Be Godly

Introduction

Well, good morning, everyone. Good morning. It is good to see you this morning. I want to thank Brother Dave and Brother J.R. for doing such a wonderful job leading us in our singing. And I just want to thank all of you who are here this morning to worship God. It is a blessing to be together to worship God. And it’s especially good to be back with my South Bumby Church family again. I’ve been saying that quite a bit over the past few weeks. But I am very thankful. Had a wonderful meeting in Richmond, Virginia. And the brethren there certainly send their greetings at the Courthouse Church of Christ, but there’s no place like home and no place like being with my South Bumby Church family. I appreciate the elders for allowing me to do those meetings.

I’m very, very grateful. And I just appreciate all of you and your love for the Lord. I’m looking forward to us studying from the Word of God for the next few minutes. In fact, as we begin this lesson, I want to begin by asking a question to the parents in the room. I want to ask a question to the parents, particularly the parents who are currently raising their kids. For all the parents who are currently raising children right now, have you ever heard your children use words before? And you didn’t have a clue as to what they were talking about. You didn’t have a clue as to what those words meant. Let me tell you something. Now that I’m raising a teenager, I find myself going through that all the time.

For example, whenever my son first told me that something was lit, I didn’t know that he was telling me that something was really good or cool. And I also didn’t know the word drip meant that somebody had some style to them and they looked fashionable and they had a little swag. And I didn’t know the word broad was actually a question.

It’s actually used by teenagers to ask somebody, are you serious right now? I mean, are you kidding me? And the word baddie is used by teenagers to refer to a pretty or a good looking girl. We’re hearing that one a whole lot these days. And don’t even get me started on this 6’7 stuff. And what that means and how teenagers go crazy today every time those two numbers are used together in a sentence. I’m 42 years old, which means I’m a relatively young man. But when I hear my teenage son saying this kind of stuff, I feel old. I feel real old. I feel ancient. I really struggle understanding the terms that teenagers are using today, and I wonder if, as Christians, we have the same problem when it comes to certain terms that are used in the Bible.

For example, consider this word godliness that Peter uses in 2 Peter 1 in verse 6. You see that word godliness? Let me ask you something. How often do you use the word godliness in your spiritual vocabulary? Do you use it a lot? Have you used it today or in the past few days? If so, are you absolutely confident that you know what it is? Are you absolutely confident that you know and understand how the Bible uses this word? If someone were to put you on the spot today and say, okay, tell me right now, what is godliness? What would you say? How would you respond? How would you explain biblical godliness and its value in a person’s life? I think it is important that we spend a few moments answering those questions because, in addition to becoming virtuous and knowledgeable and self-controlled and perseverant, if we’re going to be truly transformed people like God calls us to be, and like our theme this year is urging us to be, then we also got to be godly.

We got to be godly and full of godliness. The question, though, is what is that? What in the world is that? What does it mean to be godly or full of godliness? Well, the word godly or godliness is used all throughout the New Testament. It’s actually used about 30 times throughout the New Testament. It is especially used by the Apostle Paul and the Apostle Peter in their writings. In fact, one common definition that is usually given for the word godliness is a lot of people say, well, godliness means godlikeness. A lot of people say godliness means to be like God. You ever heard someone give that definition before? You ever heard someone say that godliness means godlikeness or to be like God? That is a popular belief for the definition of this word, and it is wrong.

It’s wrong. It’s incomplete at best. In fact, that definition doesn’t really help us much at all. That definition doesn’t distinguish this spiritual quality from the other spiritual qualities that Peter gives us in 2 Peter chapter 1. You see, while we certainly need to strive to imitate and develop the character and qualities of God, the reality is all of the spiritual qualities given by Peter and 2 Peter chapter 1 are designed to help us do that. All of those qualities found in 2 Peter chapter 1 are designed to help us be more like God. All of them were found in the life of Jesus when he was on this earth. You see, when Jesus, God in the flesh, was on this earth, he had virtue. He had superior moral excellence.

And he had perfect knowledge of the word of God. And he was full of self-control. And he persevered in the cause of God. And he treated others with kindness and love at the highest level. Jesus had all those qualities in his life. And if we have them, if we put them into practice in our lives, guess what? We’re going to be more like Jesus. We’re going to be more like God. We’re going to be more like the Son of God. There has to be more to godliness than striving to be like God. In fact, we learn that when we just consider the definition of the word. You see, the definition of the word godliness doesn’t mean God likeness or to be like God. Instead, the word means to live a life of reverence for God.

