1 Timothy 3:16, commentary and pictures

Without dispute the mystery of godliness is great, and it is summed up in Christ coming in human flesh, being vindicated, watched by angels, proclaimed to the nations, believed on in the world, and taken up in glory.
God manifest in the flesh means the eternal only-begotten Son, one with the Father and equal with God, Creator of all things, Himself came as a human being.
In Him divinity and humanity were mysteriously united without either nature being changed into the other, and He took fallen human nature with its infirmities yet without any spot of sin.
He was tried, scourged and crucified though declared faultless, watched with intense interest by angels and the whole universe, then raised and vindicated, proclaimed among the Gentiles, believed on, and after forty days carried from Bethany into heaven.
The mystery is profound and inexhaustible, beyond finite minds and to be believed rather than fully explained, yet it is opened by the Holy Spirit to humble faith and childlike obedience.
Through His self-denying sacrifice, perfect obedience and bearing of guilty sin He condemned sin, procured forgiveness, and now as Advocate in human nature intercedes for believers, forming Christ within them unto practical godliness.

Words and Setting

The verse completes the instruction on how to behave in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth, closing it with the great mystery of godliness. It is instruction to be studied and brought into daily experience by one who cares for the church, calling for a blameless life, loyalty to his wife and fulfillment of marriage obligations to wife and children, ruling his own house well with children in subjection, with vigilance, sobriety, good behavior, hospitality, aptness to teach, temperance, patience, freedom from covetousness and strife, and a good report from those without. It is to be read together with the charge to preach the Word with long-suffering and doctrine, as direction for laborers together with God in dealing with unreasonable and wicked men, to convince and not condemn with Christlike simplicity, patience, forbearance, and love while uplifting Christ and the law of God.

The verse is an exclamation of admiration on beholding Christ in His power, declaring the great mystery of godliness that God was made manifest as man in flesh, vindicated in the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed to the nations, believed on in the world, and taken up into glory. It declares the great and unquestioned mystery of godliness in Jesus Christ, the One above the angels who came from heaven to this world nearly two thousand years ago. It was spoken in admiration and amazement as Christ was beheld in His power. It means God Himself appeared in human flesh, was shown righteous by the Spirit, was witnessed in the heavenly realm, had His salvation proclaimed among the nations, was trusted by people throughout the earth, and was taken back to heavenly honor.

The mystery of godliness is great and without dispute: God was revealed in human flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, witnessed by angels, proclaimed to the Gentiles, believed in throughout the world, and taken up in glory. It is without controversy or doubt, and is to be preached affirmatively with a certain positive voice that lifts up the Man of Calvary and the power of the cross. The life of Christ contains mysteries of godliness that are to be believed even though they cannot be explained, because the finite mind cannot fathom them, including His divinity as the Son of the living God which is to be steadfastly maintained. Studying and explaining it does not make the mystery less great.

The verse presents in one summary the incarnation, ministry, reception in the world, and exaltation of Christ as the grand theme and central truth of godliness to be lifted up, taught, and adored. Jesus Christ is God manifest in the flesh, and His incarnation is the great mystery of godliness, the mystery of all mysteries, in which God took human nature, was justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, and received up into glory. It presents Christ's incarnation and divine identity as the heart of godliness and the church's teaching. It presents Christ and His saving work as the great theme that brings life to the people and calls for their adoration. It presents Christ's becoming human and His glory as a treasure discovered through diligent study of Scripture.

God Manifest in Flesh

God was manifest in the flesh means Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son, one with the Father from the beginning, equal with God, the eternal Word by whom all things were made, the mighty God and Creator, came as God Himself in human flesh. To deny His preexistence and miraculous incarnation is to deny Christ as personal Saviour. His coming in flesh is the declaration that God was revealed in the world He had made, often unrecognized and unhonored, yet living there as truly human while retaining divinity.

The incarnation unites divinity and humanity in one person, the Word who was with God becoming flesh to save the human family so that people might live the life of Christ. His divine nature was not changed into human nature nor His human nature into divine nature, but the two were mysteriously blended and united in Him. He was not the Father, yet the fullness of the Godhead dwelt in Him bodily.

