The passage of scripture that
I just read is one of the four faithful sayings of the Apostle
Paul. I love these four sayings. I've
preached from them on numerous occasions, but I don't recall
if I preached from this one, but let's look at them. First
Timothy chapter one, verse 15. Now, these are evidently things
that were repeated often in the early church. If you were around
the members of the early church, this is something they were always
saying. Faithful sayings. Verse 15 of
1 Timothy chapter 1, this is a faithful saying. and worthy
of all acceptation, everybody ought to rejoice in this and
receive it as the best news they've ever heard, that Christ Jesus
came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief." Isn't that
a wonderful saying? I thank God for that. He came
to save sinners. Turn to 2 Timothy chapter 2. Verse 11. It's a faithful saying. For if
we be dead with him, we shall also live with him. And what
that means is, is if Christ died for you, you must live eternally. You must be saved. What assurance? If we suffer, we shall also reign
with him. If we deny him, He also will
deny us. If we believe not, yet he abided
faithful, he cannot deny himself. And I get such joy out of that. If we believe not. You know what
that means? If we believe not. He abideth
faithful. He cannot deny Himself. You see,
if I am united to Him, if He'd deny me, He'd be denying Himself.
And that can't be. This is a faithful, faithful
saying. Turn to Titus chapter 3, verse
5. not by works of righteousness
which we have done, but according to His mercy, He saved us. By the washing of regeneration
and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which He shed on us abundantly
through Jesus Christ our Savior, that being justified by His grace,
We should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
This is a faithful saying. And these things I will that
thou affirm constantly, repeat them over and over and over again,
that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain
good works. These things are good and profitable
unto men. This is a faithful saying. Isn't it glorious to
think of these being sayings in the early church, the things
they repeated over and over again. Now, 1 Timothy chapter four,
the one I just read. Verse 6, if you put the brethren
in remembrance of these things, you shall be a good minister
of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of
good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained, but refuse profane
and old wise fables, and exercise thyself. Give every effort. Exercise takes work. Exercise
thyself rather unto godliness. For bodily exercise, Profit,
profiteth little. And what that means, it profits
for a little while. It's good as long as we're here
on earth. It's good. Bodily exercise profits
a little, but godliness is profitable unto all things. Having a promise
of the life that now in is and of that which is to come. Now
that's, this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation. I've entitled this message godliness. Godliness. What is godliness? It's in the Bible a lot. It's a scriptural word. It means
well devout, pious, reverent. It's so important that this word
is used as a name of the gospel message. Look in first Timothy
chapter three, verse 16. And without controversy, Gray
is the mystery of godliness. This is a mystery that God has
revealed and he calls the gospel. Look what it says next. 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, and he calls that the mystery of godliness. The
gospel is called the mystery of godliness. Now godliness,
It is the fear of God. Godliness. The dictionary calls
it a Godward attitude. Where God is in your thoughts.
The fear of God. What is the fear of God? The
fear of God is that which makes you afraid of sin. That's why
I'm afraid of sin, because I'm afraid of God. And the fear of
God makes you afraid to look anywhere. but Christ alone. And that's what the fear of God
is. It's a fear of sin and it makes you afraid to look anywhere
but Christ alone because you're afraid of yourself. The fear
of God, godliness, reverence, devotion. One old writer said,
godliness is the child of truth and it must be nursed with no
other milk than that of its own mother. I like that. Now, what
I want us to do is look at the scriptures where godliness is
used. We're gonna look at seven or
eight of them. First in our text, he says, exercise yourself unto
godliness. It takes effort and discipline.
