October 31, 1895

“The Mystery of Godliness” The Signs of the Times, 21, 43.

E. J. Waggoner

The Mystery of Godliness.— When Christ was here on the earth in the flesh, it was God manifest in the flesh. “Believest thou not,” he said, “that I am in the Father, and the Father in me?” God was in him in the flesh which he voluntarily took,—the only-begotten Son abode in the bosom of the Father, and therefore he knew no sin, although in sinful flesh. This is “the mystery of godliness.” This being a fact by the word of God, whosoever confesses the fact, whosoever “confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is of God,” and whosoever “confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is not of God.” But it is a fact whether it is confessed or not. It is a glorious truth,—one that, although Christ has “gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him, “he still abides with men. He has come in the flesh.” You can go to the tempted and outcast with that, and assure them that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, and that every sin that they have committed, and even the sinful nature which led them into those sins, he takes upon himself, and identifies himself with it, assuming all the responsibility for the uncommitted, with the life which has been perverted. O the blessedness of the fact that “God hath made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21. Tempted, and suffering as no man ever has suffered in the flesh for sin, he knew no sin. Again and again he said that of himself he could do nothing, but he trusted God and when we read that His son Christ came and took all the weaknesses of sinful flesh, we also read that these weaknesses too manifested themselves in his life. Therefore, also, from the heart we confess the fact which the Scripture tells us, that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh even now, and even in us, because we are in the flesh, the recognition of that brings also the comfort with it, that in him was no sin while in the flesh, therefore his life, while we confess it, cleanses us from sin. E. J. W.SITI October 31, 1895, page 688.1