Things we need after we get Saved (2 Peter 1:5-10)

Lesson #3 : Godliness

 In the previous lesson we discussed adding temperance, which is self-control, and patience to our faith. In this lesson we will see that Godliness is what we need to add to patience. You might be thinking, why would Godliness come so late in the list? If you look at all the items given before it, you will see that they are all characteristics Jesus Christ possessed. If we are going to have any Godliness we are going to have to let Jesus do it through us using the things found previously in the list.

What is Godliness?

 The American Dictionary of the English Language by Noah Webster 1828 defines godliness as 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. This is a good definition and as we can see it will take virtue, knowledge, temperance, and patience to accomplish this definition in our lives.

In 1 Timothy 3:16 the mystery of Godliness is given. It is defined by the verse as God being manifest in the flesh. God manifested himself to us in the flesh when he was born of a virgin and took on a fleshly body as the Lord Jesus Christ. It is not referred to as a mystery because we don’t know what it is but because it is hard for us to understand how God could allow himself to be born as a baby needing to be fed and clothed by a human being. Imagine the all-powerful God of the universe that created everything allowing himself to become and infant needing the care of a mother. Now that is a mystery!

If the mystery of Godliness is Jesus Christ being manifested in the flesh, then we could make the spiritual connection that when the Lord Jesus Christ is manifested to the world through our lives, we are showing Godliness. Paul used the expression that he bore in his body the marks of the Lord Jesus Christ (Galatians 6:17). Now Paul did have physical scars that he had received for preaching the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. But one could also say that Paul had some of the characteristics of the Lord Jesus Christ in him.

The question for us then would be do we bear in our body the marks of the Lord Jesus Christ. As a wise preacher once said “the only Jesus many lost people will ever see is the one they see in you”. This is a very sobering thought as a saved person, and we must ask what do people really see in us?

How can we show Godliness?

There are many ways that we can show Godliness but speaking generally it will be most visible through our actions. Remember you can say that you liked the meal but if you didn’t eat the meal, it will not mean very much. Actions always speak louder than words. In 1 Timothy 2:8-10 we see an example of this in regards to women dressing modestly. If you read verse 9-10 without the parenthesis you will see it reads like this. In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; But with good works.

Without the parenthesis it says they are to be adorned with good works. Now years ago, when woman dressed immodestly in public everyone assumed her works were no good. So, there is a connection between how we present ourselves and what our works are. Therefore, when you read what is in the parenthesis you see that the woman is to adorn herself in modest apparel because she is supposed to be professing godliness.

As a saved person whether you are a male or a female your actions are going to show whether there is any godliness in you. Whether it is the way you dress, act, speak, etc., a tree is judged by its fruit. Therefore, as saved people we should be manifesting the Lord Jesus Christ in everything that we do and if he cannot be manifested in everything we do we should not be doing whatever it is that we are doing.

Warning Godliness can be faked!

 In 2 Timothy 3:5 we see that there are some who are said to have a form of Godliness but deny the power thereof. These are people who are pretending to be Godly but underneath are not. Remember since one of the main ways that we show Godliness is through our actions, then for a while someone can fake the actions. The way that you spot them is that sooner or later they will deny the power of God. Below we will look at some of the things the power of God is connected with in the scriptures and see some areas where these people will give themselves away.

Luke 9:37-43 (The power of God is connected with changing lives)

• This passage is where the Lord Jesus Christ has cast a demon out of a child and as a result the child no longer has the demon and is different.
• When people are professing Godliness and nothing in their life is different from before you might want to watch them closely, the Godliness they are professing might be fake.

Romans 1:16 (The power of God is connected with the gospel of Jesus Christ)

• Watch out for anyone one who denies the gospel or any part of it.

1 Corinthians 1:18 (The power of God is connected with the preaching of the cross)

• When a person will preach about everything but the cross of Calvary and how to be saved through the shed blood of Jesus Christ watch him something is not what it should be.
• Now I realize that a preacher cannot preach salvation messages every Sunday in his church, but when you can attend on a regular basis over a period of months or years and hardly ever hear a sermon on the cross or the blood or salvation by grace through faith and the judgment of dying without the Lord Jesus Christ something is wrong.

1 Corinthians 1:24 (Jesus Christ himself is the power of God)

• This one speaks for itself.

How can we get Godliness?

 As mentioned earlier, if you are striving to add to your faith virtue and to virtue knowledge and to knowledge temperance and to temperance patience then you will gain some Godliness in the process. There are two other ways that we can get Godliness.

1)  Prayer (1 Timothy 2:1-2)

• This passage tells us to pray for others. Jesus was seen often in the scriptures praying for his disciples. Prayer therefore is a characteristic of Jesus Christ.
• Also, when we spend time praying and fellowshipping with God in his word he will rub off on us just like other people do the more time we spend with them.

2)  Exercise (1 Timothy 4:7-8)

• Once we learn what is right and wrong according to the word of God, we must do it day after day after day after day.
• It is just like exercising. If it is not done on a consistent bases, then we will not see very much result from it.

Things we need after we get Saved (2 Peter 1:5-10)

Lesson #3: Godliness (Handout)

 1)  What is the mystery of Godliness in 1 Timothy 3:16?

2)  How can we relate this to us having Godliness and also to our study of things we need after

Salvation?

3)  What is the main way in which Godliness will be shown? Give a verse for your answer.

4)  What is a verse for showing that this Godliness can be faked and how are we to spot fakers?

5)  How are we to get Godliness?