Michael Daling - June 30, 2019
The Appearance of Godliness
Here is the problem. This is us…isn’t it? We in church are experts at pretending. Are we not lovers of self and money…are we not arrogant, and proud and ungrateful and unappeasable? We want to be right, we want to get our pound of flesh from each other…we are judgmental…we lack affection for one another…we are full of ourselves and we love pleasure. What’s worse is that we delude ourselves into thinking that God is like us. There is a reason we call these things un-godly! You yourself do NOT have the power to overcome these things. But you can have far more than just the appearance of godliness. There is one who came and stood in your place. This one obeyed in every way that you have disobeyed. This one never had to pretend or perform…and all of your ungodliness was truly paid for when he gave his life for yours. True godliness is yours when you receive his righteousness. Mine the gospel story and discover that Jesus was not proud, arrogant, brutal, or a lover of pleasure. Discover that this Jesus does not slander, but he intercedes at the right hand of God for you. Discover that this Jesus is full of affection for you…sent by a Father full of love…and he pours out the Spirit so that his true godliness can become yours. He didn’t just have the appearance of godliness…he actually was the appearance of godliness in power!
Scripture References: 2 Timothy 3:1-9
From Series: "2 Timothy"
The church in Ephesus, where Timothy was serving when Paul wrote this letter, was threatened from the outside and from within. Paul himself was arrested and imprisoned and facing death, and it looked like his gospel had failed—even Paul’s friends were jumping ship. Timothy was dealing with a church filled with quarreling and false teaching. Into this situation, Paul wrote this letter to affirm Timothy…and encourage him to fulfill the ministry God gave him ——he sends this letter to say: boldly take up what you were given, guard it, pass it on, and keep going until your ministry is fulfilled!
