Character: Godliness

Have you ever put a puzzle together and the last piece was missing? Without that critical piece the work is lacking and the whole picture is less than whole.

Previously we looked at Peter's catalog of spiritual character traits. This session points us to a quality that is the critical piece to building our own lives: godliness. Without godliness, the structure of our lives is incomplete and our wholeness is lacking. This study will point our attention toward this crucial characteristic of godliness as we see that a godly life points others to Christ. We look at 1 Timothy 4:6-16.

Often today we hear others tell us to just be who you are, that’s good enough. When God-given abilities are the subject, it’s not bad advice. But what about if we’re talking about character? Can humans being “good enough” be “good enough” to allow you into God’s domain.   If I am a yard dog who stays outside all the time and LOVES to wallow in stinky stuff, what are the probabilities that I will be invited indoors to jump on the couch?  Likewise if I have sinful tendencies that often are hurtful to other people should I simply throw up my hands and say “Well, that’s just who I am.” Attitudes like that leave us stuck in our sinfulness and our persistent sinful habits will relegate us perpetually to “yard dog.”

We are also frequently told that we should just follow your heart. The study’ guides author notes that he ran across a card with this message: “You can’t get lost following your heart.” As stated, that’s simply not true. 

The world, these past four years or more has been busy “following what feels right and has been steered nearly to World War III.  If I believe that my heart, my emotions, my feelings, are to be the guide of my daily actions then the most important thing in my life will be my own desires, not becoming a godly person.  Can you imagine a tall ship like the one that hit the Brooklyn Bridge having a crew in the rigging who just “did as they felt”?  There is no way such a ship. Could operate.  Even with a motor something, somewhere, ended up just “doing as it felt”  and caused the entire ship to crash.

Another piece of conventional wisdom is just live your own life. In our day this may have been phrased as "march to a different drummer." The problem is everyone marching to a different drummer doesn't result in marching, it results in chaos. It allows someone to simply become consumed with a “go along and get along” approach to life, ignoring a higher calling and pursuit of purpose.

Paul gave Timothy an excellent reason why a godly life should be a priority. It would benefit him—as it does us—in every way. One writer put it this way: In life we are weaving a garment we will wear in eternity. That garment is our character, and we will take it with us into the life to come.

You will find a "Character Matters" handout on our page Handouts on Character, and also listed at the end of this posting. It is a catalogue of the spiritual characteristics that Peter and Paul have provided to us. 

The book of 1 Timothy was written toward the end of Paul’s life and challenged Paul’s mentee to stand strong against false teachings and ungodly practices that had arisen in the Ephesian church. Paul urged Timothy to point some things out to those he taught. 

Paul warned against the false teachings that came from deceitful spirits and demons. These false teachings denigrated marriage, an institution ordained by God, encouraging instead celibacy and asceticism. They also encouraged abstinence from foods which were part of God’s good creation and contributed to healthiness. These peripheral ritualistic issues sidetracked the Ephesian church from its focus on godliness.

Paul teaches to stand firm against incorrect, inadequate or false teachings and gives us some good reasons to do so.

1 Timothy 4:6-8

6 If you point these things out to the brothers and sisters, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, nourished by the words of the faith and the good teaching that you have followed. 7 But have nothing to do with pointless and silly myths. Rather, train yourself in godliness. 8 For the training of the body has limited benefit, but godliness is beneficial in every way, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.

Paul wanted Timothy to expose false teachings, bringing them out into the open so they could be corrected with the truth. Paul also encouraged Timothy to nourish himself on the truths of the gospel and Paul’s teachings about the faith. Good advice for us still.

Paul said "have nothing to do with pointless and silly myths." Pointless refers to teachings that claimed to have secret truths available only to a select few initiated into the group. The term means profane, that which is irreverence for or desecration of Holy things. It is to take Holy things and treat them as worldly things, e.g. "creation is a myth, evolution is a fact" and many other possibilities. 