He who was rich, clothed with glory and attended by angels, the Majesty of heaven and brightness of the Father's glory, exiled Himself to become poor so that through His poverty men might be made rich. He took human nature with its infirmities in its deteriorated, fallen condition, enduring sorrow, grief, wounds, mockery, insult, contempt, ridicule, and death as a sacrifice to save fallen sinners and bring them to God. Yet He was free from every spot or stain of sin or moral taint, knowing not the least taint of sin, without losing one atom of His dignity or glory.

He came as a helpless babe and child born of poor parentage with no advantages the poor have not known and no privileges they have not known. He experienced the difficulties the poor and lowly experience from babyhood to childhood and from youth to manhood, hungering, growing weary, having no home and nowhere to lay His head. His coming fulfills the offered prepared body to do God's will with the law in the heart. The mighty God became a helpless child, the Creator entered His own creation, the One equal with the Father in dignity and power clothed divinity with humanity to stand at the head of the fallen race so human beings could be placed on vantage-ground.

Outwardly He came as David's son with divinity veiled beneath humanity, setting aside the display of all-powerful attributes belonging to Him as equal with God. His spirit underwent the discipline and experience humanity must in some measure pass through. At times His divine character flashed forth with such power that those discerning spiritual things recognized Him as the Son of God and pronounced Him Lord in His miracles.

In Christ divinity was revealed in humanity and invisible glory in visible human form so people could learn the unknown through the known and heavenly things through the earthly, becoming acquainted with His divine character and life. His character was entirely identical with God's character, the reflection of God's own image, revealing the Father's benevolence, mercy, forbearance, compassion, tender sympathy, obedience, and love. To see Him is to see the Father, for heaven was united with humanity in Him and He perfectly displayed God's character in willing fulfillment of the Father's requirements.

His whole earthly life, from humiliation as servant obedient to death on the cross to high exaltation with a name above every name, fulfills the figure coming from Edom with dyed garments from Bozrah in greatness of strength, being in the form of God and equal with God yet made in the likeness of men. He made Himself of no reputation by taking the form of a servant in the likeness of men in fashion as a man, humbling Himself in obedience even to death on the cross, living a life of poverty and self-denial not to please Himself. Therefore God highly exalted Him with a name above every name so that every knee in heaven and earth and under the earth bows at the name of Jesus and every tongue confesses that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

Vindicated Seen Proclaimed Exalted

God manifest in the flesh embraces His trial in the judgment hall, His scourging, and His cruel death on the cross, where His accusers could prove nothing against Him and Pilate three times declared that he found no fault in Him, followed by His vindication in the Spirit showing Him righteous. That humiliation ran still deeper, for One equal with the Father laid aside all the glory of His office as Commander in heaven and descended step after step in ever more severe abasement, until sinless and undefiled He stood to be tried and judged by the very nation He had delivered from slavery, rejected and condemned, spit upon and smitten in the face with contempt for what men regarded as pretentious claims. Seen of angels means those scenes of betrayal, mock trial, and crucifixion were watched with intense interest by angels from the heavenly courts, by unfallen worlds, by the heavenly universe, by God the Father, and by Satan with his angels, with no command given to rescue Him. They beheld their Commander in merciless hands, His agony in Gethsemane, His insult and mocking, His scourging, His staggering under His cross, and His hanging on the cross in shame and agony.

Preached unto the Gentiles means His salvation proclaimed among the nations under His command to teach all nations, baptizing in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them all things He commanded, with His presence always with them even to the end of the world. Believed on in the world includes the bitter disappointment of the disciples at the cross, then His rising from the dead and revealing Himself to them, and the trust placed in Him by people throughout the earth. Received up into glory means He remained forty days instructing the disciples, promised them the Father's promise and power from on high as they waited in Jerusalem, led them out to Bethany, blessed them, was parted from them and carried up into heaven, while they worshiped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, continually praising God in the temple.

His personal presence teaching and healing in the second temple as the Desire of all nations, in whom dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, alone gave it a glory greater than the first, fulfilling the promise that the latter house would be filled with glory. That greater glory was not a visible cloud or supernatural sign, but Christ Himself come to the temple, the Man of Nazareth teaching and healing in its courts during His earthly ministry. When Israel rejected Him that glory departed, and the temple was left desolate.

