#90 A clear glimpse into the mystery of godliness

From Meditations on the Epistles of John, by Samuel Froehlich

I John 3:1 ff.

In order to get a clear glimpse into the mystery of godliness and our sonship of God [‘God is manifested in the flesh’ (above all in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, but also in all who accept Christ the Son and by His Holy Spirit receive and have Jesus Himself dwelling in them substantially so that they too may become sons of God in Him)], we must learn to know the one, true, living God, Whom the world does not know, for eternal life lies therein. But the right knowledge of God consists herein, that He is a Spirit (John 4), Whom man cannot serve with formal profession and rituals after the manner of the law, but Whom we must worship in spirit and in truth.

Children of God enter into this new relationship to the Father in Christ. By communication of His own Spirit (as the personal Plenipotentiary of the Son with us), they become participants of His divine nature; foster an uninterrupted association in the Spirit with Him (i.e., pray without ceasing) and therefore are never left alone in this world; can make known to Him all that is of concern to them; are heard by Him and receive their petitions from Him, that they may do nothing except as before His countenance, for His glory, to be acceptable to Him. These are the children of God who thus kindredly know the living God and have Him in their very hearts; for the mystery of godliness always subsists herein, that God is manifest in the flesh through Christ and His Spirit of power and love and sanctification. By that, the children of God at all times are blessed and strong although they of themselves are incapable, weak, miserable (II Corinthians 3).

But if anyone enjoying such fellowship and relationship with God, in whose heart Christ works and dwells and walks about in the world, would confess before other men that Christ is in him, not only would he be mocked like a fool and a fanatic about it, but actually the devil and the world cannot tolerate Christ’s Spirit in us, so that we might live and walk according to Christ’s mind and to all the good pleasure of God, without inquiring about the honor of men, for the beginning of wisdom is the fear of God and its perfection the love of God, which does all His will. But if Christ thus dwells in us, the world, in which the spirit of the devil reigns and whose children are therefore his and not God’s, hates and persecutes us. But the living God in us is still mightier than the devil is in the world, and if we are constantly in God and God is in us, a secret fear is made to creep over our enemies.