Summary: And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness.

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"HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD"

2 TIM 3:16

1 Timothy 3:16

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.

A. Without any doubt this is truly one of the most profound, theological statements made in the Word of God. If we had one thousand hours we could not begin to teach all the wonders included in this verse.

I could translate this verse this way and would be true to the revelation of God.

Great is the mystery of the God Head: God was manifested in the flesh. God was justified in the Spirit. God was observed by angels. God preached unto the Gentiles. God was believed on in this world and God was received up into glory.

B. Let me list the Profound truths found here:

1. God was manifested in the flesh. (That we might know God)

2. God was justified (vindicated) in the Spirit.

3. God was seen by angels. (The angels watched to see what God was doing)

4. God was preached unto the Nations (The world might know through us.)

5. God was believed on in the world.

6. God was received up into Glory.

On the truth of these hang all the cardinal doctrines of the church.

Let us look at each very briefly:

I. GOD WAS MANIFESTED IN THE FLESH.

READ JOHN 1:1-18

A. The deity of the Lord Jesus was and has been and is and shall always be the single most important doctrine in the Bible.

It was the one teaching of our Lord that cause Him to get crucified.

John 10:27-33, My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: {28} And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand. {29} My Father, which gave me, is greater than all; and no is able to pluck out of my Father’s hand. {30} I and Father are one. {31} Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. {32} Jesus answered them, Many good works have I showed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? {33} The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.

Did you notice verse 33? . . . .because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.

B. You see Jesus was all right as long as he would say, "I’VE GOT A BETTER WAY" but he was saying, "I AM THE ONLY WAY."

It would be like the TIDE washing detergent advertising and saying, "WE ARE THE ONLY WASHING DETERGENT ON THE MARKET". It is alright as long as they say, "WE ARE THE BEST ON THE MARKET" but they would be sued if they said, "WE ARE THE ONLY ONE". That is what Jesus did that made the religious crowd so mad. He said, "I am the one and only way to God.":

D. John said, 1 John 4:3, And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that of [antichrist], whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

1 John 2:18, Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that [antichrist] shall come, even now are there many [antichrists]; whereby we know that it is the last time.

1 John 2:22, Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist], that denieth the Father and the Son.

E. The attack is subtle on many fronts:

The validity of Scripture; The virgin birth; the sinless life; the substitution death.; The resurrection; the ascension; the bodily return.

II. GOD WAS JUSTIFIED IN THE SPIRIT.

Romans 3:20-26

{20} Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law the knowledge of sin. {21} But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; {22} Even the righteousness of God by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: {23} For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; {24} Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: {25} Whom God hath set forth a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; {26} To declare, , at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

I must admit that verse 26 gave me a lot of problems when I first begin reading and studying the Bible. It said, "THAT HE MIGHT BE JUST". I thought that God was always just in everything He did.

A. You see God had a problem. He had a world filled with sinful, disobedient people. He could not just turn his head and forget about their disobedience. Sin must be punished. The devil was there to condemn God if he looked over sin or covered it up. God could not sneak sinners in the back door of heaven. God needed a way to BE JUST IN JUSTIFYING A SINNER.

B. You see, God had to have a legal reason to forgive your sin. That reason was what Jesus did for you on the cross of Calvary. The cross was God’s loop hole in the law.

GOD WAS MANIFESTED IN THE FLESH,

GOD WAS JUSTIFIED IN THE SPIRIT.

III. GOD WAS SEEN OF ANGELS.

A. The word {Seen} is not the usual word for {look} or {see}. The usual Greek word is {Blepoo} This is the word {haraoo} which means , "to behold, to earnestly fix your gaze upon; to observe".

The idea is {I witnessed a crime}.

You are called upon to {witness an execution}.

B. Think of God’s created order:

1. In the beginning He created the heavens and the earth.

2. God second great creation was the Angelic host. They were there when God restored the earth for Adam and Eve.

Job 38:4-7

Where was thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. {5} Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it? {6} Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof; {7} When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God (the angels) shouted for joy?

3. God third great creation was man. In the image of God created He him.

4. His new creation is in Christ Jesus.

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore if any man in Christ, a new creation: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

C. It was this new creation that the angels did not understand. They were spectators to this great plan of salvation. They did not know what God was doing??

1 Peter 1:9-12

{9} Receiving the end of your faith, the salvation of souls. {10} Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace unto you: {11} Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. {12} Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; WHICH THINGS THE ANGELS DESIRED TO LOOK INTO.

NOT ONLY WAS GOD MANIFESTED IN THE FLESH

JUSTIFIED IN THE SPIRIT;

SEEN OF ANGELS BUT ALSO . . . .

IV. HE WAS PREACHED UNTO THE NATIONS.

Ephesians 2:11-22

Wherefore remember, that ye in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; {12} That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: {13} But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. {14} For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition ; {15} Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, the law of commandments in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, making peace; {16} And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: {17} AND CAME AND PREACHED PEACE TO YOU which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. {18} For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. {19} Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; {20} And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner ; {21} In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: {22} In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

NOT ONLY WAS GOD MANIFESTED IN THE FLESH

JUSTIFIED IN THE SPIRIT

SEEN OF ANGELS

PREACHED UNTO THE NATIONS

BUT ALSO . . . . . .

V. GOD WAS BELIEVED ON IN THIS WORLD.

A. Have you ever stopped to think how wonderful the word {Believe} is?

John 1:12

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, to them that believe on his name:

John 3:16-18

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. {17} For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. {18} He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

B. There has always been someone who would believe the message.

VI. GOD WAS RECEIVED UP INTO GLORY.

A. The literal ascension of Jesus back to heaven is one of the most important doctrines in the Word of God. It is the most doubted.

B. Jesus literally and bodily resurrected from the dead. Jesus literally and bodily ascended by to heaven.

Acts 1:8-11

But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. {9} And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. {10} And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; {11} Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

John 14:1-3

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. {2} In my Father’s house are many mansions: if not , I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. {3} And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, ye may be also.

CONCLUSION"

There is enough truth in this one verse of the Bible to save the entire world of sinners. If you do not believe these wonderful truths – trust and accept them by faith – live you life in the revelation of the message and someday meet the person of this verse face to face. His name is JESUS.