Memory – Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily exercise has value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come (1 Timothy 4.8).
The apostle Paul gives his young protégé some very practical advice when he instructs him to train in godliness. It is very much like the advice he gives to others throughout his letters. Some time ago, when we considered the context of Colossians 3, we touched upon what Paul means about putting off the old self and putting on the new self in Christ. He phrases it as putting to death what is earthly in you. As we reflected on this text in preparation for baptism we began to understand something of the transformative work of the Holy Spirit in the Christian’s life. Theologically expressed, this is a process of working out your sanctification – that is, pursuing “the life of God in the soul of man.” Think of it this way, what you are now is not what you once were, nor is it what you shall one day be. Remember 1 John 3.1-3 … what we will be has not yet appeared; but you know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. When Peter is describing the attributes of the life of the Christian in 1 Peter 1.3-11 (our foundational text for our theme of Christ being formed in you) he says you ought to add to your perseverance (steadfastness) godliness (cf. last week’s meditation). So, then, becoming godly is not to say that you are becoming a god, but that God’s moral character is being formed in you.
Often the Christian’s first experience with Christ is joyous and liberating. He has confessed his sin and finds its burden lifted. Yet, unless he learns to live by the Spirit he will soon lose his joy. Some mistakenly believe the normal Christian life is a bed of rose petals where problems cease to exist. He may think if some stray difficulty should happen to beset him, it will quickly vanish when taken to the ‘throne of grace’. Not so! There is a rough side to the Christian life! The world, the flesh, and the devil all conspire to give a person serious trouble once he becomes a Christian. Suggestions to the contrary are mischievous, because they are patently false (cp. J.I. Packer, Knowing God p. 222).
Of course, the grace of God is at work in the life of the believer. But it is not a grace that makes the Christian impervious to the assaults of the world, the flesh, and the devil. Nor is he immune from the general ailments that beset all mankind. God is, however, a shelter in a time of need (Psalm 121). This is the reason the Bible emphasizes the inability of men and the great ability of God. Those who call upon the Lord in their day of trouble will find refuge. Their problems will not necessarily go away but they will find the strength they need to endure (Proverbs 3.4-6; Psalm 37.4-6).
When a Christian makes the claim, “Christ is being formed in me,” he or she is declaring they have undertaken the pursuit of holiness. From one perspective it is an impossibly daunting task; from another, it is surprisingly simple. As we have already seen, while the Christian strives after faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, and perseverance, no progress is made without the indwelling aid of the Holy Spirit. So, despite the enormity of the task, God is at work in you to bring his work to completion (Philippians 1.6).
In our primary text (1 Peter 1.3-11) the apostle instructs his readers to add to all these spiritual virtues that catchall virtue of godliness (cp. James 4.17). To be truly godly or godlike seems to be an impossible task. Though Peter writes very plainly, But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written ‘be holy because I am holy’ (1 Peter 1.14-15). Moreover, Jesus instructed his disciples to be perfect: Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5.48). But exactly what does Jesus mean by being perfect or Peter by being godly? Certainly Jesus does not mean for his disciples to be something they cannot be, namely, to have the transcendent attributes of God. These are attributes we know to be uniquely true about God; they are his alone. We can speak of the incommunicable attributes of God cognitively but not experientially. For example: 1) His independence: that is, His self-existence and self-sufficiency. 2) His immutability: that is, He is entirely free from change and thus is utterly consistent in all action. 3) His infinity: that is, He is free from all the restraints of time and space: e.g., He is eternal and omnipresent. 4) His simplicity: that is, He is free of conflict; He cannot be of two minds on any given matter. When we say God is simple or not complex we mean His being is not a result of the balance of parts, but the absence of parts. So to say that God is love (1 John 4.8) and that God is jealous and avenging (Nahum 2.1) is not to balance these emotions as you might with a person, but to recognize there is no distinction in His attributes. The one exists because it must - His love is perfect.
Such attributes (among others) describe the absolute being of God. Yet, being created in the image of God there are attributes of God which we share; namely, the personal nature of God. In these things man is meant to be like God. When Peter writes that we share in the divine nature (2 Peter 1.3; cp. Genesis 1.27), he is no doubt thinking, at least in part, that the moral and holy character of God ought to be evidenced in the life of the believer (cp. 1 Peter 1.14-16). J. I. Packer writes to know God at all is to know something of His perfection perfectly evidenced in the life of Jesus. In Jesus “the aspects of His moral character are manifested in His words and deeds - His holiness, His love and mercy, His truthfulness, His faithfulness, His goodness, His patience, His justice” (Packer Knowing God, p. 16).