Bodily exercise profits for a little while in this life, but godliness
is more profitable because it has a promise both in this life
and the life to come. And what a blessing it is to
have the fear of God in your heart. That means you've got
a new nature. That means God's done something
for you. And walking through this life knowing the Lord. What
a blessing that is. What a blessing it is to know
that He's in control of everything. What a blessing it is to have
that peace, that feeling of peace knowing that Christ is your righteousness
before God and all God requires of you, you have. What a blessing
it is to walk in hope, knowing that when I stand before God,
I'm gonna be accepted. I am accepted in the beloved. What a blessing that is. What
a blessing it is to have this family, the children of God,
the excellent of the earth. That's how, you know, if you're
critical towards the children of God, you got trouble. You
got a bad attitude. These are God's children. the
excellence of the earth and what a blessing it is to walk through
this life with them. There's a blessing in this life.
I think of that scripture, Romans 15, 13, that God of hope fill
you with all joy and peace in believing. And it gives me great
joy and great peace right now to know that Christ is my standing
before God. I love it. I love it. It's a blessing in this life
to have godliness, this fear of God. This fear of God is the
new nature in someone's being born of the Spirit. It's what
a believer is. He's someone who walks in godliness,
reverence, the fear of God. And oh, what a hope this godliness
gives for the life to come. You know, there's an afterlife,
and everybody deep down knows that. There's heaven, Eternal
bliss in the presence of Christ, perfectly conformed to His image,
and there's hell. And I'd a whole lot rather be
in heaven. It's profitable both in this life and that life which
is to come. Now turn to Titus chapter 1. Paul, a servant of God, and an
apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect and
the acknowledging of the truth, which is after godliness. Now God's going to elect people.
And you know they all believe the same thing? The faith of
God's elect. I like that phrase, the faith
of God's elect. All God's elect believe the same
thing. They look to Christ. And what the faith of God's elect
is, is it's the acknowledging of the truth. You see, wherever
you have faith, you have truth. Faith, truth. Faith, believing
the truth. And you know what that always
leads to? Every time without exception? Godliness. The acknowledging
of the truth which is after or leads to godliness, which causes
godliness. Now, I acknowledge the truth. It doesn't mean I just give a
cent to it. It means I really believe it. I believe God's God.
I believe He's absolutely sovereign. I believe He's in control of
everything. I believe He's holy. I believe He's just. I believe
He saves by His grace. I acknowledge the truth. I embrace
the truth. I acknowledge the God of the
Bible. I love Him the way He is. I wouldn't want Him to be
different, would you? I love Him in all His glorious
attributes. I acknowledge the truth regarding
God. I acknowledge the truth regarding myself. You know, I
was driving this morning and I turned on the radio and I heard
this woman, religious woman, and she said, whispers in my ear, you're not
good enough to be saved. And I yelled back at him, I am
too, I am good enough to be saved. And so I turned it off and put
on, I just thought, did I hear that? And you people were clapping
in the background after she said that? They were actually clapping.
And so I turned that off real quick and I turned on John Chapman's
message when he was here a couple of weeks ago. I just got to that
point and I turned it on. He said, the only thing positive
about me is Christ. I thought, that's a great, what
a juxtaposition of those two. You know, you got her saying
that and I believe the truth about myself. In and of myself. I wish it wasn't this way, but
it is. Well, no, I'm glad it's this way because it enables me
to trust Christ as my righteousness before God. In and of myself,
I'm nothing but sin. Paul said, I know that in me
that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing. I know that. And
I acknowledge, I embrace the truth concerning salvation. Salvation's of the Lord. Salvation's
in the Lord Jesus Christ. It's by His grace. It's by His
righteousness. I acknowledge the truth. Now
that's what God's elect do. They acknowledge the truth and
what that does is it always leads to godliness. You see, godliness
is the product of faith. It's the gift of God. We're going
to look at that in a minute. But it's the product of faith. Now
I want you to look at a scripture with me that just keeps getting
bigger to me. 2 Corinthians chapter 3. I feel like I've only come to
understand this recently. 2 Corinthians chapter 3, verse 18. Last verse
in this chapter. But we all with open face, beholding
as in a glass, the glory of the Lord. And that's what faith is.
It's beholding as in a glass, the mirror of the word. We behold
who he is. We behold the glory of beholding
as in a glass, the glory of the Lord. Now what's next? We're
changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the
Spirit of the Lord." Now, what in the world does that mean?
