1 Tim 4:7
“But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness”.
Godliness is simply defined as God-consciouness in man.
For the New Creature in Christ Jesus, it goes further than that.
Godliness is a revelation of His presence.
The Believer hath become one with God at ‘New birth’, and consciousness of this fact in your ordinary daily conversation is godliness.
Godliness is effortless, and not a product of the will of the flesh.
John 1:13
“Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God”.
At the point of Salvation, there’s a release from the Law of striving to please God, which is otherwise known as the Law of sin and death.
Rom 8:2-3
“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.”
So, true godliness is not a response to a demand of the Law, rather it’s a response to the supply of grace we have received when we received Christ.
2 Peter 1:3a
“According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness…….”
And just how may we get this power?
2 Peter 1:3b
“…….through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue”.
And what is the benefit of this?
2 Peter 1:4
“Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust”.
So godliness for the new man is not a struggle. It comes naturally as a you live out your new life in Christ.
Most importantly, it’s a knowledge thing, not a doing thing.
You’re now one with God because Christ is in you. AND YOU KNOW IT.
(Heb 2:11)
You’re holy now, because Christ in you is holy.
(1 Pet 5:9)
Friends, it’s the will of God, that all men be saved, and come to the knowledge of Truth. The beginning of knowledge of truth is understanding the mystery of godliness.
1 Tim 3:16
“And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory”.
We have established that Godliness is not a doing thing. That’s it’s an understanding which empowers you to live out the presence of Christ in your daily conversation.
Our text above calls Godliness a ‘great mystery’.
What’s a mystery?
Something that was previously unknown, but is now made manifest.
God’s true nature was unknown, until
God became man, dwelt among us, accomplished man’s redemption as a man, and rose up in glory.
Beholding this glory and living it out is godliness.
Godliness is one of the most misunderstood doctrines in the Church today. Many confuse it with a set of ethics or behaviour code expected of a Believer. And one is judged to be of ‘good standing’ if you keep those. But that’s a perversion.
1 Tim 6:6
“But godliness with contentment is great gain…”
Paul is saying here that to live godly and enjoy it in full, contentment is an essential element.
It means ‘inter-alia'( as lawyers will say) that there can be godliness without contentment, which is great pain instead of gain.
And that’s what we have mostly among believers today due to wrong doctrines.
Any teaching that leaves you in-satiate and craving for more makes you discontent.
Be it more of faith, more of riches and blessings, more of holiness, more of prophecy etc is a recipe for discontentment.
Paul again puts the blame squarely on unlearned and unskilled teachers, who confuse ‘gain’ for godliness.
1 Tim 6:5
“….perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself”.
The responsibility to withdraw is yours.
Selah!
www.gifma.us/spirit-of-grace-hour
– Nich Mbaezue PhD