Uniting Heaven and Earth
Christ in Philippians and Colossians
Lesson 4 - Thursday
The Mystery of Godliness
Read: Romans 8:3; Hebrews 2:14–18; Hebrews 4:15
Scripture speaks of “the mystery of godliness” as something profound yet revealed—not hidden forever, but unveiled in the person of Jesus Christ. At the heart of that mystery is this astonishing truth: God did not save humanity from a distance. He drew near. He entered our condition. He took upon Himself our very nature in order to redeem it.
Romans 8:3 tells us that God sent His own Son “in the likeness of sinful flesh” to deal with sin. This does not mean Christ was sinful, but that He fully assumed our fallen human condition with all its weakness and vulnerability—yet without sin. Hebrews 2:14–18 expands this idea, explaining that Jesus shared in our “flesh and blood” so that through His death He might destroy the power of death and free those enslaved by the fear of it. Hebrews 4:15 reassures us that this same Jesus is our High Priest who can truly sympathize with our weaknesses, because He was tempted in every way as we are, yet remained sinless.
What characterized Jesus’ condescension—His willing descent into humanity—was humility, obedience, and love. He did not cling to His divine privileges but laid them aside. He embraced limitation, fatigue, hunger, sorrow, temptation, and ultimately suffering and death. His taking of human nature was not an act of necessity, but of grace. He entered our broken world not as a conquering king, but as a servant, identifying fully with those He came to save.
Nowhere is this mystery more clearly revealed than at the Cross. At Calvary, we see the ultimate expression of surrender and humility. Jesus submitted Himself completely to the Father’s will, even when that will led through shame, pain, and death. He did not assert His rights; He yielded them. He did not save Himself; He gave Himself.
When we focus on what Jesus did for us at the Cross, pride begins to lose its grip on our hearts. It becomes difficult to exalt ourselves when we see the Son of God humbling Himself for our sake. The Cross reminds us that salvation is not earned, but received—an act of pure grace. This realization should soften us, making us more humble toward others and more submissive to God. If Christ trusted the Father enough to surrender everything into His hands, then we, too, can learn to trust and obey, even when obedience is costly.
The Cross becomes our pattern for living. It teaches us that true greatness is found in self-giving love, that real strength is revealed in submission to God, and that humility is not weakness, but Christlikeness. As we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus crucified, our hearts are reshaped to reflect His mind and His spirit.
Prayer
Gracious Father,
We thank You for the mystery of godliness revealed in Your Son, Jesus Christ. Thank You that He humbled Himself, took on our human nature, and bore our sin upon the Cross. As we contemplate His surrender and obedience, humble our hearts and strip away our pride. Teach us to trust You as Jesus did, to submit our wills to Yours, and to walk in humility and love. May the Cross ever be before us, shaping how we think, how we live, and how we serve. We surrender ourselves anew to You today.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
More on Lesson 4 Unity through Humility
This Quarter's Sabbath School Lessons Here: Christ in Philippians and Colossians
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