Godliness is distinct from an idolatrous perspective. From the beginning, the impulse to idolize God has been a point of tension between humanity and the divine. When God commanded the Israelites not to make any image resembling anything in creation, He reinforced the truth that no imagined form could represent Him, for He is Spirit. Today, much of the world drifts in a spiritual wilderness precisely because of idolatry. The Trinitarian doctrine, rather than emphasizing the true significance of worship, often presents tangible objects for worship—including making Jesus into a god people imagine they know, though in reality they do not.
It is essential to recognize that the one through whom God speaks serves as His representative. God, being Spirit, cannot be seen physically and instead uses human vessels to speak His word while representing Him. In the Old Testament, prophets were deeply honored for this role—Moses was profoundly revered. They were regarded as great because God spoke through them, and among all, John the Baptist was the greatest.
“This is the one about whom it is written: ‘I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’ Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist, yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he” (Matthew 11:10-12 NIV).
When Jesus says, “Whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he,” could it mean that—since Jesus was also born of a woman—John the Baptist was greater than Him? Let us be reminded that the idea of approaching spiritual topics calmly, without emotional reactivity, is vital. Clear understanding comes from objective analysis and a willingness to think beyond conventional assumptions when interpreting God’s word.
What is born of a woman is flesh and will pass away, but what is born of God is eternal and reflects His image—a gift shared by all humanity. This divine birth is spiritual, not biological. The question of Jesus’ identity has been debated from the start and continues today. In this discussion, I will highlight four key points, trusting that those truly listening will understand.
1) Spiritual matters are beyond the reach of scholars.
What is made in God’s image exists eternally and cannot be fully grasped from a purely physical point of view. Theology cannot completely explain it. As Jesus told Peter, flesh and blood could not reveal the central truth that upholds godliness. God’s image sustains itself, just as God does, and requires no mathematical formula to define its form or appearance. God can only be truly known through a spiritual mind, beyond the reach of worldly understanding.
2) The characteristics of Jesus align with what was created in God’s image.
Those created in God’s image know Him, just as Peter recognized Jesus as the Son of God—a truth invisible to physical eyes and beyond human reasoning. Debating what only God can reveal is as pointless as arguing whether a donkey should be a cow. While some might enjoy donkey meat, it is considered unacceptable by certain religious groups, and many non-religious people avoid it as well.
Questioning God’s identity contradicts the beliefs found in the Judeo-Christian Bible, which prohibits comparing God to anything physical. Being a Christian means following Jesus’ example above all else. Jesus did not argue with those who failed to grasp His identity; they saw Him only as the Son of Man, not as the Son of God revealed in Scripture as God’s image.
3) Jesus was no different from those He called His brothers.
“When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you? The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me’” (Matthew 25:38-40 NIV).
One of the clearest depictions of God’s identification with His people was given to Paul before his conversion. On his way to Damascus, Saul was confronted by a voice telling him he was persecuting Jesus: “He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’ ‘Who are you, Lord?’ Saul asked. ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting’” (Acts 9:3-5 NIV). When people witnessed Stephen being martyred by stoning, they could not imagine that this was the same Jesus who had been crucified.
Since Jesus said that anyone who had seen Him had seen God, it follows that those who saw Stephen being stoned were seeing Jesus, who was, in essence, God.
It is easy to stand on a mountaintop claiming to know God while ignoring the people around you—that claim becomes meaningless. While affirming that Jesus is part of the Trinity, some theologians sidestep the Scriptures that reveal His deep connection to His disciples, dismissing people in much the same way the Pharisees dismissed Jesus in their religiosity. This includes what John wrote about how we should treat one another:
“We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister” (1 John 4:19-21 NIV).
4) God is represented by principle, reflecting His nature.
When speaking with the Samaritan woman, Jesus highlighted that since God is Spirit, He should be worshiped in Spirit and truth rather than through physical objects. This emphasizes the need for self-honesty before considering the value of external things. Although Titus 2:13 is often cited to support the Trinitarian view, it is essential to clarify the misunderstanding that arises when the verse is taken out of context.
“For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:11-13).
We must start with the grace of God, which appeared, offering salvation to all people. How does grace “appear,” thereby “offering salvation”? Certainly, that grace cannot be deified. Similarly, the appearance of God was brought by Jesus, who also could not be deified. The entire world had not known the express representation of God—who cannot be deified—in Jesus:
“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven” (Hebrews 1:3 NIV).
Humans, though made in God’s image, are not viewed the same as Jesus because sin surrounds us, stripping away our godliness. By God’s grace, Jesus came to redeem us from this state. He is different because He was not born through Adam’s lineage as we are. Still, we share the same purpose God intended for humanity.
God’s glory will be fully revealed when Jesus takes David’s throne, even though Peter had already acknowledged Him as the Son of the living God in Matthew 16:17. After Jesus left, His true representation of God remained with the apostles, so God continues to dwell among Christians just as He did through Jesus. Though unseen, He is always with those who belong to Him, yet remains unknown to the sinful world (John 14:18-21).
“Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day, you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them” (John 14:19-21 NIV).
The grace of God, once revealed through Jesus, now dwells in His people, as described in Titus 2:11-13, though not everyone perceives it. Christians, having journeyed with God and Jesus throughout their lives, have always been in His presence. The one on the throne is viewed as the Son of Man—appearing this way only to ordinary people, not believers. The difference will be that He will then sit on the throne, honored and acknowledged by all.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him, nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind” (John 1:1-4).
