Godliness

As believers, we are called to live godly lives. But what is godliness? Godliness is a respect for God that makes you want to live for his pleasure. It's also known as the fear of the Lord. The fear of the Lord isn't just about fearing the wrath of God. It is about loving him.

The Bible is clear, God's people live in ways that please him. How do we do that? There are numerous places we could look for an answer. Here are a few Galatians 5:16-26, Ephesians 4:17-32, Colossians 3:1-17, James 4:1-10, 1 Peter 2:1-12, and 1 John 1:5-10.

In 1 John 1:5-10, we see one truth by which we measure every claim. John says, "God is light; in him there is no darkness." Most likely, John is stressing the perfect holiness of God. God alone exists in moral purity. John uses this as a backdrop to test the claims of belief.

Claim one says, "I know Jesus," but in reality the person lives like the devil. First John 1:6 states, "If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth." A profession of faith that lacks obedience is not genuine faith.

Claim two says, "I know Jesus," and the persons life shows it. First John 1:7 states, "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin." Walking in the light, means that a persons lifestyle is one of obedient faith. Faithful obedience has fruit: fellowship and forgiveness.

Claim three says, "I have no sin." John states, "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us" (1 John 1:8). We should not confuse forgiveness with sinlessness. We are completely justified before God, through Christ, but we still sin.

Claim four says, "I have sin, please forgive me." John states, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). This view understands that while we strive toward righteousness, we never fully attain it in this life. It is Christ's sacrifice that makes us pure in God's eyes.

Claim five says, "I have never sinned." John warns, "If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives" (1 John 1:10). Jesus took the penalty for all of our sin, but that doesn't mean it never happened. The sin we have committed, although forgiven through Christ, is still real.

If we aren't careful, we will confuse our standards with God's standards. God demands perfection. The only way to get it is by trusting in Jesus. We are called to trust Christ, and to live to please him. Godliness has great value in this life, and in the one to come. As the author of Hebrews said, "Without holiness no one will see the Lord" (Heb. 12:14).