> 00:31:11,520 Amen. 559 00:31:16,380 –> 00:31:17,640 You’ve been listening to a sermon 560 00:31:17,640 –> 00:31:20,020 with Pastor Colin Smith of Open the Bible. 561 00:31:20,020 –> 00:31:25,020 To contact us, call us at 1-877-OPEN-365 562 00:31:25,300 –> 00:31:28,819 or visit our website, openthebible.org.

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Colin Smith

Trustee / Founder and Teaching Pastor

Colin Smith is the Senior Pastor of The Orchard Evangelical Free Church in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. He has authored a number of books, including Heaven, How I Got Here and Heaven, So Near – So Far. Colin is the Founder and Teaching Pastor for Open the Bible. Follow him on X formerly Twitter.

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What is the secret to living a godly life? The answer does not lie in some technique, program, or discipline, but in a person. Pastor Colin leads us through 1 Timothy 3:16, which scholars suggest may have been an early Christian creed or hymn. In it, you will discover 6 marvelous statements about Jesus. These

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