It means to live a life of piety and humility and devotion and a life of honor towards God. That’s what the word means, and that’s consistent with everything else we find throughout the New Testament. That is consistent with what we find Paul and Peter saying about this and what Jesus says about this. You see, all throughout the New Testament, we learn that if we really revere God and respect Him as our Creator, then that will manifest itself in our lives. Then that will manifest itself in our conduct. It will compel us to seek to honor the Lord in every part of our lives all the time. That’s godliness. And the Apostle Paul talks about this. Go on your Bible, please, to Titus chapter 2. I hope you got your Bible with you because we’re going to be looking at a lot of scriptures this morning from our Bibles.

And so whether it’s digital form, paper form, it doesn’t matter, crank out a Bible. Let’s read from the scriptures. And in Titus chapter 2 and in verse 11. In Titus 2 in verse 11, the Apostle Paul says, For the grace of God has appeared. When Paul talks about the grace of God appearing here, he’s talking about it appearing in Jesus. When people saw Jesus 2,000 years ago on this earth, they saw the manifestation of the grace of God. They literally saw the grace of God. They saw the grace of God performing miracles. They saw the grace of God having compassion on the sick and the blind and the weak. They saw the grace of God on the cross, dying for our sins and being raised from the dead.

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation not just to some men, but to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously. Here it is, godly in the present age. Notice how here Paul talks about the grace of God. He talks about the grace of God. He says that the grace of God that was delivered through Jesus Christ should compel us to do something. It should compel us to live a certain kind of way. It should compel us to live godly. It should compel us to live righteously and full of godliness. What this ultimately means is godliness is part of Christian character. Godliness is a manner of life and a way of life. It reflects the respect and the honor and the piety that we have towards God.

1. Godliness Impacts Our Thinking

That’s what godliness is. And that is something, my dear friends, that should impact every part of our lives. Godliness should impact every part of our lives every single day. It should impact our thinking, how we think as Christians. Go on your Bible, please to Genesis chapter 39, and look at this in the life of Joseph, please. In Genesis chapter 39, if you remember in Genesis 39, by this time, Joseph, who’s been sold into slavery by his siblings, by his brothers. He eventually ends up in Egypt working for a man named Potiphar. And he’s a steward in Potiphar’s house. He’s a good steward in Potiphar’s house. But eventually, Potiphar’s wife feels an attraction for him, and she tries to have an affair with him. She tries to take him by force, and he’s a young man.

And notice what he says in response to her advances. In Genesis 39 and verse number 8, in verse 8, it says, But he refused. And he said to his master’s wife, Behold, with me here, my master. He’s not concerned himself with anything in the house, and he has put all that he owns in my charge. There is no one greater in this house than I. And he has withheld nothing from me except you because you are his wife. How then could I do this great evil and sin against God? Do you see it? Notice how, in addition to not wanting to disrespect and offend his master Potiphar, the main thing that deterred Joseph from committing sexual immorality in this moment was his respect and reverence for God.

It was the piety that he had towards God. It was the fact that even though he was a long way from his family in Egypt, even though they thought he was dead, and they didn’t know they were ever going to see him again, he didn’t know if he was ever going to see them again. Even though he was a long way from his family and a foreign heathen country, he still knew that God could see him.

He still knew that his actions had a direct impact on God. That’s godliness. Joseph had godliness. He had it as a young person. As a young person, he was constantly mindful of God and the decisions he needed to make in his life to honor God. This young person had godliness, and you contrast that with the actions of David. The actions of David in 2 Samuel chapter 11. Do you remember what David, the man after God’s own heart? Remember what he did in 2 Samuel 11? Remember in 2 Samuel 11, we we read about him committing some horrible sins. Some atrocious sins, some things that started his life on a downward spiral. It goes downhill after 2 Samuel 11. He lusted after another man’s wife, and then he used his power and his position to call for her and to have an affair with her.

And then he attempted after she became pregnant with his child, he attempted to cover that up, to cover his tracks by setting up her husband Uriah the Hittite, one of his mighty men to be killed in battle. David did some horrible things. He committed adultery and murder, and at the core of all that evil was a failure to be godly. It was a failure in those moments to demonstrate godliness. It was a failure to pause in those tempting situations and ask himself, what does God think about this? How does God feel about this? Or my actions right now demonstrating honor and respect for God? David failed to demonstrate godliness at that point in his life. The question is, will we be different? Will we be different?

Will we allow godliness to impact our thinking? When I’m upset on my job? When somebody on my job is making me mad, when my co-workers are making me mad, when my boss is making me mad, when my spouse upsets me, when my parents upset me, when I’m alone with the person that I’m dating and they’re pressuring me to have sex, when I’m sitting at home alone and I got my laptop in front of me or my iPad in front of me, when I’m at school and I see somebody sitting at the lunch table all by themselves and they don’t have any friends, and everybody mocks them and makes fun of them. In those kind of moments, will I ask myself the right questions? Will I ask myself, what does God want me to do?

