The Godly Man's Picture

Opening the Nature of Godliness

Exploring What It Means to Be Godly.

First, let's ask: What is godliness?

In general, I would say that godliness is the sacred impression and workmanship of God in a person, by which someone who was carnal is made spiritual. When godliness is developed in someone, they don't get a new soul, but they do have a different spirit (Num 14:24). The abilities aren't new, but the qualities are; the strings are the same, but the tune is improved. Regarding godliness, I'll outline these seven key points or principles.

1. Godliness is a real thing: it is not a phantom of the imagination but a settled disposition of the mind. It's not the feverish imagination of a troubled mind; a Christian isn't someone whose religion is all about make-believe. Godliness is based on truth; it's called the way of truth (Ps 119:30). Godliness is like a ray of light shining from God: if God is true, then godliness is true too.

2. Godliness is something internal; it mainly resides in the heart. Romans 2:29 says, "Circumcision is that of the heart." The dew is on the leaf, but the sap is hidden in the root. The religion of moralists is all on the surface; it only consists of externals. But godliness is like a holy sap that is rooted in the soul. Psalm 51:6 says, "In the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom." The Chaldee explains it as being in the secret place of the heart.

3. Godliness is something supernatural: by nature, we inherit nothing but evil. "When we were in the flesh, the motions of sins did work in our members" (Rom 7:5); we absorbed sin as naturally as our mother's milk. But godliness is wisdom from above (Jas 3:17); it is breathed in from heaven. God must light up the lamp of grace in the heart. Weeds grow on their own, but flowers are planted. Godliness is a celestial plant that comes from the New Jerusalem. Therefore, it is called a fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22). A person has no more power to change themselves than to create themselves.

4. Godliness is a comprehensive thing; it's like a sacred leaven that spreads throughout the whole soul. "The very God of peace sanctify you wholly" (1 Thess 5:23). There's light in understanding, order in emotions, flexibility in the will, and a model life. We do not call a Blackamoor white because he has white teeth; similarly, a person isn't godly if they're only good in one area. Grace is referred to as the new person (Col 3:10), not just a new eye or tongue, but a whole new person. Someone who is godly is good all over; even though they are only partially renewed, it affects every part of them.

5. Godliness is an intense thing; it doesn't exist in a dead formality and indifference, but is vigorous and flaming, "fervent in spirit" (Rom 12:11). We call water hot when it reaches the third or fourth degree. A godly person is someone whose devotion is on fire, and whose heart overflows with holy affections.

6. Godliness is a glorious thing: Just like a jewel to a ring, piety adorns the soul in God's eyes. Reason makes us human, but godliness makes us like earthly angels; through it, we share in the divine nature (2 Pet 1:4). Godliness is closely akin to glory, "glory and virtue" (2 Pet 1:3). Godliness is glory in the seed, and glory is godliness in full bloom.

7. Godliness is something that lasts. Aristotle said that we give names based on habits. We don't call someone "sanguine" just because they blush, but because they have a naturally rosy complexion. A brief moment of godliness isn't enough to call someone a Christian; godliness needs to be the natural state and character of the soul. Godliness is something stable: There's a big difference between a stake in a hedge and a tree in a garden; a stake rots and falls apart, but a tree, because it has life, stays and thrives. When godliness takes root in the soul, it lasts forever. As 1 John 3:9 says, "His seed remaineth in him." Godliness, engraved in the heart by the Holy Spirit like with a diamond point, can never be erased.

A Reproof to Pretenders to Godliness

A Warning to Those Who Only Pretend to Be Godly.

Here's a sharp criticism for those who are like "Alchimy Christians," who only pretend to be godly. They're like Michal, who put an image in the bed to trick Saul's messengers (1 Sam 19:16). Our Savior calls these people "whited sepulchers." They do not cultivate virtue; they only color it. In ancient times, a third of the people on this island were called Picts, which means painted, and it's feared they still live up to that name. How many people are only painted with the appearance of faith, dazzling others with their seeming brightness, but inside, there's nothing but decay? Hypocrites are like swans with white feathers but black skin, or like lilies with a pretty color but a bad smell. "Thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead" (Rev 3:1). The Apostle Jude compares them to clouds without water (Jude 1:12). They pretend to be full of the Spirit, but they're just empty clouds; their goodness is nothing more than a religious trick.

Question: So, why do people settle for just appearing to be godly?

