11/27/23 SALVATION IS GODLINESS

11/27/23 SALVATION IS GODLINESS

The possibility of a Christian living a godly (holy, righteous, pure, faithful) life is excellent, since being godly is what it means to be a Christian; also, God gives a new nature to born again believers when they are converted, and God cleanses fully surrendered believers from all sin including the old nature (Carnal Mind, Old Man) when they are filled with the Holy Spirit.

Godliness is not man's achievements or man's innate condition. Godliness is the salvific life Christians enjoy through a faith relationship with God through Jesus Christ. God does not make men sin, and He does not make men trust Christ. Godliness is the life of trusting Christ as Lord and Savior. We are not only called to be saved from our sins, we are enabled to live by faith to overcome the world.

The probability of the average "Christian" living a godly life... not so much. This is because the average Christian is misled concerning God's willingness to save us from sin and sinning, and God's intention to save us from sin and sinning, and God's ability to save us from sin and sinning in this present age. 

Notice, the question is not about living a flawless life or living an absolutely perfect life, or living without weaknesses and infirmities, or without making mistakes.

Godliness has to do with moral likeness to God. The purpose in salvation is to save us from our sins (willful disobedience) through forgiveness, regeneration and newness of life, cleansing, empowering, Divine guidance, and to transform us from sinners to saints, and from darkness to light, and from slaves of sin to loving, obedient servants of God, and from children of Satan to children of God, and conforming us to the likeness of Jesus.

Along with God's miraculous changes in us, which come through salvation, there are God's provisions for us to live an obedient, faithful, victorious life, which include...
God is the God of all grace.
God works all things together for our good and His glory.
God gives us everything necessary for life and godliness.
God is the Giver of every good and perfect gift.
Since God has given us His Son, He also gives us every thing we need to live godly lives.

God's Spirit, and the blood of Christ, and God's word are all active in the life of a believer, and since God is for us, who can be against us.
We are not only conquerors, we are MORE than conquerors.
God not only leads us in triumph, He always leads us in triumph.
Whether we live this victorious life, or not, is our choice. We either choose to love, trust and submit to God or we do not.

As God said through John...
1 John 2:1-6
1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

Remember, this is not a standard set by men, it is God's standard. God said,
Hebrews 12:14
14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

The life of victory and the road to greater victory is a faithful walk and growth in grace and knowledge.
2 Peter 1:2-12
2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:
11 For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
12 Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth.