What does it take to be Godly? - Religion - Nairaland
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| What does it take to be Godly? by babagana(m): 1:34pm On Dec 12, 2005 |
Nigerians mention God in everything they do but do the complete opposite of what any God fearing/loving person will do. Example: recent elections were clearly believed to be heavilly rigged but very few Nigerians will even accept this simple truth. Example: a Governor in this country was arrested with funds before the recent one only to be suspended for a short while and later re-instated. The recent Bayelsa event is beyond comment. Do we really think we can eat our cake and have it or do Nigerians generally think they can cheat God? |
| Re: What does it take to be Godly? by Seun(m): 1:40pm On Dec 12, 2005 |
Don't you think it's rather ilogical to claim that 150 million Nigerians are ungodly based on allegations made against a handful of politicians? 1 Like |
| Re: What does it take to be Godly? by RhodaRose(f): 2:05pm On Dec 12, 2005 |
babagana, Nigerians mention God in everything they do but do the complete opposite of what any God fearing/loving person will do. Americans mention God in everything they do but do the complete opposite of what any God fearing/loving person will do. Example: recent elections were clearly believed to be heavily rigged but very few Americans will even accept this simple truth. Example: a Governor in this country was arrested with funds before the recent one only to be suspended for a short while and later re-instated. The recent (New York, New Orleans, and many more) event is beyond comment. Do we really think we can eat our cake and have it or do Americans generally think they can cheat God? Welcome to the real world... Be[b] in [/b] the world but not[b] of [/b] the world....Seek the Kingdom of God RhodaRose |
| Re: What does it take to be Godly? by babagana(m): 2:58pm On Dec 12, 2005 |
Silence they say means consent! If Nigerians are all aware of this yet keep quiet then its rather unfortunate. Further more I never said that Nigerians are unGodly but do things that go contrary to the teachings of their utterances. All we should do is practice what we preach Seun... RhodaR please permit me to call you that, no offence is meant and I do not intend to be rude. I can understand that if it happens in US because it is highly immoral society apologies to the few decent people amongst them, where to them freedom could mean even difiance of God himself and all sorts of blasphemy is practiced and encouraged. but in Nigeria where out of every 10, 9 people will tell you they believe in God its appalling. Try to understand there is a THICK DEFINED LINE BETWEEN US AND THE U.S. |
| Re: What does it take to be Godly? by AbbeyMarie(f): 11:36pm On Jan 03, 2006 |
babagana said that, "... in Nigeria where out of every 10, 9 people will tell you they believe in God..." What does it mean to believe in God? Believe that he exists. Even the Devil believes in God! Just because someone says that they "believe in God" doesn't mean that they live their life for him and only him. It is therefore quite understandable that people in Nigeria (and also the entire rest of the world) say that they believe in God, whereas they don't live out his will. |
| Re: What does it take to be Godly? by babagana(m): 1:38pm On Jan 04, 2006 |
@abbeyMarie_ AbbeyMarie:which brings us to the same Q, what does it take to be Godly? |
| Re: What does it take to be Godly? by AbbeyMarie(f): 11:55pm On Jan 04, 2006 |
babagana: We can't be godly. because we have sinned. After you have sinned... well from then on you are basically evil. However we can always try to be the best person we can. |
| Re: What does it take to be Godly? by babagana(m): 9:45am On Jan 05, 2006 |
AbbeyMarie: I am affraid I don't seem to agree with you. Have you heard of anything called repentance, Born again and so on? |
| Re: What does it take to be Godly? by AbbeyMarie(f): 3:25am On Jan 06, 2006 |
babagana: I'm sorry, please let me clarify on what i was trying to say, because i do believe in repentance, i have been born again myself. Once we have sinned, we are evil. If we recieve Jesus Christ into our hearts, we can be born again, or clean infront of God's eyes. However, being human, we will sin again. so, we still cannot be technically 'godly' because 'godly' means 'like god' and God is perfect. and so, because we continue to sin, although we try to be perfect. why god allows us to still go to heaven, is because when Jesus died on the cross. he didn't die for one sin from each person that had/did/will ever exist, but rather all the sins that each person that had/did/will ever exist commited. Does that clarify what i was trying to say before? |
| Re: What does it take to be Godly? by babagana(m): 12:23pm On Jan 06, 2006 |
