How To Know You Are A Godly Person | THEOCAST

What Biblical Godliness Is Not

Part of my responsibility as a pastor is to help people understand what does it mean to be godly, and I want everybody to be godly. If every single human being in the world was godly, we would solve a lot of our problems, which is what we are called to be, is godly.

But what does that mean? And the definition for today depends on what denomination people that you ask, but why can't we seem to agree when what the Bible says is godly? Traditionally speaking, in the tradition I grew up in, and probably some of you who have been around Christianity for a while, godliness typically is espoused, and this is the person, right?

They're typically older, they have gray hair, so I'm getting there, I'm almost godly. They have gray hair, they are disciplined in life, and they've been morally clean, and that's how we would describe godliness.

The problem with that description is that you don't need to be a Christian in order to be godly in that way, because I know a lot of people who are old, who are very disciplined in life, and they have never cheated on their wife, their taxes, or anything else, and they don't cuss.

That can't be what godliness is. So godliness isn't this form of moralism where I would say, you know, the 1950s view of a man. Godliness is described very different in the New Testament. So let's look at some passages where the Apostle Paul gives us a description of someone who is reflecting the nature of God or reflecting the teachings of Christ, and what are the outflow of their character?

When you look at this person, you will just say, this is how we describe them. So I think we're going to look at a couple of passages. We're going to start in Romans 15. Another way to describe godly would be strong, a strong Christian, right?

Let's describe a strong Christian. What does it mean to be strong? Again, we could go to, well, they're disciplined in their reading, and they're disciplined in their prayer life, and they're at every service.

Paul doesn't describe it that way. He says, we who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. So what's interesting in this is that Paul has spent 14 chapters talking about the glorious sovereign God and the beauty of Christ and the failings of men, and at the end of that, those who grasp God is powerful.

Without him, we have nothing. We are but clay. He is the potter. Those who find themselves trusting in the sufficiency of Christ, he says, a strong person is obligated or has the capacity, another way of saying that, to deal with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves.

So it's very different. It's not the stoic, really untouchable person who almost seems sainted, right? It's someone who isn't distanced from the rest of the world but is definitely engaged, especially with those who are weak.

Gentleness in Restoring the Weak

He goes on in Galatians chapter 6 and verse 1. He says, if anyone is caught in any transgressions, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness, keeping watch on yourselves lest you too be tempted.

So you're always seeing strong Christians who are engaging with the failings and the weak, and you can't do that if you are so introspectively focused in on yourself where you're making sure that you are doing enough to continue to be mature and growing in Christ.

What's interesting is that when you start describing people who are godly or reflecting Christ, they're being described as those who have the capacity to be gentle and kind and patient and confront and deal with the failings of the weak.

A passage I mention all the time but I think is so helpful, you have Ephesians chapter 4. And in Ephesians chapter 4 verse 1 he says, I therefore a prisoner of the Lord urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.

So a response to our adoption, the response to the glorious truth of Christ. He's saying if we are a part of that, we've been called by that. He says, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love.

So the reflections of one who is spiritual or who is obeying God, who is godlike, godly in the nature of what he is expressing to one another, you're not seeing this powerful, this person who is being described as a disciplined person.

And I'm sure some of this stuff requires discipline but, you know, humility, that's not considering yourself to be anything. I mean, a humble person is looking to something that's more significant than themselves.

Gentle, they aren't brash. They aren't pointing their fingers. They are one who is patient is what he's saying, bearing with one another in love. So the image of godly in my mind, according to Paul, is that I look at someone who is humbly and gently patient with people, expressing love and forgiveness to them.

I am not picturing someone who has separated themselves and somehow the form of godliness is discipline. Now, listen to me. I think in order to do these things, it does take discipline, but that's not the emphasis.

What's interesting is that in all of these passages, you're dealing with the emphasis of love, patience, and humility. I'm going to look at one more passage I think is helpful. It's 2 Peter chapter 1, and I know I've mentioned this a couple of times before, but I want you to hear where Paul starts with

I'm sorry, Peter starts with the divine nature of God being granted to us where our standing before him is not based upon our works but, of course, obviously justification by faith. And then he says, for this reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue and virtue with godliness and brotherly affection.