To begin with, the term “beginning” does not apply to what has no beginning, such as God. Instead, it refers to the start of communication between God and humanity. It is worth noting that God cannot be defined by our physical universe’s concept of time or by mathematical calculations.
The phrase “The Word was with God, and the Word was God” can be understood as a principle in language—similar to saying God is truth, love, or wisdom. Essentially, God is the source of all that opposes unrighteousness and disorder. In this Scripture, replacing “Word” with “Communication” may make its meaning clearer:
“In the beginning was the Communication, and the Communication was with God, and the Communication was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him, nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.”
Good communication is vital for human life to run smoothly, keeping order and helping people live together peacefully. But if we flip that idea and consider the opposite—Satan in the context of Scripture—and substitute the “Word” (communication) with “miscommunication,” we end up with a version that, sadly, often feels more common:
“In the beginning was the miscommunication, and the miscommunication was with Satan, and the miscommunication was Satan. He was with Satan in the beginning. Through him, all things were destroyed; without him, nothing was destroyed that has been destroyed. In him was death, and that death was the darkness of all mankind.”
This twist on John 1:1-4 works in everyday language, showing how opposing forces are as real as anything we can observe in the physical world—life and death, truth and lies, love and hate, beauty and ugliness, wisdom and foolishness, and so on without end.
While it is true that God is Spirit, that does not mean the Spirit is not the Father—it simply refers to the source that guides us in creating order. When I say God is the Source, I mean it as truth, not as a call to idolize the Source. Similarly, there should be no confusion when I say truthful information comes from the Source without implying another member of the Godhead. Otherwise, the statement would sound absurd.
Some people use the term “Father” to imply a distinction from the Spirit or the Son. But if the Spirit is the source of everything, why suggest that the source is different from the Father? It is easy to fall for this flawed reasoning when listening to explanations of Trinitarian theology without applying logic. Claiming Jesus is God, despite His own declaration as the Son of God, is another logical inconsistency. One cannot be a Son and equal to the Father at the same time. Similarly, focusing only on Jesus within the Triune concept while overlooking other children of God, as mentioned in Romans 8:16-17, is inconsistent.
Why did ordinary people see the Son of Man but not the Son of God, as Peter did? The bigger question is: why is Jesus the only Son in the Godhead? The sons of God are not imaginary—where are they? Jesus Himself said that ignoring them is like ignoring Him (Matthew 25:45). Asking about their role compared to Jesus is as absurd as questioning Jesus’ own role. But who exactly are they? Finding the answer could clear the confusion.
“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God” (Romans 8:18-21 NIV).
It is fitting for Jesus to be honored alongside the Father. For those seeking someone to worship, He certainly merits that recognition. But what about those whom Jesus said would be no different from Him? When we value God as a matter of principle, the confusion clears. After all, if Jesus’ honor is truly genuine, why ignore His own words?
“I am telling you now before it happens so that when it does happen, you will believe that I am who I am. Very truly I tell you, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me, and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me” (John 13:19-20 NIV).
The one called “I am who I am” said that whoever accepts anyone He sends accepts Him, and whoever accepts Him accepts God. In other words, mistreating someone sent by Jesus is like mistreating Jesus Himself. If God spoke through Jesus, why wouldn’t He speak through any of us today? Would that not make Him a God who discriminates?
Some might wonder: if the concept of the Trinity were truly essential, why didn’t Jesus teach it plainly? The respect given to Jesus should also be shown to those He sends, even if only He knows them, instead of focusing solely on the figure on the cross. When Paul persecuted His disciples, Jesus told him he was persecuting Him.
Limiting Jesus’ persecution to the cross while ignoring His suffering today through those He sends is misleading. Jesus valued serving others over being served, unlike many church leaders now who seek honor—something He never pursued and they should avoid.
Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:25-28 NIV).
Godliness is found more in serving others than in being served. Jesus showed true godliness by serving humanity, even to the point of His crucifixion. For instance, there is no greater act of service than washing someone else’s feet. Instead of focusing on complex Trinitarian theories, people should give more attention to acts of service. God dwells among those spreading the gospel, just as He dwelt in Jesus Christ, who lived on this earth as the Son of Man.
“You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life. I do not accept glory from human beings, but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. How can you believe since you accept glory from one another but do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?” (John 5:41-44 NIV).
Although Jesus was not honored during His earthly ministry, some theologians believe that honoring Him as part of the Trinity would please Him. However, the aforesaid Scripture challenges that idea. True honor for Jesus comes from following His will without adding to or taking away from it. Living a godly life means doing what is good and offering meaningful service to others. It is about how much one’s services are valued by others in this life—reflecting the fulfillment of godly principles.
Andrew Masuku is the author of Dimensions of a New Civilisation, laying down standards for uplifting Zimbabwe from the current state of economic depression into a model for other nations worldwide. A decaying tree provides an opportunity for a blossoming sprout. Written from a Christian perspective, the book is a product of inspiration, relieving those who have witnessed the strings of unworkable solutions, leading to the current economic and social decay. Most Zimbabweans should find the book to be a long-awaited providential oasis of hope, in a simple conversational tone.
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