Category: Godliness

Paul warned against divisive errorists among the brethren in 1 Timothy 6. He described them as proud, unwilling to submit to God’s will, obsessed with matters bringing envy, strife and wranglings among brethren. He said their minds were corrupt, and they were destitute of truth, “who suppose that godliness is a means of gain” (6:3-5).

What is the meaning of that phrase? The Greek word (porismos) indicates a source of gain or procuring. Of course, the typical use would be a  procuring of money. This certainly can be the case. Elders, preachers, every member can be seduced by filthy lucre and the ease it brings. Using your relationship with other Christians to gain any economic advantage is a real indication of greed.

But, any benefit procured fits into the context.  Fame, position, power. Even if it is being “a big fish in a small pond” the allurement of the flesh is a danger to us all.

Such is the product of a selfish mind. One that is willing to wrangle, gossip, divide and promote error — as the intent is personal gain. Many of the divisions in God’s kingdom come from such efforts.

 We are to “withdraw” ourselves from such evil men, and know “godliness with contentment is great gain” (6:6). True gain is spiritual, not material!  It comes from a heart that seeks Christ, and unity with brethren. Such men don’t use Christ for personal physical advantage, but to be saved!

In Galatians 5 the apostle Paul describes the conflict between the lust of the flesh and the fruit that is developed in the child of God as we grow and mature, heeding the Spirit of God. Noting the works of the flesh first, (19-21), we will in this lesson describe and define the fruit of the Spirit, listed in verses (22-23). This is important, for in this context Paul assures us to, “Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh” (16).

Love

The Greek word agape  is the word that Paul uses here.  It is uniquely used in the New Testament to describe the highest expression of love for others. It is an unselfish love, motivated and informed as to what is best for others.  For example, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). It is the type of love we should have for God (John 4:15); for our brethren (1 John 2); for our wives (Ephesians 5:25); and even for our enemies (Matthew 5:44). It is not surprising that this heads Paul’s list. A love for God and for man is the basis of God’s expectations for us as we serve Him (Matthew 22:36-40). Continue reading “The Fruit of the Spirit” →

So many seek self-validation, or the validation of others.  More problematic is the fact that society in general requires the same. It seems the wisdom of the day is that if you don’t brag about yourself, then you have little chance to be accepted.  Think of the constant self-promotion of politicians as an example.

Paul here objected to that.  While some may need it to bolster themselves, Paul’s validation came from the Corinthians themselves.  They knew of Paul’s legitimate ministry in Christ because they themselves benefitted from it.  His words, “clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us” (3).

The contrast is wonderful, where others need the written word, to get a “letter of commendation” to be accepted, Paul depended upon the epistle of Christ, written on the heart of those he ministered to, the Corinthians themselves!

Some might have been grudging in their acceptance. That was their problem, not the problem of Paul. His work spoke for itself!

“But reject profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness. For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance” (1 Timothy 4:7-9).

The fitness industry in America is a 22.4 Billion industry. Despite this fact, the obesity rate in America (BMI>30) is over 40% among adults.

What Paul wrote is true. Bodily exercise (and a good diet) does do some good. The problem is focus and priority. Jesus said, “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26).

In contrast to the good that exercise can do, to spiritually exercise yourself to godliness is far better and more important.  Why is this so? Jesus said it. It is because of the eternal nature of the soul!

Paul emphasized the same. It has “the promise of the life that now is (like physical exercise) and of that which is to come” (where it is uniquely helpful). That is why it is such a “faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance.” Think about it!

“For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come” (1 Timothy 4:8).

Paul’s words here contrast with bodily or physical exercise which has a much more limited profitability to a man. While it may make his body strong, it has no effect whatsoever upon his standing with God, making it a much less profitable action.

However, consider godliness. The term (eusebeia)  is well defined by Vine as “piety which, characterized by a Godward attitude, does that which is well-pleasing to Him.”

Doing what is “well-pleasing to God” is good in every way. It impacts your relationships with others, your standing with God, and your hope of eternal life.  In effect, it is good for right now, and for eternity as well!

