Holding To A Form Of Godliness

Introduction

Well, it’s not going to be very long, but what we have to say today is designed to help you. And I want to take you to a text in 2 Timothy chapter 3. Might be familiar with many. I’m not sure of the proximity from the time of writing to when these things would occur. But it seems that they were very close. And one of the things that I’m sure you’ve noted before as you’ve read these verses is it sounds an awful lot like our society.

But realize this. That in the last days, difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self. Lovers of money. I was preaching this text several years ago at the Southside Lectures when I came up with this phrase about those two phrases, the pitiful pair. Lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure, rather than lovers of God. You know, one of the things that stands out to me as I read these verses is one word or a combination of that word that is repeated several times, and that’s the word love or lovers. And so a question that we need to ask, and I have it written in my text who or what do you love?

And here we have love directed in the wrong direction. People who are lovers of themselves and lovers of material things and lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God and unloving in relationships where they should be.

Avoid such men as these. He goes on to say in verse 6, for among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women, weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, always learning but never arriving at the truth. And so he’s talking about people that could be among the sphere of God’s people and wrecking havoc among them because these are the characteristics of their heart and lives. But what about this phrase in verse 5? What does that mean? Holding to a form of godliness, but denying, but denying its power. How is that done? What does that look like? And I want to make three observations about this text and hope to do so quickly. Holding to a form of godliness but denying its power.

1. He's Not Talking About the Non-Religious

One of the first observations that I want to make about this phrase, whatever it is saying about people, he’s not talking about the non-religious here. Again, they are engaged in a form of godliness. Now we might tend to think in terms of those who are involved in denominations. Those who do not teach the necessity of forgiveness and the necessity of baptism in order to receive forgiveness. And we may think of those kinds of churches and say, well, they’re not really in Christ because they haven’t been baptized for their mission of sins. They don’t teach that, they don’t believe that. And so that’s what the modern day application would be. But remember, this statement was made, holding to a form of godliness before really denominationalism has occurred.

I mean, there’s some false ideas. Gnosticism is a problem that was confronted in the first century. But basically, you’re talking about people who are operating among the Lord’s people in the first century. And Paul says about them they hold to a form of godliness but deny its power. So it is possible that there could be people among us who suffer from this same malady.

And I want to take that and run with that just a little bit in a certain direction, and that is a lot of people tend to judge the validity of what we’re doing here by the behavior of those who comprise this group.

In fact, if they perceive inconsistency in our lives, if people perceive that we are being hypocritical in some way, espousing something with our lips and assemblies like this, but living differently than what we espouse in our day-to-day lives in the world, that to them becomes a reflection that this is not really what God had in mind. These are not real, and God doesn’t have that in mind, but that as a result, all of this is not valid. People do that all the time. They’re hypocrites over there. As if that invalidates everything that is taught and believed by the group. And it may just be a handful of people. It doesn’t take many bad apples, does it? To give the whole group a bad name. But some people look at a few and say, well, they’re not really living what they espoused, they’re hypocrites there, and therefore I’m rejecting the whole thing.

It’s not valid. Look, if I all of a sudden go off into some crazed fit of disobedience, and I’ve been preaching in this pulpit for seven years, that doesn’t change the validity of what I’ve taught.

Because there would be people in the first century operating among the people of God who are holding to a form of godliness but denying his power. They’re a bad reflection of what God intends Christians to be. And I would say this even further as you observe the local church that you have all different kinds of foes numbered among the Lord’s people. You have very spiritually mature people who are very consistent in their life, but you also have new converts who are still learning what all it means to be a Christian, who are still growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord, but yet they’ve not processed all of the facts of righteousness. They’ve not gotten to the level that they will get in regard to spiritual maturity.

That process takes time and learning and growing and changing. It’s not just a one-time event where individuals change when they come to the Lord. It is ongoing change and renewal and commitment and learning, as we shall see in the latter part of this lesson. So please understand that you have people of all different levels of spiritual maturity, and therefore you may see things that are not what they ought to be. But that should challenge us to be a good example before the world. I don’t want to be the cause of another individual saying what they’re doing there is not valid. Keep your behavior excellent. Paul tells those who are the chosen race, the royal priesthood, a people for God’s own possession. Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles.

