Godliness

we're looking to the word of the Lord today again second Peter chapter 1 continue to study this passage of scripture very instruction in Christian Living we are studying gives us some very pointed and some very powerful lessons in how to please God and how to live for him and then I'm also going to read from Titus Chapter 2 verses 11 and 12 good to see everyone in the house of the Lord some guests with us welcome those that are joining us online and just invite everyone to open our hearts to what God's word has to say this morning second Peter chapter 1 verses five and six which we've been reading pretty much all quarter here and besides this giving all diligence add to your faith virtue to Virtue knowledge to knowledge Temperance to Temperance patience and to patience godliness patience godliness and that will be our theme for today we're going to look at the concept the idea of godliness Titus Chapter 2 verses 11 and 12 tells us this for the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men and teaching us the denying ungodliness and worldly lust we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world so

today we're we going to continue through this list of Virtues and Peter instructs us to add to our faith he said to add godliness now very thought of godliness would imply being like God now we understand that he is in in so many ways far beyond what we could ever be when we think of the almighty God we're never going to be what he is you're never going to have all power you were never going to have all knowledge know everything about everything you're never going to be omniscient um never going to be any of those things you're never going to be omnipresent everywhere all at one time so we we can't except but there are some moral things that we are to take on and there are some ways of living there are some some things that we know about God that we are to work towards and so the very thought of that just implies being like God it's it it's almost impossible to try to find God we can't really in all his attributes yet he applies it Peter says we need to live Godly have godliness and so perhaps the most I think one of the easiest ways maybe to understand the term is to contrast it with worldliness which would be the opposite or ungodliness worldliness as worldliness involves exhibiting or looking at that things that pertain to the world godliness involves reflecting the character of God in fact Webster desins worldliness as this way he said it is the quality or the state of being worldly I like definitions like that don't you look up worldliness and said well it's being worldly okay fortunately he goes on a little bit he said it's a disposition or a tendency to emphasize the things of the world rather than those of the spirit it is a Devotion to or love of worldly Affairs usually accomp accompanied by a neglect of religious duties or spiritual needs so it's focusing in other words on this life and the things that are in this life the pleasures of this world the things that are out there he also defines God less as the conforming of One Life one's life to the revealed character and to the purpose of God the word godliness appears only 15 times in our King James Bible and it appears only in the New Testament in the Scriptures it was only used by the apostles Paul and Peter and in fact even in Paul it's uh most of them are in the Epistles to Timothy and and Titus so the later Epistles that attributed to Paul however the idea is present throughout our Scriptures it it isn't always translated godliness in the Old Testament you never see that word godliness um but the idea there is translated through through the phrase fear of God and you see that a lot in the Old Testament where it talks about fear God and keep his Commandments it talks about living in the fear of God and in fact where you see that fear of God in your King James Bible in particular uh the Greek translation of the Old Testament uses the exact same word that Peter and Paul used for godliness so it was understood obviously in their day that this was what godliness is about it's it is that fear of God and so in that vein of thought Nelson's Bible dictionary defines godliness as piety or a reverence toward God reverencing fearing God not fear that he's going to destroy but a a healthy reverence for God so godliness invi involves a personal desire to emulate Jesus Christ to bring glory to God and everything we say it it is attempting to live as Jesus would have us live it is that motivating factor that would changes us it works in us to do what the Bible says that we are trying to do and that is to be conformed to the image of Christ

