Title: Power of Godliness
Text: 2 Tim 3: 1-9
Date: September 22, 2013
Place: SGBC, New Jersey
2
Timothy 3: 1: This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
We have been in the “the
last days” since Christ came the first time—Hebrews 1:2 “Hath in these last days spoken unto us by
his Son…” Here is why times will be perilous.
2 Timothy 3: 2: For men shall be lovers of their own selves,
covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful,
unholy, 3: Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers,
incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4: Traitors, heady,
highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; V5: Having a form of godliness, but denying
the power thereof, from such turn away.
You might say, “Since Adam
plunged every man into spiritual death, hasn’t this always been the description
of sinners?”
I. BUT IN THESE LAST DAYS THEY DO SO HAVING “A FORM OF
GODLINESS”—V5: Having a form of godliness,
What is Godliness?
Godliness is the worship and
course of life resulting from the fear of the Lord in the heart, from inward
reverence for God. Godliness involves the whole course of life resulting from
holiness of heart, the result of true, spiritual religion within. A form is only without. True godliness flows
from within.
True godliness is spiritual
yet it is in a body—so godliness does have a form, which is necessary and
useful. To have the outward as a result
of the inward is true godliness. But to
have the outward without the inward is to be dwelling in spiritual death.
All Have a Form of Godliness
In our day, almost everyone
has a form of godliness. Most attend church services somewhere. They
all outwardly appear sincere, speak of “fearing the Lord”, they speak of the
necessity of “godliness.” Outwardly they appear righteous before men, baptized,
do good works.
In our day, there is even a
great host who claim to believe the doctrine of grace. The Lord Jesus Christ
said,
Matthew
24:24: For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew
great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive
the very elect. 25 Behold, I have told you before.
It means they are so subtle
it is not easy to discern that their doctrine is a lie. Papacy is obvious heresy to anyone with
spiritual discernment. Those who preach
universal atonement are easy to recognize to anyone with spiritual discernment. Those who preach that dead sinners have a
free will—are easy to recognize to anyone with spiritual discernment, as easy
to detect as Mormonism, Pentecostalism, or any other form of idolatry.
But there have arisen many
that appear to be preaching the doctrine of grace, when in great subtlety, they
are really preaching universal atonement, freewill, works religion—these are
those Christ meant when he said, “if it were possible, they shall deceive the
very elect.”
All of these have a “form of
godliness.” But notice, it is not these definitions of godliness that they deny. Nor is it godliness itself that they
deny. Those with a form of godliness put
great emphasis on what they consider to be godliness. It is the “outward form” that they consider to
be godliness so they greatly promote the outward and highly esteem it. But notice,
it is the POWER of godliness that they deny, “but denying the power thereof.”
II. WHAT IS THE POWER OF GODLINESS? (Turn to 2 Peter 1)
The Triune God in Christ is the Power
2
Peter 1: 2:
Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of
Jesus our Lord, 3: According as HIS DIVINE POWER hath GIVEN UNTO US ALL THINGS
that pertain unto LIFE and GODLINESS, through the knowledge OF HIM that hath
CALLED us to glory [spiritual life] and virtue: [godliness] 4: Whereby are given unto us
exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of
the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through
lust.
God in Jesus our Lord, by his
divine power, gives his child all things that pertain to spiritual life and true
godliness. By our first birth, we were dead
in trespasses and in sins. By his divine power, God gives us spiritual life. Likewise, by his divine power he gives us all
things that pertain to godliness—creating us in the image of God. He cleanses
us within and gives us a new heart.
Ezekiel
36:25: Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from
all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. 26: A new
heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will
take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of
flesh.
He teaches us the mystery of
godliness which is the gospel.
1
Timothy 3:16 And without controversy
great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in
the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the
world, received up into glory.
He teaches us that Christ
came in the flesh to save his elect.
Christ had our sins laid on him and bore our stripes and he healed us
thereby. So through the knowledge of Christ—he gives us faith, hope and
love—the principle parts of godliness.
Thus by his divine power he effectually
calls us to glory [spiritual life] and virtue [godliness]. And with godliness he
gives us exceeding great and precious promises—
1
Tim 4: 8: “godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life
that now is, and of that which is to come.”
All of which are yea and
amen in Christ Jesus. So he makes us
partakers of the divine nature. It is by the divine power of God alone that we
escape the corruptions that are in this world through lust.
So you see it is the triune
God, in Jesus our Lord, who is the Power of godliness. Everything relating to
godliness is from Christ: given to us out of his fullness, of which he is the
Author and Finisher. So it is God our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ that those
deny who has a mere “form of godliness.”
The Power to Nourish Us in Godliness is the Gospel
Also, it is through the
preaching of Christ crucified that God maintains our inward godliness,
nourishing our inward man by his power.
1
Timothy 4: 6: If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou
shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up…
Nourishment is within. True
godliness is within. A form is without.
