Discipline Yourself To Be Godly Series

Discipline yourself to be Godly

Bishop M.A. Lalachan

“But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness;” (1 Timothy 4:7)

We are living in a most revolutionary era of world history, when situational ethics and ease have taken the precedence. We live in a world of tremendous uncertainty, chaos and anxiety. We also live in a time when many people label good things as "evil," and evil matters as "good?".When it comes to recognizing what is good and evil, we must come to the right source. Human thinking is not the right source. A particular path might appear to be a great one, but it just might lead to destruction. (Proverbs 16:25) God charged the children of Israel to do that which was right and good in His sight, not their own (Deuteronomy 6:18). When God tells us, “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good." (Romans 12:9), He expects us to accept His judgment about what is good and evil. The word of God is the only source to which we can turn to identify properly matters that are good or evil. Therefore we need to go back to God’s word and principles, which God has laid down in Holy Scripture. These principles are eternal truth, fixed, firm and unbending, that has everything we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3) Everyone is building their life on some kind of foundation. There are only two choices: you either build on a solid and deep foundation or you build on a shallow and weak foundation.

Jesus said “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” (Matthew 7:24-27) It is not enough to KNOW about God. It is not enough to know what God wants you to do. It is not enough to know how to apply His word. If we are going to build on a solid foundation we must actually DO what God wants us to do. Remember the times of testing reveal the foundation on which we have built.

Bible warned that in the last days there would be times of "perplexity" on the earth. 2 Timothy 3:1-5 says “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.” No one who is not saved from sin here can be saved from hell hereafter. No one can see the kingdom of Heaven above, unless the kingdom of God be in him below. Whoever will reign with Christ in heaven, must have Christ reigning in him on earth.

The very reason for creation, the purpose for which God made us and the most complete life, is found in the Holy Scripture and in living in the Biblical Holiness. A person may almost be known by the books he reads. The Bible is the light that shines the image of Christ upon the soul. The way of the Bible is the way of God, and is therefore the true path of life. Our desire and prayer should be, “let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us,” (Psa. 90:17). “What does the Lord require of you but to do justly, and to love kindness and mercy, and walk humbly with your God”(Micah.6:8).

God wants us to have more than an intellectual understanding of the principles of His kingdom and more than a mere awareness of His existence. His desire for man is that he might enter into a very personal and intimate relationship with his God. We do not become Christians by growth, but we must grow after we become Christians. Therefore let our whole life flow out in a trend with the word of God, until it wears a channel in holiness and Divine character. If you are born of God, if God has planted in you divine life, which, in theology is called regeneration. If there has been a birth from God, there will also be growth from God. We have an immense privilege to have God live within our bodies by his Spirit and to be able to follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit. So Covet to get alone with God, learn how his Spirit works. There is absolutely no limit to what God can do with a person who loves him and seeks him.