Silly myths were fictional stories like those told to children. In fact myth is defined as traditional story, especially one concerning the early history of a people or explaining some natural or social phenomenon, and typically involving supernatural beings or events, or a widely held but false belief or idea. 

Recently I have been looking into the history associated with some of these myths, and in a nutshell many of these myths are similar to one another. Much like the Roman gods are a derivative of the Greek gods, which are themselves a derivative of many of the Celtic gods, which include some of the Vedic gods, etc. 

These pantheon of gods are silly stories all derived from similar sources to recall something in a culture that was a pre-writing culture. As I like to think of it, these myths are the same as our Hollywood movies – take a truth and re-tell it in a what that is entertaining and with a WHOLE LOT of action/adventure to make it fun to tell around the campfires. In fact almost all Hollywood and television movies are myths when you stop and think about it.  Other cultures then make sequels of these stories retelling them and elaborating and changing them to suit their tastes.

Paul points out that these myths are pointless and silly, just as most Hollywood action/adventure movies, or even the syrupy romance movies, are ultimately pointless and silly. The only things they really teach you is that the external appearance is more important than the internal character. The stories of such fables are designed to impact behavior (don't be a bad guy like the Sauron, be a good guy like Frodo) and to entertain had (Ohh! That story you told around the campfire last night was so thrilling! I wish I were Achilles!) They have no authority other than what man gives to them. The mythology of humanity is nothing more that the Hollywood storytellers creating sequel after sequel glorifying the “heroes of humanity.”

It is the gospel and God’s Word that are the believer’s authority for true character development. Paul calls for training ourselves, a Greek word borrowed from athletics. Literally it referred to physical training but was also used figuratively of mental and spiritual training. Can you become an elite athlete in anything just by thinking and dreaming about it? Can you become a godly person just by attending a weekly entertainment show and just thinking and wishing about it? 

What do you DO to become an elite athlete?  WORK A LOT. What do you DO to become a godly person?  WORK A LOT! GOD produces holiness in us through exercising the intentional, focused effort and discipline of the believer in living out the faith through the power of the Holy Spirit. 

The Greek term for godliness refers to the manifestation of the character of God in the believer’s life. In contrast to false teachings, true godliness comes through living by the guidance and principles found in God’s Word. Stop and think about it. Think for a moment the best, most moving and godly movie that you have ever seen...Let's use The Ten Commandments as an example. As moving as that movie is could you ever learn GOD's message ONLY by watching that movie? Or one of its modern sequels? No, because a movie can not possibly put on screen, or into a story for that matter, all of the accurate external features of a story.  Neither can it stimulate the internal thoughts that reading, digesting, thinking about, and discussing with others can bring to a narrative. Godly living can NOT come from the outside in, it MUST come from the inside out.

Paul reminded Timothy that sound teaching about Jesus promotes godliness. Some held to an outward appearance of godliness, but denied, and inwardly lacked true godliness. The gospel—the knowledge of truth—produces true godliness. We tend to think of the gospel as a limited resource, (Oh it’s just a short story), but the reality is that the Gospels offer a nearly infinite exploration of the glory of God. But the pursuit of a godly life must be our priority. 

In the next verses, we see that a godly life is grounded in our Christ-centered hope.

1 Timothy 4:9-11

9 This saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance. 10 For this reason we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe. 11 Command and teach these things.

Godliness to some in Ephesus was something you do. Basically demonstrating how pious one was by what one did NOT do; living a harsh, grim, life to show that one was really better than those who didn’t.  For example, and I am making stuff up, sleeping on a bed of nails, never marrying to devote only to your spiritual self, fast to near starvation and you will see God.  Many of these ascetic practices were a way of altering lifestyle, and even physicality to result in a feeling that was interpreted as being closer to God.

