BJU Press Blog

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GODLINESS

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Holiness and godliness are first cousins. There won’t be one without the other. The former is a state of being and the latter relates to behavior. Our Lord, because He was holy, was the perfect example of godly behavior during His earthly life. By studying Him, I can learn to “live godly in Christ Jesus.”

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“I exhort therefore, that . . . prayers . . . be made for all men, . . . that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty” (1 Timothy 2:1–2). “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh” (1 Timothy 3:16). “Exercise thyself rather unto godliness. For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things” (1 Timothy 4:7–8). “But godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Timothy 6:6). “But thou, O man of God . . . follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness” (1 Timothy 6:11). “And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith . . . godliness” (2 Peter 1:5–6). “Seeing that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness” (2 Peter 3:11).

GOLDEN THOUGHT: Godliness with contentment is great gain.

[Excerpt adapted from Wonderful Words by Stewart Custer (March 30 reading).]

GIFT

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God’s gifts cover a very broad range of blessing. We thank Him for the food we eat, the clothes on our backs, and the roofs over our heads. But if these temporal blessings were all that we received, there would be no enjoying them. They would be thoroughly overshadowed by a soul-withering sense of endless darkness to follow. The verses below, however, remind us of His unspeakable gift—that GIFT that eclipses all others and casts the bright rays of eternal redemption over them all.

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Paul often writes of the gift of God. “Much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many” (Romans 5:15). “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift ” (II Corinthians 9:15). “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). Paul also wrote, “I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power” (Ephesians 3:7). “But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ” (Ephesians 4:7). James wrote, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (James 1:17).

GOLDEN THOUGHT : Every good gift is from above.

[Excerpt adapted from Wonderful Words by Stewart Custer (March 23 reading).]

FRIEND

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The label “fair weather friend” is one no conscientious person would desire. It carries the implications of an opportunist at best and traitor-in-disguise at worst. The Lord Jesus called His betrayer “Friend” as He received his signal kiss in the Garden. Judas was the worst of fair-weather friends. Christ said in John 15:14, “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.” Abraham was called the friend of God because he believed His word. The commandment of our Lord is “believe also in me.” I praise God that Jesus seeks, saves, and makes friends of all He enables to believe.

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“A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity” (Proverbs 17:17). Solomon also said, “A man that hath friends must show himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24). Jesus said, “Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee” (Mark 5:19). His enemies charged the Lord Jesus Christ with being “a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!” (Luke 7:34). But that is His true glory, for He came to seek and to save the lost. It is different when someone desires to be like the world. James warned, “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God” (James 4:4).

GOLDEN THOUGHT: There is a Friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

[Excerpt adapted from Wonderful Words by Stewart Custer (March 16 reading).]

FLOCK

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In the verses below, we are reminded that our Lord inspired the psalmist to call Him a shepherd. Of all the names He uses to communicate Himself to His people, this may be the most often repeated and perhaps the most cherished. I must consider it a great honor to be in His flock. John 10:27 assures me that as one of His sheep, I will hear Him, be known of Him, and follow Him. No pagan deity promises such intimacy and power to its followers.

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“Thou leddest thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron” (Psalm 77:20). David wrote, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1). The Lord Jesus said to His disciples, “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32). Paul said to the elders of Ephesus, “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood” (Acts 20:28). Peter exhorted elders, “Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; nor for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock” (1 Peter 5:2–3).

GOLDEN THOUGHT : Fear not, little flock.

[Excerpt adapted from Wonderful Words by Stewart Custer (March 9 reading).]

FEAR, REVERENCE

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Reverential fear is an essential characteristic of the Christian and may well be the litmus test as to whether a person has genuine faith. It knows no boundaries of age or status. In Psalm 115:13, the psalmist wrote “He will bless them that fear the Lord, both small and great.” Without fear we deem God to be our equal. But when we revere Him we find Him to be very great indeed.

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“The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever” (Psalm 19:9). “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:7). “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil” (Proverbs 8:13). “The fear of the Lord prolongeth days: but the years of the wicked shall be shortened” (Proverbs 10:27). “The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death” (Proverbs 14:27). “Servants, obey in all things your masters . . . not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God” (Colossians 3:22). “Let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear” (Hebrews 12:28). “Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great” (Revelation 19:5).

GOLDEN THOUGHT: Let us serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.

[Excerpt adapted from Wonderful Words by Stewart Custer (March 2 reading).]