A FORM OF GODLINESS: Christianity was never ever “a form of godliness.” It has always been the “real thing” – godliness is that lifestyle which glorifies God. It is that which allows the Holy Spirit to set God’s standards in our life. Godliness sets the pattern for us – not us dictating to God what is acceptable, and what is not acceptable. If our belief system does not change our lives, and bring us into a more direct and closer walk and personal relationship with Jesus Christ, then we have to seriously question its authenticity! It does not matter whether “a form of godliness” comes from a prophet or a pope, a dynamic preacher or a church system ~ if it does not line up with the clear teachings of Scripture, turn away from it. Tragically, so many of our religious systems today can only demonstrate “a form of godliness.” Yet, many of them started out in the fires of Holy Spirit revival. Over time, the standards have deteriorated, and the conviction between right and wrong has become less and less, until today we see “right is wrong” and “wrong is right,” and “God is such a God of love He won’t turn anyone away from eternal life,” etc. This “form of godliness” is a lie. It is a false doctrine of “everyone doing that which is right in their own eyes” (Judges 21:25 >Judges 21:25 ). I think one of the greatest tragedies and shocks in life anyone could ever have, would be to go to church faithfully all their life, yet never really know Jesus, and then, when they stand before God, to hear Him say, “Depart from Me, I never knew you” (Matthew 7:21-23 >Matthew 7:21-23 ). Yet that is exactly what “a form of godliness” does to people. It is a deception that allows them to set lower standards for their lives than that which is acceptable to God. It allows people to justify their character traits, make excuses for their selfish lifestyles, live in sin, and persecute the believers of the truth, etc. Yet, ironically, they still believe they have an authority to “speak on behalf of God”! They believe they know better than the truth of Jesus Christ. They believe “a form of godliness” allows them to be “lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God” (2 Timothy 3:2-4 >2 Timothy 3:2-4 ). All those traits corrupt us, rather than make us more God-like. Yet, in spite of all these things, they still cling on to “a form of godliness” to make it “all right.” We certainly need to ask ourselves this question: “Whose standards are we living by?” “Ours?” Or, “God’s”?
Posted on: Mon, 11 Aug 2014 20:47:24 +0000