(Kelly Mcdonald Jr) “3 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.” (2 Timothy 3:1-5, NIV)
There is a stern warning from the Apostle Paul in the New Testament about a form of godliness. What is a form of godliness? It is important we understand this error so that we can avoid the danger it poses to us.
A form of Godliness is a way of life that appears to be Godly. It gives the appearance that you represent God and are living for Him. We can go to church once a week in nice clothes, open our Bibles when the preacher reads the verses, raise our hands during service when we feel the moment is right, and still have a form of Godliness. In the moment, everything felt right. The environment was right. The music was anointed. The sermon was exactly what we needed to hear. However, did we really change?
We can look pious with our church programs, padded seating, large buildings, polished sermons, and other smooth looking features. It looks alive, thriving, and growing. It has the appearance that God is in it. Jesus addressed one of the churches in the book of Revelation and said, “I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God….” (Revelation 3:1-2).
We can have a reputation around town of being alive spiritually (and even appear that way), but it does not mean the life of God is present. We can have a spiritual experience in these places when He is absent. We can fool ourselves. When Jesus addressed the church of Sardis, He addressed how their deeds were unfinished or incomplete. In other words, they stopped their pursuit of Christ. They thought they had enough. READ MORE
