A Call to Godly Living

By Dr. Charles Stanley

Watch A Call to Godly Living video.
Scripture: Romans 12:1-2

1. Introduction: God desires that every believer lead a righteous life. But our culture places a tremendous amount of pressure on Christians to "fit in." The doctrines of our faith are often mocked and ridiculed in the public arena. Individual believers sometimes make spiritual or moral compromises in an attempt to be accepted. How can we resist the secular influence of our time? In Romans 12:1-2, the apostle Paul reveals how to pursue holiness and resist compromise.
2. God calls us to godly living.
   
   1. God's call to surrender our lives to Him as living sacrifices is reasonable because He redeemed us from spiritual darkness and adopted us as children.
      
      • In Romans 1-11, Paul explains salvation, victorious Christian living, and the Lord's ultimate plan for Israel. In Romans 12:1-2, he urges believers to give control of their lives to God in light of all He has done for us.
      
      
   2. We must make the choice to give control to the Father.
      
      
      
      • As God's people, we no longer have the right to run our own lives, but He still allows us to choose whether or not to surrender. Your entire being—including your mind, will, and emotions—should be yielded to God.
      
      
   3. We are called to be living sacrifices.
      
      
      
      • Becoming a "living sacrifice" means we allow the Holy Spirit to live through us. As we surrender to the Spirit's guidance and leadership, He empowers us to live a godly life.
      
      
   4. The apostle also urges believers to be holy sacrifices.
      
      • In Greek, this word means "set apart" (as in "for a special purpose"). In one of the paradoxes of our faith, sanctification—or being made holy—happens immediately at salvation, but it is also a lifelong process.
      
      
   5. Our lives should be acceptable to God.
      
      
      
      • As believers, we ought to be different from the world. Our goal should be to act as Jesus did: forgiving, loving, and helping others—yet knowing when to speak the truth in love or share our faith. When we sin, we should be quick to confess and repent.
        
        A godly lifestyle will attract some people to you, and it will drive others away. But sometimes the same people who resist the gospel will seek out a believer for help when life gets difficult.
      
      
   
   
3. Those who live in a godly manner will face conflict with the world.
   
   1. Pressure from those in the world sometimes causes believers to compromise their convictions.
      
      • As individuals, Christians sometimes justify compromising the truth in this way: they claim they are "being a witness" by spending time with ungodly friends, even when that includes making unrighteous choices. Instead, we should make sure our best friends are believers who take their faith seriously
        (2 Cor. 6:14-15, 17; 1 Cor. 15:33). Our highest priority should be to please God rather than to fit in with the world.
      
      
   2. Paul warns believers, "Do not be conformed to this
      world" (Rom. 12:2).
      
      • The media frequently portrays the idea that if we become rich, attractive, influential, or famous, we will be happy and content. But none of things guarantee joy. Don't let our culture shape your value system and determine your priorities.
      
      
   3. To resist conforming to the world's image, you must "be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Rom. 12:2). But how?
      
      
      
      • Fill your mind with Scripture. It is through the Bible that we learn God's perspective.
      • Focus on positive, righteous, and holy things (Col. 3:3; Phil. 4:8). This should include choosing friends and entertainment wisely.
      • Apply biblical truth to your heart. As you go about your day, ask God to show you how to put into practice the principles of His Word.
      • Practice the presence of the Lord. God is always with you. Ask Him to make you more sensitive to His presence. As you allow the Holy Spirit to live through you, He will help you withstand temptation and become more Christlike.
      
      
   
   
4. Conclusion: The key to living a godly life is full surrender. That means we must let God have complete control over our lives. The Lord is looking for faithful men and women who will stand up for truth in a world that is increasingly opposed to the gospel. Rather than base your standards on popular opinion, allow Scripture to set your values. Answer the Lord's call to a godly life, and you will never be the same.

Copyright 2011 In Touch Ministries, Inc. All rights reserved. www.intouch.org. In Touch grants permission to print for personal use only.

Thank you for sharing this! I really needed this message. It's something I've been striving for and struggling with, and God has been faithful in guiding me and helping me surrender completely to Him.

