A word from William

The gain of godliness

Continuing a monthly series of messages that William Booth sent to corps to be read in Sunday meetings

29 DECEMBER 1907

THIS is specially an age in which men are carried away with the desire for gain. Whatever else they do or leave undone, the cry of the multitude is, ‘Give me lands, houses, money or anything else of earthly value.’

The rage for money is taking hold of the hearts and passions of the poor as well as the rich. Indeed, you see this mammon worship occasionally breaking out even among Salvationists, and here and there you find soldiers who have been fooled by this passion and sometimes ruined by it.

To all who want to make as much profit out of their lives as possible, I want to advertise what I believe to be the most profitable business in which they can engage. You can enter upon the business I recommend with or without capital, with or without skill, and even children can embark in it and do a good thing thereby. Paul is my authority for these bold assertions: ‘Godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come’ (1 Timothy 4:8 King James Version).

Now, the first question asked with respect to this passage would be, ‘What is godliness?’ Well, I reply, it is more than following John Knox, John Wesley, the Pope of Rome, Martin Luther or General Booth. Godliness means ‘God-likeness’ or the religion of God.

What does that mean? To begin with, there must be a possession of some knowledge of God. That knowledge may not be extensive and very little goes a long way when the heart travels with it. For instance, we must believe in the existence of God and of his goodness, his willingness to forgive and to care for us in this world and in the world to come.

Godliness includes the friendship of God. Do you realise that? Can you look up to the heavens and say, ‘Abba, Father, my Lord, my God’?

Godliness must also include possession of the nature of God. When we say a man is human, we mean that he has a human nature; and when we say a man is godly, we mean that he has been born again by the Holy Spirit and has received something of the nature of God.

Godliness supposes partnership in God’s business – he shares its burdens, pushes its claims, sorrows over its failures and rejoices in its success.

Can you lay claim to this godliness? If so, you will find it a profitable enterprise. The apostle says it is profitable for this world and the world to come.

Now the real worth of things, so far as this world goes, is their capacity to secure for us the necessaries or pleasures of life – to soften its sorrows or deliver us from its ills and to do the same for those around us. The value of money, houses, land, learning and everything else that belongs to this world is just that, and no more. If these things secure for us love, trust, light, wellbeing and life here and hereafter, they are of unspeakable worth. If they do not, we are as well without them.

Measure godliness by this standard and you will find it the most profitable thing for time and for eternity that this or any other world contains.

Take the value of godliness in the present life. Many suppose that to be a saint and out-and-out Salvationist means poverty, the loss of friends and untold hardships. This is a great mistake. No doubt there are individual cases of suffering for Christ’s sake but, taken as a whole, I firmly believe that as the result of the honest, industrious character that godliness creates, the followers of Jesus Christ are better housed and fed, and clothed and comforted, than they would have been had they lived worldly, godless lives.

Then, godliness brings spiritual blessings of supreme value. There is the conscious favour of our heavenly Father. What is that worth? There is the deliverance from the bondage of evil passions and appetites. What is the value of that freedom? There is the privilege of labouring with Christ for the salvation of men. Who can measure the worth of that honour? Then, there is the Comforter in sorrow, the friendship of God’s servants, the hope of a dying hour and in the world to come the ‘well done’ of the Master, the memory of a life well spent and the blessed employments and enjoyments of the celestial world.

Are you in possession of this treasure? If so, your fortune is made, your home is on high. If you are not in possession of this blessing, seek it just now.

Walk in the light

Captain Althea Bawden reminds us that God’s love is light in a world immersed in darkness

1 JOHN 1:5 TO 2:6

IN winter months, on bright, crisp, cold days, when the sun is shining and the sky is blue, I love to go for a walk. Wrapped up warm, I enjoy the sun shining on God’s creation at this time of the year. We have evolved not only to love light but also need it. We see best in the light and have limited sight in darkness. Daily exposure to sunlight keeps us healthy.

John writes in our study passage: ‘This is the message we have heard from him [Jesus] and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all’ (1:5). This reminds us of God’s purity, perfection and holiness.

Praising God in Psalm 36, the psalmist declares: ‘You are the source of all life, and because of your light we see the light’ (v9 Good News Bible). Later, God’s light is revealed in Jesus, who describes himself as the ‘light of the world’ and claims that ‘whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life’ (John 8:12).

Understanding that God is light and applying Jesus’ teaching, John writes in our study passage: ‘If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin’ (1:7).

QUESTION

What does it mean to ‘walk in the light’?

John’s Gospel encourages us to walk in the light, so that our sin becomes visible: ‘Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God’ (John 3:20 and 21).

In our study passage, John revisits this idea: ‘If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth’ (1:6).

QUESTIONS

Are you living in the light or in darkness? Is God calling you out of your darkness? Reflect on the song ‘Out of My Darkness God Called Me’ (SASB 515).

Great blessings and benefits are promised to the person who walks in the

Through the week with Salvationist

– a devotional thought for each day

by Major Howard Webber

SUNDAY

How happy the one whose heart is set free,/ The people that can be joyful in thee;/ Their joy is to walk in the light of thy face,/ And still they are talking of Jesus’ grace. (SASB 886)

MONDAY

If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. (1 John 1:6 and 7)

TUESDAY

I heard the voice of Jesus say:/ I am this dark world’s light;/ Look unto me, thy morn shall rise,/ And all thy day be bright./ I looked to Jesus and I found/ In him my star, my sun;/ And in that light of life I’ll walk/ Till travelling days are done. (SASB 424)