Salvation Through Christ

The mystery is Christ humbling Himself to die on the cross, leaving the Father's glory, riches, majesty and high command to take human nature and die for rebels. He bore human infirmities and gave Himself in complete sacrifice with unexampled self-denial, though the cross bears reproach and stigma, because it is humanity's hope of life and exaltation. With His own lips He drained in man's stead the bitter cup that human sins had prepared and that was apportioned for man to drink, while presenting and offering the cup of salvation. By this revelation of divine love He breaks Satan's barrier between God and humanity, makes a way of escape from hopeless misery, and elevates the redeemed at last to His own right hand in His kingdom. Angels long to understand how fallen people who took Satan's side can through Christ's righteousness be conformed to the image of God's Son, and God loves these redeemed ones as He loves His Son. Its blessings are discerned and valued only by those not ashamed to bear His cross, who willingly give up earthly treasures to follow Him and taste the powers of the world to come; self-denial and sacrifice for Him enrich the giver, and suffering reproach for His name adds to final joy and immortal reward in the kingdom of glory.

Though innocent He acted as representative and bore the sins and responsibilities of the guilty, suffering that the world might be saved through faith in Him. His death reconciles people to God and procures forgiveness and justification through faith, not through human merit, putting away sin through His sacrifice on the cross. How His sacrifice expiates human guilt and how His righteousness is credited to sinners cannot be fully explained by human reason, but is to be believed as God's plain true declaration. Coming in the likeness of sinful flesh He condemned sin in the flesh by perfect obedience, becoming bound to keep the whole law for those He represented and fulfilling every requirement without corrupting human nature. He did no sin and spoke no deceit, breaking God's law in no point, and though surrounded by human weakness and attacked by the fiercest temptations on every point like men, He developed a perfectly upright character with no taint of sin upon Him. If He had failed in one jot or tittle He would have been a transgressor and a sinful, useless offering, but by complete obedience He upheld God's unchangeable law, lived it in human life, exposed Satan as liar and accuser, and removed every excuse fallen man could claim for not keeping God's law.

His wilderness victory over appetite was won for humanity, where humanity alone could never have endured and the salvation of man hung in the balance decided by that trial. His divine power joined with humanity secured an infinite victory, raised humanity's moral value before God as man's representative, and proved that man can overcome through His victory. To understand this is to have a high and sacred sense of the atonement and to realize His wilderness sufferings as victory gained for them, showing the sinfulness of indulged appetite and pleasure. His self-denying life is the true standard and only safe pattern to copy in order to overcome as He overcame, to be earnestly and frequently compared with for strength, turning Christians in disgust from revelry, levity, forgetfulness of God, and church socials, festivals and picnics that tempt appetite to overindulgence, which find no sanction in His example.

He carries His adopted human nature to the throne of God, humbled and then exalted there so that those who believe may share His exaltation and sit with Him on His throne. There He serves as Advocate clothed with human nature and Intercessor, pledged as Substitute and Surety who neglects no one, with an inexhaustible fund of perfect obedience from His obedience, self-denial and self-sacrifice treasured in heaven as incense mingled with the sincere humble prayers of sinners to make them fragrant so the Father always hears the Son. He introduces His children to God as sons and daughters and presents them to the Father to receive honor exceeding that given to angels, a marvel of the heavenly universe into which angels desire to look, and a love that melts the sinner's heart. Faith in Jesus brings healing from the wounds and bruises caused by sin. The One who accepted humanity and lived on earth a pure, sanctified life has for this reason received from the Father the appointment of Judge with authority to execute judgment and declare the reward of loyalty. It will be joy to recognize in this Judge our Teacher and Redeemer, still bearing the marks of the crucifixion from which shine beams of glory, giving additional value to the crowns He places from His own hands, the very hands outstretched in blessing over His disciples as He ascended, and to hear the very voice which said Lo I am with you alway even unto the end of the world bidding His ransomed welcome into His joy.

