Godliness Can’t Be Counterfeited!

“They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!”

Godliness, like character, cannot be taught. It must be learned through association with godly people who love Jesus more than they love themselves. I was told early in my walk with the Lord that Christianity is more “caught” than taught. The power and effectiveness of the original disciples wasn’t because of what Jesus taught; it was what they became because they persevered in His presence.

Judas exemplifies many in our churches today; people who “hang out” with Jesus, but never commit to love and serve Him. They want the “fruit” of a relationship with Him, without the commitment. They want to be respected and held in high esteem for their contributions or positions, but their commitment to live a godly life is an inch deep and a mile wide. They can “talk the talk,” but they don’t “walk the walk.” Paul refers to these people as having “depraved minds and a counterfeit faith.”

In the verse at the top of the page, Paul is warning young Timothy that in the last days, the days in which we’re now living, “people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God.”

To whom is Paul referring? Professing believers who were a part of the church. They learned how to look and act like the real thing, but their heart was empty and their faith shallow. They wanted to be accepted and recognized as “faithful,” but had ulterior motives and desires. They desired to win people’s attention and affection for what they could get out of them. Enough of that. You get the picture.  

 What is “godliness,” and why is it so essential in our lives as a Jesus follower? It’s reverence, respect, and piety towards God. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines “reverence” as “honor and respect mixed with love and awe.” It’s how Jesus taught us to pray when addressing our Father: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name…”

These are attributes of a godly person that can’t be taught. We’re empowered by God’s Spirit to have insight into who God is and why we should honor and revere His holy name. It’s how we recognize that Jesus is God in human flesh. It wasn’t because He looked any different than any other Jewish man. It was and is God’s Spirit that draws us to Him and what creates in us the conviction that we’d rather die than deny Him or live without Him.

“Patient endurance” is supplemented by “godliness,” because there are some things that can only be learned through pain and suffering. Troubles and trials don’t create godliness, they reveal it. The pressures of life will either push us away from the Lord or cement us to Him. When we’re forced into the proverbial “corners,” of life, seeing no way out, and having nothing left but Jesus, that’s when we learn He’s all we need.

Godliness is desiring Jesus plus nothing. He’s all we want! He’s all we need! Now and forever! There’s no counterfeiting that conviction! It’s who we are…in HIM!

Blessings, Ed 😊