As they observe your good deeds, they may glorify God in the day of visitation. Yes, it is a high calling. Yes, there is an awesome responsibility. And you need to see, as a member of the Decoratory Church, that you have an awesome responsibility before the world. They’re watching you. Keep your behavior excellent. Great illustration happened a week and a half ago. And it is in my family, but it’s such a good illustration. I’m going to use it anyway. My brother-in-law, Lee Hastings. Of course, he’s married to my sister. That’s how he’s my brother-in-law. And my sister teaches at Florida College, and they live just a few doors down from the campus. And yet, my brother-in-law’s work is in Dyersburg, Tennessee. Upon the death of his father, it became his responsibility to run the family business.

And so he has to go up to Dyersburg, Tennessee, where he used to work and where they used to live, where he grew up. He has to go up there about two weeks out of the month to work and to manage his father’s business and his business of real estate. And so he has to fly into Memphis and drive up to Dyersburg. It’s a good little piece, as we say.

He has cancer. He may not live very much longer. And on that trip from the hospital back to Dyersburg, my brother-in-law talked to Dennis about his soul. And I got a video clip while I was away on vacation of my brother-in-law in a swimming pool baptizing Dennis Miller into Christ.

And I heard later from my sister, actually it was yesterday, the details of that. And the rejoicing of this man who is facing probable death because of cancer over his conversion to the Lord. Now, the point I want to make about that is my brother-in-law doesn’t get to that point with Dennis Miller unless he has been a good example through the years that Dennis would listen to him at that time. You never know when the opportunity might come to bring someone to Christ. So in our lives, we need to keep our behavior excellent so that when a moment of crisis or a moment of opportunity comes, people will look to you for the answers. As much as we strive, sometimes we are still beset with sin.

Don’t misunderstand. This is a group of recovering sinners. We are those who are to confess our faults one to another. James chapter 5 and verse 16, that you might be healed. John says, I write these things that you might not sin. But if any man sins, we have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous, 1 John 2, 1 and 2. These people gathered here are a group of recovering sinners. From time to time they’re stumbling, people fall short, and that doesn’t mean they’re not the people of God. So you can’t always judge the validity of what’s being taught here, of what’s being preached here, of the things this group believes, because sometimes the people fail, including its leaders. Don’t make that mistake. Truth is truth, regardless of our struggle to live it at times.

2. Power Comes From God on High

And you may see that among this group. But that’s one thing. This is another. People who hold to a form of godliness but deny power. How is that possible? There is only one solution to what this phrase means. There are some outward acts that are religious. There’s some hymn singing. There’s some praying. There’s some worship assemblies, obviously, that are going on in these believers’ lives, but there’s something missing. And the only reason why they would not have power is that power comes from God on high. And thus they lack divine connection, association, and fellowship with God. And that’s why they have no power. In 2 John 9. Whosoever goes onward and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ, what? Does not have God. That’s powerless.

If we do not abide in the doctrine of Christ, we are powerless. The word of God is power, right? Sharper than any two-edged sword. It is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. It shapes us, it molds us into what God would have us be. Look at 1 John chapter 2. And we’re looking at some passages rather hurriedly to make the point here. As he’s writing to fathers and young men, these are those who are in Christ. He says, I have written to you, fathers, because you know him who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong. Why are they strong spiritually, of course? That’s the reference, and it’s not about they’ve been lifting weights.

This is spiritual strength. And you are strong, young men, because the word of God abides in you. And I’ll tell you, there’s more strength to that than pumping iron. And the word of God abides in you. And notice what results because the word of God abides in these young men. You have overcome the evil one. Now I’ll tell you what that is. That’s power. That’s holding to godliness and having power. Because the word of God abides in you overcome the evil one. And what did Paul say? We can quote this one, right? For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, the message of salvation in Christ. I am not ashamed of the good news about Christ, because it is the power of God to salvation.