A little bit but now that jesus died on the cross does that mean it is a ticket to be ungodly and continue to sin? Again, let me ask you, are all sinners evil? Does being Godly only mean being sinless? |
| Re: What does it take to be Godly? by AbbeyMarie(f): 11:50pm On Jan 06, 2006 |
babagana: Sin IS evil. i just looked on dictionary.com looking up godly, and it said that godly is divine, and divine is godlike. God is sinless so, being god like, would mean being sinless. |
| Re: What does it take to be Godly? by babagana(m): 2:04pm On Jan 16, 2006 |
Then I strongly suggest that you check Chambers dictionary and you will find a more liberal and non-extremist definition. Hear this "godly adj (formal) religious; following God's laws: a godly man/life:" it further gave an example with a sentence stating 'He is the most godly of men.' Does that not suggest that there is quality of being Godly which men can actually be or become? |
| Re: What does it take to be Godly? by donnie(m): 11:38am On Jan 26, 2006 |
To be born-again is the first step. You then recieve the Holy Spirit who will help you lead a Godly life. He is the one that strengthens us to live for God even in this crooked and perverse generation. It is possible for one to be born again and yet not godly...this is a babe in christ. |
| Re: What does it take to be Godly? by mlksbaby(f): 4:38pm On May 28, 2006 |
Hi everyone, The discussion should not be confined to the Christian perspective. It all depends on the context of godliness; for to be godly is not limited to being just Christian. One definition of it is "having great reverence for God; pious", and a lot of non-Christian people exhibit that, even in a religious sense, without necessarily believing in the tenets of Christianity. This may surprise a lot of us Christians, but the Bible reveals that some people who did not hear of the Gospel of Jesus Christ before it was revealed to them, actually were demonstrating a life of godliness by their consciences; and on that basis God will judge them - read Rom. 2:5-16. There were people who were devout/pious towards God before even they heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Cornelius in Acts 10:1-2 is an example); but rejection of that Gospel translates into impiety towards God in the Christian sense. From the Christian point of reference, there are two mysteries that are in existence in the world today: # the mystery of iniquity (2 Thes. 2:7), and # the mystery of godliness (1 Tim. 3:16). Everyone falls in either of these two mysteries based on who is at work in any person - either the spirit of the prince of the power of the air (another appellation for Satan - Eph. 2:2); or the Spirit of Christ. When a person believes in Jesus, he/she is given the Spirit of God to indwell and empower to a godly life. There'll be challenges along the way, and such are God's ways of affording believers opportunities to demonstrate the sincerity of their faith in Jesus. It takes more than mere lip confession to be godly. In our world today, there are some who profess to be having a form of godliness, but denying the power of thereof (2 Tim. 3:5). However, for a committed believer in Jesus, godliness reaches deep down and springs from the heart, and can stand any trial by the power of the Spirit of God. This does not suggest a literal perfectionist view that believers never sin or make mistakes; but the point is that a true believer never endorses godlessness. Godliness for the Christian is founded on faith in Jesus Christ, a commitment to love God, and a demonstration of that faith and love in intelligent obedience to His Word. The practical demonstration of Christian godliness is the antithesis of ungodliness and worldiness (Tit. 2:12). At the same time, it is the concern for others and transparency in our dealings (I Tim. 2:2), and the enduring commitment to faith in Jesus even under persecution and trials (2 Tim. 3:12). How is this possible in our world today? The answer is in 2 Pet. 1:3 - God, by virtue of His divine power, "has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence." |
| Re: What does it take to be Godly? by donnie(m): 12:01pm On May 29, 2006 |
Hey, Good right up! but there are certain issues in your comment which i will like to throw more light on. mlks_baby: I do not agree. Because the very essence of Godliness is in Christ jesus. Jesus is the express image of the father's person. 