GODLINESS VS. EXTERNAL RELIGION

Paul is here making a distinction between bodily exercise and genuine godliness. I submit to you that the phrase “bodily exercise” is simply Paul’s way of referring to external religion. External religion (abstinence, self-restraint, meditation) much different from godliness, which is more true and appropriate expression of religion. What’s the difference between godliness and religious activity?

“Bodily exercise” or external religion (i.e. “I go to church, I fast, I pray, I don’t listen to rap music, etc.) looks pious (godly), but it is of little value. It might impress men, but it does not please God. This is because it satisfies flesh rather than mortify the flesh ().

When you view religion (godliness) from a purely external perspective, you have a tendency to associate your spiritual progress with external success (“I feel like I’m not growing because I feel so unhappy, unhealthy, like I’m not prospering I should be”). However, genuine godliness is not about external perfection. It’s about internal (moral) perfection. The true way to judge your spiritual progress is by your moral make up or character (contentment, discernment, temperance, endurance and virtue —; ).

Countless Christians are judging their spiritual progress by whether or not they live perfect lives, have perfect health, attend the perfect church. They are less concerned about whether they are morally perfect (content, patient, etc.).

Secondly, it’s important that we realize that you don’t pursue godliness the same way you might pursue external religion.

If you were to ask the average person what does it take to become more like God (religious), you would get a host of answers. In other words, everyone has their own opinion of what it takes to be godly (). Here “old wive’s fables” represent the doctrines and opinions people have created as a means of becoming more like God ().

We don’t need man to tell us how to become more like God. What we need is the word of God and prayer ()!

The word “prayer” here carries the idea of intercession. Moreover, intercession requires a relationship with the one hearing your request. Therefore, godliness (sanctification) requires a relationship with God in prayer.

It also requires a relationship with God in His word (). The phrase “give thyself wholly” means to continue in it. The same word was used when the Angel told Joseph to “take the child and his mother to Egypt and continue there.”

We are looking for a “drive-through” Christianity, one where we can remain in the car (the flesh) and still receive the things we desire from God. No, if we want the benefits of the kingdom, we have to get out the car and wait inside! “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength” We like those little pagers because they hold our place in line while we go do what we want. No. You have to stand there at the counter. Otherwise, someone else will take your place!

If we want to become more like God, we need to spend more time with God in His word and in prayer. Personally, my spiritual health always begins to decline whenever I spend too much time away from the word and prayer. This is all we need to exercise ourselves in godliness. The rest is merely spiritual gymnastics or exercise.

We really have very little confidence in the word. We think the answer to our problem lies somewhere outside of the word. It’s not that we don’t value the word. It’s just that we feel there are things in life that fall outside of its scope. It’s effective, but only to a point. It’s the things you add to the word that really makes it work!

The Bible says, “Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” We have flipped this verse around until today we say, “Man shall not live by the word of God alone, but by the bread and the other natural things he can get his hands on.” In other words, God’s word is fine, but I need a job, some cash, my healing, a husband, a house. But I submit to you that having a job, more money, a house, a husband or your healing will not bring you closer to God (make you more godly). Only the word and prayer can do that. If you don’t find God in the word, you will forget God in your healing, house or husband.

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Notice that God gave the Children of Israel wealth to establish His covenant (to do His will). Therefore, wealth is not so much a reward for doing good, but rather a means for doing good! More importantly, the power to enter to such wealth came from how they dealt with the manna or God’s word! Only those who partook of the manna every day had the STRENGTH (power) to get the wealth or inherit the promise.

Notice how judgment (destruction) is pronounced upon those who forget God (His word). Some of you are not prospering like you should (in life, walk with God). Why? You’re not prospering because you’re forgetting the word. It’s like that “Drive-through” illustration I just gave. We pull up to church, hear the word, and pull off and forget what we just heard. How do we keep from forgetting the word? You have to do the word.

This is why God has us in the midst of these trials—to force us to do the word and, thus, remember the word.