So anyone who would hold to a form of godliness but deny its power, there is something missing in relation to that person’s life and the word of God. Because that’s where the transforming power comes along with assistance from heaven as we strive to live that word. So, how could people like this be among us? And I gotta tell you, that’s why I’m preaching this. We don’t want to be this kind of people who exercise ourselves in a period of worship. And yet there’s no real connection with God. This is one of the things that I think about all the time. What we do here must be a reflection and for the purpose of our attachment to God and our association with Him. So often we are so distracted by all the material things that we see and the people among whom we’re interacting, and there’s some real characters in this group, as I call it.

3. Worship That Is Not Worship

Characters. Why don’t I look at you, John? There are some real characters, and that’s just the name one. And we can get distracted by all of these people that we see and know and love and forget about the fact that all of this, our Bible studies, our sermons, our songs that we’re seeing, this is about my connection to God. Have you thought about him today? I hope so. I hope these things that we’ve been singing, we’ve been thinking about our God in heaven and our Savior in heaven who’s looking down upon us because this is about my connection with him. I’ll tell you who this is describing, people who engage in worship that is not worship. Now that seems to be a contradiction. But they are engaged in acts of worship, but they’re not really worshiping God.

4. Blessing and Cursing From the Same Source

It’s a form of godliness, a feelingless execution of the right activities, and yet our thoughts are not directed to the throne of God. I’m here to encourage others, but mostly what’s happening here is between me and him. And you and him. Don’t be distracted by the scene. I’ll tell you what else it could be. Furthermore, those who hold to a form of godliness but deny its power are those who may walk out of a place like this where there has been words of blessing issue from our mouth and unholy words. Characterize our lives. Can from the same source come blessing and cursing, James says in James chapter 3. He says, we have to bridle our tongues. And if you’re able to do that, you’re able to bridle your whole body as well.

That’s the power. That’s the divine connection that produces the power. We need to start with our speech. And if our voices are unrestrained, if our speech is unrestrained, James says in James chapter 1, our religion is useless. Did you see that in James chapter 1? If anyone thinks himself to be religious, okay, now that’s that’s a form of godliness. If anyone thinks himself to be religious and yet does not bridle his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this person’s heart is deceived. But deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless. If we somehow replace the words of blessing and praise with words of vulgarity and profanity and coarseness as we live our lives, that is not tapping into the divine transforming power of his word.

5. No Real Spiritual Battles Against Temptation

It is also evidence when no real spiritual battles against temptation are taking place. We notice this in this really jumped out at me in our class on Wednesday night about lust, looking on a woman with lust. He says he has committed adultery with her already in his heart. He says, Flowing from that in verses 29 and 30, if your eye is causing you to stumble, you better take some serious action and throw it from you. And what could result if you don’t is you could be tossed into hell. This is our Lord speaking. And if your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you. For it is better for you that one of the parts of your body perish than for your whole body to go into hell.

I don’t want to go through life without an eye, especially not without two. And I don’t want to go through life without a hand or without both. But he said that would be preferable to where you are going if you do not pursue righteousness fervently and diligently. And he speaks specifically of this matter of lust. Are there real spiritual battles going on? What I mean by that is you’re just not always out there being the victim. But you’re actually fighting temptation. That’s what the truly godly do. Those who hold to a form of godliness and deny its power are not fighting those battles.

6. Hold to Godliness and Claim Its Power

May it not be true of any of us that we hold to a form of godliness as we have exercised this right acts of worship. But we have denied its power. Are we truly striving to live changed lives, transformed lives by the power of the gospel and the assistance of our God in heaven? Whoever lives to assist us. He is our high priest, Jesus is. And he is able to save forever those who draw near to him. Hebrews chapter 7 and verse 25. Those passages that I was going to mention. How are we going to do this? Romans 6 and verse 11. Even so consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God, he says. That’s how we do this. We need to not hold to a form of godliness and deny its power, but hold to godliness and claim its power.

How do you consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God? May I suggest a couple of quick things here in conclusion. Number one, I need to want, I need to pursue a relationship with him. That’s how we’re going to claim the power associated with godliness. I don’t want to disappoint him. That’s why I pursue what is right. That’s why I turn away from looking at vanity, as the psalmist says, and many other places in the Old Testament. That’s why I do that hard work of being righteous in my life. I don’t want to disappoint my God who has done so much for me. We’ve been seeing that at the book of Deuteronomy. But Paul is saying the same thing in Ephesians 5, and yes, he’s talking about those Christians who may be still trying to figure it all out.