2. Godliness Impacts Our Worship

How does God want me to react in this situation? What does God want me to do when this person is making me mad? How does God want me to talk? How does God want me to dress? How does God want me to react and respond to this person that I’m dating who’s pressuring me to commit sexual immorality? How does God want me to treat this person who doesn’t have any friends and is getting mocked and bullied by everybody else in the class? You see, godliness is something that is to impact our thinking. It forces us to ask ourselves the right questions when we find ourselves in tempting situations, but in addition to impacting our thinking, godliness also should impact our worship. That’s what we’re doing right now.

It should impact our worship. In fact, this word godliness that Peter uses in 2 Peter 1 and verse 7 actually comes from two words. It comes from the words well and worship. Well and worship. Worship well. Worship in a way that pleases God and honors God. That’s what people who have godliness do. People who possess godliness don’t worship God in just any way they desire. They don’t view worship as a time where we just come here and we are entertained and we just sit idle on the pew and we’re just we’re just spectators. It’s all about you doing for me. You gotta entertain me. Not people, not people who have godliness. They don’t have that mindset. They don’t view the quote unquote five acts of worship as some sort of spiritual checklist where I’m just checking the boxes and I’m just going through the motions, and that’s supposed to honor God.

No, people who possess godliness understand that worship is a time to honor God. It is a time to worship God in the way that He desires. It is a time to praise and honor and exalt the name of God because He is good to us all the time. It’s a time to sing out and sing from the heart, not just mumble through the words of the songs because I don’t like singing. Or I don’t want, or I don’t want anyone to hear my bad singing voice.

To concentrate on what that bread represents and what that juice represents. Not just go through the mechanics, not just check the boxes. It’s a time to open up my Bible and listen carefully when the Bible is being preached and not constantly look at my watch. Or think about what I’m going to eat for lunch today, or think about who’s winning the ball game right now. It’s a time to give God my first fruits of my blessings and not just the leftovers. Not just whatever money I have left over after I make sure I got my prime channels and my Netflix and my Disney Plus plus and Hulu. That’s not godliness. That’s not honoring God in our worship. And here’s a great example of what we’re talking about here.

Go in your Bible, please, to Malachi chapter 1. Go on your Bible, please to Malachi chapter 1. Malachi is the last prophet of the Old Testament. After Malachi is finished prophesying by inspiration of the Spirit, God’s going to be silent for 400 years. He’s not going to speak again for 400 years. And this is what God has to say as the Old Testament draws to a close. Malachi chapter 1. Look at verse 6. In Malachi chapter 1 and verse 6, God says to the prophet, a son honors his father and a servant his master, then if I am a father, where is my honor? And if I’m a master, where’s my respect? says the Lord of hosts, O priest who despise my name. But you say, Have we despised your name?

You’re presenting defiled food upon my altar. But you say, How have we defiled you? And that you say the table of the Lord is to be despised. But when you present the blame for sacrifices, is it not evil? And when you present the lame and the sick, is it not evil? Why not offer it to your governor? Will he be pleased with you? Or will he receive you kindly? Says the Lord of hosts. But now will you not entreat God’s favor that he may be gracious to us? With such an offering on your part, will he receive any of you kindly, says the Lord of hosts? Oh, that there were one among you who would shut the gates, that you might not uselessly kindle fire on my altar.

I am not pleased with you, says the Lord of hosts, nor will I accept an offering from you. Look at what God is saying there through the prophet. Notice how when it came to the weak and the feeble and the sick and pathetic sacrifices that are being offered on the altar of God, God told these people that he was dishonored by that. He was insulted by that. He was not pleased. He rather that they shut the gates of the city of Jerusalem before accepting the spiritual junk that was coming from their hands. These people had no godliness, no reverence for God and their worship. But we can be different. We can demonstrate a different attitude when we worship God. Godliness will help us do that. Godliness will help us view the worship assembly as a time to come together as a church family to sacrifice and honor God and worship him according to his will and with our whole hearts, not give him junk.

God doesn’t want junk.

3. Godliness Impacts Our Attitude

It impacts our thinking. It impacts our worship. But let me add one more thing. Godliness also impacts our attitude, our attitude in life. When I’m prospering in my life, when I’m doing well financially, when I’m healthy, when my marriage is going great, when my other relationships are going great, when I’m doing well on my job, when I’m making good grades in school, godliness will help me stay humble. Godliness will help me give glory to God and be dependent upon God and understand that God is the source of my blessings. I can do anything without God. Godliness will impact my attitude when I’m prospering in my life, and it also will help me when I begin to struggle. When I begin to struggle, when life gets tough for me, if I lose my job, if I lose all my retirement account, if my health begins to fade, if the people that I love and care about, if they begin to turn their back on me, and they’re always discouraging me and disappointing me and letting me down and mistreating me, godliness helps me never take my frustrations out on God.

