Matthew 22: And He said to him, "'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.' 38 "This is the great and foremost commandment. Matthew 22:39 39 "The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' John 13: "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." Matthew 28: "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

The Secret of Godliness 1 Timothy 6:1-12

1 All who are under the yoke as slaves are to regard their own masters as worthy of all honor so that the name of God and our doctrine will not be spoken against. 2 Those who have believers as their masters must not be disrespectful to them because they are brethren, but must serve them all the more, because those who partake of the benefit are believers and beloved. Teach and preach these principles. 3 If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, 4 he is conceited and understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, 5 and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. 6 But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. 7 For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. 8 If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. 9 But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. 11 But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

What is Godliness? From "Value for All Things" and "Devotion to God" in The Practice of Godliness by Jerry Bridges (NavPress, 1983).NavPress ▪ Devotion in Action ▪ Focus on God – The Fear of God (The God-Fearing Christian) – The Love of God (Gripped by God’s love) – The Desire for God (A Thirst for God)

godly [god-lee] ▪ conforming to the laws and wishes of God; devout; pious. ▪ coming from God; divine. – Origin of godly - before 1000 A.D. ; Middle English; Old English “godlīc” – Synonyms: religious, saintly, holy, righteous, good. – Antonyms: wicked, impious. ▪ Dictionary.com Unabridged, Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc

“godliness” euvse,beia eusebeia ▪Meaning: piety ▪Origin: from euvsebh,j eusebes: pious – eu eu: well – e,bw sebo: to worship ▪Usage: godliness(14), piety(1).

7 Characteristics of a Godly Person A Godly Person seeks to… 1. Represent the Name of God well 2. Serve and Love others well 3. Know, Live, and Teach Sound Doctrine well 4. Be Content and Satisfied in Christ 5. Flee Evil and Pursue Righteousness 6. Fight the good fight of faith (doctrine) 7. Be with the Lord forever in eternity

A godly person seeks to… 1. Represent the Name of God well hwhy Yhvh Yahweh (i.e. hA'hy> Yehovah or hw<h.y" Yahveh) Meaning: the proper name of the God of Israel Origin: hw"h' havah: to be, to become VIhsou/j Iesous Meaning: Jesus or Joshua Origin: [;WvAhy> Yehoshua or [;vuAhy> Yehoshua Meaning: 'the LORD is salvation,‘ Root Words: hwhy Yhvh: the one who causes all things to be [v;y" yasha: to deliver, to save 1 Timothy 6:1 All who are under the yoke as slaves are to regard their own masters as worthy of all honor so that the name of God and our doctrine will not be spoken against.

A godly person seeks to… 2. Serve and Love others well 1 Timothy 6:2 2 Those who have believers as their masters must not be disrespectful to them because they are brethren, but must serve them all the more, because those who partake of the benefit are believers and beloved. Teach and preach these principles. ▪avgaphto,j agapetos – Meaning: beloved – Origin: avgapa,w agapao: to love

A godly person seeks to… 3. Know, Live, and Teach Sound Doctrine well 1 Timothy 6:2-5 Teach and preach these principles. 3 If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, 4 he is conceited and understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, 5 and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. e`terodidaskale, w heterodidaskaleo Meaning: to teach other doctrine u`giai,nw hugiaino: to be sound, healthy lo,goj logos: a word (as embodying an idea), a statement, a speech didaskali,a didaskalia Meaning: instruction (the function or the information)

A godly person seeks to… 4. Be Content and Satisfied in Christ 1 Timothy 6:6-8 6 But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. 7 For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. 8 If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. euvse,beia eusebeia: piety me,gaj megas: great porismo,j porismos: a providing, a means of gain auvta,rkeia autarkeia: self-satisfaction, i.e. self- sufficiency Origin: uvto,j autos: self (emphatic) avrke,w arkeo: to assist, suffice

What kind of person are you??? (Romans 8:28-30) ▪ Are you an honest person (Luke 8:15, Eph. 4:25) or a corrupt person (Romans 1:17-32, 2 Peter 2)? ▪ Are you a thankful person (Colossians 3:12-16) or a critical person? (Luke 20:19-20) ▪ Are you a joyful person (Philippians 4:4-8) or a cranky person? (James 5:7-11) ▪ Are you a content person (Luke 3:14, 2 Cor. 12:10, Phil. 4:11, 1 Tim. 6:6-8, Heb. 13:5) or covetous person? (1 Cor. 5:10-11, Ephesians 5:5) ▪ Are you a godly person (1 Timothy 2:2, 2:10, 3:16, 4:7-8, 6:3-8) or carnal person (1 Cor. 3:1-4)? ▪ Are you a gentle/patient person (Matt. 5:5, Gal. 5:23, 6:1, Eph. 4:1-3, 1 Tim. 3:3, 6:11, 2 Tim. 2:24- 25, Titus 3:2, James 3:13-18, 1 Peter 3:4,15) or a contentious person? (1 Corinthians 11:16) ▪ Are you a worshipful person (Acts 2:46, 7:21-24) or a condemned person? (John 3:18-19, 3:36)

A godly person seeks to… 5. Flee Evil and Pursue Righteousness 1 Timothy 6: But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. 11 But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness. feu,gw pheugo Meaning: to flee diw,kw dioko Meaning: to put to flight, pursue, by impl. to persecute

A godly person seeks to… 6. Fight the good fight of faith (doctrine, body of truth) 1 Timothy 6:12 12 Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. “fight” avgwni,zomai agonizomai Meaning: to contend for a prize, struggle Jude 1:3 3 Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.

A godly person seeks to… 7. Be with the Lord forever in eternity (to finally be whole, to finally be home in the presence of the Lord, to finally find and enjoy perfect peace) 1 Timothy 6:12 12 Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. “take hold of” evpilamba,nomai epilambanomai Meaning: to lay hold of, to seize, to receive aivw,nioj aionios Meaning: agelong, eternal zwh, zoe Meaning: life

CONCLUSION: Are you growing, maintaining, sliding, or falling? ▪ Are you growing as a Christian? 2 Peter 3: You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. 1 Corinthians 3: I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. 7 So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. 8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. 9 For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building. 10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. 11 For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Ephesians 4: And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. 14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; 15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

Are you growing, maintaining, sliding, or falling? ▪ Are you maintaining? ▪ Are you sliding/backsliding? ▪ Are you falling/rebelling/grieving the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30)? Ephesians 4: Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

APPLICATION: How do you change? ▪ You must humble yourself in constant prayer, asking God to convict you, change you, and empower you to put off sin and put on righteousness. ▪ You must saturate your mind with God’s Word, dwelling on and filling your mind with truth, and then pursuing righteousness and obedience to the Lord’s commands. ▪ You must seek accountability with other believers who will pray for you, encourage you, counsel you, regularly ask you the tough questions of life), and even lovingly rebuke/correct you with church discipline if necessary. ▪ You must have radical amputation and cut off the availability, proximity, or access to the starting points of temptation (hate what is evil, cling to what is good, flee the lusts/temptations that war against your soul) ▪ You must have radical imputation and put on/cloth yourself with the Lord Jesus by busying yourself with the things of God so that you grow to truly love Him so much and glory in the things of God so greatly that any substitute or alternative to Him is seen and rejected for what it really is – trash, filth, spam, counterfeit, poison, a trap, deception, and even death.