THE VALUE OF PIETY
P. L. Johnson
It would almost appear as you read this verse that it has no connection with what precedes.
We have touched on the assembly as God’s house, the pillar and base of the truth. Then the thought of “the mystery of piety” is brought in. I do not know that I could give an accurate definition of piety, but I think it refers to what is found in the next expression, “God has been manifested in flesh”. We know this refers to the Lord Jesus. Piety is pleasing to God; it would be that which is for His delight and pleasure. This would be seen in the fact that at the end of this verse it speaks of His being received up in glory; being received up, indicating God’s great delight in piety. I think that is the thought here; God’s great delight in piety as it was set forth perfectly in the person of the Lord Jesus in manhood. It is really God brought into everything that man has to do with in this scene, that is, that God is considered first. That expression was used by our brother, to put God first, and I believe it truly means that one takes up everything in relation to God.
When it says here, “God has been manifested in flesh”, it is not bringing out the way God has revealed Himself, but it is what was of God manifested in a Man. As I say, it is the man Christ Jesus, but I believe it can be taken up in relation to those who compose the assembly.
That was my thought in bringing this in. It is almost as if to say that the pillar and base of the truth is more than knowing doctrine. So he brings in piety, that is that God is manifested in everything. God is manifested in man, in the man Christ Jesus. God would be manifested also in those who are in His house, in those who compose His house. It is God’s house. I believe this would involve having the same spirit which the Lord Jesus had. How often we read of the Lord going out and spending time in prayer. It says of Him, “He wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the instructed”, Isaiah 50: 4. I believe piety involves our being in the presence of God and being with God in prayer and in the reading of the Scriptures. Then that we take up everything, I believe everything, our work, our associations, our family, with God.
The house of God is where piety is to be found. That was really my thought in connecting this with—the thought of the assembly, “God’s house, which is the assembly of the living God, the pillar and base of the truth”. That is where piety is found; that is where everything is in connection with God. Persons in the world get up in the morning and they do whatever they have to do to fill out their day. Throughout the day they may be as the fool who says,
“There is no God”, Psalm 53: 1. God is not in anything they do or in their ambitions or in their motives and interests. Piety is just the opposite of that; God is in everything. This is what is involved in being in the house of God. The assembly is the house of God; it is the place where piety is found.
I feel this is something that we should be exercised about; not only having the truth as knowing the doctrines of Scripture, the teachings of Scripture, but that there might be this mystery of piety. And ‘mystery’ means that it is not public. Those round about in the world may not know what motivates one. They may not know why it is that this man or this woman, this boy or this girl, does not engage in the things that others do. Why do believers not seem to have the same interests that most people have? It is a mystery to them, it is not known. But it is because the soul is attached to God, and the desire is to bring God into the life in every detail and in every matter. That is something that is foreign to man naturally, to bring God into his life. He does not have any difficulty giving God a little portion on Sunday, or something of the sort. Then all the rest of the week he wants to have things his own way, not necessarily in debauchery and things like that, but just to have his own way, and then give God a little portion on Sunday.
But I believe piety means that God is brought into everything all the time, in everything we do and everywhere we go. There is always consideration as to what is pleasing to God. I think that is what is involved here. God gives the answer, as He did with the Lord Jesus when He received Him up in glory, because God is pleased in piety and God is honoured in it. It would go along with what we have had in regard to the commandments and in regard to these precious scriptures that we have had, that “the mystery of piety is great”. Piety may not appear great in the eyes of men, and sometimes believers may minimise it, thinking that it is not really so important. Is it really that important that I consider God in everything I take up?
“The mystery of piety is great”, it is a great thing. I believe it is what characterises God’s house. It is the place where piety is found. May the Lord help us.
Word in meeting for ministry, Denton, Texas
5 April 1995