It helps me never blame God and shake my fist at heaven and continue to honor God because of what he has done for me through his son Jesus.

When I consider this point. In Job chapter 1, go in your Bible, please to Job chapter 1. Remember Job as he is suffering at the hands of Satan. And there’s no indication in the book of Job that Job’s ever told the source of his suffering. God never explains that to him. We just know he endures it. But in Job chapter 1, by this time, beginning in verse 20, Job has lost all ten of his children on the same day. I know there are people here that I love and care about so much who’ve lost children. Many of you know, some of you know what it’s like to bury a child or to bury children. That’s horrible. It’s a horrible thing to experience. And imagine what Job and his wife must have felt losing ten children on the same day.

The Bible says in Job chapter 1 and verse 20 that after this occurred, then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head. And he fell to the ground and worshiped. He worshiped. He said, Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord is taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Through all of this, Job did not sin, nor did he blame God. Notice how while experiencing some of the worst trials that a person can go through in this life, he never blamed God. He never pointed the finger at God, he never shook his fist at heaven. Instead, he continued to honor God. Instead of cursing God, instead of turning away from God, the Bible says that Job practiced godliness.

He continued to be reverent towards God. He continued to be devoted to God and to honor God and trust God. He continued to worship God and acknowledge the sovereignty and blessings of God. That’s what he did. That’s the kind of impact that godliness can have in our lives. When I have piety and honor and respect for God at the highest level, it’s going to impact my thinking, my worship, my attitude. But it does bring us now to our final question this morning, and that is so what? So what? We know what godliness is, and we know the kind of impact it can have on our lives, but what should we do now? How should we respond to this right now? Right now in my life as a Christian in 2025, what should I do in response to what the Bible tells me about godliness?

4. We Need to Go After It, Pursue It

Well, let me give you three things very quickly, and then the lesson’s gonna be yours. The first thing we need to do in response to what the Bible is telling us about godliness is number one, we need to go after it. We need to go after it, we need to pursue it. Go on your Bible, please to 1 Timothy chapter 6. In 1 Timothy chapter 6, the apostle Paul talks about not just money, but the love of money.

Verse 11. But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue. Look at the word pursue. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. Notice how the Bible says that among the things as Christians we need to be going after and pursuing every single day is godliness. Every day I need to be pursuing godliness. The idea of pursuing godliness means that I need to run after it. I need to chase it. I need to fix my eyes on it and try to acquire it with every fiber of my being. That’s what the Bible tells me to do. And Peter tells me how to do that. Go in your Bible back to 2 Peter chapter 1, please. And 2 Peter chapter 1, before Peter starts giving us that list of key ingredients we need for spiritual transformation.

And 2 Peter chapter 1 and verse 3. In verse 3 of chapter 1, he says this. Seeing that his divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness. Through the true knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and excellence. For by these he has granted to us his precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. Peter tells me how to do it. He tells me how to do it. Notice how according to Peter, the place to pursue godliness is not our culture. It’s not professors or politicians or people in the media. It’s not our own standard or even our own conscience.

No, Peter says the place to pursue godliness is God. It is the word of God. It is the book we have in front of us that reveals the character and will of God. That is exactly the point he’s driving at when he used the word us in verse 3. You see that word us there. He says that God has given, has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness. When Peter talks about us there, he’s not talking about us. He’s not talking about us. He’s not talking about Christians living in 2025 today. Instead, when he used the word us here, he’s talking about himself and the other inspired writers. He is saying that God revealed to him and the other inspired writers everything pertaining to life and godliness, and they in turn wrote that information down so that we can know how to be godly today.

That’s what Peter is saying. And that is why daily Bible reading is so important. That is why coming to Bible classes on Sunday morning and Wednesday night is so important. That is why listening carefully to Bible preaching is important. And while we must never be content with what we currently know about the Bible, it doesn’t matter how long we’ve been blessed to live on this earth. It doesn’t matter how many times I’ve been blessed to read the Bible and study the Bible and preach the Bible and teach the Bible. It doesn’t matter what I already believe I know about the Bible. I have to always constantly immerse myself in the Bible. I gotta always read it. I gotta read it again, and I gotta read it some more.

