Now there in verse 16, the word
mystery applies to everything else that's mentioned in verse
16. Great is the mystery. God was manifest in the flesh. That's a mystery. That's mysterious. How is that even possible? Justified
in the spirit. That's mysterious. That's something
that sinners are not just going to know about unless God reveals
it. Scene of angels preached unto
the Gentiles, believed on in the world. And this word mystery
means a hidden thing, a secret. So this is not a difficult word
to understand, something that's hidden, a secret. Now when we use the word mystery
though, typically, it's not what's meant here. That's what we need
to understand right off, is that though the word mystery is a
simple word, and we understand what it means, we know when something
is hidden, and it's a secret, that means there are some that
don't know, that don't understand it, that don't get it. And that's
true spiritually. That is, that does apply here. But when we use the word mystery,
typically we think of a mystery novel or something or a movie
where somebody killed somebody and you're trying to figure out
who did it. And clues are given along the way throughout the
story, but nothing obvious. You don't want to give it away.
It's kept mysterious because that's part of the, the intrigue
and the interest. It would ruin the mystery if
the clues were obvious. But the mystery of godliness
is not like that at all. It is hidden, it is secret, but
not like that. The mystery of godliness is not
unknown because nobody's clear about it. Mysteries that are
contrived for entertainment or whatever, are deliberately obscured
until the time comes to reveal the mystery. This mystery of
godliness, we don't drop hints or leave red herrings when we
preach the gospel. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 3.12,
seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness
of speech, without ambiguity, without concealment, and this
is the literal definition of the word plainness, without concealment,
open and frank. So how then, in what way is the
mystery of Godliness, a mystery if we're clear about it, if our
purpose is to reveal it from the start, to make it clear,
then in what sense is a mystery? Not because the message itself
is unclear, but because everybody who hears it, and this may come as a shock
to hear me say this, but this is the essence of it, and I wanna
show you it from scripture. This is not my opinion, this
is not me just being Offensive for no reason the reason the
mystery of guidance is a mystery is because everybody that hears
it is an idiot Again I don't mean that as a
slang word I Don't even mean it as an insult. I would have
to not be an idiot in order to Insult you for being an idiot,
and it's not that way It's not it's not an insult. It's not
a slang thing and Spiritually sinners have no understanding
no ability to discern or know anything about God as Plain as
we can make it You're not going to get it You're not going to
get it without the grace and revealing power of God The gospel, the things of God,
that's this, when it talks about godliness, the things of God,
God himself and everything that pertains to him, the gospel,
what happened on Calvary, who Christ is, what he did, what
is a sinner, how a sinner can be saved by the grace of God,
or anything like that, it cannot be understood by a sinner without
Grace, revealing, sovereign, distinguishing grace. 1 Corinthians
2.12, now we have received, we believers, have received not
the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God that
we might know. That we might know the things
that are freely given to us of God. that we may know something
about God's gift of salvation in Christ, that we may know the
truths that he has to give us, if we're ever gonna know them,
of Christ and him crucified, which things also we speak. If you know him, you're gonna
talk about him. You just are. Which things also
we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teaches, but which
the Holy Ghost teacheth, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit
of God. Always remember, there's two
reasons for it here. For they are foolishness unto
him. He's got no interest in it, it's nonsense. They joke about it, they mock
the truths of God. It's foolishness to them. They
don't want nothing to do with it and they laugh at everybody
that does. But there's another reason that
explains that one. Neither can he know them because
they are spiritually discerned. A spiritually dead man cannot
know spiritual truth. That's the mystery. That's the
way in which this mystery of godliness is mysterious. It's
because you're an idiot, and I am too. We're just not going
to get it. We are incapable of grasping
it. How then do we understand? How do we know the mystery? How
do we get it? Believers get it. By God's grace,
we know who God is. We know what we are. We know
who Christ is. We know how God can be just and
yet justify a wretch like me. How? Again, not complicated. It's given by God. And this is
so clearly revealed in the scripture. We've already seen it in what
we've read to make a whole other point. And yet that truth is
seen in it. It's given, it is given unto
you to know, to know. 1 Corinthians 2.6, turn over
there with me if you would. This is a passage we've looked
at many times and yet I want us to see it from the perspective of our text,
the mystery of godliness. Great is the mystery of godliness,
1 Corinthians 2.6. First Corinthians 2.6, how be
it we speak wisdom among them that are perfect, yet not the
wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world that
come to naught. But we speak the wisdom of God
in a mystery. We don't say it in mysterious
terms. We don't drop hints about it.