As believers, we ought to be different from the world. Our goal should be to act as Jesus did: forgiving, loving, and helping others—yet knowing when to speak the truth in love or share our faith.

I agree with this statement bunches. Graduating from high
school, one of the things I learned was that people
at this age either don't care about Christ, repeat the
misconceptions they hear from outside, or are undecided.
It is important in this environment to act out of love
way more than speaking of it. If they see one mess up, they
hold onto it, thinking 'if this person professes they are Christian
but did such and such to someone, then why would I want their
religion?' It can be just like this in the rest of the world as
well. Actions speak louder than words.

Originally Posted by Chad

By Dr. Charles Stanley
Our lives should be acceptable to God.

As believers, we ought to be different from the world. Our goal should be to act as Jesus did: forgiving, loving, and helping others—yet knowing when to speak the truth in love or share our faith. When we sin, we should be quick to confess and repent.

A godly lifestyle will attract some people to you, and it will drive others away. But sometimes the same people who resist the gospel will seek out a believer for help when life gets difficult.

Copyright 2011 In Touch Ministries

I find this one difficult.

The world we live in is made up of all kinds of people who behave is terrible ways, yes that is true and a lot of it is not godly at all.

However, our immediate 'world' are those we share our life with. Those we work along side, live with, are friends with and cross paths with on a daily basis. Most of the people in my daily life are not saved. Family are (of sorts) but friends and collegues are not so it is here that i would expect this message to be most true but it isn't. They are lovely people who are as helpful and loving to each other as any committed Christian would be, but they are not Christians.

The only difference in our lives is that i have a connection with Christ and they do not know him yet and obviously that is where i focus my attention when i am with them.

As far as "...be different from the world" as Charles puts it, is very hard if the non-believers that you share your life with have very good morals.

Originally Posted by Diamondlight

I find this one difficult.

The world we live in is made up of all kinds of people who behave is terrible ways, yes that is true and a lot of it is not godly at all.

However, our immediate 'world' are those we share our life with. Those we work along side, live with, are friends with and cross paths with on a daily basis. Most of the people in my daily life are not saved. Family are (of sorts) but friends and collegues are not so it is here that i would expect this message to be most true but it isn't. They are lovely people who are as helpful and loving to each other as any committed Christian would be, but they are not Christians.

The only difference in our lives is that i have a connection with Christ and they do not know him yet and obviously that is where i focus my attention when i am with them.

As far as "...be different from the world" as Charles puts it, is very hard if the non-believers that you share your life with have very good morals.

Well put!

I agree and acknowledge that this is the more subtle challenge to us Christians living in today's world. How can we be a difference if people around us are superior to us in the ways that we are supposed to be different about?

One thing that we can count on, is the more we take God seriously, the more opportunities we'll start to see to share about our Lord.

Now, that previous sentence seems like a typical fuzzy promise that Christians often say to one another. At least I thought so when I first heard it.

Not until I much later that I begin to experience the reality of that concept. The more I study the Scriptures, the more my confidence grew when I talk about it with my friends, co-workers, etc. That confidence was not manufactured by me, therefore I didn't feel burdened to keep it up.

Along with that confidence, my view towards others slowly change also. Some of the prejudices and biases I had vanishes. Again, this cannot be explained apart from my mind being washed by the Scriptures.

So it is true that in a relationship, you get from it as much as you put in it. Keep on focusing on the Lord and not on ourselves. Our friends will notice if the differences within us are the results of a Spirit-generated transformation of the mind, not artificial or forced out of a sense of obligation.

Godliness is often described in terms of our lifestyle/behavior. But instead, Christians are godly having Christ in us. It's not referring to lifestyle (although often our behavior improves as we grow as Christians anyway).

The criminal on the cross who called Jesus "Lord" became godly, righteous, holy (Rom 11:16), sanctified (Heb 10:10), and perfected (Heb 10:14) without any good behavior to show he was godly, holy, righteous, etc.

Here's some scripture defining "godliness".

1Tim 4:8 "godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come."

1Tim 3:16 "without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory."

