GODLINESS, OR PIETY
Titus 2: 11-14; 1 Timothy 3: 15, 16; 4: 4-8; 6: 1, 6-8,
“Exercise thyself unto piety”. What marked the revival in the early part of the last century was the piety of those in whom God wrought. How far is that so today, with all the light and knowledge of the truth that God has vouchsafed to us? This should be a serious exercise with every one of us.
Godliness is the conduct which is befitting the house of God, the place where God dwells. The house of God is the assembly of the living God, composed of all true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ on the earth at any given time. We are always in the house of God, wherever we may be, at home or abroad, in our business, or among the saints. Hence our conduct everywhere should be governed by the fact that we are of the house of God. Wherever we go we carry the name of God with us. Even slaves were exhorted so to conduct themselves “that the name of God and the teaching be not blasphemed”. So that everywhere we should be characterised by godliness. Godliness, or piety, is living before God; bringing God into everything; in everything acting in reference to God; walking in the fear of God in dependence upon Him and with confidence in Him. We acknowledge Him to be the Source of all good, and give thanks to Him. It comes into even our eating and drinking: “Every creature of God is good ... being received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by God’s word and freely addressing him”.
The spring of piety is the love of God, it will characterise those who love God. It depends upon the knowledge of God as now revealed in Christ. “The mystery of piety is great. God has been manifested in flesh, has been justified in the Spirit, has appeared to angels, has been preached among the nations, has been believed on in the world, has been received up in glory”. This is what is to govern our conduct. As we have a fuller revelation of God, our piety should exceed that of saints in former days. It is a mystery; men cannot understand our motives and objects; it is a secret known to ourselves.
In the passage quoted we have Christ presented in two ways: first as the Man in whom God has been manifested, the invisible God revealed in a man; secondly, as a man perfectly answering to the revelation, the godly Man; such a man as could be justified in the Spirit. The Spirit came down and abode upon Him. One great object with God in thus revealing Himself was that man should be formed by the revelation of Himself, that the moral reflection of Himself should be seen in man. This was found perfectly in Christ. He is the pattern for us. The mystery of godliness is expressed in Him.
What was manifested of God in Christ is brought to us in the gospel and made good in our hearts by the Spirit, so that we have come to love God and to reverence Him. The first evidence of a person being born of water and of the Spirit, is that the fear of God is implanted in the soul. In the light of the gospel the soul turns to God, so that when first converted, there is the desire to please God, God becomes the Object of that one, and there is the desire to please Him. The soul turns to God to serve Him. Every newly converted soul is pious. This, alas, may afterward be lost through the convert coming under worldly influences.
“Piety [or godliness] is profitable for everything, having promise of life, of the present one, and of that to come”. A godly person is content and happy, he enjoys life in the favour of God. “Godliness with contentment is great gain”.
In Luke 12 the Lord warns us against three things: hypocrisy, the fear of man, and covetousness. A godly person could not be a hypocrite. Hypocrisy is the result of walking before men; it is the effort to appear what we are not; seeking the admiration and praise of men, or the desire to be thought well of by our brethren. If walking before God, we are conscious that all things are naked and exposed to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. He knows the secrets of the heart, and He looks for truth in the inward parts. A godly person could not be a hypocrite.
Then, if God is our fear, we shall not fear what men can do to us; the worst they can do is to kill the body. They can do nothing without God’s permission. We are the objects of His love and watchful care. He is the Preserver of all men, specially of them that believe. If we believe that He loves us, we are sure that He will give us all that is good for us, we shall not covet anything He has not given us, but be content with such things as we have. He knows what we have need of and cares for us. Therefore having food and raiment let us be therewith content. In our need we turn to God instead of turning to the world. These things will mark a godly person.
We see all this in perfection in Christ. Psalm 16 is the language of the godly Man; it expresses His piety. He took the place of obedience in dependence and confidence in God. He would say, “Preserve me, O God” (Ps 16: 1)—that was His dependence. “In thee do I put my trust”—that was His confidence. He was satisfied with having God as His portion; He coveted nothing. “The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup ... The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage”, v 5. It was from these things that Satan tempted Him, but He would not be turned away from His obedience, dependence, and confidence in God.
Then He was a truly separate man; in an ungodly world a godly man must be a separate man. Speaking of those who hasten after other gods, He said, “I will not take up their names into my lips”, v 4.
Again the godly man takes counsel from God, not from man. His inmost thoughts instruct him in the night seasons, and he would not walk in the counsel of the ungodly, Ps 1. What a lesson for us, to seek counsel from the Lord. How could we expect to get good counsel from those who know not God?
The godly man had only one object: “I have set Jehovah continually before me”. In all that He did, even in ministering to the need of men, He had God always before Him, He did all in obedience to the will of God, and to the glory of God. Even in entering into death He could say, “As the Father gave me commandment, even so I do”, John 14: 31.
“Because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved”. If we can say, “I have set Jehovah continually before me”, we shall always find Him near to support us. Paul, when he stood alone before Nero and the court of Rome, the whole world against him, when all had deserted him, could say, “The Lord stood with me, and gave me power”, 2 Tim 4: 17. He was at his right hand.
In standing for God and accomplishing His will, Christ had to face death. But He could count upon the faithfulness and power of God to deliver him from it. “Thou wilt not leave my soul to Sheol ... Thou wilt make known to me the path of life: thy countenance is fulness of joy; at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore”. He saw the path of life beyond death, at the right hand of God. He was received up in glory.
This psalm gives us the perfect expression of godliness. It is the language of one who knew God and ever walked in the consciousness of His love. Such piety was a delight to the heart of God. We may well exercise ourselves unto piety.
“For the grace of God which carries with it salvation for all men has appeared, teaching us that, having denied impiety and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, and justly, and piously in the present course of things, awaiting the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all lawlessness, and purify to himself a peculiar people, zealous for good works”.
May the Lord give us all to be exercised as to the conduct suited to the house of God, that we may know how we ought to walk and please God.
From The Believer’s Friend vol 17 (1925)