We're not ambiguous about it. That's not it. But what we speak
is a mystery to sinners, and we're fixing to see why in the
next words here. We speak the wisdom of God in
the mystery. What does the word mystery mean
in our text? Even the hidden, hidden wisdom, which God ordained
before the world unto our glory, which none of the princes of
this world knew, for had they known it, they would not have
crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written, I have
not seen nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of
man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
The gospel. That's just it. What has God
prepared for them that love him? Righteousness, peace with him,
his favor, blessing, everything. And how did he do that? Calvary. I go to prepare a place for you. That's not just preparing a space
that you can occupy. It's all of the blessings of
God in Christ. But God hath revealed them unto
us. Nobody can know. He can't know
them because they're spiritually discerned, but God reveals them
to somebody, unto believers, unto us, by His Spirit. For the Spirit searcheth all
things, yea, the deep things of God. Now, here's the, I wanna
read the verse that I quoted from a minute ago, Luke 8, 9.
Luke 8 and 9, and his disciples asked him, saying, what might
this parable be? And he said, unto you it is given
to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to others
in parables that seeing they might not see. In other words, The Lord Jesus Christ
deliberately and specifically taught the way he did so that
they might not see. And hearing they might not understand,
but unto you it's given. That's the mystery. You know
the amazing thing about the parables our Lord told, I've never really
seen this before until I was studying this. To believers, they were illustrations.
They actually help us understand the truth, don't they? The parables,
once he explains them to us by his spirit, we get it. The parable helps. It's an illustration
of the truth that sheds light upon it. But that same parable
to an unbeliever, it's like, what's all this talk about seeds
and sowing and rocks? What are you talking about? It
clouds the whole thing and even more mystery to them. Isn't that
remarkable? It reveals and it blinds at the
same time the teaching of our Lord. The Lord had to reveal to the
disciples what his word was. They said, what does this parable
mean? And when he told them, the parable
actually helped them understand. the truth. He told spiritual
truths by earthly illustrations that help us to grasp them. And he still does. He still reveals
to us what he said in his word that way. It's so clear once
the Lord reveals it. Believers know everything that
we know right now because Christ was pleased to reveal it to us.
All things he said are delivered to me of my father, and no man
knoweth who the son is but the father, and who the father is
but the son, and he to whom the son will reveal him. That's true
of God, it's true of everything that God said. The things of
God. Christ must reveal. The Son reveals
the Father, and the Holy Spirit reveals the Son. Listen to John
16, 13. How be it when he, the Spirit
of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth. What is all
truth? What in the world is that? All
truth. For he shall not speak of himself,
but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak, and he will
show you things to come. He shall glorify me. For he shall
receive of mine and shall show it unto you. That's all truth,
Christ. All things that the Father hath
are mine, therefore said I that he shall take of mine and shall
show it unto you. What is the solution of the mystery? You see in what sense it's a
mystery. It's not because we say weird
stuff. A lot of religion is mysterious,
just unnecessarily. I went to, I think, I don't know
if it was a, I don't know why it wound up one time in a Catholic
church. And he was draping stuff over
stuff and pouring things into other things and putting things
on top of other things. It was the most bizarre exercise
of foolishness I've ever seen. And I asked somebody that went
to that church, I said, what's he doing? He said, I don't know.
I don't know. I don't know what he's doing.
That's not the mystery of godliness. The gospel is as plain as the
nose on your face and you're never gonna figure it out. You're never gonna figure it
out because it's spiritually discerned. You've got to be born again of
the spirit of God or you can't see. What's the solution to the mystery?
That'd be a good next question, wouldn't it? We see what sense
in which it's mysterious. We see why it's mysterious. We
see why it's not mysterious to some. What is the solution to the mystery?
In other words, the resolving of it. When you understand the
mystery, what is it that you know? Well, we just read that,
but look at it in our text, too, because that's what we're...
