I'm glad we just heard a song
about the Bible that speaks of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible is the inspired, infallible
word of God. Somebody says, can you prove
that? I feel no need to. If God can
create the universe, which he did, he can inspire men to write
a book and keep it preserved. Now the Bible was written in
mostly in the Old Testament Hebrew and in the New Testament Greek. Now the Bible is inspired. Every word God breathed exactly
as God would have it said in the original Greek and Hebrew
languages. And what we have now is a translation. I'm thankful for the King James
Version. It's a great translation. I don't enjoy reading any other
translation but the King James Version. Love it. It's a translation. And being
a translation, there could be some words that may not be the
best words to use. And I'm saying that because of
the word godliness. Godliness. What do you feel? when you hear the word godly
and godliness? What is your visceral reaction
to that when you hear that particular word? Now this word godliness
is found 15 times as a noun Once as an adjective and once
or twice as an adverb. Somebody says, what are you getting
into this kind of stuff for? Well, I hope you'll understand
by the time this message is over. I'm not trying to give a grammar
lesson. I need one myself as far as that
goes. But in this word, godliness or godly, the Greek word theos,
which is The Greek word for God, you've heard of theology, the
study of God. In this word, godliness, the
word God is not found in the original. It is literally made
of two words saying well devout, reverent. It has something to
do with the fear of God. When the word is used as godly,
sometimes twice as an adjective describing someone, an adjective
describes a noun. He is a tall man. That's an adjective
to describe that noun. And when it's used as an adverb,
an adverb modifies a verb. He's running slowly. This word
is used 15 times as a noun. Twice as an adjective, once as
an adverb. You've heard the word godly in
the scriptures, but the word God is not in that word. As a matter of fact, if you look
at many other translations, they don't translate the word godliness. I've entitled this message godliness. What is godliness. Now you look in our text in Titus
chapter 1 verse 1, Paul a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus
Christ according to the faith of God's elect. God's elect Those
he chose before time began all have the same faith. It's called
the faith of God's elect. Wherever you have God electing
a sinner, that sinner's gonna have faith. He's going to give
them that faith, called the faith of God's elect. And wherever
there is faith, it is seen in an acknowledgement, an embracing
A perception of the truth. You know, when the Lord gives
somebody a new nature, as soon as he hears the truth, he knows
it's true. He embraces it. in its simplicity. He embraces
it. He believes it. And wherever
you have this acknowledging of the truth, you have godliness. Now that's the way the King James
translates this word. And I can't say that I know why
they translated it. that way. It may be they had
a good reason for it. I'm not real sure. I'm not an
expert on anything like this, but I do know that the word God
is not found in the word. One man defined godliness as
god-likeness. God said, there's nothing like
me. Who shall you liken unto me."
God is other. There's nothing in this world
that you can compare to God. God is other. He's transcendent. He's altogether glorious. God-likeness? Isn't that what Satan said, I'll
be like the Most High? Isn't that the temptation he
used With Eve in the Garden of Eden, you'll be like God. There's none like Him. As I said, the word makes this
two Greek words well devout, well devout, reverential, respectful. When it's used as an adjective
or adverb, it's translated godly. The Latin is, you've heard the
word pious. That's the Latin. That's the
way it's translated, a pious person. I know you've all heard
that. Sometimes it's used derogato,
he's pious, he's overly pious. People will use it in that way. When somebody says, He or she
is a godly man or a godly woman. Every time I hear that, I cringe.
No, they're not. Now, I realize that we're created
in the image of God. And I realize every believer
longs to be perfect in Christ Jesus and to never sin, to be
just like him. That's our desire. But to call
somebody a godly person. Remember, he said, there's none
like me. And I call somebody a devout person. a well-reverent
person, someone who fears the Lord, but using this term godliness like godlikeness, God
is other. I love that. God's like nothing
in this universe. He's utterly transcendent, glorious. God is other. You know, I read, I think it
was Charles Spurgeon said, he said, if you would take a worm
and an angel and say, which one is the closest to being like
God? He said, neither. Neither. God is all together
by himself. He is God. He is other. He is holy. Now I want you to
turn to 1 Timothy 3. We're gonna look at the way this
word is used. 1 Timothy 3, I love this verse of scripture. Verse 16. And without controversy, there's
no controversy here. There's no room for argument
here. Without controversy, great is
the mystery of godliness. Now there's the word. Great is
the mystery of godliness. Now this is where this devotion
to God comes from because the word means devout. Every believer,
this describes every believer, devout, devoted to the Lord God,
devoted to the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. He's my life.