He who was Commander of all heaven laid aside His royal robe and kingly crown, and seeing the helplessness of the fallen race came to earth in human nature as a child experiencing humanity's ills. To rescue them He descended from one humiliation to another, becoming poor that fallen people might come into possession of heavenly treasure, until He, the divine-human suffering Christ, was lifted up on the cross to draw all men to Himself, and He could not have stooped lower or shown greater condescension. By uniting divinity with humanity He broke Satan's power over humanity and made it possible for humanity to be united to His divinity. So fallen people may partake of the divine nature and escape worldly corruption, overcome evil tendencies and change imperfect dispositions so that God's will is fulfilled in them, with God's power revealed in human life with gentleness and beauty. Through His grace people can overcome and represent Christ's character, and this mystery mightily stirred the whole heavenly universe to understand God's love and awaken gratitude, inspiring heavenly agencies to minister through fallen humanity and unite with man in carrying out God's great plan to save the world and arouse intense interest in salvation.

Mystery Beyond Comprehension

Great is the mystery of godliness, profound and hidden for ages, presenting Christ's coming in human flesh and the redemption of humanity in a glory and depth that human powers cannot fully grasp. It taxes the highest powers of the mind, holding an infinity beyond that cannot be exhausted, yet the oftener the mind studies it the stronger and clearer it becomes. No human mind can fully understand it, the finite mind cannot fathom it, and it cannot be explained upon scientific principles or by human scientific reasoning. Even angels long to look into it and to understand this theme, and the redeemed will study it through the ceaseless ages of eternity, ever gaining a deeper and clearer knowledge of God and of Christ. It is utterly incomprehensible to the unregenerate heart, to those wise in their own estimation and puffed up by vain philosophy, and to minds trained only for worldly matters, while keeping the picture of Christ clothed in the attributes and glory of Deity humbling Himself and dying for sinners before the people is the foundation of preaching and the sinner's only hope, conforming beholders to His image so that God loves the redeemed as He loves His Son.

Its subject is inexhaustible: the incarnation of Christ, the life of Christ and the character of His mission, His atoning sacrifice and mediatorial work, the mysteries of salvation and themes of redemption, including the perfection and glory of Christ. Though thousands have drawn from it there is no diminishing of the supply, for every attempt to discover truth gives clearer light and rays of light shine forth more distinctly. Each fresh search reveals something more deeply interesting than has yet been unfolded, something never yet unfolded. The study will employ the mind of the diligent student as long as time shall last and on through heaven with its unnumbered years, when he will exclaim at its greatness. In eternity the redeemed will keep learning what could have been learned here, will understand truths Christ longed to open to His disciples but they did not have faith to grasp, and forever and forever new views will appear through the everlasting ages.

It is to be believed even though it cannot be explained, because the finite mind cannot fathom it. This includes His divinity as the Son of the living God, which is to be steadfastly maintained, and how Christ's sacrifice expiates human guilt and His righteousness is credited to sinners, which God's Word plainly declares though human reason cannot fully explain how it removes sin. God has revealed that Christ took the form of humanity and united divinity with humanity to minister to fallen people, watched by angels with amazement, so the truth is to be accepted as stated in Scripture, not judged or rejected by human reasoning. The most humbling lesson is the nothingness of unaided human wisdom and the folly of trying by unaided efforts to find out God, no matter how great intellectual power or education may be. The world by wisdom knew not God, and all knowledge apart from Christ does not enlarge the mind toward God but leaves it debased toward idolatry, while attempting to explain the gospel plan and the Spirit's influence on the heart by worldly wisdom and science leads the soul into skepticism and unbelief.

It is known only with the help of the Holy Spirit, discerned only by faith that beholds the invisible Christ, as Moses did. The highest worldly learning cannot grasp it and unaided human intelligence is incapable of understanding it, for spiritual things are discerned spiritually through God's power working on the heart, not gained through worldly wisdom or human theories. Yet all who are willing may see it, through a correct understanding of Christ's mission and work which brings within reach being complete in Him and accepted in the Beloved. It is revealed as the power of God to salvation only to those of humble heart with a teachable, honest, childlike desire to know and do the will of God, calling for humble reliance upon God whose divine aid is promised in the Holy Scriptures. It can be understood only by the aid of the divine Teacher, in Christ's school where those who learn also learn how to be meek and lowly, through communion with God, walking in light, taking the cross, and receiving the treasured Word as spirit and life that keeps God's servants from false prophets, false doctrines, strange voices, and apostasy. That clearer understanding comes with a renewed heart, when spiritual improvement is joined with intellectual improvement in growing up into the full stature of a man in Christ Jesus, also discerning the working out of Satan's corrupting principles in a world of apostasy and rebellion.