Expounding here this morning by the Lord's grace 1st Timothy
3 16 again without controversy Great is the mystery of godliness
God was manifest in the flesh You could replace those words,
God was manifest in the flesh, six words, you could replace
them with one and not in any way whatsoever violate the word
of God, Christ. Who is God manifest in the flesh? The solution to the mystery is
Him. When you understand the mystery,
you know him. If you don't know him, it's still
a mystery to you. And until he reveals himself
to you, it will be. And every bit of that is Christ.
God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the spirit. God
was justified. Well, that's Christ as a man.
Scene of angels preached unto the Gentiles. Who do we preach? Paul was the preacher to the
Gentiles. He said, we preach Christ. Believed on in the world. He that believeth on the Son
of God hath life. Received up into glory. That can only be said of Christ. He came down here where we are. He stood in the dirt that we
walk in. He lived for us and died for
us, and as a man, as me, he was received up into glory. Well, there's a lot in that,
and we're gonna look at that, Lord willing, next week. This is a two-part message. And,
I think you'll see why when you see how much is, and you already
do, I know, but see how much is, when we see together how
much is in this. Do you understand the mystery
that God was manifest in the flesh? Do you understand by God's
grace what is written in Hebrews 2.17? This is exactly what we're
talking about. Listen to it with me. Wherefore,
in all things, it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren. He was made of a woman, made
under the law that he might redeem them that were under the law.
He was made like unto us that he might be a merciful and faithful
high priest in things pertaining to God. When it comes to God,
what pertains to God for us is what? We need the favor of God,
we need fellowship with God, we need communion with God, we
need atonement. How does that happen, high priest?
got to offer an offering unto God on behalf of the people that
God will accept, then there's communion, there's fellowship,
we're back to God, whereas we were banished from Him in the
garden because of the fall. So in order for Him to be a merciful
and faithful high priest, He had to be made like unto us to
make reconciliation for the sins Only a man can represent man
as high priest. An angel could never be a high
priest for sinners. And only man can make atonement
for men. Christ himself is the one who
offers the offering for sin, and Christ himself is the offering
for sin. God was manifest in the flesh. and the expounding of that, great
is the mystery of God in us, Christ. God was manifest in the
flesh, what for? That he might be our high priest,
merciful and faithful in things pertaining to God. Is that unclear? Is that mysterious
to you? Why was God manifest in the flesh? Order to make atonement for his
people to purchase his people with his own blood God Almighty
strictly considered as God cannot die. How does how does life die? But he was manifest in the flesh And he not only could die but
he did die for our sins according to the scriptures God was manifest the flesh. Let's talk about that
word manifest for just a second. He was manifest in the flesh. It's the same word used in 1st
John 3-4. This will help us understand
it. What does it mean he was manifest in the flesh? Some believe
that he just looked like a man, that he was some kind of a vision
of God that came down here. Is that what manifest means?
1st John 3 for whosoever committed sin transgresses also the law
For sin is The transgression of the law and you know that
he was manifested to take away our sins And in him is no sin It doesn't say in him was no
sin and It doesn't say in him will be no sin. In him is no
sin. That's an eternal statement.
Now notice in our text that it is God who was manifest in the
flesh. Every word of this is significant. God. The Lord Jesus Christ is God
almighty as well as man. He's the son of man, but he's
the son of God, the express image of God. And you know what that
means? He's God manifest. What was he
manifest in the flesh for? To offer himself for our sins,
merciful and faithful as our high priest, to bring us to God,
to make atonement for us, that we might have fellowship in the
favor of God again, like never before. So why was he manifest? That was clear. Who was manifest? God. He was manifest to take
away our sins. And if it was God that was manifest
to do that, guess what? Somebody's sins are taken away. That's not deductive reasoning.
That's just who God is. That's just the definition of
God. Whoever we are, he was manifest
to take away our sins. Whoever we are, our sins are
gone because it was God. We know who the we are because
he told us in John 17, we are those that the father gave him.