Answer: This helps maintain their reputation. In 1 Samuel 15:30, it says, "Honor me before the people." People are eager for recognition and want to be well-regarded in the world, so they often adopt the appearance and style of religion to be seen as saints by others. But really, what good is it if others praise you while your own conscience condemns you? What benefit is it to a person in Hell if others think they've gone to Heaven? Be careful of this; pretending to be pious is twice as sinful.

1. Just pretending to be godly is a sin that really angers God. If someone acts like a saint but knows in their heart that they only have the title, they might carry a Bible but not have Christ in their heart. They might be motivated by some personal agenda in their religious actions, using religion as a tool for their own interests. What is this but disrespecting God directly and serving the Devil while pretending to serve Christ? Hypocrisy makes God's anger rise. That's why he calls such people the generation of his wrath (Isa 10:6). God will send them to Hell to pay for their hypocrisy.

2. Just pretending to be godly is self-delusion. Ajax, in his madness, mistook sheep for men, but it's an even bigger mistake to confuse the appearance of grace with actual grace. This is like tricking yourself. James 1:22 says, "Deceiving your own selves." Someone who has fake gold instead of real gold is only hurting themselves. A hypocrite might fool others while they're alive, but they end up fooling themselves when they die.

3. Just having a reputation and putting on a show of godliness is offensive to both God and people. The hypocrite is born under a bad sign; everyone despises them. Wicked people hate them because they pretend, and God hates them because they only pretend. Wicked people hate them because they have even a mask of godliness, and God hates them because they have nothing more than that. "Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian" (Acts 26:28). Wicked people hate the hypocrite because they are almost a Christian, and God hates them because they are only almost.

4. Being like comets, just putting on a show of piety, is pointless. Hypocrites lose everything they've done. Their dissembling tears drop beside God's bottle, and their prayers and fasts end up being useless. "When ye fasted and mourned, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me?" (Zech 7:5). Just like God won't reward a lazy person, He won't reward a deceitful one either. All the hypocrite's reward is in this life, as it says in Matthew 6:5, "They have their reward." It's a poor reward, just the empty praise of people. The hypocrite may draw up his own acquittance and write, "Received in full payment." Augustus Caesar was given great triumphs, but the Senate wouldn't let him be Consul or sit in the Senate-house. Hypocrites might get praise from people, but even if they're granted these triumphs, they'll never have the privilege to sit in the Senate-house of Heaven. What kind of acceptance can someone expect from God when their own heart tells them they're just a fraud in matters of faith?

5. Just pretending to be godly won't bring any comfort when you die. Can painted gold make someone rich? Can painted wine quench the thirst of someone who's thirsty? Will the paint of godliness stand you in any stead? How were the foolish virgins any better off with their bright lamps when they didn't have any oil? What is the point of a lamp of profession without the oil of grace? Someone who only has a painted holiness will only have a painted happiness.

6. You, who only have a specious pretext and mask of piety, expose yourself to Satan's ridicule. You'll be brought out on the last day like Samson, to entertain the devil. He'll say, what happened to all your vows, tears, and confessions? Is this what your religion has come to? Did you defy the devil so many times, and now you're here to stay with me? Couldn't you find any weapon to kill you but one made of Gospel metal? Could you suck poison nowhere but out of the ordinances? Did you find no other way to hell but by seeming godly? How frustrating it will be to have the devil mock you like this! It's tough to be mocked in this life; Cleopatra, the Queen of Egypt, when she realized she was being kept by the enemy for a triumph, chose to avoid the shame by putting asps to her breasts and dying. So, what will it be like to have the devil triumph over someone on the last day?

Let's be careful about this kind of showy display or religious performance. What should make us more cautious about our own hearts is seeing prominent figures in the Church, like tall cedars, being eaten away by hypocrisy. Balaam, a prophet, Jehu, a king, and Judas, an apostle, are all still remembered today as hypocrites.

It's true that even the best people have the beginnings of this sin in them. But just like with leprosy under the Law, not everyone with bumps or spots on their skin was considered unclean or sent out of the camp. Similarly, not everyone who shows signs of hypocrisy should be judged as a hypocrite, because these might just be the flaws of God's children. What truly defines a hypocrite is when hypocrisy takes over and spreads like an illness in the body.

Question: When is a person under the control and influence of hypocrisy?