Regeneration itself shows the mystery, for it cannot be fully explained or grasped by finite minds, though it is real and felt. The mystery is shown in Jesus identifying with suffering humanity, experiencing human childhood, trials, temptation, weariness, grief, hardship, joy and conflict, and resisting Satan's temptations. Apart from being sinless and having no dread of sin's consequences, His condition and sufferings were truly human, He felt suffering fully, making Him a fitting example for people. Nature can teach important lessons about this kingdom mystery, for the growth of a seed reveals mysteries of God's kingdom. Vigor of mind to understand it begins with the fear of the Lord as the beginning of wisdom, and that vigor is preserved when time is given to studying the Bible rather than crowding every moment to earn a few cents more, spending on needless ornaments, and giving probationary time to gratifying the carnal heart. Story-reading ruins the mind for this understanding by diseasing the imagination, bringing sentimentalism and vague unrest and unbalancing the mind, and must be overcome by all who are candidates for the heavenly world, while the Bible gives life and health, soothes the nerves, and imparts solidity of mind and firm principle, so earnest study digs deep for its gems of truth and makes followers thoroughly furnished with proof of doctrine.

Its deeper truths are higher and more difficult truths, rich in nourishment and of deepest interest, which enable believers to grasp the truths necessary for their time and are essential to success in character-building, showing Christ, His work, His power to save to the uttermost all who come to Him, and His power to make His people a praise in the earth. They are solid food that can be spoken only to those who are spiritual, sanctified, and purged from hereditary and cultivated tendencies to wrong. When believers are yet carnal, walking as men with jealousy, evil surmising, accusing, envying, strife, and division, they are not able to bear them, and the truths cannot be spoken because they will not be received but will be misapplied and misappropriated to young converts who need only milk. They could not be spoken plainly to dull hearers who were spiritually weak and lacking perception, and the fault was with themselves and not with their instructors. With intelligent comprehension received in faith it would have been to them a savor of life unto life, giving a distinct view of Christ, but without pressing onward and upward to learn more and still more of the Saviour, memory grew weak, understanding did not increase despite abundant advantages, and misconception became spiritual infirmity.

Christ in Prophecy and Scripture

The mystery was kept in silence before creation, hidden for ages from eternal ages in the Father and the Son and found only in the riches of the wisdom of God. It was first revealed in Eden in the promise that the Seed of the woman would bruise the serpent's head while Himself suffering a wound. Christ came to make that hidden incarnation and atonement known to Jew and Gentile, and His sufferings fully met the claims of God's law with no deficiency that any apostle could supply. It cannot be grasped by human intelligence but requires a large and increasing faith established by knowledge and wisdom not from any human source, received by coming in faith to Christ to receive His fullness in close union between receiver and Giver.

He is Himself the mystery of godliness veiled in humanity, the reality and substance to which all the ordinances, figures, shadows, symbols and ceremonies of the Jewish economy pointed. As Originator of that whole system, their types met their fulfillment and met antitype in His death. He remained veiled to the teachers of the nation because they discarded the truth, life and heart of their own service and held only the husks, clinging to outward forms, multiplying meats and drinks and divers ordinances and human inventions until ceremonial religion became their only worship and distorted the service. In that blindness they failed to discern Him and crucified Him.

That failure is the meaning of having God manifest in the flesh present among them in their privilege yet rejected despite healing, mighty works, relief from sorrow, rebuke of injustice and oppression, and authority over death. Outwardly He was David's son with divinity veiled beneath humanity, setting aside the display of all-powerful attributes belonging to Him as equal with God while His spirit underwent the discipline humanity must pass through, though at times His divine character flashed forth so those discerning spiritual things recognized Him as the Son of God and Lord in His miracles. The leaders expected a Messiah with temporal kingly power on David's throne and outward show of divinity compelling acknowledgment to free them from foreign power. They could not connect suffering, grief and poverty with the Saviour predicted by the prophets, though to see Him was to see the Father in perfect true manhood of integrity, love, compassion and tender sympathy.

