Godliness with Contentment
Notes
Transcript
Godliness with Contentment
Godliness with Contentment
Our theme verse for today is:
6 Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth.
The world say money is what will solve our problems.
The world says things will make us happy.
The truth is that living the God kind of life is the only way to fulfillment, true peace and contentment. This is the way to a fulfilled and satisfied life.
Godliness
Godliness
The Greek word used here means: religious, godly, pious
2356 εὐσεβής (eusebēs), ές (es): adj.; ≡ Str 2152; TDNT 7.175—LN 53.6 religious, godly, pious
but I think an example is better because when we say religious, we often think of ritual, the traditions of men, but hear, it is a person with a true heart for God as in
1 In Caesarea there lived a Roman army officer named Cornelius, who was a captain of the Italian Regiment. 2 He was a devout, God-fearing man, as was everyone in his household. He gave generously to the poor and prayed regularly to God. 3 One afternoon about three o’clock, he had a vision in which he saw an angel of God coming toward him. “Cornelius!” the angel said. 4 Cornelius stared at him in terror. “What is it, sir?” he asked the angel. And the angel replied, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have been received by God as an offering! 5 Now send some men to Joppa, and summon a man named Simon Peter. 6 He is staying with Simon, a tanner who lives near the seashore.” 7 As soon as the angel was gone, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier, one of his personal attendants. 8 He told them what had happened and sent them off to Joppa.
So let me define godliness this way:
Godliness is the reverent awareness of God’s sovereignty over every aspect of life, and the determination to honor God in all of our conduct.
“Godliness” and “holiness” denote one reality (the terms are joined in 1 Tim. 2:2 and 2 Peter 3:11).
What does godliness look like?
What does godliness look like?
It is described this way in
7 And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching. 8 Teach the truth so that your teaching can’t be criticized. Then those who oppose us will be ashamed and have nothing bad to say about us.
and it is described by these actions in
14 Our people must learn to do good by meeting the urgent needs of others; then they will not be unproductive.
Godliness begins with God
Godliness begins with God
Godliness depends on knowing God’s revealed truth.
Paul speaks of “the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness”
1 This letter is from Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ. I have been sent to proclaim faith to those God has chosen and to teach them to know the truth that shows them how to live godly lives.
Paul also speaks of “godly sorrow … that leads to salvation”
10 For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.
The Mystery of Godliness
The Mystery of Godliness
The great mystery of godliness is that Christ came and took on flesh and dwelt among us in
16 Without question, this is the great mystery of our faith: Christ was revealed in a human body and vindicated by the Spirit. He was seen by angels and announced to the nations. He was believed in throughout the world and taken to heaven in glory.
This word “mystery” occurs twenty-seven times in the New Testament and our English word mystery is almost a direct transcription of the Greek New Testament term musterion, which is perhaps best rendered “open secret,” or “that which is known only to the initiated.” In other words, this mystery can be known by all that want to understand but it is not known by all.
1 Ian MacPherson, Usable Outlines and Illustrations, Dollar Sermon Library Series, (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1976), 25–26.
Peter declares that God’s “divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him”
3 By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.
God imparts knowledge of himself by revealing his Son.
The godly person is committed to learning about God to understand the way we are to live in the world.
The context around the word godliness helps us better understand what godliness is as in
11 But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.
and in
5 In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.
These are qualities which, in turn, deepen our walk with God in
8 The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
But it is Christ, that gives us power for the godly life:
12 Peter saw his opportunity and addressed the crowd. “People of Israel,” he said, “what is so surprising about this? And why stare at us as though we had made this man walk by our own power or godliness?
There is also the opposing mystery which is
The Mystery of Lawlessness
The Mystery of Lawlessness
“The mystery of iniquity.” The term in the original is anomia meaning “lawlessness.”
Everybody wants liberty nowadays, but so many erroneously suppose that liberty can only be obtained by defiance of and not through compliance with law.1
1 Ian MacPherson, Usable Outlines and Illustrations, Dollar Sermon Library Series, (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1976), 25–26.
anomía. The prefix gives to anomía the sense of either absence of law or nonobservance of it, i.e., lawlessness.
The word in the NT denotes sinful acts and an inability to act otherwise as in
19 Because of the weakness of your human nature, I am using the illustration of slavery to help you understand all this. Previously, you let yourselves be slaves to impurity and lawlessness, which led ever deeper into sin. Now you must give yourselves to be slaves to righteous living so that you will become holy.
the condition is also meant, i.e., alienation from the law. In
14 Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness?
where righteousness and anomía are mutually exclusive, the sense is the general one of iniquity
3 Don’t be fooled by what they say. For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed—the one who brings destruction.
There is perhaps a stronger relation to the law in
28 Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness.
