Daily Devotionals

Mornings and Evenings with Jesus

Devotional: June 24th

The godly. - 2 Peter 2:9.

WE have a peculiar character to describe:-“The godly.” Who are they? There are none such by nature; but, blessed be God, there are such by grace; and this grace is perpetually producing a change in the hearts of many,-according to the promise in Isaiah:-“Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir-tree, and instead of the brier, the myrtle-tree; and it shall be to the Lord for a name, and an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”

Therefore, in an ungodly world there are some who may be denominated godly men. The word is often used as a term of reproach and censure. Thus, when professors of religion walk unworthy the name by which they are called, their miscarriages lead the enemies of God to blaspheme. “Ah,” say they, “these are some of the godly.” “Woe to the world,” says the Saviour, “because of offences; for it must needs be that offences come; but woe unto him by whom the offence cometh.” Let us beware, therefore, how we cast a stumblingblock in the way of the blind, or prove a distress to the strong; for in either case the world can and will distinguish between reality and pretension.

Yea, sometimes they infer reality from pretensions, and conclude there is such a thing as true religion, from the attempt to counterfeit it. But what is godliness? It is not superstition. It means, indeed, a serving God “with reverence and godly fear;” but this fear is not that which hath torment in it. It is not a slavish fear, but a filial fear. “We have not received the spirit of bondage again, to fear; but the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father,” and “have boldness and access with confidence, by the faith of him.” It is not enthusiasm. Though it leads us to set our affections on things above, and induces us to “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,” it does not forbid the common enjoyments of life; neither does it draw us away from the concerns of the life that now is. It does not erect religion upon the destruction of humanity. It is zeal that warms the blood, but does not burn up the brains.

Godliness is more than morality. We do not depreciate morality; godliness provides for it, and includes it. The apostle, in addition to our living soberly and righteously, adds, “and godly in this present world.” It is not profession: it is more than profession. A man may have a name to live while he is dead, and wear the form of godliness while he denies the power thereof. A godly man may be contrasted with a worldly man: a man of this world is one who makes the world his portion, is governed by its maxims, worships its god, obeys its prince, and walks according to the course of it; the world is every thing to him. So with regard to a godly man. He derives his character entirely from God, and God to him is all in all.

Now, such a man as this is with God on the Sabbath, but then he does not leave him through the week; he is in the fear of the Lord all the day long, and every day. This godliness leads him to the sanctuary, and he loves the place where God’s honour dwells. But it leads him also into the closet, where he prays to his Father who seeth in secret. It rules him also in his family, and he says, with Joshua, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” He has there an altar for God, on which he offers the morning and evening sacrifices of prayer and praise; he walks by the rule of God’s word. Yes, his godliness is not merely a habit: ’tis a nature; ’tis a life; ’tis a divine nature: it is the life of God in the soul of man. Such a man is concerned, “whether he eats or drinks, or whatever he does, to do all to the glory of God.”

Now, as to the degree of godliness to which we have already attained: we may judge very much of it by this one thing,-by the pleasure we feel in divine things; we are godly in proportion as our duties become our privileges, and in proportion as we hold communion and habitual intercourse with God. He must abound in godliness who is able to say, “My meditation of him shall be sweet.” “My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, when I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate upon thee in the night-watches.”

Great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh. - 1 Timothy 3:16.

HERE is a combination of Deity and humanity. Such an union is unparalleled in the annals of the whole universe. It is not necessary to prove that the Saviour was really a man. Those who in the beginning of the gospel day, under the notion of doing him honour, contended that his flesh was a mere phantom, and that it was a corporeal appearance only, and not a reality, have long ago disappeared. John much opposed them, and we may observe in his writings how much stress he lays on our believing that he is come in the flesh, that is, that he was really incarnate.

This we fully admit; we know that “a body “was “prepared him.” We know that he “took upon him the nature of the seed of Abraham;” that because the children were partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that “he increased in wisdom,” as well as “in stature;” that he had all the innocent infirmities of our nature; that he hungered, and thirsted, and wept and slept, and groaned in Spirit; and yet we have as much reason from the Scriptures to believe his Deity as to believe his humanity.

The conclusion is undeniable; unless it is allowed that the sacred writers wrote in order to perplex and puzzle, or to lead astray, or, at least, that they should not be understood by the common people and unlettered. For continually, and without any reserve, they ascribe to him the most magnificent titles to be found within the compass of language. They ascribe to him attributes which Deity only can possess-they ascribe to him homage which Deity alone can claim and justify. The union, therefore, is indispensably necessary in order to our understanding and explaining Scripture. We find things said of him which do not agree with him as man, and we find things said of him which do not agree with him as God.

Paul says to the elders of Ephesus, “Feed the flock of God which he hath purchased with his own blood.” He that is Divine cannot bleed, and he that bleeds cannot be Divine, but there may be a union of Deity, and humanity in his wonderful person. And this is the case. John, in the beginning of his Gospel, says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” And yet, says he, “The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory of the only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” And Isaiah thus speaks of him; “Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulders, and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.” Here we have time and eternity blended, the finite and the infinite, the “Child” and the “Mighty God,” the “Son” and the “Everlasting Father.”

Oh! how can these things be? There is the mystery. “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”