His lessons bear close study as scattered golden grains of truth requiring tact, skill, and deep laborious search to pick up and link together into a chain of truth. One truth about Him grasped in its simplicity proves a key to a whole treasure house of truth, putting in possession all things essential for preparation for entrance into the city of God. He is seen rightly only when the soul falls upon the Rock and is broken and emptied of self-esteem and self-importance so the Word can enter; otherwise His teachings are but dimly comprehended and treated as nice but not necessary to practice.

The mystery is the truth already received in Christ Jesus, taught in John 5 and 6 which testify of Him, and walking in it means staying rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith as taught, abounding with thanksgiving. Studying Scripture and bringing its teachings into daily life gives the knowledge needed to distinguish truth from falsehood. Chasing originality and taking up new and strange ideas flattered as new truth, a new message, or new light does not advance that mystery but is a snare of enticing words that captivates minds and withdraws them from it, and in the perils of the last days holding fast requires refusing philosophy and vain deceit after human tradition and worldly rudiments that are not after Christ.

The mystery is also the wisdom of God displayed in the methods and means He employs to carry forward His work. That wisdom is foolishness to the boastful and self-confident because they do not know it, and it teaches simple dependence at the present day upon the mighty arm that can overthrow the strongholds of Satan. The prayer of faith offered by humble, obedient, trusting people brings victory, while the most complete and perfect human system apart from the power and wisdom of God proves a failure. The humble means God sanctions must succeed, as the simple blast of a trumpet by the army of Joshua around Jericho and by Gideon's little band around the host of Midian was made effectual through the power of God to overthrow the might of His enemies, for deep are the counsels of God and the finite mind seeks in vain to comprehend them.

Godliness in Daily Life

The words are to be understood, believed and lived, not merely read or talked about, for Christ's teachings are spiritual food that sustains spiritual life. Receiving and practicing them brings redemption, forgiveness of sins through His blood, and growth into His character in unselfishness, integrity, kindness, love and the fruit of the Spirit, giving spiritual health, vigor and eternal life. This godliness must be known by experience and worked into the soul until it becomes part of the person and shapes all that is done, joined to full consecration and a heart set right, so that no part of truth can be separated from the life. Those who handle sacred truths without inward change have not experienced it, and those who serve Jesus need this experiential knowledge to meet urgent needs and willingly bear the cross He taught.

When opened to the mind it raises ministers and believers above earthly and sensual pleasures, jesting, joking, worldly conversation, lightness and frivolity, and leads to a pure, serious and holy manner of life and teaching. It makes them partakers of the divine nature escaped from corruption in the world through lust, with the peace of God in the heart, cheerfulness, happiness, serenity, and elevation above superfluities. It opens communication between God and the soul, giving fruitfulness in knowledge of His will and treasures of practical subjects that solemnize the mind, touch the heart, awaken moral sensibility, and make God's claims on affections and life sacred. Those who labor in word and doctrine thus become men of God pure in heart and life.

It is Christ formed within, the hope of glory, and understanding its lessons requires that inward formation. By faith the heart is softened and made contrite, self dies and pride dies so Christ can live within, and the Lord and His Spirit break into the soul with life and joy, revealing need and opening everything before God. This change is a miracle of divine power no outward legal religion can produce, bringing spiritual life, cleansing from selfishness, filling with what is pure and lovely, and expressing His attributes in words and practice as God's workmanship created for good works and fitted for the Master's use. Understanding Christ's work as Mediator and Intercessor belongs to this spiritual knowledge.

No one is fit to teach its profound truths or do sacred work unless Christ is formed within, for understanding it goes with cleansing, sanctification, grace in the heart, knowing one walks with God, living according to His will and in Christ's footsteps, and learning meekness and lowliness in Christ's school. Then words are true and actions right for instructing others, and ministers show understanding by reflecting Christ's tenderness, love, compassion, kindness and encouragement. Keeping God's commandments reproduces Christ's character manifested before the people who saw Him, and pure undefiled religion as practical holiness means being whole in God's service. This divine truth is not grasped by human wisdom or speculative theories but by the Holy Spirit's enlightenment, by following the plain word of truth and doing His will from principle whether feeling supports it or not, pursuing what is right in every circumstance through Christ's grace to form the character required for salvation.

