Godliness, Love and the Christian

1. Godliness God Company Sri Lanka http://www.slideshare.net/Thornmd/presentations Email: godcompanysl@yahoo.com

2. In order to understand Godliness we need to look at an important teaching by Peter the Apostle… 2 Peter 1

5. 2 Peter 1 5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your Faith GOODNESS; and to goodness, KNOWLEDGE; 6 and to knowledge, SELF-CONTROL; and to self-control, PERSEVERANCE; and to perseverance, GODLINESS; 7 and to godliness, BROTHERLY KINDNESS; and to brotherly kindness, LOVE.

6. Peter is explaining the higher calling associated with what Jesus meant by the word LOVE FAITH PERSEVERANCE SELF CONTROL GODLINESS BROTHERLY KINDNESS LOVE GOODNESS KNOWLEDGE

7. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1 cont…

8. We begin our journey as a new person ( born again if you may) due to our FAITH IN JESUS we learn to add GOODNESS to our lives… We need to acquire more KNOWLEDGE of Jesus, begin to practice and live by His teachings – (which will help bring about SELF CONTROL) By acquiring SELF CONTROL to our lives we are able to enhance our PERSEVERANCE (our resolve and determination) to build our lives in keeping with the teachings of Jesus The knowledge and the experience that we acquire living as Christians will enable us to exercise SELF CONTROL to diligently practice and live as decreed by Jesus to ensure an increasingly closer walk with Jesus and usher GODLINESS TO OUR LIVES With Godliness in our lives we will truly understand the meaning of BROTHERLY KINDNESS to fellow man LOVE

9. 8 … .they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

10. 9 But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins. 2 Peter 1 cont…

11. Peter says that if we do not have these key traits as a Christian, then that person is nearsighted and blind to the gift of Jesus … the Redemption from our Sins and opportunity to begin a new life altogether filled with Godliness…

13. Just because you give yourself to Christ, Godliness CANNOT BE ACHIEVED IN A DAY. It is a continuous process of incremental changes guided by the word of God. Starting from the day you give your self to Jesus you need to work at achieving the level of Godliness required of us by Jesus by reading, meditating, practicing the His teachings… to be a light on to the world…so that our Godliness and example will draw others to Christ.

14. Without achieving this level of PERSEVERANCE in Christian consciousness for GODLINESS, we can never fulfill Jesus’ requirement for LOVE which is the Highest calling…Love through Godliness In the world today many may claim BROTHERLY LOVE in many different ways…but many Christians fall way short of the requirement that Jesus stated.

15. Matthew 22 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: “‘ LOVE the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘LOVE your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Love through Godliness

16. Therefore when you experience the meaning of Love as a Christian, the you will be able to to diligently fulfill the two commandments given by Jesus

18. “ LOVE YOUR GOD with all your Heart… Soul and Mind…” Jesus requires our entire being to Love God as an absolute priority…everything else comes secondary… Yes it is a tough call… But that’s the standard set by Jesus

19. “ Love your neighbor AS YOURSELF…?!! … as myself…?!!! Again it is a tough call… But that’s the standard set by Jesus

20. Therefore we understand that LOVE is of Critical importance to being a good Christian If we can love others as much as ourselves… CAN THERE BE ANGER…JELOUSY, VENGENCE, MALICE…STRIFE…SUFFERING… MURDER…WAR…?

21. 1 Corinthians 13 1 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have LOVE , I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have LOVE , I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have LOVE , I gain nothing. We can see how Paul describes the importance of LOVE LOVE and the Christian

22. We see what Jesus promises those who abide by His commandments… John 14:21 Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who love s me. The one who love s me will be love d by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” In conclusion

23. God Company Sri Lanka Email: [email_address] Website: http://www.slideshare.net/Thornmd/presentations Thank you