Changed into the image of Christ. It's godliness. Here's what that
means. If I look to Christ, I'm humbled. You can't look to Him and not
be. I look to Christ, I'm poor in spirit and I see my need of
Him. I look to Christ and I can't
have a harsh view of you. Because I look to Christ, I see
myself. It's when I'm looking to myself
or to other people where all the bad attitudes come from.
But looking to Christ, you're changed into the same image.
You look to Christ, you'll be a merciful person. You'll be
a gracious person. You can't look to Christ and
not be that way. It's looking to Him. It's not
reflecting His image. It's beholding Him. I've always
heard people say, we've got to reflect the image of the Lord.
I don't reckon I've ever done that, but I sure have beheld
His glory. I've beheld His glory. And looking to Him, we become
like Him. That's what godliness is. Faith
has to do with the truth. Look over in 1 Timothy chapter
6. 1 Timothy chapter 6. If any man, verse three, teach
otherwise and consent not to wholesome words, even the words
of our Lord Jesus Christ and to the doctrine, which is according
to godliness. You see, the God's doctrine is
according to godliness, devotion, the fear of God. If somebody
doesn't consent to the words of the Lord Jesus Christ, even
the words of truth, he's proud, knowing nothing but doting about
questions and stripes of words, where have cometh envy, strife,
railings, evil surmising, perverse disputings of men, of corrupt
minds, destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness.
From such, withdraw thyself. Turn to 2 Peter 1. Verse 3, according as His divine power
hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness
through the knowledge of Him that called us to glory and virtue. Now, He has given us. That's
what this passage of Scripture says. And this is encouraging
to me. You know, I used to read the word godliness and I didn't
much like it because I didn't know what it meant. It made me
feel bad. I thought, how am I... I never look at myself as a godly
person. I want to, but I... until I understood what it meant.
Godliness is what every believer is. They're godly men and women. They have the divine nature.
They've been birthed by the Spirit of God. They're a new creature
in Christ Jesus. They still have the old man,
no doubt, but they're new men. And this godliness is the gift
of God. He's given us all things that
pertain to life and godliness. Now, there's a whole lot of things
that pertain to life and godliness. For me to have life and for me
to have godliness, God's going to have to choose me He's gonna
have to redeem me. He's gonna have to justify me.
He's gonna have to sanctify me. He's gonna have to call me. He
does all these things. So everything I need for life
and godliness is the gift of God. Ask him for it. Ask him
for it. Lord, give me this godliness. Give me this fear of God. Give
me this devotion. Now, if there's something you
must do in order to earn godliness, there's no hope for me, but it's
a gift given by the promise of God. 2 Timothy chapter 3. Paul says in verse 1, This know
also that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men should
be lovers of their own selves. And here he's describing preachers.
He's describing preachers. Men should be lovers of their
own sales, covetous boasters, proud blasphemers, Disobedient
to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truth
breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that
are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasure more than
lovers of God, having a form of godliness. You see that having
a form of godliness, they profess to be godly people, but they
deny the power thereof from such turn away for this sort, or they
would creep into houses and lead captive, silly women laden with
sins, laid away with their own diverse lusts, ever learning
and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now,
having a form of godliness. profess to be godly, profess
to be Christians, having a form of godliness, but denying the
power thereof. Now, how do you go about doing
that? Having a form of godliness and denying the power thereof.
Well, what I think about is a light bulb. Light bulb shining. How do you deny the power thereof?
Well, you can deny the source of the power, the electric company. Or you can deny the means the
power gets there, the wiring, the conduit. Or you can deny
the power when you say it's not shining when it is. Or you could
say it is shining when it's not. That's denying the power there.
Now, what's that got to do with denying the power of godliness?
Well, salvation. I deny the power of godliness.