in Paul's letter to Titus we read the the couple of verses there we find that God godliness is something that we must be taught taught in other words it doesn't just happen and that's why we take time for lessons like this right we need the teaching the first phrase of the passage I think is significant Paul explains that it's the grace of God that teaches us how to live we talk a lot about God's grace and salvation and that is true by Grace you are saved through faith that not of yourselves it's the gift of God and so in Salvation it's the grace of God that works but it doesn't stop there but that Grace will continue to teach us it will continue to lead us and so Paul wrote to Titus the grace of God that brings salvation it has has appeared to all men it's available to everyone he said but here's what it does it teaches us something teaches us we often say that we're saved by G Grace that is true but it will also teach us and notice this teaching is in uh two different directions and you notice this a lot in the scripture when it talks about uh worldly things and godly things the first thing notice is the direction the first it teaches us there are some things that we must deny there are things that you must turn away from if you will Ephesians 42122 said this if so be that you have heard him you've heard Jesus and have been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus he said you need to put off concerning the former conversation of the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lust so that is denying ungodliness it is turning from sinful things things in fact in this verse where he says uh you have put off the former conversation that word there in the original refers not to what we say but how we live and what we do and so he said according to your former way of life this old man that was corrupt according to itce deceitful lust you need to put that off you need to deny those ungodliness in Ephesians Paul speaks of deceitful lusts and Titus he calls them worldly lusts now a lot of times we think of lust and talking about people and different things but it really refers to any desire or anything that we are set in our affections on that lead us away from Jesus Christ that's why Paul said to the Colossians set your affections on things above and not on things of the earth there are things we have to deny right it's important what we focus on and the things that we do in fact the Bible says in another place says love not the world neither the things that are in the world because if you love the world the love of the father is not in them in you and then in in Romans Paul writes to us and he said that we are to be not conformed what to this world to the things of this world so all of these are denying ungodliness walking away from those things and so when Paul says set our affections on things above I think it's important for us to guard where our affections are lie the things that we think about the things we concentrate on the things we watch and we're be real practical here the things we meditate on they can all lead us down the path of following after inordinate desires it's the things we focus on wise man warned us this way he said keep your heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of Life what he's talking about there that seed of emotion that seed of affection we need to be careful because it's things that we desire and the things that we want to seek after and the things that we are that we're looking after even if you can't walk on the edge and say you know I really like this stuff I'm not GNA be a part of it but I I just keep watching it I keep reading about it I keep searching for it on the internet but but I'm not going to get involved in it if your affections are heading those directions The Temptations will come and lead us astray that's why we need to learn to deny or to put off those carnal things and if we don't learn to put off those things we will never put on the things that are Godly so we need to watch ourselves where are my affections what am I looking toward

not only we taught to deny some things but also the grace of God teaches us the things that we should do and that is the second half of the equation Paul gives Titus three things that we need to be taught notice not just taught but he said these are things that you must live right these are things that we have to to live out he said teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lust we should live so these are how we need to walk our chrisan living it does little good to teach about right living if we don't live right correct I mean we could go on and on and say okay Thou shalt not Thou shalt here's how you ought to live here's and then go out and do what we want it hasn't done us a bit of good so we need to learn to live right

so how are we to live first he said to live soberly that doesn't mean you can't have a good time it's not referring to that it's not referring to you know some people are real sober probably me some people think um real sober you know they're not out joking and everything that's not what it's talking about the word literally implies a s sound mind another definition of that word is someone that is sane or in their right mind it's an interesting thought right let's let's make a little here not say anybody's crazy but have you ever done something later and then said what was I thinking those laughs tell us we've said that right oh my goodness what was I thinking when I did that often we and here's the truth this applies to all of us we let carnal desires lead us astray even when we know we're doing wrong we're not careful we let our heart and our emotions get ahead of our mind so let me help us a a little bit here A sound mind then is always it to have a sound mind it is always better to think think through situations before they surface settle some things in your heart and in your mind I am not going to go that direction make a decision about how I'm going to handle them when the Temptation arises and then follow what you know and what you have settled in your heart and not where that heart is leading you that's real practical but it'll work settle it in your heart I'm not going to be a part of this I'm not g to go do that I'm G to stay away from this and you settled in your mind and when Temptation comes yeah I'm not saying it won't come and I'm not saying it won't be difficult and sometimes we have to take Paul's advice and just say okay I have to flee and get away from this temptation but whatever it takes settle it in your mind and here's what we must always remember Jeremiah says it this way in 179 the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know it it was a song years ago in fact a lot of people started using it for a wedding song U but it had a line in there that said it can't be wrong if it feels so right better think about that there's a lot of things that might feel right to flesh but it ain't right in God's eyes so live soberly second we are to live righteously simply put to live righteously is to live right correct it is in the right way in the right manner in a in a right and not just a right manner as we see it not right in our own eyes as they did in Genesis it talks about every man did right which is in his own eyes but right in the eyes of God God that's what righteousness is all about how do we do that we follow the word of God we see what this word had to say we studied this earlier in in second Peter we look began to look at this scripture it said he has given us his divine power hath given us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of him that ha called us to glory and virtue and so how do we know what is right it's through the knowledge of him it it is knowing Jesus Christ it is knowing how he lived knowing what he taught knowing what the word said his word indeed is a lamp into our feet and it is a light into our path and it will teach us the ways of righteousness it will show us how to live now I know we hear this sometimes but you know it's not everyone work out your own way to to get there it's not figured out for yourself it's look into the word of God and see how this applies to my life and it will teach us how to live and how to walk in righteousness and then finally he said we are to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world that word literally means and I mentioned this uh word earlier piously and we don't use that whole lot it's a a word that uh was very popular several centuries ago and it referred to when someone thought of someone that was Pious it was someone who was very religious or deeply devoted to their religion and devoted to God and so they lived a life that they strove to live a a life that was pleasing to God now that word gets a bad rap because the world often looks at people say oh you're just a Pious whatever and they they kind of put it as a slam making you consider yourself holier than thou or maybe you even are hypocritical or whatever and that's not what Paul was expressing he was expressing the idea that you have a Godly d Direction in your life you're you're living in a way that pleases God you're seeking to make sure that your life is what God wants it to be so there is that Devotion to the word of God and Devotion to to the times you spend with God and Devotion to the being in his house the devotion and all of those things are wrapped up in this idea of being Pious or being reverence it is clear that we must have a reverence to the things of God that that fear of God that we mentioned ear earlier but that reverence and esteem that is the essence of godliness here's what we know when we choose to live Godly that choice will guide Our Lives it will govern Our Lives it will change the way we do things right