But he says, look, don’t be partakers with those engaged in immorality and impurity that he’s mentioned in the previous six verses. He has just admonished them to be imitators of God. And he says, look, you were that way once upon a time. He says, you were formerly darkness. Don’t go back to the darkness. Don’t revel in the darkness. Don’t toy with the darkness. Leave the darkness behind, is what he’s saying. For you were formerly darkness, but now you’re not that. You are light in the Lord. So let your feet reflect that. Walk as children of light. And let me tell you what it is. Let there be no misunderstanding. The fruit of the light, it’s goodness and righteousness and truth. Holding to godliness and claiming its power is a life that is spent in pursuit of goodness, what is right, and what is consistent with revelation.

Goodness and righteousness and truth, that’s the fruit of the light. And then this, verse 10. Look, there’s things you have to figure out. There’s behavior you have to look at and examine carefully, 1 Thessalonians 5.21. You have to ask yourself, does this fit with my claim of godliness? Do I have to make some more changes here? Do I have to work a little bit harder in this area to conquer this particular temptation? Do I need to seek out assistance from others in fighting this particular battle? What kinds of changes do I still need to make? Because I want to tell you this: when you become a Christian, you’re not done. There is still a lot to learn. You know some of the basics, some of the failures of darkness that have beset you, but you still not learned all that it means to walk as children of light in the Lord.

That’s a process that takes time. And then he says, what? Trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. And that’s really, that’s really what we’re all about. Some of us have been at this for a very long time. A very long time. And we’re still trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord in every circumstance in our lives. I can tell you, it took me a long time just to learn, and I still struggle with this, to cast my cares upon him. And when Christ is come, to first depend on him rather than myself. It took me a long time to get anywhere close to practicing that. This is a lifelong process. Yeah, there are missteps along the way, but we’ve got to set ourselves, I am going to walk as a child of light because I’m pursuing a relationship with him, and that’s what he requires of me, and that involves consistency in my walk in trying to do what is right, trying to learn what’s pleasing to him because I don’t want to disappoint him.

And furthermore, I want to show my gratitude to him for his salvation and mercy. I think these three things summarize how we can not just hold to a form of godliness, but actually be godly and claim its power.

Conclusion

Sherry made me stop saying a few things that I used to say. She got tired of hearing them. But one of the things that I say is that the cure for love is marriage. And the cure for marriage is to love again. Now I don’t know who said it, but I like that. When you’re madly in love, you get married. When marriage isn’t going like you would hope, would have hoped that it would, you’ve got to learn to love again. And I think the same is true in our relationship with God. Sometimes we get to the place where this relationship becomes a little stagnant and stale and not what it ought to be, and you’ve got to love again. Because God has always been constant and faithful in his love for you.

That has never changed. But we change. And so sometimes we have to come back. And I would say this in conclusion. God is a worthy object. Like no other. God is a worthy object for your affections, your loyalty, and your obedience. In fact, if he is not that object for you, I want to assure you that you are headed toward disaster of epic proportions. Have you noticed a lot of the movies these days are about end of the world scenarios and cataclysmic events? You know, we’re sort of drawn to that kind of stuff in the movies.

Whatever it is. But I gotta tell you that there isn’t any disaster as great as a life that is headed to eternal ruin without God. That is a disaster of epic proportions. And an even greater tragedy. To be sitting in a place where soul-saving truth is uttered week after week after week and still rejecting this worthy object of our affection. And losing our souls eternally. Why would we make that choice? Don’t hold to a form of godliness, but deny its power. Won’t you claim its power? Can we assist you in becoming truly godly as you submit to the loving God and his son? In obedience, putting your faith and confidence in him, turning from a life of vanity, confessing his great name with your lips, and being baptized for the remission of your sins.

And begin that walk, that journey to heaven. There’s none like it. There’s nothing like it in this world. And stay the course. Can we assist you in some lifeless fantasy?