He's not a big part of my life. He is my life. And that's true
of every believer. Here is where this devotion,
here's where this great mystery comes from. Now remember, a mystery
is something we would never have known had not God made it known. Thank God for his revelation
of the mystery of himself. But listen to this mystery of
godliness. This is what produces true devotion. And here it is, he names six
things. 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. Now here is the great mystery
of godliness, the great scheme of the gospel. The infinite God. The one who contains the universe
in the palm of His hand. He's not in the universe. The
universe is in Him. The altogether glorious God. The God of the Bible. God was
manifest in the flesh. God became a man. Not half God and half man, fully
God, just as if He were not man at all, fully man, just as if
He were not God at all. The Word was made flesh and dwelt
among us. And we beheld His glory, the
glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace
and truth. In the beginning, the Word didn't
begin. In the beginning, the Word already
was. He's the eternal Son of God.
In the beginning was the Word. The Word was with God as a distinct
person. God is one God in three separate
persons. God the Father, God the Son,
God the Holy Spirit. That's what the Bible teaches.
That's the only way we know that. We couldn't figure it out, but
the Bible makes it known. In the beginning was the Word,
the Word was with God, and the Word was. God was manifest in the flesh
in this great mystery. Isn't it glorious to think of
God living in a womb for nine months, being born in that cow
stable? living for 30 years in obscurity. Nobody understood. I mean, his
mom did, his dad did, but very few had any understanding that
this man was God. His brothers and sisters didn't
get it. And let me remind you, the fact that his brothers and
sisters didn't get it lets us know that men just don't get
holiness. They don't get it when they see
it. They don't understand it. He had that three years of public
ministry and he died The God-man died, and the God-man
was raised from the dead. God manifest in the flesh. Now, that statement tells us
He was before He came. He's the eternal God. He was
before He ever came in the flesh. He came in the flesh, and He
did exactly what He came to do. The scripture says, Thou shalt
call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins. Thank God that's what he did
when he said, it is finished. His people were saved from their
sins. God, great is the mystery of
godliness. God was manifest in the flesh. And then it says he was justified
in the spirit. Now this book is about how God
can be just and justify the ungodly. That is the theme of this book,
for the glory of Christ, how God can be just. Now let me put
this in another term, how God can take somebody who really
is guilty and make them really not guilty. That's what justification
is. I'm guilty. God makes it to where
I'm not guilty. I'm a sinner. God makes it to
where I do not have any sin. It's all been put away by the
Lord Jesus Christ. That's what He did. He was justified
in the Spirit. God the Holy Spirit testified
to His great work of justification. Everything the just one did had
something to do with His great work of justification. And this
is what God the Holy Spirit bears witness to. Justified in the
Spirit. Now this thing of preaching,
If all we hear is my voice, it's not gonna do us any good. But
this is what God the Holy Spirit bears witness to. He was justified
in the Spirit. And I love this next statement. He was seen of angels. I can't remember the last time
I have, I was telling Lynn while we were driving over here, the
last time I've been Now, I know whoever becomes president is
the one God put there, but I've had such a, who's gonna be president?
And I was thinking about angels. Here I am thinking about this.
Do you know how I think angels would consider that a boring
subject? I think that they would think, well, how inconsequential,
who cares? But I'll tell you one thing angels
were interested in. Every moment of his life. Oh, how they beheld. the Son of God. How they were
amazed. What's he doing there? Why was
he in a womb? Why was he born? When they watched
men mistreat him, I guarantee you they were just waiting to
smite if the Lord told them to do it. Oh, they beheld every
single thing he did. Now this is what angels were
interested in. Those mighty beings, greater
in power and might than you and I are. They were interested in
the Lord Jesus Christ. He was seen of angels at all
times. They were beholding him. And
then it says he was preached unto the Gentiles. What's the significance of that?
I'm a Gentile. That makes it significant to
me. You know, the gospel In the Old Testament, not many Gentiles
ever heard the gospel. They weren't given a Bible. They
weren't given a revelation from God. Now, the Lord always intended
to save Gentiles. I realize that. But during the
Old Testament times, the atonement wasn't for the Jebusites and
the Hittites and the whatever otherites. It was for Israel.
But now we hear the gospel for Gentiles. And let me translate
that this way. The gospel for the world. This
is a faithful saying, it's worthy of all acceptation that Christ
Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom Paul said,
I am the chief. He was preached to the Gentiles.