We are nourished in godliness within. How?
1
Timothy 4: 6:…in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast
attained.
We are nourished within “in
the words of faith”—the gospel. Of good doctrine—in the declaration of God’s
mighty works:
·
Election,
·
Predestination,
·
Accomplished redemption,
·
Effectual regeneration,
·
Preservation by his mighty hand.
·
We are taught to walk in faith, taught to forgive, be gracious, to
love one another—as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven you.
By words
of faith and good doctrine God himself—by the same divine power--nourishes our
inward man. When a sinner experiences
his Power, our worship stops being form, and we trust in his Power! As we hear
of his power he exercises his power to grow us in faith, hope and love—in
godliness. Next he will tell us what the opposite of this nourishment is.
1 Timothy 4: 7: But refuse
profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.
Rather than exercising
yourself in profane and old wives fables, exercise thyself unto godliness—by
words of faith and good doctrine as opposed to profane fables.
1
Timothy 4: 8: For bodily exercise profiteth little: [and for a little while]
Profane fables will teach
you that godliness is in bodily exercise.
They teach mortification is by bodily abstinence. Those who practice bodily exercise teach you
that by neglecting the body you become more holy. But if we abstained from this world to the
point that we became a hermit, locked away from society, that would never stop
your sin.
Colossians
2: 23: Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility,
and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.
If what you are hearing is
not giving God all the glory and planting you at the feet of Christ, which is
where you will be in the eternal life to come—then it is not profitable for
this life either.
1
Timothy 4: 8:…but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of
the life that now is, and of that which is to come.
True inward godliness which
is of God’s power is profitable for
our present life and the life to come.
Psalm
84:11: For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and
glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
So the power of godliness is
God himself, Christ Jesus our Prophet, Priest and King. And the power of
godliness by which we are nourished up in godliness is the gospel of Christ and
him crucified. This is the Power that
men deny.
III. HOW DO MEN DENY THE POWER OF GODLINESS?—BY THEIR WORKS.
Titus
1: 16: They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being
abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.
Most apply Paul’s words to
Titus to immoral sins—and there is that application. But for those with a form of godliness, the
works whereby they deny God are in our text in the descriptions given of them. The things listed here are their works toward
three persons: toward self, toward God and toward others.
Lovers of Their Own Selves
This is toward their self.
Verse 2 says they are “lovers of their own selves.” This is because of their form of godliness. They
do not esteem others better than themselves because they are not the chief of
sinners. True godliness sees self as he
is.
Job
42: 5: I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth
thee. 6: Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.
Covetous
This is especially toward
God. They are covetous of the glory that
belongs to God. Their covetousness is to
have the glory for creating their form of godliness themselves. It is a covetousness to have the glory for
making others take up a form of godliness rather than God getting all the glory
for doing it.
Galatians
6: 12: As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain you
to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of
Christ. 13: For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but
desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh.
True godliness has this
heart,
Galatians
6: 14: But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus
Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. 15: For
in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision,
but a new creature. 16: And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be
on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.
Boasters, Proud, Blasphemers
They boast and are proud of
their form of godliness,
2 Thessalonians
2:4: Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is
worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself
that he is God.
If they teach election then
they say God foresaw good in them. When they speak of Christ’s redemption they
say they made Christ’s blood effectual by their faith. If they speak of regeneration it is that they
took the first step and they let God do the rest. They speak a lot of “Big I” and little of
God. And by attributing their form to
themselves, therefore in all their words and works they blaspheme God.
True godliness says,
Psalm
115:1: Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy
mercy, and for thy truth’s sake.
Disobedient to Parents
Here we have an example of
how they treat others. In verse 2, “parents” stands for parents, as well as anyone
in power and authority. Those whose
godliness came by their own power hate for their power to be threatened. They hate
those in authority because they “will not have this man [Christ] reign over
them.” (Lu 19: 14)
True godliness is “subject
unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be
are ordained of God.” (Rom 13: 1) We have been touched by that power and we
know that Power is Christ our Head.
Unthankful
They are unthankful toward
God because they are self-made men, unthankful toward their ministers—why
should they thank anyone but themselves?
Their “thank you” sounds like this “God, I thank thee, that I am not as
other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.” (Lu
18: 11)
True godliness “Gives thanks
always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ;…which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the
saints in light:” (Eph 5: 20; Col 1: 12)
Unholy
They think their form of
godliness is holiness but they have never been sanctified by God: not by divine
election, not by blood redemption, not by divine regeneration—they are unholy,
yet calling their form of godliness holiness.
