Τhe mystery of godliness.

 BY Argie Simonis 

"And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached to the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory." 1Tim. 3:16

The mystery of godliness, or in other words the mystery of the Godhead, is great not because it is an enigma that cannot be known, but because it is hidden from the natural man and made known only to faithful hearts to whom God reveals Himself:

See what Paul tells us:

"​Even the mystery which has been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:

​To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:" Col. 1:27

Christ is a mystery. He is not discovered, but revealed to us by the Spirit of God. Many attempts have been made to explain this mystery, and it often becomes a matter of controversy among Christians. There have been many theories that only cause division and strife within the body of Christ.

Is God one or many?

Is He two in one?

Is He three in one?

Non-religious people mock us Christians and call us polytheists.

Of course we know that God is one, and in His word He reveals Himself to us as the Father, as the Son and as the Parakletos, the Holy Spirit.

I thought to take a different approach than usual to explain some things, and I believe it will help you settle this matter in your heart. Furthermore, there will be a better understanding of Scripture, even in difficult to understand or apparent contradictions that some claim to be in the Bible.

With our limited minds it is impossible to explain an infinite and eternal God. So before we enter the abodes of God, why not start with something more tangible? Let's start with the man first:

"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them." Gen. 1:27

This message is the introduction to a series of messages to follow where I will analyze the nature of man. Through the word of God we will see the characteristics of our being as humans, and what happens when a human works with, or without God.

In 1Thessalonians we read:

"And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." 1Thes. 5:23

Here we clearly see that as humans we are an entity consisting of spirit, soul and body. They are parts of ourselves, separate in one sense, but at the same time in perfect unity with each other. My spirit is not the same as my soul, my soul is not the same as my body, nor is my spirit the same as my body. But spirit, soul and body coexist in perfect harmony and unity.

Our physical body is easy to perceive. It is the part of ourselves that we can see in the mirror. This is how we perceive our natural environment. We see, hear, smell, feel and taste. With it we move, work, sleep and wake up. Our physical body is what gives us access to this world.

Our soul consists of our mind (thoughts, desires, dreams), our will and our emotions. I can use physical violence on you and hurt you with a blow, but I can equally hurt you without even touching you if I use harsh words against you for example. In the first case I hurt you physically, in the second case mentally.

Some say that the soul and the spirit are the same, but God's Word refutes this:

"For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." Heb. 4:12

There is a difference between spirit and soul, but they are inseparably connected to each other like the marrow with the joints.

We have given the definitions of body and soul and clarified the differentiation of soul and spirit. It remains for us to define what our spirit is. Our spirit is the core of our being, the part of us that has life and is linked to both soul and body:

"And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." Gen. 2:7

What we have just read, is our soul that was given spirit by the breath of God and the man formed of the dust of the ground became a living soul.

Our spirit gives life to the soul as we just saw, but also to our physical body:

"For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." James 2:26

These are very essential things that the word of God teaches us and we must know them. Let's now go to a little more practical matters.

In John chapter 3, we see Nicodemus, a Pharisee teacher, visiting Jesus at night. And this because he was afraid that no one would notice him and he would be excommunicated from their synagogue,

"... for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue." John 9:22

Jesus explains to Nicodemus the spiritual birth of a person:

"Jesus answered, Truly, truly, I say to you, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." John 3:5-6

Here Jesus explains that only those who have been born with a physical body (the fetus is in water in its mother's womb) and those who have been born from above, that is, from the Spirit, can enter the kingdom of God. Both conditions are manadatory.

What did Jesus mean when he said:

"Jesus answered and said to him, Truly, truly, I say to you, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." John 3:3

This new birth takes place by accepting Jesus into our lives. Christ becomes Lord in our lives when we repent of our sins and accept Him with a sincere heart. He is waiting for us to invite Him into our hearts:

"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." Rev. 3:20

This is how we also receive salvation. Paul explains this in his letter to the Romans:

"But what said it? The word is near you, even in your mouth, and in your heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;

That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved.

For with the heart man believes to righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made to salvation." Rom. 10:8-10

This is how the Lord comes and dwells in us and we become His temple:

"Know you not that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?" 1Cor. 3:16

Now, because "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth" (John 4:24),

where do you think He dwells? In our spirit of course:

"But he that is joined to the Lord is one spirit." 1Cor. 6:17

Can we now understand Paul's words?

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." 2Cor. 5:17

I will use a method of mathematical proof used by Aristotle and Euclid.

I will show you the truth of something based on the fact that its opposite is false or wrong.

- During the new birth, or as Jesus said "if you are born from above", our body remains the same. If we were men before, we continue to be men after. Our physical characteristics remain the same. Our age, the color of our hair and our eyes remain the same. If we had some extra pounds before, we will continue to have them, unless of course we start a diet :). So the new creature does not refer to our body.

- Our soul (mind, thoughts, desires, dreams, will, emotions) also remain the same, until they are changed and renewed by the word of God:

"And be not conformed to this world: but be you transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." Rom. 12:2

- So what is left? Our spirit. It is exactly there that this new birth takes place. Our spirit cannot be seen, but this is what becomes a new creature as we read in 2 Cor. 5:17. We are a new creation because the Spirit of God becomes one with our spirit (1 Cor. 6:17) and all the wisdom and knowledge of God, this mind of Christ in 1 Cor. 2:16), is deposited in our spirit.

Let's look at something else here:

"Why, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." Phil. 2:12

Those of us who have accepted Christ the Lord into our lives have received salvation. What does Paul mean here?

First of all, you can't work out something that you don't have. This salvation that we have received in our spirit, we are called to work it out in our soul and in our body through the renewal of our mind:

"And be not conformed to this world: but be you transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." Rom. 12:2

This requires time and effort on our part. By studying the Bible, this inorruptible seed of God's word takes root in our heart and begins to bear fruit. It becomes the channel through which all that mind of Christ that is stored up in our spirit begins to flow into our soul, mind, and thoughts. So we begin to transform in our minds and the first thing we experience is healing in our emotions. We become happier, we love easier, we forget faster the harm they have done to us, we forgive more easier, we get angry less, we uproot the roots of bitterness from within. There is also one more effect. We also experience healing in our bodies. The Bible is full of examples of the healing power that the way we think has for our health:

"For as he thinks in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, said he to you; but his heart is not with you." Prov. 23:7

"A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken." Prov. 15:13

"A merry heart does good like a medicine: but a broken spirit dries the bones." Prov. 17:22

And of course the way we think will affect the way we speak:

"O generation of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things?  for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

A good man out of the good treasure of the heart brings forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things." Μatt. 12:34-35

"Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones." Prov. 16:24

I hope this introduction helped you to understand and see some things with different eyes. In future messages I will deal more with the mind of Christ, where and how the devil has access to our lives and how we can resist and fight to experience a victorious life.