You know, we have such a sense of entitlement, I'm afraid that
doesn't amaze us. You know, we're Americans, you
know, I mean, surely we ought to be amazed. And then it says,
he was believed on. Verse 16, he was believed on
in the world. Now, this great mystery of godliness,
God being manifest in the flesh, accomplishing salvation for everybody
he came for, you know what? I believe on him. Right now,
I am trusting Jesus Christ the Lord as everything in my salvation. I believe on him. Isn't that
a great mystery? I mean, I believe that I have
the very righteousness of God because of what Christ did for
me. How can you believe something like that? Because God gave me
the faith. I believe. I believe that God was manifest
in the flesh. I believe he was justified in
the spirit. I believe he was seen of angels. I believe he
was preached to the Gentiles. I believe the gospel. What a
glorious mystery that is. And then he was received up into
glory. Having accomplished everything
he came here to do on earth, he was received up into glory. Now that is what produces what
the King James translators called godliness. True devotion. Anybody who believes that, all
who believe it. And let me say this, all God's
people, all who are elected, believe the gospel. All who acknowledge
the truth, believe the gospel. They believe. Now, there's nothing human about
this godliness or devotion. It doesn't come from fallen human
nature. It's a supernatural work of God's grace. It's a gift.
just like faith is, just like repentance is, just like the
new birth is, just like everything in the gospel is, it's the gift
of God. This thing of godliness or this
thing of well-devout or devotion, it is the gift of God. You and
Peter, Lord had used him to heal that man that was lame from his
birth and he jumped up in the temple there in Acts chapter
3 and was leaping, walking, praising God, going through the temple.
And everybody looked at Peter and Peter said, why look ye so
earnestly on us as though by our own power or holiness? That's the way the word is translated
there, the same word godliness. or devotion. Why do you look
on us as by our own power or holiness? We made this man to
walk. We didn't do this. This is the work of the Lord. Turn with me to 2 Peter chapter
1. 2 Peter verse 3. according as His divine power
hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness."
Where there's spiritual life, there will be this well-devout
godliness. It is there in every single believer. He hath given us all things that
pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of him
that hath called us to glory and virtue, 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's in the world through lust. Now this thing of well-devout,
godliness, that's what the King James calls it, and I'm sure
they had a good reason for calling it that, I just don't understand
what it is, but whatever it is, it's something to be desired
and pursued. Paul put it this way in 2 Timothy
3, 12. They that will be godly. That's their desire. They that
will be godly shall suffer persecution. They that will be godly, that's
their desire. They desire. Now listen, what God gives us as a free gift
is something we desire. I desire to be devoted. Reverend, I desire to be filled
with the fear of God. There's a desire. It's kind of
like Paul saying, oh, that I may win Christ and be found in him. That's my desire. I want to be
found in Christ so that when God comes looking for me, he
sees me in Jesus Christ only. I desire to know him. That's
what Paul said. Don't you want to know him? I
want to know him in such a way as when I use his name, I'm not
name dropping. He knows me too. I want to know Him. I want to
know the power of His resurrection, the saving power of His resurrection,
the fellowship of His sufferings. I want to know what He did He
did for me. I want to be made conformable unto His death. He
became obedient to death, even the death of the cross, if by
any means I might attain to the resurrection of the dead. You
see this thing of desire. They that will be godly, that
means that's their desire, shall suffer persecution. Now why does
it say that? Why does it say that? Because
everybody that's godly, everybody that's devoted and devout knows
and believes that the righteousness of Jesus Christ is the only righteousness
there is. And what is the eighth beatitude? Blessed are they that are persecuted
for righteousness sake. That's not talking about you
gave a big donation to a hospital and they put you in the paper
and all of a sudden they persecute you for it. No, you're persecuted
for maintaining that the righteousness of Jesus Christ is the only righteousness
there is. You look to His righteousness
only as your only ground of acceptance, and you preach His righteousness
only. That's why this persecution takes
place. And here's why. A natural man
is trusting his own righteousness. It really is that simple. And
if you tell him his righteousness is nothing more than filthy rags,
and God will never accept you in your own righteousness, Well,
that's taking away my hope of heaven. I'm going to get mad.
I'm not going to like the person that brings that message. But
that is the message of the gospel. Christ is the end of the law. to everyone that believeth. You know, every believer, and
this is part of being devoted. This is what well-devout is.