We are not the world. You can quote John 3.16 all you
want to. You've misunderstood it, though,
if you think the world means everybody that ever lived. The
Lord would not even pray for this world. He didn't represent
this world. He didn't make atonement for this world. He wasn't mediator
for this world. Not this world, but those that
you gave me out of the world. They're yours, and yours are
mine, and all mine are yours. We are not the world. We know
because he told us in John 10 who we are. We're his sheep for whom he laid
down his life. The Pharisees, he said, did not
believe on him because they were not his sheep. But he said, my
sheep, I lay down my life for them and they shall never perish. You can't separate those two
things. Christ died for us and we shall never perish. That's
cause and effect. My sheep, he said, hear my voice. And they follow me, all of them. He gives them eternal life, all
of them. And they shall never perish,
none of them. We're called his elect in the
scripture more often than any other name, his chosen. My chosen,
that's what the word elect means, chosen. Do you know what my favorite
name though is for me and for you as believers? My favorite
name, this is my favorite name that he calls us. It's found
in 1 Corinthians 3.21, listen to it. Therefore let no man glory
in men, For all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas
or the world or life or death or things present or things to
come. It's all yours. In other words, God did everything
he did for us. He made a paradise before
he ever made a man. What for? For us. And he's made it so that we shall
be with him in paradise. It's for the glory of his son,
but that which glorifies his son is the salvation of us. All things are yours and you
are Christ's. That's my favorite name, Christ's. How does it get better than that? And you are Christ's and Christ
is God's. We belong to him. That word,
that one word, boy, that says it all, doesn't it? John called
himself the disciple whom Jesus loved. Galatians 3.26, listen to this,
for you are all children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For
as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ,
and there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond
nor free, there is neither male nor female, for all are one in
Christ Jesus. And if you be Christ's, then
are you Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise. It's
been for the salvation of his people from the start since Abraham. Christ's. The definition of an idiot is
not what you'll find in the dictionary. The scriptures teach us that
the true definition of something is found in examples of it. It's
found in the experience of it. Love, how do you define love?
Well, it's an emotion that people feel, you know, whatever, whatever.
You know, the dictionary says, that's not it. How does God define
love? Love suffereth long, is kind. It puffeth not, it suffereth.
Love is long-suffering. It's the experience of it, isn't
it? It's examples, examples of it. And that's true of this word
idiot. And it's a scriptural word. I wouldn't use it if it wasn't.
I don't guess I would. But things are defined by examples. When God makes it so clear in
the word of God who he is, great is the mystery of godliness.
God is manifest in the flesh. And when that God that came down
here to save his people, when he says, I have spoken it, Shall
I not do it? I'm God and there's none beside
me. He said, none can stay my hand. He used old Nebuchadnezzar to
say it, but it was God saying it. None can stay my hand or
say unto me, what doest thou? But then somebody in some so-called
church somewhere is still talking about God trying to do something,
but he can't because you won't let him. There's your idiot right
there. Mickey's like, why are you pointing
at me? There's your idiot. You see what
I'm saying? It's not defined by technical terms and cold. That's an idiot. That's one plus
one equals three. Because there's just no understanding. And again, this is not an insult.
I'm not saying it as an insult. I'm an idiot too. God revealing
Christ to me doesn't mean I'm not an idiot anymore. I still
am. I'm just an idiot who, by God's
grace, knows who God is and how he saves a sinner. It's not about
insulting people. When God says, Jacob have I loved,
and Esau have I hated, when Psalm 5-5 says, God hateth all workers
of iniquity, and religious sinners running around saying, God loves
you, God loves everybody. I want to tell you how much God
loves you. There's your idiot. There's no
other way to define it. You're not gonna get it any other
way. You've got to see that. An example of somebody who just
doesn't see. They just don't understand. The
simplest, clearest truth of God. God's love is in
Christ. God is love. That does not mean
God loves everybody. You're gonna have to listen to
God on that. Let's find out from him who he loves and not listen
to some sentimental fool talk about how much God loves you. Not only can you not go around
saying God loves everybody, you can't even go around saying God
loves you. That's up to God. That's his
business. We can declare plainly and openly
and gladly that God's love for sinners is in Christ Jesus. Those whom God loves love him
because he first loved them. I can say that because God said
that. God was manifest. God was manifest in the flesh.
I am the Lord and there is none else. There is no God beside
me. I girded you though you have
not known me. He wasn't waiting on you to make
a decision. He made paradise for you before
you ever seen it, before you ever existed. I've girded you,
though you haven't known me, that they may know, and here's
why. Here's why. I saved you before you even knew
who I was. Here's why he did it that, that
way, that they may know from the rising of the sun and from
the west that there is none beside me. I am the Lord, and there
is none else. That's why he saves sinners the
way he does, sovereignly, so that everybody will know. You
think that's not important? Religion likes to say, yeah,
I believe some of that stuff, but that's, you know, that's
not, that's not, people don't wanna hear doctrine. They wanna
just hear about Jesus, you know. This is what it's all about.