1 Timothy 3:16 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. mlks_baby: You have finally succeeded in defining godliness according to the Word as shown in the bible. mlks_baby: Depends on what you are confessing. If you are consistently confessing the Word of faith over your life, it will surely prevail. It shall not return void but accomplish that for which it was sent. mlks_baby: True, it is the doers of the Word that are blessed and not just the hearers. But we must understand what it is to do the Word. As a christain, we are commanded to do the Word and not just to obey. Because we have been called already, 'obedient children' When we recieved the gospel of Christ we became his obedient children having obeyed the gospel. Now we are asked to do the Word. This is different form obeying. Because we were born of the very Word of God. We came from his Word. The life we have recieved cam from his word. That eternal life which was with the father. So to do the Word is to live the Word. To have the Word of God in our mouths always. That way it will be impossilble to walk otherwise. Because your life is the character of your Words. Joshua 1:8: 8This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. We can notice certain important things in this passage: 1. The Word is not meant to remain their heart but also in their mouths all day and night. In their medidtations. Muttering, mumuring the word every now and then to yourself. 2. The passage did not say, mditate on the Word and then you go and do the word. No! meditaion will necessarily result in the performance. When the Word becomes your daily meditaion it will cause your body to follow in the same direction. It says,'that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is writen. The doing is the result of the confession'. mlks_baby: True, we are to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ. To know him is love him and to love him is to become like him. |
| Re: What does it take to be Godly? by mlksbaby(f): 11:46am On May 30, 2006 |
Great to read yours, and enjoyed your additions. However, I acknowledge your disagreement with my part of my post. It's just that all those references in their contexts show that God acknowledged the godly lives of those who looked to Him long before the advent Christianity. Today, God defines godliness by the great mystery of 1 Tim. 3:16 - which you'd observe was quoted in my piece. While agreeing with most of what you stated, I don't think there's any difference between obeying and doing God's Word. One cannot be doing the Word without obeying it; and "obedience" to the Word is not possible without "doing" it. Whether one "confesses" it daily or "keeps" God's commandments (John 14:15), it all boils down to obedience. 1 Pet. 1:14 says we are obedient children, but what follows clearly points to matters for our consistent obedience. We don't graduate from obedience to doing - they're all the same thing: as obedient children, keep obeying God. 1 Like 1 Share |
| Re: What does it take to be Godly? by donnie(m): 4:17pm On Jun 01, 2006 |
Thank you. Of course but when we do God's Word, we are walking in obedience. However, this is what i see to be the difference bw 'obeying' and 'doing' God's word. Hebrews 10:7 Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. When Jesus came, he was concious of what had already been written of Him in the scriptures. He actually stepped in to the scriptures. He acted them out. In the same way, when we look at the Word of God(God's mirror). We see who we really are. But we might look at ourselves and not see the same thing. Now, to do God's word, you call yourself what God calls you and act accordingly regardless of what you see or feel. For instance, the broke guy who is a christain does not actually obey the commandment 'thou shalt not steal'. He sees in God's mirror that he is already rich and so he says the same thing and acts that way. He steps into the Word. He begins to speak of the Lord's provision and so he will not steal. Before long, his mind is renewed and he recieves ideas that will eventually change his status. The letter killeth, but the Spirit gives life. 2 Corinthians 8:9 (Whole Chapter) For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. However, in walking in obedience in the Holy Ghost, He daily gives us specific commands concerning what he has asked us to do. He leads and we follow. This is the way i was brought up. |
| Re: What does it take to be Godly? by otokx(m): 4:29pm On Jun 01, 2006 |
abiding in God's word |
| Re: What does it take to be Godly? by donnie(m): 5:09pm On Jun 01, 2006 |
exactly |
| Re: What does it take to be Godly? by syrup(f): 7:47am On Jun 02, 2006 |
Obeying = Keeping Keeping = Doing Doing = Walking in Walking in = Abiding in. . . . . . God's Word. There's just no difference: they're all the same. |
| Re: What does it take to be Godly? by kimba(m): 10:36am On Jun 02, 2006 |
@Syrup Word UP!!!  |
| Re: What does it take to be Godly? by budaatum: 2:16am On Mar 20, 2019 |
babagana: |
| Re: What does it take to be Godly? by Heph001(f): 7:51am On Mar 20, 2019 |
There can be no fruits of godliness without an encounter with Jesus. Outside Jesus, godliness is not attainable. A person cannot live like who He does not know or believe in. So the first step is becoming born anew, then godliness can be talked about. |
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