5. Practice It, Live It

I gotta meditate on it, I gotta study it, I gotta ask questions, I gotta do those things because that’s how I pursue godliness. That’s how I learn about God. That’s how I learn about what God has done for me through Jesus. That’s how I learn to serve God and walk with God and worship God and honor God, not just in this building, but in every part of my life every day. I got to pursue this. I got to pursue godliness. And then after I pursue it and acquire it, I got to practice it. I got to live it. And that just makes sense, right? I mean, if I truly honor God and respect God and fear God with all my heart, then that should just manifest itself in the way I live my life.

And the way I conduct myself as a husband, as a father, as a citizen in this country, on my job, and when I’m in my community with my neighbors. Listen to what the Apostle Paul says in 1 Timothy chapter 2. In 1 Timothy chapter 2, Paul puts it this way.

1 Timothy 2 and verse 9. Paul says, likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments, but rather by means of good works as is proper for women, making a claim to godliness. There’s a lot we could say about those verses. But for the purpose of this lesson, this is what I want you to take away. For people who are truly trying to live godly lives, they back up their claim to godliness with action. They live it. They practice godliness. They show their honor and devotion to God in the way that they dress and in the way that they talk and treat people and work on their job and behave all the time.

6. Always Make Sure I Value It

Godliness is something that I have to pursue, and I gotta do it. I gotta practice it. I gotta talk the talk, and I gotta walk the walk, and then after I pursue it and practice it, I gotta always make sure I value it. I gotta value godliness. And there are a couple of verses I want to show you back in 1 Timothy. Look at 1 Timothy chapter 6 and verse number 6. In 1 Timothy chapter 6 and in verse number 6, the apostle Paul says, but godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. Notice how in verse number 6, Paul says that godliness is not just a means to gain.

But he says it is a means of great gain. Why is it a means of great gain? Well, the reason why godliness is a means of great gain is because it not only benefits us in this life, but it also benefits us in the life to come. And Paul makes that point in chapter 4, in 1 Timothy chapter 4. In 1 Timothy chapter 4 and in verse 7. In 1 Timothy chapter 4 and in verse 7, Paul says, We have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness for bodily exercise or bodily discipline. It’s only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.

Do you see how Paul in verse 8 talks about bodily discipline, bodily exercise? Do you do that? Do you do that? Do you exercise, take care of your body? I try to do that. About four days a week, I try to get on my treadmill and run and run a few miles. There’s nothing wrong with that. There’s nothing wrong with exercising, walking, going to the gym, playing sports, running, keeping your body in shape. All that is good.

But Paul says that benefit is only now. It’s only temporary. It only helps you in this life. It doesn’t benefit you in the life to come like godliness. You see, Paul says that unlike lifting weights, or running on your treadmill, or jogging in your neighborhood, or playing sports with your friends, godliness exercises your soul. Godliness disciplines and trains your soul. It helps you develop a proper attitude towards God and it prepares you to stand before Him in judgment. And I’m gonna give you one more section of scripture to read, and then we’re gonna close the lesson. And it’s in 2 Peter chapter 3. Verses that are very familiar to some of us. And 2 Peter chapter 3 and in verse 10. And 2 Peter chapter 3 and verse 10.

The apostle Peter says, But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. Says all these things are to be destroyed in this way. What sort of people are you to be? Holy conduct and godliness. Look at what Peter is saying there. There, Peter is saying that godliness prepares us for the judgment day. Godliness prepares us for that great day when the Lord comes back, and everything we see in this world is going to be destroyed. Peter says that when the Lord comes back one day like a thief, only one group of people are going to be saved and spare God’s judgment.

And it’s the godly.

Conclusion

It involves a life of honoring God. It involves reverence for God and piety towards God. It involves a deep desire to honor God just on Sunday, but every single day of our lives. We have to be godly people. And the question is, are you doing that? Are you practicing that right now in your life? Right now in your life, are you pursuing godliness? Are you living a life full of godliness? If not, then you can begin that journey today. Today, you can actively start pursuing godliness and acquire it. And that may mean that you’re not a Christian, and it’s time for you to obey the gospel. You need to believe in Jesus. Believe that He’s the Lord and the Son of God. And you need to repent of your sins, have a change of mind towards sin that leads to a change in your life.

And you need to confess Him as the Lord before these witnesses and then be baptized and water for the forgiveness of your sins. That’s how you acquire this attribute of godliness today. And if you have already done those things, but you know that you have not been living a godly life as a Christian. If you need to repent and maybe ask us to pray for you, maybe ask our shepherds to pray for you. They’ll be more than happy to do that. If there’s anyone here who needs to respond to the gospel of Jesus Christ, this song is for you. Make that known as we stand and we sing.