you know if we don't choose you know you ever notice water always goes to the lowest spot wherever that is it'll flow down our carnal nature if we're not careful it is predisposed to sink us into evil but when the Holy GH ghost comes into our life we're changed we receive a new in a spiritual nature it's vital to recognize we understand that the old one still exist alongside the new and we constantly have to keep it under control but every element of that dual nature will seek to dominate us there's that struggle that we deal with seen cartoons where they put a little angel over on this shoulder and a little devil over on this one and they're both saying you do this and the other one says no do that that that's kind of how we feel some sometimes in fact Paul said it this way in Romans 7:25 with my mind I serve the law of God but with my flesh the law of sin now here's the thing Paul wasn't saying I'm thinking right but I'm doing wrong what he was saying is with my mind this is the mind that has been renewed by the spirit of God right be not conformed to this world be transformed by the renewing of your mind what I know and what I'm putting up here is serving the will of God but if I follow after the flesh I will find if I'm not following after what I know is right I'm going to find that I'm following after what is wrong goes back to what he talked about earlier where's your affections and before you get there make sure that you understand what I'm going to do and how I'm going to live and then with your mind you will serve the law of God and your flesh though it desires to follow the law of sin you'll keep it under subjection to help us submit to the spirit and allow him to govern Our Lives instead of letting carnality do that we got to follow some guidelines you know God has never taken the approach that you can just decide the proper way to come to you every path does not lead to him and in every dispensation God gives instruction how to please him we can look at the Old Testament and see this is true when God brought Israel out of Egypt he said he brought him out with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm he he parted the Seas he put plagues on Egypt he he drowned Pharaoh's Army he brought them out and and they spoiled the Egyptians and they come out very Victorious and they they dance and saying but the problem wasn't getting Israel out of Egypt God was able to do that no problem I can get him out and he did the problem was trying to get Egypt out of Israel you know God's given them food to eat and they gripe about it wish we were back in Egypt so good being a slave there and having getting beat and killed and everything that was going on but at least we had good food couldn't imagine they're out in the wilderness but God's providing for them he gives them shoes that last for 40 years that never wear out and and he gives them clothes that never wear he's giving them food every day he's providing water for them everywhere they go and all they can think about is what I had in Egypt again comes back to up here I once knew knew a person that got saved actually grew up in church back Sid and came back and different times but one of the times he came back we were talking to him and he opens his wallet and starts showing me some pictures he had in there and I'm what are you doing with those this is what I did before I came back here you know what as long as you keep that kind of an attitude you're going to go back to it sure enough he did he's been married five times that I know of and I don't know what else but last last time I talked to him you know I never really believed all that stuff that I'm I'm figuring it out for myself I'm going through the Bible and you know going to different direction where's our minds so Israel is leaving they're they're longing for Egypt wanting to go back and so God says okay well let me give you the law and the law Define sin it told them how they could please God what they need to be doing he gave them the law just 50 days about after they departed from Egypt when they arrived there and the Lord went before them in the day and a pillar of cloud and to lead them by way and a night a pillar of fire to give them light to go by day and and night with God's written word to guide their minds and the spirit to to literally lead them and to guide them God Made A Way and led them through the Wilderness until they reach the promised land God always has a way he always has a plan but you got to follow it right don't go back to Egypt continue following God's way