You're a fanatic about the righteousness of Jesus Christ being the only
righteousness there is. David said in Psalm 71 16, I
made mention of thy righteousness, even thine only. Do you want your righteousness?
Your personal filthy rags brought up on judgment day? I don't. I simply want to be found in
him. So this is something to be desired. I think it's very interesting
that the only time this word is used to describe
someone as an adjective is lot. Brother lot. Turn with me to,
oh, you're already there in 2 Peter, look in chapter two. Now, if we only had the Old Testament,
what would we think about Lot? If all we had was the Old Testament,
and we didn't have this testimony with regard to this man, I dare
say we would question whether or not he knew the Lord. He showed no deference to Abraham. How proud, how arrogant. He took
the well-watered plains and he showed no deference to Abraham.
I mean, he was such a self-centered man. He should have said, Abraham,
you make the choice. But no, he chose the well-watered
plains toward Sodom. And then we read that he pitched
his tent towards Sodom. And then we read he was living
in Sodom. And evidently he'd gained some
kind of political distinction there because he was sitting
in the gate. That really means something political. And the
Lord came to destroy Sodom. And the angel said, get out.
And the scripture says Lot lingered. He lingered. He knew the Lord
was going to destroy that place, and he lingered. And the angels
yanked him by the hand and pulled him out. While he's fleeing and
his wife looks back and turns into a pillar of salt, he gets
in a cave. And you know the story. His daughter
saying, we need to preserve seed and then getting him intoxicated.
And they had the Moabites and the Ammonites through him. Not
much of a resume. Very disturbing, but let's read
what God the Holy Spirit says with regard to this man. In 2
Peter 2 verse 7, he delivered just lot, justified lot. And he was vexed with the filthy
conversation of the wicked. Oh, he was vexed in Sodom. For
that righteous man, this is what God calls it. That righteous
man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous
soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds. The Lord knoweth
how to deliver the godly. He's talking about a lot out
of temptation. Now that lets me know that this
describes, every believer would be described as godly, devout. This goes to every single believer. Turn with me to 1 Timothy chapter
6. Verse 11, but thou, man of God,
and that's true of every believer, man of God, woman of God, what
an honor to be called that. O man of God, flee these things
and follow, pursue after righteousness, godliness, devotion altogether,
faith, love, patience, meekness. Pursue this. Look over in chapter four of
1 Timothy, verse seven. But refuse profane and old wives'
fables. That would summarize most preaching. Profane, contrary to the character
of God, contrary to the word, nothing more than an old wives'
fable. But refuse profane and old wives' fables and exercise
thyself. You know what physical exercise
is? Sure you do. Exercise yourself to godliness,
to devotion. You know the effort that's involved
in exercise, the difficulty that's involved in exercise? He says
exercise yourself unto godliness. For bodily exercise profits little. It does profit, but little in
the grand scheme of things. It profits very little. I've
heard of people that have said that they've stopped exercising
because of that. Well, it profits a little. It
profits a little. But godliness is profitable,
is beneficial unto all things. It's devotion to God, having
a promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come. Look in chapter two, verse two. Well, it's verse 1, 1 Timothy
chapter 2, verse 1. I exhort therefore, first of
all, supplications, prayers, intercession, and giving of thanks
be made for all men, for kings, and for all that are in authority,
our government officials. Why? That we may live a peaceable,
a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. Why do we pray for our government
officials? Isn't this for our benefit? Isn't
this for our profit that we might live a quiet, tranquil, peaceable
life in all godliness, devotion to the Lord, and honesty? You can certainly see where that's
profitable, isn't it? a quiet, peaceable life. Look
in chapter 6, verse 3, 1 Timothy chapter 6, verse 3. If any man 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. It's the doctrine that all the
devoted believe. That's where the It comes from
God. He's proud. Here's this person
who doesn't preach the doctrine, which is according to godliness,
true devotion. He's proud. Knowing nothing,
but doting about questions and strifes of words, where have
cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, perverse disputings
of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, supposing that
gain is godliness. Now what's that mean? Well, if
I follow God, I'm going to be better off financially. I'm going
to have a better marriage. I'm going to have a better life.
I'm going to have a better this. I'm going to have a better that.
It's going to improve my lifestyle. I'm going to profit. I'm going
to benefit from this. Well, it could be that you're
going to be burned to the stake for it. So don't look at it in
that light. Don't suppose that game, well,
I don't have any trials. Everything's going well. That may be a blessing, that
may be a curse, I don't know. But suppose that gain is godliness?