There is something of God’s own nature is inherent in our nature. God intended to share the moral, spiritual, and even corporeal nature with mankind in order that we might know Him and share in the love and fellowship of the perichoretic joy and love of the Trinity. These moral attributes - goodness, truth, holiness, righteousness - as well as the qualities of spirituality and freedom became the foundation for our fellowship with God. In short: pursuing godliness is starving those thoughts that lead to spiritual death and feeding those thoughts that which leads to holiness (cf. 1 Corinthians 10.5b).
Often the Christian’s first experience with Christ is joyous and liberating. He has confessed his sin and finds its burden lifted. Yet, unless he learns to live by the Spirit he will soon lose his joy. Some mistakenly believe the normal Christian life is a bed of rose petals where problems cease to exist. He may think if some stray difficulty should happen to beset him, it will quickly vanish when taken to the ‘throne of grace’. Not so! There is a rough side to the Christian life! The world, the flesh, and the devil all conspire to give a person serious trouble once he becomes a Christian. Suggestions to the contrary are mischievous, because they are patently false (cp. J.I. Packer, Knowing God p. 222).
Of course, the grace of God is at work in the life of the believer. But it is not a grace that makes the Christian impervious to the assaults of the world, the flesh, and the devil. Nor is he immune from the general ailments that beset all mankind. God is, however, a shelter in a time of need (Psalm 121). This is the reason the Bible emphasizes the inability of men and the great ability of God. Those who call upon the Lord in their day of trouble will find refuge. Their problems will not necessarily go away but they will find the strength they need to endure (Proverbs 3.4-6; Psalm 37.4-6).
When a Christian makes the claim, “Christ is being formed in me,” he or she is declaring they have undertaken the pursuit of holiness. From one perspective it is an impossibly daunting task; from another, it is surprisingly simple. As we have already seen, while the Christian strives after faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, and perseverance, no progress is made without the indwelling aid of the Holy Spirit. So, despite the enormity of the task, God is at work in you to bring his work to completion (Philippians 1.6).
In our primary text (1 Peter 1.3-11) the apostle instructs his readers to add to all these spiritual virtues that catchall virtue of godliness (cp. James 4.17). To be truly godly or godlike seems to be an impossible task. Though Peter writes very plainly, But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written ‘be holy because I am holy’ (1 Peter 1.14-15). Moreover, Jesus instructed his disciples to be perfect: Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5.48). But exactly what does Jesus mean by being perfect or Peter by being godly? Certainly Jesus does not mean for his disciples to be something they cannot be, namely, to have the transcendent attributes of God. These are attributes we know to be uniquely true about God; they are his alone. We can speak of the incommunicable attributes of God cognitively but not experientially. For example: 1) His independence: that is, His self-existence and self-sufficiency. 2) His immutability: that is, He is entirely free from change and thus is utterly consistent in all action. 3) His infinity: that is, He is free from all the restraints of time and space: e.g., He is eternal and omnipresent. 4) His simplicity: that is, He is free of conflict; He cannot be of two minds on any given matter. When we say God is simple or not complex we mean His being is not a result of the balance of parts, but the absence of parts. So to say that God is love (1 John 4.8) and that God is jealous and avenging (Nahum 2.1) is not to balance these emotions as you might with a person, but to recognize there is no distinction in His attributes. The one exists because it must - His love is perfect.
Such attributes (among others) describe the absolute being of God. Yet, being created in the image of God there are attributes of God which we share; namely, the personal nature of God. In these things man is meant to be like God. When Peter writes that we share in the divine nature (2 Peter 1.3; cp. Genesis 1.27), he is no doubt thinking, at least in part, that the moral and holy character of God ought to be evidenced in the life of the believer (cp. 1 Peter 1.14-16). J. I. Packer writes to know God at all is to know something of His perfection perfectly evidenced in the life of Jesus. In Jesus “the aspects of His moral character are manifested in His words and deeds - His holiness, His love and mercy, His truthfulness, His faithfulness, His goodness, His patience, His justice” (Packer Knowing God, p. 16).
There is something of God’s own nature is inherent in our nature. God intended to share the moral, spiritual, and even corporeal nature with mankind in order that we might know Him and share in the love and fellowship of the perichoretic joy and love of the Trinity. These moral attributes - goodness, truth, holiness, righteousness - as well as the qualities of spirituality and freedom became the foundation for our fellowship with God. In short: pursuing godliness is starving those thoughts that lead to spiritual death and feeding those thoughts that which leads to holiness (cf. 1 Corinthians 10.5b).
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