Preface
Preface
This book is a sequel to an earlier book, The Pursuit of Holiness. In Ephesians 4:20-24, Paul urges us to put off our old self and put on the new self. The Pursuit of Holiness dealt largely with putting off the old self —dealing with sin in our lives. The Practice of Godliness focuses on putting on the new self —growing in Christian character.
The most well-known list of Christian character traits is the ninefold list in Galatians 5:22-23, which Paul calls the fruit of the Spirit. But there are other lists in passages such as Colossians 3:12-16, Ephesians 4:2-3 and 32, James 3:17, and 2 Peter 1:5-7 that are just as important to our understanding of what constitutes Christian character. I’ve incorporated most of these in this series of studies.
While in the process of doing a series of Bible studies on Christian character traits, I became interested in the subject of godliness. As my knowledge of that topic grew, I became convinced that any treatment of Christian character would be incomplete without the inclusion of a study on godliness.
Godliness is more than Christian character. It covers the totality of the Christian life and provides the foundation upon which Christian character is built. Thus the first four chapters deal with the general theme of godliness, and the remaining chapters consider important character traits of the godly person.
The order in which the studies of the various character traits appear is deliberate. The first four —humility, contentment, thankfulness, and joy —deal largely with our relationship to God. The next group of three —holiness, self-control, and faithfulness —are qualities that require us to deal sternly with ourselves. The final six —peace, patience, gentleness, kindness, goodness, and love —are qualities that enable us to deal graciously and tenderly with others. These last two divisions reflect the seeming dichotomy of Christian character: sternness with ourselves and tenderness toward others. Only the Holy Spirit can create such a beautiful diversity of sternness and tenderness within a single human personality.
The variety of topics covered in a book of this nature requires that each subject be treated only briefly. My objective is to create an awareness of the importance of each of the aspects of godliness and provide some practical suggestions for growing in them. Hopefully, many readers will be stimulated to do further study on some of the topics of particular interest to them.
As I studied the subjects of both godliness and Christian character, I was somewhat amazed that I could find so little that has been previously written on these subjects. Consequently, I have had to plow new ground in some areas. This has forced me back to the Scriptures more than if I had had the advantage of the writings of previous generations. My one qualification for presenting these studies, then, lies in thirty years of personal Bible study using methods and tools available to any layman.
There is a certain sense of anxiety in committing these studies to print that comes from the warning of James that “not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly” (James 3:1). I am keenly aware of the need for more growth in my own life in many of the areas covered in this book. It is my prayer, however, that both author and readers will grow together as we practice godliness.
This book should be studied more than read. To facilitate that study, I have prepared a companion discussion guide to be used in conjunction with it. Though the book text is complete in itself, the use of the companion Bible study will enable the reader and student to gain a better grasp of the scriptural truths taught.
I am deeply indebted to the staff of NavPress for their encouragement to write this book and for their help in preparing the manuscript for final production.