The Mystery of Godliness- Dr Rex al Opusunju

Godliness is tied to our Redemption in Christ.

1 Timothy 3:16 Authorized (King James) Version (AKJV)
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.

Godliness is a great mystery that is highly misunderstood. However if we depend on God and His
Spirit, this mystery will be understood. The Holy Spirit will flood our minds with light as we pray in
tongues and meditate on the scriptures that reveal this mystery.

In our text above, I want you to notice that the mystery of godliness is tied to our redemption in
Christ!

Godliness is holiness and piety in a nut-shell!
Our piety is tied to the redemption that God has provided for us through the shed blood of Christ. We
are not holy by our own strength or merit. Our holiness is based entirely on Christ's holiness after He
was justified in the Spirit by God and was raised from the dead through the power of God by the
Spirit of Holiness:

Romans 1:1-4
King James Version (KJV)
1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,
2 (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,)
3 Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the
flesh;
4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the
resurrection from the dead:

Here is a brief summary of the mystery of godliness revealed in our redemption in Christ :

a) Jesus was God manifested in the flesh

b) He took our place on the cross and was made to be Sin for us (2 Cor 5:21).
Our Sin alienated Him from God and He went to hell on our behalf and paid the penalty for our sin
and took our place until the demands of Justice was fully satisfied.

c) He was justified in the region of the damned in hell and He spoiled principalities and powers and
defeated satan on our behalf in his domain ( Col 2:15). God raised Him up from the dead and
through His resurrection by the Spirit of holiness, God declared Him openly to be His Son and gave
Him a more excellent Name than the angels. Currently He sits in the highest heavens exalted far
above all principalities and powers and might and dominion in this world and the world to come.

In Romans Chapter 4, we see the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputed righteousness
without works through faith alone.

Romans 4:4-16; 23-25
King James Version (KJV)
4 What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?
2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.
3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for
righteousness.
4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is
counted for righteousness.
6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth
righteousness without works,
7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.
9 Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we
say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.
10 How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in
circumcision, but in uncircumcision.
11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet
being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not
circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:
12 And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in
the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.
13 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his
seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.
14 For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:
15 Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.
16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all
the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham;
who is the father of us all,
23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;
24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our
Lord from the dead;
25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

God has declared us rigteous on the basis of our faith in Jesus death and resurrection.
Jesus was our substitute. When God justified Him, righteousness was credited to us through Him.
Oh the wonders of our God!

Godliness is the Nature of God we received at the New Birth

Ephesians 4:23,24 Authorized (King James) Version (AKJV)
23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
24 and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true
holiness.

When we received Christ into our lives, we were made new creatures in Him ( 2 Cor 5:17).
We became God's sons and daughters through our faith in Christ.The new birth is a spiritual
phenomenon. We received God's nature inside our spirit-man as we received Christ into our lives.
This new man in Christ is created to be Godlike. We are made to look like God in our spirits and we
resemble God just like Adam was created in the garden after God's image.

I want you to notice the following phrase in Ephesians 4:24:

....the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true HOLINESS.

Our spirit man is created to look like God in Righteousness and true HOLINESS. This is an
unmistakable fact from God's Word!

Godliness is an exercise which is profitable

1 Timothy 4:7-8 Authorized (King James) Version (AKJV)
7 But refuse profane and old wives fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. 8 For bodily
exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now
is, and of that which is to come.

Godliness is profitable always keep in mind this fact as long as you live.
If something is PROFITABLE, it pays off.There is a big reward in serving God. Godliness will
guarantee our protection, promotion, and prosperity in this life.

How can we keep fit through Godliness?

One way we do is by STUDYING AND MEDITATING ON THE WORD OF GOD and putting it into
PRACTICE in our daily lives. For example the WORD OF GOD exhorts us to: PRAY without
ceasing (Thessalonians 5:17).

When we pray without ceasing in tongues, our spirit man is kept fit and edified
( 1 Corinthians 14:4).

This present life holds precious promises for us!
We can discover these promises afresh for ourselves as we study and meditate on the Word of God
consistently.
You can enjoy a little bit of heaven here on earth.
What is wrong with that after all?
We all deserve the blessings of God:

Beloved, I wish ABOVE ALL THINGS that thou mayest PROSPER, and be in HEALTH, even as
your soul prospereth (3 JOHN 2 King James Bible).

Why wait until you get to heaven in order to enjoy the blessings of God?
You can start here and now!

The blessings of God are extremely appealing that I can barely wait to taste them in this present life:

Oh taste and see that the LORD is good: Blessed is the man who trust in Him (Psalm 34: 8 King
James Bible)

I am excited about the good things from heaven we can enjoy in this lifeare you?
Glory to God!

2 Peter 1:3-4
King James Version (KJV)
2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and
godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might
be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through
lust.


Godliness with Contentment is Great Gain

1 Timothy 6:6-10 Authorized (King James) Version (AKJV)
But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is
certain we can carry nothing out. 8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. 9 But
they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which
drown men in destruction and perdition.
10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from
the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

Before we consider our scripture text above, I want us to get a grasp of the meaning of the word
"contentment. The Greek word for "contentment" in 1 Timothy 6:6 can be translated as sufficiency,
competence and satisfaction. It is translated as sufficiency in 2 Corinthians 9:8:

Authorized (King James) Version (AKJV)
8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all
things, may abound to every good work:

God wants to bring us to a point of satisfaction by making provisions for us that is more than enough
to meet all our needs in this life. His purpose is to enable us to bear much fruit in every good work.It
is not God's intention for us to hoard His blessings. God blesses us foremost for our enjoyment and
then for us to become conduits of His blessings to others. If you are blessed without being a blessing
to others, you live far below God's dreams and purposes for your life.

As we receive God's blessings here on earth, we should bear in mind that we brought nothing into
this world and we can carry nothing out. The realization of this fact should motivate us all the more to
be rich in good works with the blessings and resources God has brought into our lives and put at our
disposal here on earth.

We should guard our heart and devotion to God who is the Source of our life and every good thing
we have and enjoy.

We should not love money and put our trust in it but rather our love and trust should be on the Living
God who gives us richly all things to enjoy!

We should not covet after money or pusue it by all means even to the detriment of our spiritual life.
Money should not occupy the foremost place in our lives.

God should be at the centre stage of our lives always.

We must stay away from the love of money for the love of money will expose us to temptations,
satanic snares, foolish and hurtful desires which drown men in destruction and perdition. This will
cause us to err from the faith and pierce ourselves with many sorrows.


(To be continued)
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