Abiding in Jesus brings a felt and enjoyed joy in God, moral renewal, and a character shaped by grace, cheerful, happy and joyful, with subdued gentleness marking the voice, reverence for spiritual and eternal things in actions, and joyful music from the lips wafted from God's throne. The more closely connected with Christ, the more words and actions show His subduing transforming power, yet it is retained only by self-denial, constant watchfulness, prayer and continual reliance on the merits of His blood as the will responds when the Spirit breathes upon the soul. A stubborn rebellious heart can shut out grace and the joy of the Holy Spirit, though wisdom's ways are pleasantness and all her paths peace. Righteous principles increasingly gain power over the life until the natural untamed disposition is softened and subdued, binding believers heart to heart in tender respectful love and united consecrated effort as good soldiers winning sinners to loyalty and standing on earth as a symbol of heaven's family. Each soul serving God has value beyond human discernment, so everyone accepting Christ by faith as personal Saviour must be treated with respect and not handled unfeelingly.

Its inward experience, not outward dignity put on, with knowledge of the divine will, is essential to presenting truth successfully and reaching souls needing salvation. When self is hidden in Jesus, servants become channels of light and co-laborers with whom the Saviour shares His purposes, the heart melted to tenderness and imbued with the Master's Spirit to discern work for souls and manifest pitying tenderness and wealth of love in teaching and dealing with men. This growing true grace overcomes surface work that leaves character imperfect, dwarfed, feeble and sickly, recognizes mercy in reproof that restrains evil, and brings to light purposes of the heart through truth working by love to purify the soul, equipping to carry light into moral darkness, share abundant blessings, meet urgent needs and willingly bear the cross. Relieving the sick and helping the distressed represent Christ's mission and express powerful gospel truths that make the mystery understandable, opening hearts to know Jesus and His saving grace. Even the hard-hearted can thus come to understand something of godliness, be transformed into meek disciples, and reach others.

The incarnate God's strength revealed in gentleness and condescension appeared in fatherly pity, kindly receiving the mothers and children others would send away, laying hands on them and blessing them, and the same Jesus still invites the laboring and heavy-laden to come for rest, healing of infirmities, hope, and a heart filled with love and compassion. In His incarnation power was revealed with gentleness and beauty, and through that power receivers overcome evil tendencies and change imperfect dispositions so God's will is fulfilled in them. The mysteries of redemption are the highest education, the great truths of God's word for this time to be unveiled before students and congregations, educated and unlearned. Beholding them with heavenly light enlightens the mind, and believing, receiving and carrying them into life practice forms lasting impressions, makes overcomers, and leads to spiritual perfection and a holy Christlike life.

The mystery is grasped by studying the Word and bringing its revealed truths into daily life, receiving it as spirit and life and making it part of life rather than setting it aside for human suppositions, for God has revealed what is necessary for salvation though not everything. The life-giving power of the Spirit proceeds from Christ to each disciple, renewing motives, affections and secret thoughts and producing holy deeds in a manner beyond explanation yet always agreeing with Scripture, sustaining life through feeding on the bread of life, drinking salvation's waters, watching, praying, working and obeying. With renewed heart, spiritual improvement joined to intellectual improvement grows up into Christ's full stature, discerns Satan's corrupting principles in apostasy and rebellion, and, as treasured light to the simple, keeps from false prophets, false doctrines, strange voices and apostasy. Believers are chosen to reveal it by sanctification through belief of truth, living Christian principles in unselfish service that helps and encourages the needy, and by practical godliness in humility, meek quiet spirit, dignified conduct, appropriate dress and chaste speech that testifies to genuine conversion, influences others for truth, and preserves and spreads divine truth.