I just have a form of godliness, and I deny the power of godliness
if I deny the source of godliness, the sovereign grace of God in
Christ Jesus. I deny godliness if I deny the
means through which godliness comes. Belief of the truth. Hearing the gospel. I'm denying
the conduit that the gospel comes from. And I'm denying the power
of godliness if I say somebody is saved when they're not. I'm not talking about right now
trying to judge whether somebody's saved. Here's what I'm trying
to say. If somebody doesn't believe the gospel and I say they're
saved, I'm denying the power of godliness. If somebody's living
contrary to the gospel and I have to say they're saved, I'm denying
the power of godliness. Now that's, don't do that. Don't
do that. Don't deny the power of godliness.
That scares me to death. I don't want to be guilty of
that. Turn to first Timothy chapter six. This is the one that I enjoyed
the most. Now we've already read verse
5, perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, destitute of
the truth, supposing that gain is godliness, from such turn
away. But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought
nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing
out. Wonderful to remember that. We
get taken up with things, stuff. Well, you brought nothing here
and you're not going to carry anything out with you. It's all going to be
burned. For we brought nothing into this world, and certain
we can carry nothing out, and having food and raiment, let
us be there with content. Godliness with contentment. Now, what is this godliness with
contentment? Well, I thought of that passage
of scripture in Hebrews chapter 13, where The writer of the Hebrew
says, let your conversation be without covetousness. Well, it's hard to do, isn't
it? And be content, be satisfied
with such things as you have. Now, let me give you a little
hint. He's not talking about material things. Now, we all
ought to be content with what we have materially. You know
that. We live like kings. Every one of us. I don't see
anybody hurting. I'm thankful for material blessings, but that's
not really what he's talking about. Be content with such things
as you have. But what do you have? Christ. Justification before God. I have
no guilt. My sins are paid for. I have the precious promise of
God's providence that everything is working together for my good
and His glory. I have peace with God. I have
the intercession of Christ. I have the Lord Jesus Christ
representing me right now in the very presence of the Father,
owning my name before the Father. I have mercy. I have a hope. Oh, what a hope I have. I've
got a hope that when God calls my name, Christ is going to answer
for me. And I'm going to hear Him say
to me, well done, thou good and faithful servant, because if
Christ was good and faithful, I am too. And that's the hope
I have. I have a hope of eternal inheritance. You know, we'd feel
pretty good if we were waiting on $10 million we thought we
were going to inherit. We'd think, well, it'll be okay one of these
days. Well, it's better than that. Infinitely better than
that. The inheritance every believer
has in Christ Jesus. I've got a hope of perfect conformity
to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ. I've got to hope that
God's for me. I mean, he's on my side. Romans
8 31 says, if God be for us, who can be against us? I actually
have God for me. What a hope I have. Now be content. Be satisfied with such things
as you have. It can't get any better. I don't
know how many times when people have heard the gospel, they say
there's got to be more. And I think you don't get it.
You don't get it. There is no more. This is everything
because Christ is all. Who wants more than that? Be
content. Be satisfied with such things
as you have. Truly, godliness with contentment
is great gain. Look what he says in verse 7.
For we brought nothing into this world, and it's certain we can
carry nothing out. and having food and clothing,
let us be there with content." Now, first of all, that's talking
about food and clothing. That's enough to satisfy us. Food and
clothing. What else do you need? Really,
what else do you need? But more than that, that's talking
about Christ, my food. Christ, my clothing. I feed off
the Lord Jesus Christ. I live off Him. He clothes me
with His righteousness. And I am so content to be saved
by Him. Now, as long as I'm looking to
Him, I'm content. As soon as I look anywhere else,
if I look at myself, I look at you, I lose that. But looking to Him,
I am content, well satisfied. Now here are two things that
come along with godliness. Turn to 1 Timothy chapter 2. I exhort therefore that first
of all supplications and prayers and intercession and giving thanks
be made for all men, for kings and for all that are in authority,
that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life. in all godliness
and honesty. Now, where there is godliness,
there is a quiet and peace of life. What that's talking about
is tranquility. Where there's godliness, there's
tranquility. And it's not because of some
circumstance. You know, sometimes things are
going so well and you just think, man, this is awesome. But then
something happens and things are going terrible. And you think
it couldn't get any worse than this and then it does. But the
fact of the matter is my tranquility doesn't have anything to do with
what's good or what's bad as far as my circumstances goes.