But godliness is much more beneficial than something you DO. Asceticism, the practice of self-discipline and abstention from sensual pleasures, and may have a useful place in spiritual discipline, it is NOT the ONLY spiritual discipline practice that builds a well rounded result. Can you imagine ONLY doing "right armed biceps curls" as your ONLY form of body building? What about the legs, the lungs, the left arm!?  The goal of the Christian faith in this life is not merely attempting to stop doing certain things, It is becoming like Christ in all that we say and do, and think and believe; preparing our souls for a great reunion with Him. 

We labor and strive Paul says. The two terms are similar in meaning. To labor is to work hard, to be wearied with great toil. To strive is to struggle, literally to compete for a prize. It was the word used for athletic competition. It pictures the runner stretching out reaching for the finish line. Both words indicate great effort and energy expended to reach a desired goal. 

The desired outcome is growth toward spiritual maturity in this life (during the race) and our glorification at the end of the age (in the winner’s circle) —what Paul referred to as “the blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ”. Pause for a moment and note that in the term "our glorification" the word our is not the object, but rather the subject. Glorification is the object and it is Jesus' and God's glorification that we strive to be with, not OUR glorification as if IT were the prize to be achieved. Lets state it this way, It is not so much "I want to be the first victor at the finish line" as much as it is I want to be sure to get to the finish line and not drop out of the race before I conquer this race."

The modern use of hope most often refers to a wish or desire, often without expending effort. In Greek, the term for hope involves expectation rather than wishful thinking. It is the longing for something that is certain. It is a solid expectation based upon truth. "If I run the race I may/will get to the finish line. If I wish to win the race without doing anything, the probabilities of reaching the finish line approach zero." Trust in the Lord, the living God, is firmly placed; it is never wishful thinking. Hope in God’s Word is also as sure as hoping in the Lord Himself. 

Paul describes God/Jesus as the Savior of all people. This phrase is not teaching that all living people will be saved and go to heaven, rather it refers to the set of all saved people. Of all saved people God/Jesus is their Savior. God/Jesus is the Savior of all people in the sense that God’s gospel of salvation is open to all people. Though God desires all people to receive salvation through repentance and faith in Christ, not all will be saved into God's family, many will remain “yard dogs”. As Jesus taught, many will hear or learn of the Gospel, but not all will take it to heart and live by it internally. Only those who have given their attention to God/Jesus, who know the basics of the Gospel, who repent of their sins and place their faith in God/Jesus, who come to understand the Gospel and internalize it so that the Gospel is the guiding force of their life will be saved. Paul was emphasizing that only God/Jesus (not celibacy or asceticism) can save people. It is the internal work of God/Jesus and not the external work of humans that results in salvation.

Paul tells us to command and teach these things. To command someone is to give directions and/or instructions with the expectation that they will be obeyed. To teach someone is to lay a foundation of the truth upon which people could grow spiritually and make their own correct decisions. Timothy was to both give verbal instructions with the expectation that they would be obeyed,  Much like doctors dispense advice, which is just about as willingly obeyed as gospel advice. And Timothy was to lay a foundation of truth to teach about God's Gospel.

In the face of false teachings, Timothy was to both live a godly life himself and teach others to live godly lives based upon the truths of the gospel, including the blessed hope of the believer’s participation in Jesus' glorification, eternal life with and through Christ. In doing both, Timothy would prepare the way for pointing others to Christ.

1 Timothy 4:12-16

12 Don’t let anyone despise your youth, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity. 13 Until I come, give your attention to public reading, exhortation, and teaching. 14 Don’t neglect the gift that is in you; it was given to you through prophecy, with the laying on of hands by the council of elders. 15 Practice these things; be committed to them, so that your progress may be evident to all. 16 Pay close attention to your life and your teaching; persevere in these things, for in doing this you will save both yourself and your hearers.

The issue was not Timothy’s age but his spiritual maturity and the authority of the gospel that lay behind his teachings. Timothy was likely somewhere in this late teens to early twenties when he started with Paul or about thirty at the time of this letter.  Whatever his age, he was apparently unusually young for a pastor or rabbi at the time. Paul encouraged Timothy to be an example in the areas of speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity. To give your attention means to be concerned or care about something and to be in a high state of alertness.

