Form of Godliness

2 Kings 13-14; 2 Chronicles 25; 2 Timothy 3

“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud…lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God – having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.”

2 Timothy 3:1, 2, 4, 5

Paul’s list of qualities that people express in the last days could have been written in our day.

Why is it important that the list includes a “form of godliness”?

Is the gospel of self-improvement and success a threat to the self-centered life?

When the definition of godliness includes enabling greed, pride, and pleasure, we are not experiencing the true gospel of Jesus Christ. The power of Christ’s gospel comes in its call to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Jesus. If those words aren’t familiar to us, and all we are looking for is the substitution of atonement of Christ, we, too, could be living without the power of the Holy Spirit to transform our will and selfish habits.

“Lord Jesus, your Spirit’s power in exchange for my selfish, self-will is my prayer, for your glory.”