Gerhard Kittel, Gerhard Friedrich, and Geoffrey William Bromiley, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, 1985, 654.
Godliness vs. Lawlessness
Godliness vs. Lawlessness
Without this divine power, godliness becomes an empty form
5 They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!
This godliness (which comes through our knowledge of God and holiness in our life) is jeopardized by the propagation of falsehood:
3 Some people may contradict our teaching, but these are the wholesome teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. These teachings promote a godly life. 4 Anyone who teaches something different is arrogant and lacks understanding. Such a person has an unhealthy desire to quibble over the meaning of words. This stirs up arguments ending in jealousy, division, slander, and evil suspicions. 5 These people always cause trouble. Their minds are corrupt, and they have turned their backs on the truth. To them, a show of godliness is just a way to become wealthy.
God has a response to these with corrupt minds that are unwilling to turn to Him and learn
18 But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness.
God is always responsive to those that learn and live their lives as He asks us to
31 We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but he is ready to hear those who worship him and do his will.
The world doesn’t understand so godliness is costly
12 Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
Hope of eternal life enables us to endure.
9 So you see, the Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trials, even while keeping the wicked under punishment until the day of final judgment.
And grace teaches us “to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ”
12 And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, 13 while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed.
But our theme verse has two parts
6 Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. 7 After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it.
1 J. Knox Chamblin, Evangelical dictionary of biblical theology, 1996, 300–301.
It is not godliness alone, but also contentment
Contentment
Contentment
The ordinary meaning is “competence” or “sufficient quantity.”
In the philosophical sense it is “self-sufficiency” or “self-reliance”
However, in the New Testament, the word is given a new dimension. It is not just “sufficient quantity” to meet your own needs
Paul’s contentment is not based on what he has, it is not based on his possessions or wealth in
11 Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. 12 I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. 13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.
Paul finds his contentment in “him who strengthens me” (v. 13).
And, Paul’s “Enough” also means having something to give to others too as in
8 And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.
So, contentment as described in the New Testament is a state of mind in which our desires are confined and we are satisfied with our circumstance, whatever it may be as we draw strength from our full faith and trust in God to see us through every situation knowing that He will “generously provide” with “plenty left over”.
The Opposite of Contentment
The Opposite of Contentment
envy is opposed to contentment in
16 For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.
and avarice is opposed to contentment in
5 Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”
and ambition is opposed to contentment in
10 Pride leads to conflict; those who take advice are wise.
and anxiety is opposed to contentment in
25 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing?
and worry is opposed to contentment in
34 “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.
and complaining is opposed to contentment in
10 And don’t grumble as some of them did, and then were destroyed by the angel of death.
How Does Contentment Arise?
How Does Contentment Arise?
from the inward disposition, and is the offspring of humility, and of an intelligent consideration of the rectitude and benignity of divine providence
1 Sing a new song to the Lord! Let the whole earth sing to the Lord! 2 Sing to the Lord; praise his name. Each day proclaim the good news that he saves.
This is the song of a contented heart in
A psalm of praise of David. 1 I will exalt you, my God and King, and praise your name forever and ever. 2 I will praise you every day; yes, I will praise you forever. 3 Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise! No one can measure his greatness. 4 Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts; let them proclaim your power. 5 I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor and your wonderful miracles. 6 Your awe-inspiring deeds will be on every tongue; I will proclaim your greatness. 7 Everyone will share the story of your wonderful goodness; they will sing with joy about your righteousness. 8 The Lord is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. 9 The Lord is good to everyone. He showers compassion on all his creation. 10 All of your works will thank you, Lord, and your faithful followers will praise you. 11 They will speak of the glory of your kingdom; they will give examples of your power. 12 They will tell about your mighty deeds and about the majesty and glory of your reign. 13 For your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. You rule throughout all generations. The Lord always keeps his promises; he is gracious in all he does. 14 The Lord helps the fallen and lifts those bent beneath their loads. 15 The eyes of all look to you in hope; you give them their food as they need it. 16 When you open your hand, you satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing. 17 The Lord is righteous in everything he does; he is filled with kindness. 18 The Lord is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth. 19 He grants the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cries for help and rescues them. 20 The Lord protects all those who love him, but he destroys the wicked. 21 I will praise the Lord, and may everyone on earth bless his holy name forever and ever.
Contentment arises from the greatness of the divine promises in
4 And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.
And, Contentment arises from our knowledge of the great gift Jesus Christ has given us that opens up to us eternal life of rest and peace
2 Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.
Achieving Great Wealth
Achieving Great Wealth
Our theme verse for today is:
6 Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth.
Living the God kind of life is the only way to fulfillment, true peace and contentment. This is the way to a fulfilled and satisfied life.
Peter summed it up this way in
5 In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. 8 The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.