True godliness—those truly
holy—cease looking at their own holiness and look to Christ our
Sanctification. Believers see nothing
about self as holy—“in my flesh dwells no good thing—o wretched man that I am”—because
Christ has been made unto us Sanctification. Therefore, we glory only in the
Lord. (1 Cor 1: 30-31)
Without Natural Affection
It means they do not even
show affection to those they naturally should show affection. Remember the Pharisee’s would call their
material things “Corban”—meaning a gift reserved for God. By that they would
excuse themselves from taking care of their parents—those they naturally should
love and care for. They do the same toward their unprofessing husbands or
wives, siblings or children—considering themselves holier than everyone around
them—because of their form of godliness.
Isaiah
65:5: Which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that
burneth all the day.
True godliness makes a
sinner love more because Christ commands it and what he commands he creates in
our hearts!
Trucebreakers
This could apply toward God
and men. They call themselves “promise-keepers”
but they have not kept the covenant of works by which they desire to come to
God—“they are debtors to keep the whole law of God.” (Gal 5: 2-3) And they always
justify themselves for breaking their word because the Word of God means
nothing to them.
True godliness knows the
value of an everlasting covenant ordered in all things and sure—it makes a man
keep his word.
False Accusers
Self-righteousness always makes men like Satan, “accusers of the
brethren.” They are always uncovering the faults of others to make their own
form of godliness appear more godly—always looking for someone to discipline.
Proverbs
10:12: Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love [true godliness] covereth all sins.
Incontinent
They pretend to be
temperate, full of self-control—yet their whole form is one big unlawful,
greedy, orgy of vain self-righteous religion--giving themselves up to all
lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. Also, when no one is looking, men with a form
of godliness will usually over-indulge in what they claim to control.
True godliness does not
confide in self but in our new Master to keep us by his power.
Romans
6: 14: For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law,
but under grace.
Fierce, Despisers of Those That Are Good
Let one of God’s saints
declare the truth to a man with a form of godliness and when their self-made
form of godliness is threatened they become fierce, despisers of those that
really are godly by the grace of God.
Proverbs
9:8: Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will
love thee.
Traitors
They may sit a long while
under the sound of the gospel but as soon as their false refuge is threatened
they will turn on everyone around them--just like Judas betrayed Christ with a
kiss.
By God’s power he makes a
man “a faithful dog.” “Lord to whom
shall we go!” (Jn 6: 68)
Heady
It means rash and bold. Their preachers are bold to craft their words
to try to make converts, to glory in men for making them take their form—for
getting them to be baptized, to join the church, to take the Lord’s table or
not,…on and on.
Listen to true godliness,
1
Corinthians 1: 17: For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel:
not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.
18: For THE PREACHING OF THE CROSS is to them that perish foolishness; but unto
us which are saved IT IS THE POWER OF GOD…
It is not the act of
preaching alone or our attendance to hear preaching that is the power of God. Many
have that “form” who do not have the power. The preaching of the cross IS the
POWER OF GOD.
2 Corinthians 4: 7: But we
have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be
of God, and not of us.
They craft their words, they
adopt other methods, worldly music and so on—2 Tim 3: 6: For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead
captive silly women laden with sins,… 8: Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood
Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate
concerning the faith.
Jannes and Jambres were
Pharaoh’s magicians—they saw what Moses did by the power of God—and they
imitated it in form by the power of their flesh and slight of hand. Thus they
deny God’s power to save through the simple declaration of the truth of Christ.
True godliness says,
1
Corinthians 2: 4: And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing
words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: 5: That
your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
Highminded
They are puffed up and
swelled up, speaking great swelling words of vanity because of their confidence
in their form of godliness—they say, “When did we NOT do these things.” (Mt 25:
44)
True godliness says, “Lord,
when DID we do these things.” (Mt 25: 37-39)
Lovers of Pleasures More Than Lovers of God
The pleasures they love are
all these things they do and say to keep up the outward form—it is their form
they love, not God.
1
Corinthians 1: 23: But WE PREACH CHRIST CRUCIFIED, unto the Jews a
stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; 24: But unto them which are
called, both Jews and Greeks, CHRIST THE POWER OF GOD, and the wisdom of God.
Application:
First, we are told here, in
verse 5, “from such turn away….(verse
9) But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto
all men, as [Jannes and Jambres] also was.” Those with a form of godliness only
desire to rob you and glory in what they made you do. Godliness watches for your
souls as those that must give account.
Secondly, understand, this
is why I preach Christ and him crucified in every message. I declare God is just because Christ bore the
sin and bruises his people deserved. And
God is the Justifier because God was in Christ because the gospel of the cross
is the method whereby God speaks in power. So I wait on God to teach you. I don’t chase after you when you cut and
run—God’s hand is bigger than mine.
Thirdly, know that a form of
godliness will do you no good. If your
religion is without spiritual life, what good is it? Spurgeon said, “Can you warm yourself by a
painted fire?” Is there no comfort in your religion? You can’t get it from
brother or father—second hand religion is no good. Ask God to create in you a clean heart and
right spirit. May we ask God to come in
power and put away all pretenses and make us worship God in spirit and in
truth.
Amen!