Pr. Shejo Varghese
Godliness a vital attribute with
ETERNAL SIGNIFICANCE For the child of God, the meaning of the fear of God is not centred upon the wrath of God but upon the majesty, holiness, and transcendent glory of God. It is veneration and honor, reverence and awe. This fear is truly the foundation for godliness. It is the attitude that comes from our hearts adoration and love, reverence and honor toward this great and mighty creator. Paul wrote in his first letter to Timothy, his coworker, he instructs him, Timothy, to “…train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come”(1 Timothy 4:7,8). This instruction shows us the true value of Godliness for a follower of Christ. Paul reminds us that Godliness is a trait that has a value not only in this world but also in the life to come. If Godliness is such a valuable trait, having an impact on this world and in the world to come, it should be a defining character of the follower of Christ. The purpose of the training in Godliness is to put on the new self and to grow in our Christian character. Godliness is more than just Christian character. It covers the entirety of a Christian's life. It is the foundation upon which we build the Christian character. The Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words defines Godliness as a personal attitude toward God that results in actions that are pleasing to God. Though the words godly and godliness appear only a few times in the New
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Kingdom Perspectives | Sep-Oct 2020
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Testament, the entire book exists to help train the believer to be “trained in godliness”. Apostles Paul and Peter spoke extensively on Godliness in their epistles. In his letter to Titus, Paul starts the letter by addressing himself as an apostle of Jesus Christ, as one being called to further the faith of God's elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness (Titus 1:1). He reminds Titus in the letter that God's grace “teaches us to say 'No' to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives,” as we await the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:11-13). In his first letter to Timothy, Paul continues to emphasize the importance of godliness. He reminds Timothy that we are to pray for those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. We are to train ourselves to be godly. We are to pursue godliness. Godliness with contentment is held forth as great gain and finally, godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. Peter in his letters, looking forward to the day of the
