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INTRODUCTION
ILLUS: I sure am enjoying the warm weather - walking outside. At noon hour to and fro from
office. Walking at night. Exercise is profitable. My cardiologist is monitoring me and insists
I exercise again. I began with the treadmill in winter.
There is a spiritual exercise you and I must be engaged in too - the exercise of godliness.
TEXT: 1 Timothy 4:8 NASV
NLT “Physical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is much more important,
for it promises a reward in both this life and the next.”
We know physical exercise is important, it has some value for this life, but Godliness is much
more important for it has value for this life AND the next life.
For all Christians Godliness is not optional. It is not just for a few big name super saints
but for all. The word is mainly found in 2 NT books:
“godliness” is found 9 times in 1 Timothy - NASV.
4:7b “...discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness.”
6:6 “godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by
contentment.”
“godliness“ is found 4 times in 2 Peter - NASV
1:3 “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.”
Godliness is not optional, but an obligation of all believers. It’s benefits are
experienced immediately in time, and fully experienced forever in eternity
Series: Timely Truths that Transform Us. Church Statement of Faith.
Definitions: Godliness begins with God, root word of “godliness” = “God”
- Godliness is all about God. Exercise or discipline that focuses on God.
- Classical Greek = concern for deity and reverence for holy things.
- Bible = right attitude and response toward true Creator Redeemer God
- A person’s attitude toward God that results in actions that please God. God
is the center of our entire life. Spiritual infatuation. A deep friendship and
companionship with the Divine resulting in obedience.
QUOTE: Charles Swindoll: “A person who is godly is one whose heart is
sensitive toward God, one who takes God seriously...the craving to know God,
listen to Him, and walk humbly with Him… an authentic pursuit of and delight
in the Lord.” (Strengthen, 197)
- Discipline of attitude and action. Godliness = Passion for God in action
- Three descriptions of Passion for God found in the Bible to help us understand the
means for you and I to experience Godliness.
1. A Desire for God
- The Bible talks about having a desire for God.
- Scripture: Psalm 27, 42, and 63:1-4
- Desire is the starting and concluding point. This is when we really want God, want
a relationship with Him more than anything else, anyone else.
- Seek His face, a longing to feel presence, thirsty for His companionship.
ILLUS: Enoch must have had a great desire for God - Gen. 5:24; Heb. 11:5.
- The desire for God is just that - a desire for God, His person, presence.
ILLUS: Listen to personal testimonies - mostly we all speak of a time in our
life where we needed something from God - forgiveness, avoid hell, help in a
crises. We follow Him because of His goodness to us. PTL.
- YET, desire for God in Godliness is a step higher - we simply want God Himself,
everything else an added bonus, but we desire presence of God. Godliness seeks His
face more than His blessings. Worship Who He is.
- NT Philippians 3:8-14
“Knowing You Jesus, knowing You, there no greater thing. You’re my
all, you’re the best, you’re my joy, my righteousness, and I love
you Lord.”
- This is a need today. Rev. 3:20, Jesus stands at the door of His church
and desires fellowship. Problem is we are lukewarm, don’t have the passion.
We have plenty of stuff and full schedules - missing the desire for a relationship
with our God and Savior.
- Passion for God in action includes a desire for God that takes time for prayer, in
the Word, in meditation, silence, maybe fasting just to be with and to experience
God. A desire for God is the first step for Godliness.
2. The Fear of God
- The Bible talks about having “The fear of God/the Lord.” This
is a second description of Passion for God in Action.
- Scripture: Isaiah 11:3; “You shall delight in the fear of the Lord”
Acts 9:31; Romans 3:18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes”
- Two ways “fear” is used:
- Anxious dread - terrified, scared of God because God is just and measures
out wrath on sin and ungodly.
ILLUS: Sermon: “Sinners in the hands of an Angry God.”
- Awe and honor because God is majestic and glorious.
- Isaiah 6 shows both in the life of Isaiah - majesty and
dread
- When one sees how great God is, you see how sinful you are.
QUOTE: A.W. Tozer: “Where does the true fear of God arise? From the
knowledge of our own sinfulness and a sense of the presence of God. Isaiah had
an acute experience both of his personal uncleanness and of the awesome
presence of Jehovah: the two were more than he could stand...”
(Root, 41)
- Certainly honor and reverence is primary in NT, but the Bible still tells the
believer must have a holy respect for the terror of a just and holy God.
Hebrews 10:30 “vengeance is mine,” and 12:28-29 “a consuming
fire.“
- This helps us see that every act of disobedience is an affront to God’s
dignity and majesty and holiness. Our sin offends and disappoints God.
ILLUS: Parents and kids - honor parents, but also don’t want their
wrath/ disappointment. I didn’t want to hurt my parents. I hope my kids
likewise.
- The fear of the Lord, this passion for God in action makes sure you think about
price of sin so you don’t sin, you have a terror of offending and
disappointing Holy God. You don’t play games with God, respect God.
QUOTE: John Murray: “What or whom we worship determines our behavior.”
- Passion in action is obedience out of reverence for who God is, and dread in
offending and disappointing a Holy God. 2nd step in Godliness.
3. The Love for God
- Finally, the Bible talks about having a love for God.
- Scripture: Great Commandment Matthew 22:37; 1 John 4:8-5:3
QUOTE: Jerry Bridges: “The love of God has no meaning apart from
Calvary. Calvary has no meaning apart from the holy and just wrath of God.
Jesus did not die just to give us peace and a purpose in life; He died to save
us from the wrath of God...to reconcile us to a holy God who was alienated
from us because of our sin.” (31)
- We have gone from enemies and objects of wrath, to children and heirs of God,
because God loves us. We can love Him in return. He loves you. Do you love Him?
“We love, because He first loved us.”
QUOTE: Henry Blackaby: “God Himself pursues a love relationship with
you...Your relationship to God is the single most important aspect of your
life. If it is not right, nothing else is important. To be loved by God is the
highest relationship, the highest achievement, and the highest position in
life.” (Experiencing God, 53)
- The more we have a desire for God, the more we have reverence for the greatness of
the Holy and Just God, the more we want to love Him.
- Loving God, this passion in action is seen in our faithful obedience John
14:21 “He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves
Me.” A mutual love relationship, a positive response.
- Loving God, this passion in action is also seen in our love for others:
“And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God
should love his brother also” 1 John 4:21 2nd Great
Commandment.
- One of the concepts I want to build upon this year in “Timely Truths that
Transform Us” - is the Us. We are in this together, the church must show
love one for another. That is one great way world knows we love God.
CONCLUSION
A Great compliment someone can say about you “There is a godly man/woman.”
Desire - time with God. Fear - respect and reverence for a
Holy Just God so as not sin. Love - obedience to please God because He loves
you, and you love Him in return and pass that love on to one another.
In the business of your life, can you be Godly? A priority. How is your Godliness today?
Make a commitment to have an active passion for God. That is Godliness. A.W. Tozer summarizes
it in his excellent book: The Pursuit of God.
Are you pursuing God? How? Desire. Fear. Love.
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