great: ‘He was made manifest in flesh, was declared righteous in spirit, appeared to angels, was preached about among nations, was believed upon in the world, was received up in glory.”’ (1 Tim. 3:16) Adam, the perfect man, had not set the perfect example of godly devotion. None of his children, born imperfect, could do so. Who would be able to do this? The coming of God’s Son to earth and his integrity-keeping course gave the answer, revealing the solution to the sacred secret.

Jesus Christ was the one man to manifest godly devotion perfectly, in every sense, proving that man in the flesh can maintain such devotion. Jesus was, at the end of his earthly course under severe trials, “loyal, guileless, undefiled, separated from the sinners.” (Heb. 7:26) No flaw could be found in his integrity, to accuse him before God. He said, before his death: “I have conquered the world,” also, “The ruler of the world is coming. And he has no hold on me.” (John 16:33; 14:30) No unrighteousness could be found in him. He could rightly say to his enemies: “Who of you convicts me of sin?” (John 8:46) The solution to “the sacred secret of this godly devotion” is so great and means so much to mankind that it is to be proclaimed world wide. It is the basis upon which Christian godly devotion and conduct in the congregation is patterned.

TRAINING, WITH CONTENTMENT, ESSENTIAL

Strenuous training is necessary on the part of the Christian in order to achieve full godly devotion. It entails the enduring of opposition and persecution. (2 Tim. 3:12) One’s aim or objective in training himself is not to achieve selfish materialistic gain. But there is gain to the one who is content with his lot, who continues in godly devotion along with self-sufficiency. “It holds promise of the life now,” namely, spiritual health, satisfaction, happiness and a purpose in living. It also holds promise of the life that “is to come.”—1 Tim. 4:7, 8; 6:6-8; compare Proverbs 3:7, 8; 4:20-22.

Though persecution and hardship may come upon the one having godly devotion, he need not fear, for “Jehovah knows how to deliver people of godly devotion out of trial.” (2 Pet. 2:9) The apostle Peter counsels Christians to add to their endurance godly devotion. (2 Pet. 1:5, 6) He admonishes them to be persons of “holy acts of conduct and deeds of godly devotion” in order to survive the judgment of Jehovah’s day.—2 Pet. 3:7, 10, 11; 1 Pet. 4:18.

THE POWER OF GODLY DEVOTION

One professing godly devotion must recognize its power to change his personality and must be true and genuine in following godliness. (1 Tim. 6:11; Eph. 4:20-24) He must recognize that God’s Word is His expression of the way of godly devotion and so he must conform to its precepts. (Titus 1:1; 2 Pet. 1:3) Since godly devotion is toward God personally, his Word and spirit will bring one to know Jehovah personally, intimately, and to become more like Him—to be an imitator or copier of him. (Eph. 5:1) Such one will reflect more and more the fine qualities of Jehovah God.—2 Cor. 3:18.

If one fails to guard carefully his godly devotion he will become mentally diseased. (1 Tim. 6:3, 4) The apostle Paul warned his younger fellow-minister Timothy about ungodly ones who professed devotion to God. He cautioned Timothy to handle the Word of the truth aright, shunning empty speeches that violate what is holy, that Timothy might not be turned from the way of godly devotion. He then pointed out that there would be those who would practice all sorts of wickedness, hypocritically having a form of godly devotion, but proving false to its power. (2 Tim. 2:15, 16; 3:1-5) Jude likewise shows that such ones would have no genuine reverence for or devotion to God, no respect or appreciation for his undeserved kindness. They would be persons using godliness for materialistic or sensual gain. Their hypocrisy is revealed in their practice of loose conduct.—Jude 4.

THE ‘MYSTERY OF LAWLESSNESS’

Herein lies another mystery, diametrically opposed to Jehovah’s “sacred secret.” This is “the mystery of this lawlessness.” It was a mystery because its wickedness would be practiced under the guise and in the name of godly devotion. In fact, it would be an apostasy from true godly devotion and would turn against God. Paul said that the “man of lawlessness” was in operation in his day and would soon be exposed. Finally, this one would be done away with by Jesus Christ at the manifestation of his presence. This apostate, Satan-operated “man” would lift himself up “over everyone who is called ‘god’ or an object of reverence” (Gr., seʹba·sma). Thus this great opposer of God as a Satanic instrument would be extremely deceptive and would bring destruction to those following its practices. The effectiveness of the “man of lawlessness” would lie in the fact that his wickedness would be cloaked in a hypocritical godly devotion.—2 Thess. 2:3-12; compare Matthew 7:15, 21-23.

GOD OF GOOD LUCK; GOD OF DESTINY

In Isaiah’s time the worship of these deities evidently involved setting a table of food and drink before them. (Isa. 65:11) Arabic tradition identifies the planet Jupiter with the “greater [good] luck” and the planet Venus with the “lesser [good] luck.” Hence, it has been suggested that the god of Good Luck (Gad) may be identified with Jupiter, and the god of Destiny (Meni) with Venus.

GODS AND GODDESSES

The deities that have been and still are worshiped by the nations are human creations, the products of imperfect, “empty headed” men, who “turned the glory of the incorruptible God into something like the image of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed creatures and creeping things.” (Rom. 1:21-23) It is, therefore, not surprising to note that these deities mirror the very characteristics and weaknesses of their imperfect worshipers.

The striking similarity readily observable when comparing the gods and goddesses of ancient peoples can hardly be attributed to chance. Concerning this, Colonel J. Gamier, in his book The Worship of the Dead, writes: “Not merely Egyptians, Chaldeans, Phœnicians, Greeks and Romans, but also the Hindus, the Buddhists of China and of Thibet, the Goths, Anglo-Saxons, Druids, Mexicans and Peruvians, the Aborigines of Australia, and even the savages of the South Sea Islands, must have all derived their religious ideas from a common source and a common centre. Everywhere we find the most startling coincidences in rites, ceremonies, customs, traditions, and in the names and relations of their respective gods and goddesses.”

The evidence of Scripture points to the land of Shinar as the post-Flood birthplace of false religious concepts. Undoubtedly under the direction of Nimrod, “a mighty hunter in opposition to Jehovah,” the building of the city of Babel and its tower, likely a ziggurat to be used for false worship, began. This building project was undertaken, not to bring honor to Jehovah God, but for the self-glorification of the builders, who desired to make a “celebrated name” for themselves. Also, it was in direct opposition to God’s purpose for mankind to spread about in the earth. The Almighty frustrated the plans of these builders by confusing their language. No longer being able to understand one another, they gradually left off building the city, and were scattered. (Gen. 10:8-10; 11:2-9) However, Nimrod apparently remained at Babel and expanded his dominion, founding the first Babylonian Empire.—Gen. 10:11, 12.

As for the scattered people, wherever they went they carried their false religion with them, to be practiced