Now, I want you to hear what he says here. He says that he wants us to add to our faith these things. For what reason? He says, verse 8, for if these qualities are yours and increasing, they keep you from being ineffective and unfruitful in the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

He's saying that these actions are the result of what makes you effective in what? Brotherly love. I mean, we don't do steadfastness and self-control and virtue for ourselves. That's our brothers and sisters in Christ.

So, he's pointing to the what we're doing as believers is based upon interacting with individuals with patience and meekness and gentleness, virtue, kindness. And then he points out to those who are acting ungodly, and he says to them in verse 10 I'm sorry, verse 9, whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blinded, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.

So, he's saying, listen, if you aren't demonstrating these qualities, he doesn't tell them to discipline themselves. He says you need to remember the gospel. You need to remember that you've been cleansed from the very sins that you are now committing.

So, he is excited to encourage them with to be godly, not based upon anything other than it is the reflection of what you have received. As the confessions tell us that our obedience is done out of gratitude and joy, not out of fear and obligation.

Godliness as the Fruit of Gospel Gratitude

So, a lot of times when we think about godly people, we look at their actions, and it's a way for them to do watermark checks, right? Like, did I read my Bible today? Did I pray? Did I not do this? And so, because I did these two things and I didn't do these two things, I can consider myself to be godly.

We look at the New Testament. The New Testament says that godliness is the reflection of patience, kindness, gentleness, meekness, forbearing one another. So, I would say that if you want to say, ask yourself, am I a strong Christian?

Are you demonstrating these qualities? And if you're not, how do you do it? Like, how do I demonstrate gentleness and meekness and kindness? Like, how do I figure out how to be kind in these ways? Well, let's look to Paul real quick in Philippians chapter 2, and he gives you the motivation for being godly, and he says that we look unto Jesus.

I mean, let's look at this real quick. Philippians 2 .1. So, if there's any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind.

He's saying, look how Jesus treated you with sympathy and kindness, encouragement, comfort, love. We look at God's love and kindness to us, and in return, he says, you do the same thing. You find yourself enjoying doing that.

So, godliness is looking at who Jesus is towards us, his compassion, sympathy, kindness, and love, forgiveness, and mercy, and then in turn doing it to our brothers. We are now being compassionate, kind, and mercy.

It is not this person who is yelling at everybody, pointing out their sins, pointing to their own righteousness, pointing to their own discipline. That is not humble, and that is not patient, and that is not kind.

The Church, Hebrews 12, and Looking to Jesus

So, hopefully this is an encouragement to you and clarifying. I will tell you that it is absolutely impossible to do these type of things on your own. You will never have enough motivation. This is why Hebrews says, consider how to build one another daily so you are not hardened by the deceitfulness of sins, or Ephesians 4, 10 through 15, right?

When the body functions properly, it builds yourself up in love. So, he starts in Ephesians 4, 1, walk in a manner worthy of the calling with gentleness, meekness, and patience. How does that happen? How do I live gentle, and patient, and meekness, and bearing with one another?

In verses 10 through 15, he says, he's equipping you through the power of the Spirit that when the body works properly, we are then having the capacity to be gentle, and patient, and kind. So, if you see yourself as not as a humble person, if you see yourself as not patient, and kind, I'm not here to tell you to be patient, and kind, and gentle, because you can't do that.

Those are works of the Spirit. I'm telling you to go to a church where they will preach to you the gospel, show you your need of Christ so you can look to Christ. This is Hebrews 12, right? Set aside the weight and the sin that besets you for what?

To look unto Jesus the author and finisher of your faith. So, we need the community of the believers to encourage us to repent of our sins, and then we can then, out of love and affection, to love God and love one another, we can be gentle and kind.

So, in conclusion, what is a strong Christian? What is a godly Christian? It's one who is loving their brother with gentleness, patience, meekness, and forbearing with them. That's what a strong Christian does.

That's where our ambition is, and we seek patience and forgiveness from our Father as we give that to each other. Hopefully, this is helpful. If you have any questions or want to engage with us, please leave us a comment below, and we'll see you next week.