I like the phrase “Godward attitude” in Vine’s definition.  Godward, looking and acting in the direction of God.  That really is the definition of discipleship!  One who desires to be a Christian should have as a characteristic behavior an effort to do God’s will always!

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ…” (Titus 2:11-13).

The grace of God has implications far beyond our redemption as the elect of God. It also indicates an ought. In effect, the grace of God teaches or trains us to know how we ought to act and focus our thoughts in response to its effectiveness in saving our souls

We owe a debt we simply can’t pay, “salvation.” But, we are to indicate clearly our thankfulness for the gift of redemption, (cf. Luke 17:11-19). The haunting words of Jesus, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine” (17).

Our show of appreciation for the gift of grace must be seen in our life’s response. We have spent enough time living in sin (cf. 1 Peter 4:3), and in response to God’s grace must live soberly, righteously and godly. This not only involves doing righteousness, but primarily denying ungodliness and the illicit desires that characterize the worldly.  Our motivation? An eternal reward in heaven, given at His second coming. Anything less is ungratefulness on our part!

The qualities of godliness, righteousness and holiness characterize and identify those who please God.

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The apostle Peter began his second epistle with a  proclamation of God’s mercy and grace. With His divine power, He “has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness.” Further, “by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises.” Because of this, we “may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (1:2-4).

What a wonderful expression of God’s love. He determined to save man from Himself, and sent His Son. It is through Jesus that God has “blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 1:3). When we have gained so much from Him, the obvious question we should be asking is—how should we respond to His munificence? Continue reading “The Response of Faith” →

The apostle Peter promised that the adding of various attributes to our faith will preclude us being “barren [or] unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” In fact, “you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:8,10-11).

We might ask why are these attributes key? It is because they equip us to act and to be the type of people who please God. They direct us in the paths of righteousness! This is especially true in our interactions with others. Remember, the two great commandments are to love God and love your neighbor (cf. Matthew 22:37-40). If we keep the necessity of love for God and man at the forefront of our thinking, it is easy to see why Peter would call for these qualities to be present in our lives.

Continue reading “Practical Christian Attributes” →

Paul wrote to Timothy, telling him that “godliness is profitable for all things” (1 Timothy 4:13). This included the life we live here on earth, and especially the life which is to come. There is truly no better way to live your life. It is a life of sacrifice, but the Creator has ordered our existence to reward righteousness, and punish evil. For example, the civil authorities. “Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same” (Romans 13:2-3).

It is for this reason Paul wrote, “For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe” (1 Timothy 4:10).

Do we trust in the Living God? That trust, if true, impacts the way we live our lives. God has promised us salvation in the last day, but that salvation is conditioned upon our response to the gospel, and the steadfastness of our faith. It is for this reason that Paul said, “to this end we both labor and suffer reproach” (4:10).

A willingness to work hard, to endure. The truism that nothing worthwhile is easy is true in this case. But the reward is great! Because we work, “we have the promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come” (4:8).

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I came across a gem this morning from Warren King. He shared a chart (see the picture accompanying this article), with the premise “Who do I want to be during COVID-19? Though Warren didn’t make the chart, he shared it on Facebook. In the comments, a point was made that the chart mirrored the process that we go through when grieving. The five famous steps of grief: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression and Acceptance.

In this chart are listed three ways people are handling the pandemic. Fear, Learning and Growth. The process is seen over and over again in life, and is certainly valid here. I would like to share a few thoughts about what is noted in the chart.

Continue reading “COVID-19 (22) Processing a Pandemic” →

Invitation delivered by: Stan Cox

1 Peter 1:13-16 teaches that we rest our hope fully on the grace of God by preparing ourselves to live righteous lives.

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Lesson 8 of 9 by Carl Allen.

In this lesson, brother Allen discusses the lust of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5, as he exhorts us to develop and mature the inward man of 2 Corinthians 4:16.

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Invitation delivered by: Josh Cox

In the first two Psalms there is found a contrast between the godly and the ungodly. It is encouraging in our time to know that God will ultimately bless the godly.

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Invitation delivered by: Stan Cox

A short discussion of 1 Timothy 4:6-9. The importance of exercising yourself to godliness.

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