2Pet 1:1-11 " Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
But he that lacketh these things is blind (in darkness/unsaved), and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins (unbelief, John16:9).
Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:
For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ."

Below are 2 scriptures which show that some who profess to be Christians, are not. They deny the gospel of Christ by turning to works of the law (example foolish Galatians, Gal 3:3).

2 Tim 3:5 "Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away"

Rom 1:16 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth;"

Godly living is believing the gospel of Christ, not falling back into unbelief/self-righteousness (the lust of the world).

First i'd like to say that Charles Stanley is a major false teacher because of his saved in sin eternal security teachings: turning grace into a license for sin.

Otherwise known as OSAS Once Saved Always Saved or P from Calvinism "Perseverance of the saints".

Please read and consider Titus 2

12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

What did that verse say? To live unholy and in sin and ungodly?

No it didn't, do not be deceived you are surely not going to make it if your life is a life filled with wicked sin and unholiness you will NOT make it into the Kingdom!

Do not be deceived! God is not mocked!

The perfect righteousness of The Lord Jesus Christ is not transferred to you in that one moment! Righteousness comes by faith yes of course but you are not perfect yet, God sanctifies His children so if you do not participate in the sanctification of the Holy Spirit and submit and obey His commandments and go ahead and live a life of wickedness and sin wilfully guess what happens to you? into hell and God never knew you because you are a worker of iniquity!

You have to life godly!

i hear you say: but that is works salvation! no it is not because you are saved by grace through faith.

i say read Titus 2:12 again

12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

Originally Posted by DutchChristian

First i'd like to say that Charles Stanley is a major false teacher

Chad would not have posted his article if that were so.

I like Dr Stanley, and as a young believer cut my spiritual teeth on his preaching. That being said here is my opinion on this thread:

This is a great topic and a much needed admonition. While I am in total agreement with the need I consider the these as roadsigns indicating the condition of our walk. The presence of these are (or the lack thereof) are evidence of the direction in which we are walking; are we going wit God (spirit) or against God (flesh). We can only ever hope to achieve these things if we abide in the Vine. As we make the day by day, moment by moment choice to abide in Him, (that surrender Dr. Stanley mentioned) yield to the very life of the Vine: The life of heaven itself flows in and through us causing us to grow, bud, flower, and finally bring forth spiritual fruit. The only true Godly living is when the Holy Spirit has full reign in our lives and as the nature of God is revealed in and through us we will see all these things. So it is the nature of God revealed in us (when we are walking in the Spirit) that with great joy seeks to glorify the Father in every possible way.
So, (just my view) as we seek to walk in the Spirit we will find all these things becoming as natural to us as breathing.

Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Gal 5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Gal 5:24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
Gal 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Eph 5:9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)
Eph 5:10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.


Col 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

Hi DutchChristian,

I've never heard of Charles Stanley so I can't comment on his teachings.

Regarding Titus 2:12, you should consider the scriptures around it for context.
Titus 2:11-13
" For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;"

Note the context describes godliness the same as the scriptures I quoted in previous post (1Tim4:8, 1Tim 3:16, 2Pet 1:1-11). To live godly is to remain in Christ believing God's promise of salvation.


Consider this:
Rom 13:11-14 " for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.
The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness (self-righteousness), and let us put on the armour of light.
Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.
But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof."

What are these lusts?
Gal 3:3 "Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?"
Jude 1:4 "ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ."
Rom 7:5 "For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death."
Gal 2:21 " I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain."
Rom 10:3 "For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God."

Christians have repented from "dead works" of self-righteousness (Heb 6:1).

Gal 5:24 "And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts."
Rom 6:6 " our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin."
Christians are not in the flesh (establishing our own righteousness). Instead we are in the Spirit submitting to God's righteousness through Christ, Rom 8:9.


Titus 12 "Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts (unbelief in Jesus/establishing self-righteousness instead) we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, (the only righteousness to have is in Christ as our own righteousness is as filthy rags)"


DutchChristian: You seem to be judging righteousness by works of the law. If your concerned about how a Christian should behave, we should love one another and forgive. And anyone who does wrong will not profit by it. Consider King David with his adultery and murder. God disciplined him.