This is the glory of God. He saves sinners sovereignly
so that everybody will know who He is. I am the Lord and there
is none else. I form the light and create darkness. I make peace and create evil. I the Lord do all these things.
Drop down ye heavens from above and let the skies pour down righteousness. Let the earth open and let them
bring forth salvation and let righteousness spring up together.
I the Lord have created it. That's talking about Christ.
There's no righteousness in this earth but him. Woe unto him that striveth with
his maker. Think about that, to strive with
your maker. Let the potsherds strive with
the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that
fashioneth it, what maketh that? Is the clay, is the potsherd,
is the thing formed going to say to him that formed it, you
can't do that unless I let you? Or thy work, can it say he hath
no hands? He can't do it, he wants to. Great is the mystery of godliness,
God was manifest in the flesh. This is where it starts. That's
the mystery of godliness, that's the beginning of it. Be still
and know that I am God. First John 4.2, listen to this. Hereby know ye the Spirit of
God. Every spirit that confesseth
that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God. You say, well, that's too easy.
Everybody knows that. No. No. You don't need to know a
lot. but you need to know him, him. That's what you need to know,
that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. If you don't know
who Jesus Christ is, then you don't know that Jesus Christ
has come in the flesh. God was manifest in the flesh. And this is the spirit Let's
see, in every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ has come
in the flesh is not of God. And this is that spirit of Antichrist,
wherever you have heard that it should come, and even now
already is it in the world. This verse, our verse, Great
is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh.
It puts all of the exhortations in the chapter that we're in
there, 1 Timothy 3. Remember all of the exhortations.
Summed up by what was said there when he said that you may know
how you ought to behave in the house of God. Disexhortation
that we're looking at today puts all of that into clear context
the point of it all We ought to behave the way we ought to
behave because Christ the Son of God was manifest in the flesh
and Came where we were to redeem us from our sins That's the point
of all of it It's him It's not so that people will brag on you
for being so spiritual. It's not to establish a righteousness
before God. Christ is our righteousness before
God. We ought to behave in a way that
glorifies God Behave graciously toward his people because God
was manifested the flesh for us He's why we're here, and he's
why we act like we act while we're here And not just while
we're here, but as pertains to his church wherever we are The love of Christ constraineth
us Second Corinthians 5, 14. If Christ died for all, they
which live should not henceforth live unto themselves. But unto
him Christ crucified is our salvation, our inspiration, our motivation. Christ is all. is not a complicated
statement. And yet how few in this world
understand that. How few. All it takes for a sinner to
understand that, you see, We know, we understand from the
scripture what the mystery of godliness is. It's not that the
gospel is ambiguous or too complicated. Talking to somebody about God's
sovereignty and salvation. And they say, oh, that's too
complicated. Really? God is God is complicated? God does as he pleases? He saves
who he wants to? That's complicated? Really? It's a mystery, not because it's
unclear, but because we're idiots. Just as sure as I'm standing
here, it's because we're idiots. How few, but all it takes is
for God-given faith to see him. Know him we know what the mystery
of godliness is and we know Why it's a mystery and we know why
it's not a mystery Because God reveals the truth If it's not a mystery it's because
of him Well, let's close this part of the message there'll
be another part to this chat this verse But I want to close
this part by looking at Luke chapter 24. Turn over there with
me. We won't read all of this, but
I want to read some of it because it expounds our text now. Scripture is not expounded by
a man thinking about it and making deductions and saying what God
meant by what he said. Scripture is expounded by scripture. So let's look at Luke 24, 13.