What does he say with regard to these people? From such withdraw
thyself, but godliness with contentment is great gain. Oh, contentment. What is contentment? Here's what gives me contentment.
Everything God requires of me, He looks to Christ for. I'm so
content with that. I'm not looking for anything
else. In Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead in a
body, and you are complete in Him. I'm content with that. I'm
not looking for anything else. Somebody says, there's gotta
be more. Go for it. I'm happy right here. I'm content
to be saved by the righteousness and merits of Jesus Christ alone. It makes me plum happy. I love
it. I'm content. I love the hymn,
content with beholding his face. My all to his pleasure resigns.
No changes of season or place could make any change in my mind.
When blessed with a sense of His love, a palace, a toy would
appear. And prisons would palaces prove
if Jesus would dwell with me there. What profit, what personal
benefit there is by His grace to have godliness with contentment. Look what he goes on to say in
verse 7. For we brought nothing into this
world, and it's certain we can carry nothing out. All the stuff
we worry about, it's all staying here. It's all going to be burned.
And having food and raiment, let us therewith be content.
Now that's literal. Yeah, that's enough. But I think more than anything
else, Christ my food, Christ my arraignment. With him I am
content. I feed off him, he is, his righteousness
is my clothing before God. Now, one last scripture, turn
to 2 Timothy chapter three. Wherever there is this godliness,
this well devout, there will be a counterfeit real close. That's the way it always is.
Wherever there's truth, the counterfeit is not far behind. Satan is always
going to send his counterfeits. So let's look here in 2 Timothy
chapter 3. This know also that in the last
days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their
own selves. Covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers,
disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection,
truth-makers, 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. He's talking about religious
people. He's talking about preachers. Having a form of godliness, but
denying the power thereof. Did you hear that? Have a form
of godliness. It appears to be godliness. You
look at it and say, well, it looks okay. It's a form. But
it's nothing more than a form. It's not the real thing. It's
a counterfeit. Now, where there's a counterfeit,
there will always be a denying of the power thereof. That's
what happens when there's a counterfeit. Now, the best way I know how
to illustrate this is a light bulb. A light bulb, shiny. How do I deny the power of that
light bulb? Well, first I can deny the source
of that power. The source of that power is from
the electric grid. That's where the power comes
from for that light to shine. It doesn't come within the bulb
itself. It came from the electric grid, the power plant, the power
company that came in. I could deny the conduit of that
power. How does that power get to the
light bulb? Well, through the copper wires. The conduit, that's
how it gets there. I'd say, no, it doesn't. I'd
be denying the power of that. Or I could just say, it's not
shining when it is. I deny the shining thereof. Now,
in this thing of godliness and denying the power thereof, what
is the source of this true godliness? The sovereign grace of God in
Christ Jesus. That's the source. It's not anything
man did, it's what God does. He is the source. And somehow, a counterfeit godliness
will deny that. They'll give man the credit in
some way. They'll give man some part in
this. Or I can deny the way it gets
there. the preaching of the gospel and
the hearing of the gospel and the believing of the gospel.
Somebody says, well, I was saved when I heard a false message.
No, you weren't. I was saved and then I learned the gospel.
No, you weren't saved then. When God saves you, it's when
you hear the gospel as gospel and not before then. It's repentance from dead works.
Same thing. You repent of this notion of
thinking your works had anything to do with salvation before God
saved you. You deny the way the gospel comes
through the preaching of the gospel, hearing the gospel, and
believing it. Or you deny the light's not shining. You deny the power of that life
that God made, that godliness, that devoted, well devout, that
is with every believer. There's no such thing as a believer
in the Lord Jesus Christ that does not have this well devout. Now, where there is election, You
know, I love election. God elected the people before
time began. Love it. Where there's election, there's
faith. Always. Where there's faith. There's
an acknowledgement of the truth an embracing of the truth and
where there is this embracing of the truth there is this thing
the translators called godliness. Well devout that describes every
single believer without exception. Let's pray. Lord, how we thank you for your word. How we thank you for
your gospel. How we thank you for your spirit.
How we thank you for the work of your son. Lord, I ask in Christ's
name. that every one of us might be
taken up with the great mystery of godliness, how that God was
manifest in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen of angels,
preached to the Gentiles, believed on in the world, and received
up into glory. Lord, that is what produces what
we've been reading of, this well-devout devotion. Lord, give us this.
Don't let us be barren and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord
and Savior, but cause us to pursue this for the glory of thy name. In Christ's name we pray, amen.