See that? A man who hears, but does not do the word is as a man who forgets what he has heard! When we fail to do the word, we forget the word (it goes in one ear and out of the other). The solution to your problem is growth! How do we grow? No, you don’t need to go to some seminar on how to grow your business. The thing you need to grow in laying in your lap—God’s word. “Desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow thereby.” Israel needed water and water came out of the rock (word). Isreal needed bread and bread came from heaven.

We’re asking neighbors, friends, professionals, “Man, what shall I do?” We’re not doing what God says do because we think what does the commandments of God have to do with my situation? We lack discernment. We can’t make the connection. The reason why is because discernment comes from doing the word (). The discernment we develop from doing the word is not just helpful for spiritual things. It’s useful for ALL things.

These words were spoken by God to the Children of Israel in the wilderness when they complained of having only bread. They wanted more. But this was the very reason God sent the bread—to eliminate their need for more. They wanted more because they were covetous and not content. If they learned to survive on this bread, then when they went into the Promised Land, a land flowing with milk and honey, they would not be tempted to make a god out of their prosperity. They would essentially be like Paul who said, “I’ve learned in whatever state I am to be content. I know how to have much and I know how to have little.” The way we learn how to live with much is by first learning how to live with little.

We think our problem is money or people. The reality is it’s neither. A man came to Jesus and ask Him to command his brother to give him his inheritance. Jesus responded by saying that a man’s life consist not in the things he possesses. In other words, what you need is not money. While you are eager to prosper financially, you are poor spiritually. Moreover, what does it profit to gain the world and lose your soul. However, if you seek the prosperity of your soul, you will find prosperity in other areas of your life (“Prosper even as your soul prospers.”) But what does it take to prosper your soul? The word (“Desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow thereby.”) But, you say, “I come and hear the word every week, but I’m still not prospering.” That’s because you’re only HEARING the word. In order to prosper you have to do more than hear the word. You must abide in the word (“If you abide in me and my words abide in you you shall ask what you will and it shall be done.”).

We look at our life and we say, “I need $50,000, or I need this tumor dissolved, or I need a new marriage.” In reality what we need is a word. He sent His word and healed them. He gave Peter a word and Peter found money in the fish’s mouth. God gave a word to Elijah and delivered Israel from a military assault. Your problem is not your marriage, or your finances. Chances are, your problem is probably YOU (). What make this “little” seem like more is the peace that comes with it ().

We think we need more because we have trained ourselves to throw money at our problems rather than fix the real problem. What you need is contentment or possibly vision (discernment). The reason you lack discernment is because you have no word in you. Discernment comes from the word. Contentment comes from the word. Patience comes from the word. Peace comes from the word (“I will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on me.”).

You need to grow up. We’ve been talking to you all year about the need for growth. Everybody’s running here and running there to find opportunities and God said, “Be still. Establish yourself here and learn to grow.” Some of you need to grow up (mature) and others need to literally grow from scratch the opportunity they need. Either way, It literally came from the mouth of God, because God said man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that precedes out of the mouth of God. In other words, the manna they were receiving was type of the word (Jesus) that would one day come from heaven. And those who partake of this word will never hunger or thirst again!

We think our problem is money or people. The reality is it’s neither. A man came to Jesus and ask Him to command his brother to give him his inheritance. Jesus responded by saying that a man’s life consist not in the things he possesses. In other words, what you need is not money. While you are eager to prosper financially, you are poor spiritually. Moreover, what does it profit to gain the world and lose your soul. However, if you seek the prosperity of your soul, you will find prosperity in other areas of your life (“Prosper even as your soul prospers.”) But what does it take to prosper your soul? The word (“Desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow thereby.”) But, you say, “I come and hear the word every week, but I’m still not prospering.” That’s because you’re only HEARING the word. In order to prosper you have to do more than hear the word. You must abide in the word (“If you abide in me and my words abide in you you shall ask what you will and it shall be done.”).