in a similar pattern the church receives this New Covenant this new law if you will 50 about 50 days after jesus' death he said but this shall be the Covenant that I will make after those days I will put my law in their inward Parts I'm going to write it in your hearts I will be their God they shall be my people now everyone will they will know the Lord for I will forgive their iniquity and remember their sin no more when a person gets baptized in jesus' name we we put that old man down in water in Jesus name we repent of our sins we get filled with his spirit that spirit will begin to guide and to lead us just like that Pillar of Fire just like that cloud the Bible said that Spirit of Truth he will guide you into all truth now here's what we know that doesn't mean into your own truth it will guide you into this truth suddenly you'll read this word of God and things will begin to make a lot more sense and you'll begin to to see how God is working in your life and he will guide us it's a vital that we follow that guidance of the spirit and not quinch it or not grieve him and as Believers we need to listen to that still Small Voice that said this is the way walk therein don't turn to the right or to the left just as the people follow that pillar of cloud by day and night we are the people of God we need to continually follow after the spirit of God

we're talking about living in godliness today Paul expounds that idea in Romans chapter 8 he he brings this this difference between worldliness and godliness between walking after the spirit and walking after the Flesh and into sharp Focus uh I'll read just a few of those verses therefore there now is no condemnation who to those who are in Christ Jesus and then he explains what that means they are walking not after the flesh but after the spirit following after the spirit for they that are after the the flesh do mind the things of the flesh but they that are after the spirit the things of the spirit he said to be carnally minded so you're thinking wrong thoughts keep coming back to that don't we this this idea of soberly Saye thoughts thoughts that are correct righteously to be carnally mind he said they that are after The Flesh mind the things of the flesh but they that are following after the spirit do mind the things of the spirit so we're following the things of God then he goes on to say therefore ble Brethren we're not debtors to the flesh you don't owe that flesh anything to live after the flesh if you live after the flesh you will die but if you through the spirit do mortify the Deeds of the body you shall live for as many as are led by the spirit of God they are the sons of God so godliness governs when we are easily Spirit Le and we're compliant and we're obedient to God in his word

there is a power of godliness our world we look at the world today we we mentioned during the prayer time that the things that we see around us this this world the Bible tells us it is full of sin it said evil men and seducers are going to wax worse and worse as we get closer to the end time those things are going to happen uh but there there's a couple of important areas I think we we need to consider one is the overall moral Decay many people are are totally self-centered with their desire they're inwardly focused I I'm going to live the way I want to live even if it's sinful there are some that figure I I can live any way I want I still love Jesus but I'll I'll do what I want to do that behavior results in in an unconcern uh for the things of God and moral Decay allows for the acceptance and embracing of ungodly lifestyle and say well we all love Jesus we're all Christians we're all going to heaven no you got to follow this work we have to deny the ungodliness our moral compass is badly skewed when we live some people in direct opposition to the word of God and yet they claim to be a Christian so there is that moral declay Decay but there is also if we're not careful a spiritual and a doctrinal decay in religion Doctrine is important in fact that's what Paul is writing to Timothy or Titus about here giving heed to the doctrine stay within the teachings of the word of God stay in the the truth of God's word remember several years ago I wasn't even at APC at the time um but I married someone from APC and so we came to visit several times and at that time we had a man by the name of brother Mackey here that was doing some Bible studies and and I remember coming down uh for that Revival he was preaching and he said Doctrine always divides and to me that kind of whoa what's that talk about but he he talked about the book of Acts where it talks about how they were divided by the apostles Doctrine people would listen to what they were teaching and say well I'm not sure about that and it begin to divide the Jews up into to either the camp of those that believed what Jesus said and believed that he had risen again and believe the teachings of him or those that chose to follow the Old Testament way and so that Doctrine begins to divide it still does today if you're not walking in truth what are you walking in and so when you begin to Proclaim truth sometimes it leads people away and if we're not careful there there are many that have once preached and once taught and dealt with eternal issues issues and preach with conviction and brought spiritual change to lives and and suddenly they found it was easier to build a crowd if they just throw the doctrine out the result there's churches you can go anywhere that do not welcome the operation of the Holy Ghost that don't want to hear someone speak out in tongues or a message go forth or God working in a service and and they they try to to do something that will just appease a crowd and make great gain out of it Paul said they have a form of godliness but they deny the power thereof church we can never let the power of the Holy Ghost not be active in our services we can never get to the point where we say you know what that's just a little too controversial and it scares people away and let's just let's just push that aside we got to be careful

First Timothy 4:7 interesting verse refuse profane and old wives fables it's kind of a an awkward sentence he said but here's what we do exercise s rather unto godliness what we have to understand there that word profane what he is talking there he is referring to crossing a threshold and entering into Heathen practices avoid those kind of things these profane and old wives fables things that they had heard in the background and I think we did a lesson on this a few months ago but in America Amica today if we're not careful many Pagan ideas are trying to creep into Christianity and get involved in in Christianity you know the idea of of putting meditation in place of prayer or churches that have yoga programs which is something that comes straight out of Hinduism and others that that are literally sometimes accept rituals that are rooted in Witchcraft and all these kind of things that they well you know these observances show us going away from what the Christians once stood for here's what Paul said about that if I build again the things which I destroyed I make myself a transgressor if I'm going to go back in fact he warns against us in in U Colossians he talks about not following after the rudiments of this world and another the elemental things the spiritual wrong spiritual things of this world not following after those things we've got to be careful don't build those again don't bring them back in we've got to exercise great caution in what we do don't imitate the ungodly trends of the world just so that you can draw a crowd or to draw it into your life we need to be careful this we're talking about living Godly living in a way that pleases God and all our activities whether in church out of church I think we need to ask the question is the motive behind this is is it rooted in godliness or is it rooted in what pleases the flesh that neglect of Doctrine produces people who are ignorant of truth that resist truth that that just are not interested in truth that don't want a part of the truth but there is a power of godliness when you take the scripture and you apply it to your life it will unleash the power of God to work in your life when you believe and you stand on these promises as the old song said if you let it work in your life it will make a difference but here's the thing we have to let them work in US you have to do them Jesus said whoever hears these says of mine and doeth them I will like unto the wise man that builds this house on a rock talking about living Godly you have to do some things now some people look at this well I'm not earning my salvation no you're not earning in your salvation it's a free gift but once you are saved the Bible said he has saved us by Grace you're saved through faith but he goes on to say that you might bring forth good works you're not earning salvation but they need to come forth in your life and so you have to do the things of God so living a life of godliness allows that Spirit to work through us here here's some just examples there is a power of Doctrine in our lives when we are line our mind with the word of God when we get it in our hearts Faith begins to grow in us you know nothing is going to boost your faith more than standing on the word of God getting it in your mind getting it in your heart and then standing and believing say well Lord this is what your word said and you begin to pray the word and live the word suddenly we become those partakers of the divine nature that Peter talked about what did it say about Jesus they were astonished at his Doctrine for his word was with power or with authority so there is an authority in Doctrine there is a power there is also a power in our conduct the the ability to overcome that carnal nature is Impossible by ourselves you can't do it we can't live for God on our own but when the Holy Ghost comes into our life it will Empower us to live Victorious that's that spiritual battle Paul was talking about with my mind I serve God but here's what he said into Corinthians in 15:57 but thanks be to God which gives us the victory through Jesus Christ Our Lord yeah I may be in a struggle there may be fleshly desires tugging this way and spiritual ones going this way but thanks be to God he will give us Victory aren't you thankful for the power of the Holy Ghost that's why Paul said without the spirit you're none of his you got to have that strength and that's not condemning anyone except it condemns all of us we got to have his Spirit right by his Spirit we're able to subdue flesh by that spirit in us we are able to make right and godly decisions and with that Spirit we will live a Victorious and Godly life it will give us a new purpose godliness it will Define who we are and what we do in this life it will help us Romans 75 said the Motions of sin which by the law did work in our members to bring forth fruit into death so when we're following worldliness and we're following ungodliness that motions of sin as he calls them there he said it it began to work in us and it brings forth death but the spirit he said now being made free from sin and become Servants of God ye have your fruit un Holiness and the end everlasting life and we begin to focus on doing things that bring glory to God I'm going to live in a way that is pleasing to him him not only that but godliness will open a door of Faith godliness opens the door to witness and to experience the miraculous Mark 161718 very familiar to us said these signs shall follow them that believe in my name they're going to cast out Devils they're going to speak with no tongues they're going to take up serpents if they drink any deadly thing it will not hurt them they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover there is a power to those that live Godly God will open that door