The apostle Peter similarly urged pastors to set examples for their flocks. Godly living in all areas of life models for other believers how they should live, and to serve as a stark contrast to how unbelievers live. This can be an effective witness for Christ.   

With all the chaos surrounding false teachers and false teachings in the Ephesian church, Paul encouraged Timothy to focus his energy upon three things:

First, Timothy was to focus on public reading of Scripture. While many tend to think of this as "performance reading aloud in public", i.e. reading aloud on the street corner forcing everyone to hear. But public reading can be as simple as reading your Bible silently in public, or quietly having a read and discuss session in a public setting.

Second, Paul encouraged Timothy to focus on exhortation. Exhortation is "incitement by means of argument (logical debate), appeal (emphatic request), or admonition (urgent reminder). Believers need exhortation from the Scriptures about the tenets of the faith and living the Christian life. Such exhortation of the Word appeals to the hearer’s will. Hearing the Word is not enough; believers need to obey it.

Finally, Paul encouraged Timothy to focus on teaching, which also would have enabled believers to stand firm in the faith and instructed them how to live out the Christian faith. Taken together, reading, exhorting, and teaching would have helped the church stand against false teachers and false teachings.

Paul said don’t neglect the gift. To neglect is to be careless or unconcerned about something. The term for gift can refer to a favor bestowed, a benefit given, or an ability granted. God had gifted and called Timothy to preach and teach the Word of God to the Ephesian congregation. He had an obligation to fulfill his calling by exercising his gift with passion and diligence, particularly so that false teachers and false teachings would not gain a firm foothold in the Ephesian church.

Paul encouraged Timothy, and indeed ourselves, to remain committed to his calling to preach and teach, and living out his faith before the Ephesian congregation. Paul’s statement that through his perseverance in doing so Timothy would save both himself and his hearers emphasized that the sign of genuine faith is perseverance. 

Those who endure to the end of a race are more likely complete the race.  Duh.  Those who pursue godliness until the end of their lives are more likely to complete the steps of salvation: 

1. Recognizing a need to be reconciled with God. (See the need)
2. Recognizing that God provided an Anointed one to pay humanity’s penalty for sin, death, and teach a way of life that results in spiritual growth and being born into an eternal body in the presence of God/Jesus. (Recognize the solution)
3. Making the determination and confessing that you seek to decrease and stop giving into your human nature and seek to increase and strengthen your godly nature. (Make the effort a routine of life).
4. Have FAITH that the teachings of step 2 will be achieved. (Trust and act upon your faith)
5. Continue to grow, learn and make course corrections for the remainder of your life. (Live, Learn, Know, Understand, exercise Wisdom)

Once you have recognized the need, the solution, and have determined to put your efforts into living a life of salvation, you are truly saved. 

However, people are not saved merely by enduring; they endure because they are saved. In that endurance, they are also pointing others to Jesus so that they can have the opportunity to hear the gospel, see the need for course change, recognize the solution, and place their faith in Christ, so that they may then practice a lifestyle of salvation.

Let’s state it this way.  Being saved and stoping your progress is nothing. To use an analogy, you may be in the “stadium with Jesus”, but you may be in the “nose bleed section”. Being saved and putting energy into spiritual maturing is to continue to “be in the game” and is what gets you “out of the stands” and “onto the field”.  At the conclusion of the games you may just find you are closer to the “winners stand” than you imagined, because all the while you were in the game, others say how you played and determined that they too would like to play the game as you do.  

THIS is godliness DEMONSTRATING the goodness of God to others, just as he did for you.

Paul’s Catalog on Character

GODLINESS

Respect for God that affects the way a person lives.