Answer: There are two signs that show it's taking over. First, a "squint eye," which is when someone serves God for selfish reasons. Second, a "right eye," which is when there's a particular sin someone loves too much to give up. These two are as clear signs of a hypocrite as any I know.

Let's grab David's candle and lantern, search for this leaven, and burn it before the Lord.

Christian, if you're struggling with hypocrisy and find it so strong that you can't overcome it, turn to Christ. Ask Him to take charge in your soul, to conquer this sin, and bring it under control. Beg Christ to exercise His spiritual surgery on you; ask Him to lance your heart, cut out the rotten, and apply the healing power of His blood to cure you of your hypocrisy. Frequently pray like David did in Psalm 119:80: "Let my heart be sound in thy statutes." Lord, let me be anything but a hypocrite. Having two hearts will keep you out of heaven.

A Man of Knowledge

The first fundamental sign is that a godly person is someone who has knowledge. Proverbs 14:18 says, "The prudent are crowned with knowledge." The saints are called wise virgins (Matt 25:4). A natural person might have some basic understanding of God, but they don't truly know Him as they should (1 Cor 8:2). They don't know God in a saving way: they might have the eye of reason open, but they don't perceive the things of God in a spiritual way. Water can't rise higher than its source, and vapors can't rise higher than the sun draws them. A natural person can't act beyond their own limits; they're no more able to judge sacred things correctly than a blind person is to judge colors.

1. They don't see the evil in their heart; if a face is very dark and deformed, it's not seen under a veil. The heart of a sinner is so dark that only Hell can match it, yet the veil of ignorance hides it.

2. They don't see the beauty of a Savior. Christ is a pearl, but a hidden pearl.

But a godly person is taught by God. "The anointing teaches you all things," meaning everything essential for salvation (1 John 2:27). A godly person has the good knowledge of the Lord (2 Chr 30:22) and has found wisdom (Prov 3:13). They know God through Christ: knowing God without Christ is like knowing an enemy, but knowing Him through Christ is sweet and delightful. A gracious soul has the essence of knowledge (2 Cor 2:14). There's a big difference between someone who has only read about a country or seen it on a map and someone who has lived there and experienced its fruits and spices. The knowledge that a godly person has is enriched with these eight rare qualities.

1. It's a grounded knowledge, as mentioned in Colossians 1:23: "If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled." It's not about believing just because the Church believes, but this knowledge rests on two foundations: the Word and the Spirit. One is a guide, and the other is a witness. Saving knowledge isn't uncertain or doubtful; it has a certainty to it, as seen in John 6:69: "And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God." In 2 Corinthians 5:6, it talks about always being confident. A godly person holds onto only what they would be willing to die for. The martyrs were so sure of the truth that they were willing to confirm it with their blood.

2. It is an appreciative knowledge. A jeweler is said to know a jewel when they have the skill to value it. Similarly, someone knows God when they value Him above the glory of heaven and the comforts of the earth. Comparing other things with God is to diminish His divinity, like comparing the glow of a firefly to the sun.

3. The knowledge of a godly person is life-giving, as it says in Psalm 119:93, "I will never forget your precepts, for with them you have given me life." Knowledge in a natural person's mind is like a torch in a dead person's hand: true knowledge brings life. A godly person is like John the Baptist, a burning and shining lamp. They not only shine with understanding but also burn with passion. The bride's knowledge made her lovesick, as in Song of Solomon 2:5, "I am wounded with love." I am like a deer struck with a dart; my soul is bleeding, and nothing can heal me except seeing the one my soul loves.

4. Divine Knowledge is personal, like in Job 19:25, "I know that my Redeemer lives." A medicine works best when it's applied; this personal knowledge brings joy. Christ is called a Surety in Hebrews 7:22. Oh, what joy it is when I'm drowning in debt to know that Christ is my Surety\! Christ is called an Advocate in 1 John 2:1. The Greek word for Advocate means a Comforter. Oh, what comfort it is when I have a bad case, to know Christ is my Advocate, who has never lost a case he defended.

Question: How can I be sure that I'm applying Christ correctly? A hypocrite might think they're applying Christ when they're not. Balaam, even though he was a sorcerer, still said, "My God" (Num 22:18).

