Two letters make all the difference—un. Everyone wants to be fortunate. No one wants to be unfortunate. Who doesn’t want to be exceptional? Few yearn to be unexceptional.
Perhaps the greatest distance between two words is the separation between the godly and ungodly. The Lord distinguishes His people from the ungodly (1 Corinthians 6:1). How do they differ?
The Godly
True godliness springs from abiding in and becoming more like Christ (1 Timothy 3:16). It includes faith in and intentional imitation of Jesus.
Knowing the truth sets people free and leads them to godliness (Titus 1:1). Godly people are connected to Jesus and have the divine power to live a truly godly life (2 Timothy 3:5).
They have counted the cost of ungodliness and have wisely turned from it because they know God has set a day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly (2 Peter 2:6; 3:7). He will condemn ungodly people.
He will convict them of their ungodly acts and defiant words. For grumbling and faultfinding. For following their evil desires. For boasting about themselves and flattering others for their advantage (Jude 1:14–16).
It has already happened. God brought the flood on the ungodly people of the ancient world (2 Peter 2:5, 9). His burning Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes illustrated how He will judge the ungodly with eternal fire.
By contrast, the godly belong to God because they have turned away from wickedness (2 Timothy 2:19). Godliness benefits them in this life and the life to come (1 Timothy 4:8).
They have discovered that godliness with contentment is better than warehouses full of cash (1 Timothy 6:6). They don’t try to reap financial gain from their “godliness” (1 Timothy 6:5).
They don’t pursue riches but righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness (1 Timothy 6:11). With time, they become increasingly more like God, that is, godly. Like God, they faithfully keep their promises (Malachi 2:15) and can be trusted.
To their faith, they add goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, mutual affection, and love to become increasingly effective and productive followers of Jesus (2 Peter 1:5–8).
Because godly people do God’s will, they have His ear like a father hears his child’s cry for help (John 9:31). They live a God-centered life even when it isn’t convenient.
They suffer for doing good and for godly living because they live contrary to “ungodly normal.” (2 Timothy 3:12, 1 Peter 4:18–19). Despite opposition, they pray for those in authority so they can live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness (1 Timothy 2:2).
They reject ungodly, worldly passions to live a self-controlled and upright life (Titus 2:12). They know these sinful desires are not their friends and wage war against godly living (1 Peter 2:11).
They know they can’t overcome these desires or do God’s work through their strength (Acts 3:12). They trust God’s power for everything they need to live godly through their knowledge of Him (2 Peter 1:3).
Despite persecution, godly people are emotionally healthy because they have ties to other godly people. They are part of an interdependent God-honoring community (Acts 8:2). God rescues them from their trials (2 Peter 2:9).
The Ungodly
The ungodly are associated with the wicked (Job 16:11) and sinners. Their ungodly desires drive them (Jude 1:18). They maliciously mock and gnash their teeth at people like David who are trying to please God (Psalm 35:16). Such mockers will receive their dues on earth (Proverbs 11:31).
Ungodliness is on a continuum. Some are more ungodly than others. The Apostle Paul warns that those who indulge in godless chatter become increasingly ungodly (2 Timothy 2:16).
Ungodly people speak folly. The Lord doesn’t take pleasure in or pity them (Isaiah 9:17). Their hearts turn toward evil as plants to the sun.
They spread errors concerning the LORD. They don’t help the hungry or thirsty. (Isaiah 32:6). Ungodly spiritual leaders spread ungodliness throughout the land (Jeremiah 23:15).
The Apostle Paul describes ungodly people as lawbreakers, rebels, sinful, unholy, irreligious, killers of fathers or mothers, murderers, sexually immoral, practicing homosexuals, slave traders, liars, and perjurers (1 Timothy 1:9-10).
They pollute their bodies, reject authority, and pile abuse on celestial beings (Jude 1:8). They pervert the grace of God into a license for immorality (Jude 1:4).
Ungodly people are not beyond rescue. We all began life as ungodly and spiritually powerless. The good news is about how the ungodly become godly.
God justifies the ungodly who trust Him. He credits their trust in Him as righteousness (Romans 4:5). Christ died for them at the right time to make them godly (Romans 5:6).
We all have an ungodly past. The best news is that we don’t have to continue to live like that. By God’s grace through our faith, we can drop ungodly’s “un.” #freediscipleshipresources #freeevangelismresources #freechristianleadershipresources
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