also there is a power of suffering now we don't like that we talked about this last week when we talked about patience but godliness will help us to understand and help us maybe not understand but accept what God is doing in our life even when it takes long patience even when we have to just say well I know that all things are working together for good maybe not my own personal good as I see it in this life but they're working together for good to them that love God they're going to work some good thing in me they're going to lead me to a great reward in heaven that's why Paul said our light Affliction which is but a moment it works for us a far more exceeding Eternal weight of Glory now that's good I might not like the way it works through in this life but hold on this light Affliction even though it doesn't seem so light sometimes it will work in us an eternal weight of Glory God is working that power of godliness it will enable us maybe not to always understand but at least see the big picture to see into eternity and to know hey there's a reward I've got to keep living we mentioned it last week the Church of Smyrna God writes to them and he said I see your patience I see all this stuff he said but here's what you got to know you're going to suffer and you're going to die but after that there's a Crown of Life man we don't like that let me let me read one of these other ones you know where God's going to pour out blessing and I'm standing before you an open door and you know all these things are going to happen well some of us are in Smyrna some of us you're in Philadelphia some may be in leod deia regardless it will work in us and there is a power the love of God one of the most descriptive terms John John just says it flat out God is love it would seem to follow that those those who are Godly will have that in abundance we need to let the love of God work in our lives we need to let the love of God be shown forth in our life that Christ May dwell in your hearts that ye be en rooted and grounded in love and as it operates in our life it will help us love others and then as we talked about last week the power of patience patience the ability we know we're going to go through some things but patience

Paul wrote to Timothy in 1 Timothy 48 and he said this godliness is profitable unto all things having promise of the life that is now and of that which is to come godliness is profitable godliness is good for us it pays to live Godly the wages of sin is death the Bible tells but what is the gift of God it is eternal life through Jesus Christ Our Lord we live for him it will profit us Psalm 1 verses 3 through 4 said and he talk about the righteous they will be like a tree planted by rivers of water that brings forth his fruit in the season his Leaf shall not wither whatsoever he doeth shall prosper the ungodly are not so but they're like chaff that the wind drives away it pays to live Godly see people that have just given their life over to sin bodies are broken their minds end up broken when they just go out and and just live a hard life oh you didn't you missed this and you missed that and you look and you say I doesn't appear that I missed a whole lot of anything living a Godly life will profit us

we need to pursue godliness since our lifestyle was focused on Heavenly things we need to seek those things which are above we need to seek after the things of God we've been delivered from the ungodliness of the present world he has delivered us from old things said old things are passed away and All Things become new and as people of God here's here's our what we are doing we are seeking to emulate Jesus Christ we're being conformed to his image we're being made more like him right that's our goal that's our purpose and if we're following after the things of the world we're not being made more like him we're conforming to the things of the world it comes down to what what am I conforming to in my life what are the most important things where am I heading when it's all said and done do I want it said this was a Godly person that sought after God well this was a person that lived life for himself for herself that that went out and did things that pleased flesh and ended up with so little I had to do a funeral for a relative and I'm not pointing a finger anywhere but I asked children what do you want me to say well mention that she's a good Gardener fair enough she was and that she liked to cook for family anything else no I think that covers what do you want to be known for it's okay to be known that you a good Gardener that you enjoyed to do this that you enjoy that you whatever but I want it to be said he served God he lived for Jesus because really when it's all said and done what else matters in all we say and in all we do we need to reflect Jesus Christ in our life and so godliness is that governing force it will guide us in the process it will transform us from infants if you will in the mature complete Sons and Daughters of God I think as as we go through life ask yourself is this Godly is the thing I'm getting ready to do or the thing I am watching the thing I partaking and the thing that I am thinking on how does God view it what would he think I remember going to youth convention one time here in Missouri when I was youth pastor and the Evangelist that was teaching asked this question he he said how do you like it knowing that Jesus is with you all the time he's with me everywhere I go you know and then he brought it home to us how do you like it that he is with you when you're out doing this that you know is not right and that you know you're doing this how do you like knowing that that he's right there what would Jesus do right if we seek the guidance of the Holy Ghost he will the Bible said guide us and direct us in all truth in one day he's returning for his people

and so John says it this way beloved now are we the sons of God does not yet appear what we shall be in other words we haven't made it yet and you can look at any of us and it's not quite what it needs to be yet does not appear but here's what we know when he shall appear we shall be like him that is our goal for we shall see him as he is and then listen what he say for those that say well you can't earn salvation no you're not earning salvation but he does say but every man that has this hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure in other words you had to your patience godliness godliness let's stand we don't do it so we can say we're better than anybody else we do it because we say I want to be like Jesus that's your desire just lift a hand and tell them that this morning Lord so thankful for the instruction of your word practical instruction Lord that gets right down where we live but we want to be like you and we want our lives Lord to reflect your Holiness and your righteousness and your godliness that it would be reflected in us because one of these days Lord we will see you and at that point we will become like you that is our goal that is our desire we pray in Jesus name thank you savior thank you savior amen let's take a break amen we'll get ready for morning worship