1. The right way to embrace Christ is to recognize both Jesus and Lord together, as mentioned in Phil. 3:8: "Christ Jesus my Lord." Many people accept Christ as a Savior but reject him as Lord. Do you accept him as both Prince and Savior? (Acts 5:31) Are you willing to follow Christ's laws just as much as you want to be saved by his sacrifice? Christ is a Priest on his Throne (Zech 6:13). He won't be a Priest who intercedes for you unless your heart is the Throne where he rules. Truly embracing Christ means accepting him as a Husband and giving yourself to him as Lord.

2. When someone truly connects with Christ, they draw strength from Him. In the Gospel, when the woman touched Christ, she felt power coming from Him, and her bleeding stopped (Mark 5:29). This is what it means to apply Christ: when we feel a sin-destroying power flowing from Him. Scientists tell us there's a natural opposition between a diamond and a magnet, so much so that if a piece of iron is placed near a diamond, the diamond won't let it be pulled away by the magnet. Similarly, knowledge that is truly applied has a natural opposition to sin and won't let the heart be drawn away by it.

5. The knowledge of a godly person is transforming (2 Cor 3:18). "We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image." Just like a painter who, by observing a face, creates a likeness of it in a painting, when we look at Christ through the lens of the Gospel, we are transformed into His likeness. We might look at other glorious things without becoming glorious ourselves: a person with a deformed face can look at beauty without becoming beautiful, and a wounded person can look at a surgeon without being healed. But the excellence of divine knowledge is that it gives us such a vision of Christ that we become partakers of His nature. Just as Moses, after seeing God's back, had a face that shone, some of God's glory reflected onto him.

6. A godly person's knowledge is humble; worldly knowledge makes people arrogant and prideful (1 Cor 8:2). True knowledge makes someone less self-centered; the more they learn, the more they realize their own ignorance. David, a shining star in God's Church, thought of himself more as a cloud than a star (Ps 73:22).

7. A godly person's knowledge is always growing, as mentioned in Colossians 1:10, "Increasing in the knowledge of God." True knowledge is like the morning light, which grows on the horizon until it reaches its full brightness. Spiritual knowledge is so delightful that the more a believer knows, the more they thirst for knowledge. It's referred to as the "Riches of Knowledge" in 1 Corinthians 1:5. The more riches someone has, the more they desire. Even though Paul knew Christ, he still wanted to know Him more, as he expressed in Philippians 3:10, "that I may know him, and the power of his Resurrection."

8. A godly person's knowledge is practical. In John 10:4, it says, "The sheep follow him, for they know his voice." Even though God values knowledge more than burnt offerings (Hos 6:6), it's a knowledge that comes with obedience. True knowledge not only improves a Christian's understanding but also their actions. It's a shame for a Christian to live in a way that contradicts what they know, to understand they should be strict and holy, yet live carelessly. Not obeying is essentially the same as not knowing, as seen in 1 Samuel 2:12. The sons of Eli are said not to know the Lord, even though they taught others about Him, because they didn't obey. When knowledge and practice, like Castor and Pollux, appear together, they predict great happiness.

Application \#1: Let's examine ourselves using this character.

1. Can people really be considered godly if they're still in the region of darkness? Proverbs 19:2 says, "It is not good for a soul to be without knowledge." Ignorant people can't give God a reasonable service (Rom 12:1). It's a sad thing that even after the Sun of Righteousness has shone so long in our sky, some people are still under the power of ignorance. They might be knowledgeable enough about worldly things, and no one can outreach them; but in the things of God they have no knowledge.

Nahash would make a covenant with Israel only on the condition that he might thrust out all their right eyes (1 Sam 11:2). In the same way, the Devil has left people their left eye, knowledge in secular matters, but he has put out their right eye: they do not understand the mystery of godliness. It may be said of them as of the Jews, "To this day the veil is upon their heart" (2 Cor 3:15). Many Christians are no better than baptized heathens. Isn't it a shame to be without knowledge? 1 Corinthians 15:34 says, "Some have no knowledge of God; I speak this to your shame." People think it a shame to be ignorant in their trade, but no shame to be ignorant of God. There's no going to Heaven blindfold (Isa 27:11): it is a people of no understanding, therefore the one who made them will not have mercy on them.

These days, ignorance seems to be intentional. There's a difference between not knowing and not wanting to know. In John 3:19, it says, "They loved darkness rather than light." It's like how the owl loves the dark. Sinners are like the Athlantes, a group of people in Ethiopia, who curse the sun. Wicked people close their eyes on purpose (Matt 13:15), and then God closes them as a judgment (Isa 6:10).