Becoming Godly In An Ungodly World

BECOMING GODLY IN AN UNGODLY WORLD

by Leona M. Kidd

PART I 

 

INTRODUCTION

 

Godliness outside of the Word of God and an intimate relationship with Jesus and others will not happen.  God’s Word is how he reveals himself to us…..His word is our plumb line, our standard. 

 

TITUS 1:1-2

          “Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the faith of God’s elect and the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness—a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time.”

 

Principle:  KNOWLEDGE OF GOD’S TRUTH LEADS TO GODLINESS

 

TITUS 2:1-1

In verse 1 Paul is exhorting Titus in his responsibility to “speak the things of sound doctrine” 

 

Just as a little baby needs the right conditions to grow and develop, so must we as Christians be in right relationships for the feeding and rooting of ourselves in the Word of God.  We need to be in an environment and relationship that nurtures the Word of God IN us. 

 

Principle:  SOUND DOCTRINE will produce a rooted Christian who then will produce fruit.  The renewing of our minds comes from reading, hearing and meditating on the Word of God.

 

TEACH-TRAIN-BE AN EXAMPLE is what Paul is instructing Titus to train Christians to do. 

 

To teach, train, and be an example requires a teacher, student relationship.  This is the relationship of a disciple, or a mentor, and a mentee.  We need these close relationships to develop into a godly woman of God.

 

 

JOHN 13:35

          “By this all men will know that you are my DISCIPLES, if you have love for one another.”

 

We are exhorted in Matthew, “A disciple is not above his/her teacher, nor a slave above his master.”  There is no higher ground in God’s kingdom. (Matt. 10:24)

 

Principle:  DISCIPLESHIP/MENTORING IS THE TEACHING OF SOUND DOCTRINE AND IS COMMITTED TO THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF GOD’S WORD IN OUR DAY TO DAY LIVES.

 

Today we will talk about the P.M.S. of a mentoring relationships:

 

PURPOSE, METHOD, & SATISFACTION FOR MENTORING RELATIONSHIPS

 

RELATIONSHIPS for the purpose of Mentoring is to be BASED ON SOUND DOCTRINE and has a GOAL……This then brings us to the purpose

1.    PURPOSE FOR A MENTORING RELATIONSHIP

Ø    Train to love

Ø    Spiritual growth

Ø    Accountability

 

A.    TRAIN TO LOVE

 

Jesus in the book of John commands us to Love one another (John 13:34-35, John 15:17) and in Matthew

 

Matthew 22:37-39 Jesus tells us, “YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND….YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.”

 

Principle:  Our relationships with others is the manifestation of God’s love in our lives. 

 

1 John 4:12….”If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us.”   “From our innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.”

When we are in relationships with another – we will reflect the love of Jesus.

 

B.    SPIRITUAL GROWTH

 

   OUR INNER PERSON will Grow when we are in A right relationship with God and one another.  It will develop fruit. 

 In Gal. 5:22-23, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.”

 

Principle: You know you are producing fruit from the inner manifestation of the Holy Spirit IF others defer to your purity/godliness.

 

 Spiritual Growth Promotes:  ACTION

                     The fruit KINDNESS involves an outward

                      action and is gentle. 

 

      In Luke 7:13 Jesus demonstrated kindness, He SAW the widow bringing her only son out of the city for burial, He FELT compassion, then He ACTED in saying “Young man arise.”

 

  Spiritual Growth will:

Stretch us out of our comfort zones.  We will grow spiritually when we get involved in another person’s life.  It will develop our patience, acceptance as we learn to love one another. 

 

Principle:  A close relationship with another will grow us up spiritually, and deepen our faith in God.  We will learn to respond properly to stress, pain, and suffering in our lives. 

 

          C.  ACCOUNTABILITY

 

Accountability to another leads to confession.

We are to confess our sins to God, and one another. 

 

Confession holds us accountable….we are to have an attitude of readiness to admit our failures and accept responsibility.  Be HONEST

We are told in the scriptures to “share our burdens with one another”, and to confess our sins.

 

Confession requires repentance.  Repentance is a complete turning away from our sin. 

 

Guilt over sin will be used by the enemy of our souls as a stronghold to accuse us day and night, weaken our faith, and render us ineffective.

 

When we confess our sins to God He is faithful to remove them as far as the east is from the west.

 

When we can be truly honest with another, confessing our sins, and praying with another.  God’s healing is promoted.

 

Our Tendency Is To Confess FOR one another, and pray AT one another.

 

     CONFIDENTIALLITY – In any relationship is vital.  What is said to you is never yours to share.  We are to “Share OUR burdens,” not someone else’s.

 

GOALS OF THE PURPOSE OF MENTORING

Ø    Train to love God and others

Ø    Spiritually grow in our inner person, promote action towards others, & stretching growth

Ø    Accountability to another includes confession, repentance, and confidentiality