Luke 24, 13. And behold, two of them, the
disciples, went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which
was from Jerusalem, about three score furlongs. And they talked
together of all these things which had happened. And it came
to pass that while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus
himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were holden
that they should not know him. And he said unto them, what manner
of communications are these that you have one to another as you
walk and are sad? And the one of them whose name
was Cleopas answering said unto him, art thou only a stranger
in Jerusalem and hast not known the things which are come to
pass there in these days? And he said unto them, What things
and they said unto him concerning Jesus of Nazareth? which was
a prophet mighty indeed and word before God and all the people
and How the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be
condemned to death and have crucified him But we trusted that it had been
he which should have redeemed Israel and beside all this today
is the third day since these things were done Yea, and certain
women also of our company made us astonished, which were early
at the sepulchre. And when they found not his body,
they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels,
which said that he was alive. And certain of them which were
with us went to the sepulchre and found it even so as the women
had said, but him they saw not. Then said he unto them, O fools
and slow of heart, to believe all that the prophets have spoken.
Ought not Christ to have suffered these things and enter into his
glory? Now that verse right there verse
25 Is why the gospel is a mystery
to sinners That's what I you know, we've said from the start
in this study. Why is it a mystery? Is it because
the truth is unclear somehow? If there's just hints in the
scripture, you gotta figure out some kind of code. That's what
a lot of religion does. They got some kind of code figured
out, you know. There's a hidden message in the
Bible. No, there's a real clear message in the Bible that you're
never gonna understand unless God reveals it to you. It's just
mysterious unto you. Why? Oh, fools. You know what
that means? Idiots. and slow of heart. Do you know
what that word slow means? Stupid. That's offensive, isn't
it? He's not saying that as an insult
to them. He's just simply telling them why they don't understand. You need to know that. We need
to know that as sinners. Fools and slow of heart to believe. It's not that they didn't have
a high IQ. They may have been absolutely brilliant. Slow of heart to believe. Spiritual
idiots. Ought not Christ to have suffered
these things and to enter into his glory? Verse 27, and beginning
at Moses. and all the prophets he expounded
unto them and all the scriptures the things concerning himself. Philip began right at the scripture
that Ethiopian eunuch had been reading and did what? Preached
unto him Jesus. Would it have made any difference
where he'd been reading? You'd have to preach unto him
Jesus because it's all the scripture concerns himself. And they drew
nigh unto the village, whither they went, and he made
as though he would have gone further, but they constrained
him, saying, Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the
day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with
them, and it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he
took bread, and blessed and break, and gave to them, and their eyes
were opened. And they knew him, and he vanished out of their
sight. And they said one to another, did not our heart burn within
us while he talked with us by the way and while he opened to
us the scriptures? And they rose up the same hour and returned
to Jerusalem and found the eleven gathered together and them that
were with them saying, the Lord is risen indeed and hath appeared
to Simon. And they told what things were
done in the way and how he was known of them in breaking of
bread. And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst
of them and saith unto them, peace be unto you. But they were
terrified and affrighted and supposed that they had seen a
spirit. And he said unto them, why are you troubled? And why
do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet,
that it is I myself. Handle me and see, for a spirit
hath not flesh and bones as you see me have. And when he had
thus spoken, he showed them his hands and his feet. And while
they yet believed not for joy and wondered, he said unto them,
have you here any meat? And they gave him a piece of
a broiled fish and of an honeycomb. And he took it and did eat before
them. And he said unto them, these are the words which I spake
unto you while I was yet with you, that all things must be
fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses and in the
prophets and in the Psalms concerning me. Then opened he their understanding,
that they might understand. The scriptures. Verse 25 is why
the gospel is a mystery. Verse 45 is why it's not. Great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh. That's what's mysterious to people.
Who Christ is and what he did. It's not about the big charts,
you know, with dragons on them and a chronological timeline
and four horsemen of the apocalypse and all that. That's mysterious
for a whole nother reason. That's just me and being mysterious
to give credibility to themselves. They want to say that they can
explain things, you know, that nobody understands. Unless they know Christ. What have we found the book of
Revelation to be about? Just, it's not even complicated. It's not, it's not confusing. This is the great mystery that
nobody gets. God was manifest in the flesh. Do you get that? For what the law could not do
and that it was weak through the flesh, God sent his own son
in the likeness of sinful flesh and condemned sin in the flesh. Christ came into this world to
save sinners of whom I'm chief. God was manifest. We know that the son of God has
come and has given us an understanding. that we may know Him. What's the mystery of God in
us? God in the flesh. The Son of God came and gave
us an understanding of what? Him, that is true. And we are
in Him, that is true, even in His Son, Jesus Christ. This is
the true God and eternal life. Let's pray.