Pastor Stephen Dedman

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Justified In The Spirit, Part 3

Faith, Salvation

‘And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.’
I Timothy 3:16

Did you ever think that 1 Timothy 3:16 could be so deep? Great is the mystery of godliness. These truths unpack such a powerful meaning into our lives.

Just as God was manifested in the flesh through the person of Jesus Christ, He was also justified in the Spirit. Not because He was sinful and then made righteous, but that He was declared to be justified by the Holy Spirit. There are two passages of Scripture that shed light upon this truth.

At Jesus’ baptism, Matthew tells us, ‘When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”’ Matthew 3:16-17

At the resurrection of Jesus, Luke records, ‘This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.’ Acts 2:32-33

Jesus was declared to be righteous and holy by the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Trinity. He always was justified before the Father. He didn’t have to prove Himself righteous; He always was righteous. Therefore He rightly took our place on the cross and provided salvation to all who believe.

Pray

Lord, thank You for revealing the truth of the gospel to me and opening my eyes to Your great salvation plan. You alone are God and able to save. I pray that I may show the love of Christ in all that I say and do.

God In The Flesh, Part 2

Faith

‘And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.’
I Timothy 3:16

As we continue in our study of 1 Timothy 3:16, let’s allow the Holy Spirit to enlighten our souls of the importance of Jesus’ humanity; God was manifested in the flesh.

John 1:1 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” And verse 14 says, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

A firm essence of Christianity is believing that God the Son, the Second Person of the Trinity, came to earth in human flesh. He was fully God while simultaneously fully man. He is the God-Man.

Jesus laid aside His glory in heaven and took upon Himself mortal flesh so that He could become sin for us. Christ was perfect in every sense of the meaning. Perfect in completion and perfect in excellency.

Only those who believe that Christ was God manifested in the flesh can receive and fully understand the mystery of godliness in their life. The life of Christ is made manifest in the life of believers at the moment of salvation.

God wants to be with you and in every part of your life. Will you open the door to let Him in? Can you open your heart to receive His grace and mercy? Will you allow Him to come in to every area of your life?

Pray

Lord, I invite you into my life. I want You to be in every part of my life. Help me to lean on You for wisdom and understanding. Thank You for coming down from heaven to meet me right where I am.

Without Controversy, Part 1

Faith

‘And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.’
I Timothy 3:16

1 Timothy 3:16 is a wonderful verse and loaded with great truths. For the next few days we will break apart each phrase and dig deeper into the meaningful fundamentals of our Christian faith. The Apostle Paul reveals to us, and ages to come, a mystery of godliness.

In keeping the context of chapter 3, Paul is writing to Christian leaders instructing them on godly conduct, internal and external purity, and spiritual living. Each of these elements are expressed in the believer’s behavior.

The grace of God is made available to all who believe. This wonderful truth needs to be taught and spoken without controversy. It’s unfortunate when Christians debate or deny the fundamental truths of Christianity.

People develop personal beliefs by revelation of God’s Word and through inspiration of the Holy Spirit, but sound doctrine is based upon Jesus’ death, burial, resurrection, and glorification. Debating or denying these truths cause controversy.

Godliness is weaved into every born-again believer and is not something conjured up. Godliness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit that needs to be evident in our lives so that Christ is glorified. The more that Christ shines the more that people will believe.

Pray

Lord, thank You for saving my soul and making me a new creature. Thank You that the Word of God became flesh in the person of Jesus Christ. May my behavior reflect the glory and riches of Your great grace.