Its proclamation is the message of incarnate love and Christ's glory to be carried throughout the earth, with the cross of Calvary lifted up and kept before people to draw thoughts to Christ and move them to serve and carry the message onward. The great mystery is Christ Himself, divine yet humbled to death, whose righteousness is given to the fallen that they may be conformed to His image and loved as He is loved, to be kept before sinners as their only hope and foundation of preaching, and lifted up as the Lamb of God taking away sin, so that studying His life makes sin abhorrent and draws to likeness to Him. It remains a divine sacred truth inspiring awe, incomprehensible to the unregenerate heart, unfamiliar to minds trained only for worldly matters and thus unready for heaven's devotion, and ununderstood by unconverted youth and worldlings. Unless the mind is exercised to seek spiritual knowledge it cannot appreciate eternal things and service feels uphill, treating heavenly things lightly shows the heart unimpressed, and false trivial ideas require conversion to change.

The mystery stands opposed to Satan's mysteries of evil taught by fallen angels mingling with men to deceive and lead astray, centering on Jesus Christ as dependence, so holding to Him keeps His people useful while a contrary course robs usefulness. The lost who despised and hated it will see it clearly when revealed. Each purpose in Jesus' words and actions served redemption though finite minds cannot yet fully understand, and those living near Him understand much, recognizing great love underlying God's dealings and mercy in reproof and character-revealing tests that disclose the heart's purposes. God's purposes concealed for a time are revealed in the gift of His Son and His providences, and alienated humanity is reconciled only by spiritually partaking of Christ's flesh and blood, while beholding Him draws people and changes them into His image.

The plan of salvation unites heaven and people, moving heavenly beings to minister through fallen humanity to rescue the ruined world, with signs in heaven and earth calling for preparation for Christ's second coming and stirring intense interest. The One made known in flesh is the Spirit of all truth, the divine Son clothed with humanity, devised as a channel continually receiving and imparting the heavenly current, Himself the overflowing Fountain receiving in order to communicate to all who accept, commissioning His people as workers with Him. As divine-human Teacher in human likeness He draws all to Himself to give knowledge intelligently, and followers given special work must walk in His glorious example's light. Revealed by His Spirit to those who love Him and walk in light yet hidden from lovers of the world, each step of faith and consecration brings greater knowledge, and though no longer personally present He guides the faithful through dangers and trials.

It is understood through purification and obedience to the ten precepts governing mankind, yet clearly discerned by faithful trusting Christians who submit will and way wholly to God and become acquainted through experience with grace's depth and riches. Knowing it by faith in Christ deepens devotion beyond superficial love, with growth in moral and intellectual strength, refined upright character and clear moral perception, and in Christ there is certainty of God's love though that love surpasses knowledge and human knowledge of eternal realities remains uncertain. Accepting or rejecting Him as Saviour of the world, in whom God was in Christ with divinity joined to humanity, has eternal consequences, and faith in Jesus, who humbled Himself and was exalted to God's throne that believers may share His exaltation, brings healing from sin's wounds.

The life of Christ contains its lessons of infinite wisdom, love, justice and mercy that angelic hosts seek to communicate, capable of constant expansion and new developments to elevate believers to perfection and give experimental knowledge of what Christ is to them through faith and trust in God. Faith in His unfathomable love and condescension, as Commander of heaven laying aside robe and crown to become poor, descending to be lifted on the cross to draw all, mightily stirs heaven to understand God's love, awakens gratitude in human hearts, and inspires heavenly agencies to join humanity in carrying out the great plan. Self-denial, suffering and reproach for Him enrich the giver and add to final joy and immortal reward, for the cross is hope of life and exaltation understood by those willing to bear its cost, while He forever bears marks of humiliation amid worship. His sacrifice displays the height of God's love as the express image of His person, calling followers to His mind in continual self-denial and cross-bearing as necessary discipleship, to unselfish service carrying salvation near and far, and to awakened senses grasping the mystery at the cross in faith on Him on whom eternal life depends.

Through Him people receive power to become God's children, partake of divine nature, overcome temptation by His Spirit, escape corruption, and by Christlike character draw others though some choose darkness. He perfectly displayed God's character, one with the Father and willingly fulfilling His requirements, heaven united with humanity in Him. His condescension in taking inferior human nature and dwelling among men shows God's love in giving His only-begotten Son, presented so simply all may grasp and be enlightened. The verse teaches the mystery is individual and personal, requiring each person by his own act and will, with separate distinct individuality no other can assume by proxy, to be convicted, converted, repent, believe, obey, obtain an individual experience, and give account to God.