Amanda BethSharing the Truths Behind the TRUTH

Oct 1st Monday’s Blog: Pursuing Godliness “Faith Leads to Godliness”

Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.

1 Timothy 4:7-8

This is the fourth message in our series on “Pursuing Godliness.” Today, I want to focus on faith, believing God to help us live godly lives.

2 Peter 1:3 says, “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.”

God’s divine power, the same power that raised Jesus from the dead, has given (meaning we already have it) us everything we need to live godly lives through our knowledge of Him (faith in Him).

Romans 8:11 says, “And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.”

Faith is the doorway to God’s promises. If God promises He will give us everything we need to live godly lives here on earth, we must believe it to receive it.

I am currently hosting a powerful Bible study in my home titled: “Believing God” by Beth Moore. The study focuses on Romans chapter four, which explains how we are justified by faith, not by works. In the course of the study we will have read the chapter at least twenty times. The purpose is to meditate on it until it lives in us.

Romans 4:2-8, 23-25 explain:

“If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. What does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.’

Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:

‘Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him.’

The words ‘it was credited to him’ were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.”

After turning my heart to Christ twelve years ago, I tried for many years to live a godly life. When I read the Bible I would get overwhelmed because I failed every command. I would write notes with verses and put them all over my house to help me. I would set reminders on my phone with the verses I struggled with most. I would surround myself with God’s Word through Bible studies, church, books, and teachings on the radio and television. But no matter what I did, I only seemed to act worse. I was bewildered that those I knew who rarely opened their Bibles had more godly characteristics than I had. I thought to myself, “Something isn’t right. I must be doing something wrong.”

After years of frustration, I had an emotional breakdown while sitting in my church parking lot waiting to pick my daughter up from summer camp. I was tired of trying to be godly, and tired of failing miserably. I cried out to God telling Him I had enough. I couldn’t do it anymore. God spoke to me that moment through a minister on the radio. It was a message I had heard many times before, but it hadn’t registered in my heart until that moment. The message was about believing God to change me. A message so simple, yet it took me so long to receive it. Once I surrendered and stopped trying to obey His Word on my own, my heart finally opened up to receive God’s help.

Once I learned God has given us everything we need to walk in godliness, by the fruit of His Spirit, a burden was lifted from me. I was then able to joyfully receive God’s Word by faith, instead of feeling overwhelmed thinking His Word was a hammer pounding me down with every command. Once I started walking in faith, believing I would walk in godliness by His Spirit, my actions began to change.

I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? Have you suffered so much for nothing—if it really was for nothing? Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?

Galatians 3:2-5

It’s a wonderful feeling knowing we have everything we need to live a life of godliness. We don’t have to worry about how to develop godliness. We already have it in our spirits. It just needs to manifest in us.

Awhile back, I needed healing in an area. I had been dealing with this hurt for a long time. I cried out to Jesus one evening with all my heart. I told Him I had enough of that pain and I needed His healing. I cried, “If You were here on earth today, You’d touch me and I would be healed instantly! I know You haven’t changed! I know You are still the same today! You are here! Touch me and I will be healed!!”

In the middle of the night, I awoke from my sleep and saw that my husband was awake. I hadn’t told him I was still hurting in this area. He didn’t know what I had prayed. Before we went back to sleep, my husband said, “Oh, by the way, I don’t know what’s going on, but God told me to tell you that you are healed. Whatever you needed healing for, you’ve got it!”

I was elated! Knowing that God told me I was healed increased my faith to believe Him for that healing. From that moment on, I had no doubt that I was healed. I didn’t see my full healing manifest right away, but whenever the problem arose I just smiled and reminded myself that I was already healed. God’s power, working through faith, weakened the power of that stronghold, and then my healing began to manifest in me.

I believed God because He spoke to me. We can also believe God because He spoke to us in His Word. If God tells us something in His Word, we can believe it will happen just as He promised.

Blessed be the LORD, that hath given rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant. The LORD our God be with us, as he was with our fathers: let him not leave us, nor forsake us…

1 Kings 8:56-57

I want to encourage you to believe God to help you walk in godliness. He will never leave you. He will never give up on you. He will never stop working in you. He will transform you into a vessel for His glory. Don’t ever give up believing Him. He will do just as He has promised!

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.

That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

Ephesians 1:17-23

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for cleansing us from all our sins, and giving us everything we need for life and godliness through our faith in You. Help us to live by faith and walk in step with Your Holy Spirit. We surrender our lives to You. Transform our lowly bodies, and make us into vessels for Your glory!

In Jesus’ precious name, Amen!

Have a blessed week believing God!

*Come back next Monday for more in this series. You can subscribe below to receive an email reminder of new posts. You can also use the share tabs below to help spread the word of this series to bless others.