Introduction to Godliness
Godliness is a state of moral uprightness and conforming to the laws of God to fulfill everything He requires. Every Christian aims to live a Godly life and be a role model to new believers on how to fight the good fight as the apostles did.
Whether all Christians live and sustain Godly lives as required by the Lord is up for debate. What is crystal being God’s word on the manner believers should live. He does not compromise on it. Godliness is interpreted differently depending on the perspective one has of it.
The Correct Perspective on Godliness
The bible writes on how the desires of the flesh are antagonistic to those of the spirit. One cannot fulfill both. As a Christian, follow the spirit and make conscious deliberate efforts to back your choice. You cannot make it alone but the Holy Spirit will come to your aid because He is our designated helper.
Spiritual Versus World View of Godliness
The physical and spiritual realms operate on different wavelengths. The physical realm is majorly based on tangible objects and realities. Everything in the physical world can be proved and justified.
The physical world engages our five senses. We prove concepts right or wrong based on how our senses lead us to judge. It is easier to follow a trail of thoughts because they are in a logical order that any rational person can identify.
The concept of Godliness brings a sharp division between the physical and spiritual realms. While it is acceptable across both sides that Godliness is an important aspect in Christianity, there is division on how to attain it.
The spiritual view of Godliness is that it begins from inside a man before it is manifested to his immediate environment. The bible writes that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Similarly, you can only achieve Godliness once you have incubated the fear of the Lord. It will seal your commitment to pursue the will of God in the threshold He desires.
The world view of Godliness is a departure from the blind faith of Christians in God. It expects that one would be able to handle outsiders before they are capable of composing their self-confidence. Godliness is more of how one carries and presents themselves before the world more than their mental and emotional composure.
5 Myths on Godliness
1. Godly people are calmer than the ungodly ones.
Godliness is not characterized by the silence or loudness of a personality. One can perfectly disguise their personalities and that will not make them any more or less Godly.
2. Godliness is inheritable.
Godliness or lack of it cannot be passed from parent to child. It is cultivated by an individual and consciously nurtured to perfection. The bible has perfect examples of how fathers and sons had different personalities and fear of the Lord.
3. Godliness is contagious.
You cannot be Godly by associating with Godly people if you have not made up your mind to join them. Their company alone cannot influence you to be Godly if your heart is far from it. Instead, their company will irritate you and you will seek solace in people of the same character as yours.
4. Godliness is optional for believers.
Christians do not have the luxury of choosing whether or not they want to be Godly. It is among the qualifications for inheriting the kingdom of heaven. God requires us to maintain Godliness and be an example to unbelievers that they might also be saved by way of how orderly our lives are in Christ.
5. There is a shortcut to Godliness.
There is no shortcut to Godliness. It takes total devotion to obey the laws of God. He is the only judge determining the threshold of your Godliness. Everything is plain in His sight and he searches the intentions of the heart. You cannot pretend before Him.
3 Ways to Attain Godliness
The path to Godliness is clear from biblical historical events and what the Lord has explicitly instructed in the scriptures. Information from any other source on how to please God is dilute and not a representation of the will of God.
1. Praying often
Prayer is communication with God. It is a moment where we talk to God and He gives us feedback on our prayers. Prayer is the divine compass of a believer. We develop an intimate relationship with God through prayer and understand His perfect will towards us.
God reveals Himself to us through prayer. He can choose to speak to us when we pray as a voice in our ears or as conviction in our hearts. We need to pay attention to Him as we pray for us to perceive what He requires from us.
2. Reading the bible
The bible contains instructions from the Lord to man. All scripture is inspired by the Lord and is useful to teach and edify the church. We get a deeper understanding of the will of God when we read the bible a lot.
We descend from generations that received God differently. Some embraced Him while others rejected His counsel. We can attain Godliness when we learn from experience how to align ourselves with His will and please Him. The bible writes that Godliness with contentment brings great joy.
3. Submitting to spiritual authority
Elisha served prophet Elijah for many years without any self-interest and the disciples submitted to Jesus for three and a half years. Both of them led Godly lives because they were under powerful spiritual authorities. Their lives were surrounded by an aura of Godliness and they purposed to learn from their masters.
There are benefits of submitting under spiritual authority. It minimizes the chances of straying because there is somebody to mentor your spiritual growth. They will guide you in the ways of the Lord and rebuke you when wrong. Their presence in your life will lead you on the path of Godliness as did Elisha and the twelve apostles.
In conclusion, Godliness is of great benefit to a Christian. It is the ultimate goal in the life of a believer and a ticket to inheriting the kingdom of heaven.
