GODLINESS

INTRODUCTION

2 Peter 1:5-8 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

GOD'LINESS, n. from godly. Piety; belief in God, and reverence for his character and laws.

1. A religious life; a careful observance of the laws of God and performance of religious duties, proceeding from love and reverence for the divine character and commands; Christian obedience.   Godliness is profitable unto all things. 1 Tim. 4.

McClintock and Strong Cyclopedia

Godliness strictly taken, in right worship or devotion, but in general it imports the whole of practical religion (1Ti 4:8; 2Pe 1:6). It is difficulte, as Saurin observes, to include an adequate idea of it in what is called a definition. "It supposes knowledge, veneration, affection, dependence, submission, gratitude, and obedience; or it may be reduced to these four ideas: knowledge in the mind, by which it is distinguished from the visions of the superstitious; rectitude in the conscience, that distinguishes it from hypocrisy; sacrifice in the life, or renunciation of the world, by which it is distinguished from the unmeaning obedience of him who goes as a happy constitutions leads him; and, lastly, zeal in the heart, which differs from the languishing emotions of the lukewarm." The advantages of this disposition are honor, peace, safety, usefulness, support in death, and prospect of glory; or, as the apostle sums up all in a few words, "It is profitable unto all things, having the promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come" (1Ti 4:8). In 1Ti 3:16, it means the substance of revealed religion as furnished in the various particulars enumerated. — Barrow, Works, 1:9; Scott, Christ. Life;

Deuteronomy 6:4-5 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

Godliness is Right Reverence towards God. It includes right thinking about God; right feeling about God; and right acting towards God.

RIGHT THINKING ABOUT GOD

1.      God is the true God. He is exclusive. Isaiah 45:22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. 1 John 5:20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

2.      We do not worship a god of our own understanding. (idolatry)

3.      We must accept what God says about Himself.

4.      We must love God as He is. There is no fault in Him.

5.      We must not be ashamed of God or try to explain God to ourselves or others in such a way as to try to make Him acceptable to this ungodly world.

RIGHT FEELING (EMOTIONS) ABOUT GOD.

1.      An element of godliness is feeling right about God even while facing the trials of life. We understand that God loves us and cares for us. Psalm 37:39 But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble.

2.      We must not allow our emotions to take control.

3.      Though we have ‘right-thinking’ about God, when the trials of life get us down, we may start questioning God. We start asking “Why?” questions.

a.      Why is this happening to me?

b.      Why did God allow this?

c.      Why won’t God help me?

d.      Our vision can become cloudy, and our perceptions can be false. We begin to entertain the devils lies such as that God doesn’t love you or care about you.

4.      Wrong emotions can lead to anger and bitterness towards God.

5.      Wrong emotions and attitudes towards God can exacerbate the problems we face.

6.      The godly person accepts all of the trials of life as ‘allowed of God’ and asks for God’s help. We can ask where?, when?, what? and how? rather than why?.

RIGHT ACTING TOWARDS GOD

Right thinking and feeling will lead to right acting.

When Christ spoke to Saul on the Damascus Road, Saul responded, Acts 9:6a And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?

Colossians 3:23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;

1 Timothy 4:7 But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. 
1 Timothy 4:8 For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.

1 Timothy 6:11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
Don’t be like this: 2 Timothy 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

CONCLUSION:

Our thoughts, feelings, and actions should be that which gives pleasure to God. Revelation 4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.