God's Word instructs us in how He wants us to conduct our lives, but that conduct can only be produced by godly attitudes in life and in worship. If our hearts are tuned to God, modesty and acceptable worship will be the result. Although God calls us to dress with appropriate modesty, we are to stress developing the internal beauty of a heart focused on God.
As believers, we want to cultivate godly attitudes and live our lives in a godly manner. To do so, we must remember that God has defined godliness in the example of the Lord Jesus Christ. We are therefore called to conform to Christ as an act of faithful obedience, with leadership marking the way. That is why it is so important for those of us in the church to conform to the high standards to be observed by leaders, acknowledging the order Christ has set in the church. Godliness is necessary to this life and to life eternal, so our godly conduct on earth should include discipline in body, soul, and spirit.
Simply put, living as God wants us to live requires that we live in an exemplary manner in every detail of our lives. Such a requirement is impossible apart from the godly attitudes of our hearts, which are constantly being conformed to Christ as we study His Word, pray and seek His will for our lives, and submit ourselves to the life of the Holy Spirit within us.
1 Timothy 3:14-16 says, "These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly; but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the the living God, the pillar and the ground of the truth. And without controversy great in the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in Glory." |
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