My tranquility is this. In Him dwelleth all the fullness
of the Godhead in a body and you are complete in Him. And I am Tranquil. Tranquil. Is that the word? Tranquil.
Tranquility. It's a blessed thing. Now, with
godliness comes tranquility, but also it's a two-edged sword.
Look at 2 Timothy chapter 3 verse 12. Yea, 2 Timothy 3 verse 12. Yea, and all that will live godly,
that's godliness, the same word. All that will live godly in Christ
Jesus shall suffer persecution. You see, you have a message that
this world hates. You have a gospel that this world
hates. And if you stand for that gospel,
you shall suffer persecution. And if I'm not being persecuted
over the gospel, it's because I'm not telling anybody. All
that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. So yeah, you're going to have
tranquility, but you're also going to suffer persecution.
First Timothy 6.1, or 11, excuse me. But thou, O man of God, flee
these things and follow. That word means pursue. Pursue
after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness,
fight the good fight of faith, lay hold upon eternal life. Godliness
is to be pursued. David put it this way in Psalm
119. He said, Unite my heart to fear
thy name. That's a good prayer, isn't it?
Unite my heart, cause everything about me to be devoted to this
one cause, to fear thy name, to have this true godliness. Make this the pursuit, the ambition
of our heart. And we've already read this passage
because Rich read this, but turn back to 2 Peter 3. Got two more scriptures I want
to look at. 2 Peter chapter 3. Actually, what we've done, we've
looked at everywhere where godliness is mentioned. I'm thankful for this verse.
The Lord is not slack concerning his promises. Some men count
slackness, but as long suffering to us were not willing that any
should perish, but that all should come to repentance. All of God's
elect will come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will
come as a thief in the night in which the heaven shall pass
away with a great noise and the elements shall melt with fervent
heat. The earth also in the works that are therein shall be burned
up, seeing that all these things shall be dissolved. Now, What's
going to happen to everything? Everything. It's going to be
burned up. Seeing that all these things
should be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in
all holy conversation and godliness? Looking for. and hastening unto
the coming of the day of God, wherein the heaven being on fire
shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat."
Now seeing that everything is to be burned up. Oh, what manner
of men and women should you and I be in all manner of what he
calls holy conversation and godliness. And the last one is found in
1 Timothy chapter 5. And this was Something I, hit
me. Verse three, honor widows that are widows
indeed. But if any widow have children or nephews, let them
learn first to show piety. And that word piety is godliness.
Don't put these widows on the responsibility of the church.
Let their own children take care of them. Let their own, you know,
let them first learn to show piety at home and to requite
their parents for this is good and acceptable before God. Now
may we learn to show piety at home. I think of that passage
of scripture, charity begins at home. And indeed it does. And the way I show all godliness
is how I treat my wife. The way I show all godliness
is how I treat my daughter. That's how I show piety or godliness
at home. Oh, may our homes be homes of
peace. Peace. The peace of Christ resting
in it. And, oh, may God give us grace
truly to show piety, true godliness at home. Now, what you really
are, your family members see. That's the real you. And may
God give us grace to show this piety at home. Truly, godliness is profitable
unto all things, isn't it? having a promise of the life
that now is. What a joy it is to know the
Lord. What a joy it is to be in Christ.
What a joy it is to believe the Gospel. It has a promise in the
life that now is. I couldn't imagine going through
life without leaning on the Lord Jesus Christ. Without knowing
Him, I had no desire for anything like that. There's a promise
of the life that now is and a promise of the life to come. So may God give us grace to do
some exercising, to exercise ourselves unto godliness, devotion,
fear of God. Let's pray.