The term “godliness” appears most frequently in Paul’s writings. Paul encouraged Timothy to pursue “godliness” in an active manner (1 Tim. 6:11). By so doing, Paul challenged Timothy to develop a true respect for God and to live his life based on that respect. 

Paul emphasized the value of godliness by contrasting it to physical training (1 Tim. 4:8). Whereas physical training has benefits for this life, godliness benefits the believer in this life and in the life to come. This characteristic was also recognized as being of “great gain” in the life of a Christian (1 Tim. 6:6). 

Peter likewise encouraged his readers to add to their lives “godliness” (see Peter's Catalogue for Spiritual Character) as a way of living (2 Pet. 1:6-7). Godliness reflects a life devoted to and characterized by deep respect for and commitment to God. This concept is integral to living out one’s faith authentically and consistently.

HUMILITY

The personal quality of being free from arrogance and pride and having an accurate estimate of one’s worth.

Jesus Christ’s life provides the best example of what it means to have humility (Matt. 11:29; 1 Cor. 4:21; Phil. 2:1-11). Jesus preached and taught often about the need for humility. He urged those who desired to live by kingdom standards to practice humility (Matt. 18:1; 23:12). The person with humility does not look down on others (Matt. 18:4; Luke 14:11). 

While God resists those who are proud, He provides grace for the humble (Jas. 4:6). Paul believed that quality relationships with other people hinged on the presence of humility (1 Cor. 4:21; Gal. 6:1; 2 Tim. 2:25). 

Biblical humility is often associated with a proper understanding of one’s place before God and a heart of servanthood and dependence on God.

CONTENTMENT

A deep sense of satisfaction and peace regardless of external circumstances, rooted in one’s relationship with God.

Psalm 23:1 expresses a profound sense of contentment and trust in God’s provision. 

Proverbs 19:23 links contentment with reverence for God and a peaceful state of being. 

Paul explained that his contentment was rooted in his relationship with Christ. 

Contentment is deeply connected to trust in God’s provision and sovereignty. Learning to be content in all situations is part of growing in faith and reliance on God (Phil. 4:12-13). Practicing contentment involves focusing on gratitude, recognizing God’s blessings, and adjusting one’s expectations and desires to align with biblical principles. 

Building a relationship of trust with God through prayer, reading Scripture, and relying on His promises helps cultivate a sense of contentment.

GENEROSITY

Freely giving good things to others, both material and immaterial, without expectation of repayment.

Generosity is a significant theme in both the Old and New Testaments, reflecting God’s character and the ethical teachings provided to believers. Peter's Catalogue for Spiritual Character demonstrates that Love is a component of generosity.

Deuteronomy 15:7-11 emphasizes the importance of being openhanded and generous. 

Jesus teaches about the importance of giving to the needy without seeking recognition (Matt. 6:1-4). Genuine generosity is characterized by a sincere heart (2 Cor. 9:6-7). Believers are encouraged to cultivate a generous spirit in all areas of life. 

Generosity fosters unity and mutual support. It addresses social inequities and upholds the church’s mission to reach out to those in need. Generosity is all about the posture and condition of the heart. Generosity is all about Love.

INTEGRITY

Faithful support of a standard of values, encompasses wholeness, truthfulness, and moral uprightness.

Terms that occur in parallel with integrity suggest its shades of meaning: righteousness (Ps. 7:8); uprightness (Ps. 25:21); without wavering (Ps. 26:1); blameless (Ps. 101:2). 

Several Old Testament characters are designated persons of integrity: Noah (Gen. 6:9); Abraham (Gen. 17:1); Jacob (Gen. 25:27); Job (Job 1:1,8; 2:3); and David (1 Kings 9:4). 

Integrity involves moral and ethical consistency. It means being whole and undivided in one’s values and actions, embodying sincerity and honesty. Integrity requires consistency between what one believes and how one acts. It means living according to one’s values and principles, even when challenging. 

Integrity reflects the character of God and is crucial for living a life that aligns with His standards.