“There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, LOVERS OF PLEASURE RATHER THAN LOVERS OF GOD— HAVING A FORM OF GODLINESS BUT DENYING ITS POWER. Have nothing to do with such people.” (2 Tim. 3:1-5)
“Form” WILL, is “a mere appearance that has no relation to reality.” “Godliness,” however, has to do with the way we live. It impacts and changes our lives. As the word “godliness” implies, it has to do with holiness, to be living like God. Yet we see from the Scriptures quoted above, that people will fall into a habit of living ungodly lives, yet at the same time continue to hold to “a form of godliness”! “A form of godliness” does not alter the way a person lives! It allows them to do what they want to do ~ to set their own standards, and yet proclaim that it is acceptable to God. Thankfully we know that: “ALL SCRIPTURE is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God MAY BE THOROUGHLY EQUIPPED FOR EVERY GOOD WORK.” (2 Tim. 3:16-17) Thoroughly means, completely, comprehensively, fully, INSIDE AND OUT. You can paint a piece of wood but that will only cover the outside. What God’s word does is saturate us so we are not just covered but saturated inside and out…
LET US BE FILLED AND THRILLED BY YOUR WONDERFUL WORD…
-Bill Stockham