Let us begin by considering what is the mark of a godly person.  What do you mean to say one is a godly person ?

The mark of a godly person or godliness is:

1. His life is centered in God.
   That persons life is noted by the fragrance that permeates from his presence. "Alabaster box" Smith Wiggles worth 'After a time of prayer he sat down 'your presence convicts me of sin'
    
2. Godliness is the spirit of reverence, or the holy fear of God.
   He only comes where He is revered Lev 10:3
    
3. God-likeness, this is obtained by being in His presence. Moses Ex 34:29-30
    
4. 1 Tim 3:16 "Great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh"
    
5. 1 Tim 4:7 "exercise yourself towards godliness" discipline and devotion.
   In Greek times the men stripped naked when exercising "cast off the work of the flesh" How? Verse 6: nourished in the words of faith " I have fought the good fight of faith" This statement implies godliness is a pursuit that demands the strenuous application.

II. THE MARKS OF GODLINESS: 1 John 2:6-6

1. Conduct: I John 2:6
   Godliness is revealed in the conduct of a believer. The life that he leads is a testimony of his spiritual life. A life of holiness and righteousness is a mark of godliness. This godliness is profitable both for this world and the next.
    
2. Concern: Colossians 3:1 Matthew 6:31-33
   Godliness is revealed in the concerns and desires of a believer. A godly man is concerned about the kingdom of God. He is burdened and full of desire for spiritual growth and blessings.  But the ungodly man is only concerned about the cares of this life and the earthly treasures he can accumulate. Therefore, the concerns and desires of a believer reveals his godliness.
    
3. Compassion: I John 3:17
   Godliness is revealed in the compassion of a believer. He reaches out to help others in need. He loves God and he loves his neighbour as himself. A selfish attitude which has no love for others is not a mark of godliness. A truly godly person has a heart of love and compassion for others in need.
    
4. Conversation: Matthew 12:34, James 1:26
   Godliness is revealed in the conversation of a believer. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Evil words and idle words and slander about others do not reveal godliness. A godly person will not speak evil about anyone. The words of a godly man will be a blessing and edify the listeners.
    
5. Comfort: I Thessalonians 4:13,  II Corinthians 1:3-4
   Godliness is revealed in the comfort of a believer. In times of sorrow and pain and loss and loneliness the godliness of a believer is revealed in the comfort that he experiences. We should not sorrow as others who have no hope but should radiate the divine comfort we experience by the trust we have in God. We should be a channel of consolation to others in sorrow bringing the same comfort to them.
    
6. Confidence: Hebrews 11:6 Galatians 3:11
   Godliness is revealed in the faith and confidence we have in God. Without faith it is impossible to please God. Our godliness is revealed in the faith we have in God in times of trial and testings. We should walk by faith even in those times when we cannot see the fulfillment of the promises of God. Such a strong unwavering faith and confidence in God is a mark of godliness.
    
7. Communion: I John 1:3
   Godliness is revealed in the close communion and fellowship we have with God. True spirituality is a relationship with God. God created us to have fellowship with Him. The word of God warns us that many who did wonders in Christ's name would be rejected by God. The Lord would say ' I never knew you, depart from me ye workers of iniquity'. These people never walked in close communion with God although they were very active in doing many things even prophesying and casting out devils. The true sign of Godliness is revealed in the close communion we have with God.

III. DEVELOPING GODLINESS THROUGH WISE CHOICES - Proverbs 4:1-9

3.1. DISCERNMENT THAT DEVELOPS.

When we want to build up the body of Christ, we quickly realize that nearly all the decisions we make as disciples of the Lord Jesus have an impact on others in the body. Consequently, we need to have the utmost discernment in the way we make our decisions, always choosing wisely so that in all that we do Jesus Christ is exalted and others in the body of Christ are built up, developed in maturity as believers.

3.2. DISCERNING CHOICES - Proverbs 16:21

Discerning Choices Are Choices Guided by Instruction Proverbs 1:5; Proverbs 18:15. Christians are never left to make their decisions and choices in a vacuum. Those who are discerning, according to 1:5 will always "get    guidance" before making decisions, they will "acquire knowledge."

When we make wise choices, those decisions will be based on the instruction we have received in the Word of God. Sometimes that instruction will be in the form of direct  commands, sometimes in the form of principles, sometimes in the context of learning what is pleasing to Jesus Christ by growing in our personal knowledge of Him.

If our choices are guided by instruction from the Lord, we will never be in a vacuum to make decisions but will always be in the process of doing three  things:

A. Seeking Instruction

Some wonder why it is so important to be involved in Bible study, why it is critical to teach and preach the Scriptures, why so much emphasis on learning the Bible. It is clearly not for the sake of puffing up, but for the sake of building up understanding, growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ.

B. Developing a Biblically-Informed Worldview

Without examination in the light of Scriptures, we can persist with a view of the world, a view of our life in the world that is shaped by our circumstances and our circle of influence and not by God's perspective. Many of the prejudices and eccentric views of life we hold have been developed apart from the Bible and need to be rejected outright in favor of a worldview that arises from God's Word.

C. Re-evaluating Our Assumptions

The normal pattern of our day is to evaluate the Bible in the light of our assumptions and experiences rather than reversing the process. Most of the time, we are not even aware of our assumptions and proceed as if there were no other way of operating than the way we always have. We have a great need in our lives for re-evaluating, re-examining, our assumptions about what is and is not true and right in the light of biblical instruction.

3.3. DISCERNING CHOICES ARE CHOICES GUARDED BY WISDOM - Proverbs 2:11

If we turn to the wisdom of the Lord in making our decisions, we will never fear the results!
Our choices will always be guarded by wisdom when we choose according to His Word and His will. He tells us that three things will result from choosing according to wisdom from above:

A. He Secures Our Steps : Proverbs 3:23

If we are willing to admit it, most of us are so afraid we are going to fall down that we are afraid to venture forth onto new paths placed before us by the Lord. If we are not walking along very familiar roads in comfortable territory, we are extremely insecure and probably will decide to stand still rather than risk falling. When we walk in the presence of the Lord, He gives us His wisdom and by walking in His wisdom, our steps are secure!

B. He Seals Our Confidence : Proverbs 3:26

If I know that I am doing His will, I find that there is no cause for concern because He has committed Himself to me and will be my confidence.

C. He Sweetens Our Sleep : Proverbs 3:24

Have you ever lost sleep over a decision you had before you, or a choice you had already made? The next time you find that you are having trouble sleeping, remember to place the decision you are facing before the Lord and seek His wisdom, or to remind yourself that the choice you are worrying about was made according to the instruction the Lord gave you and then rest in the sweetness of His peaceful gift of sleep.

 3.4. DEPENDABLE COUNSEL - Proverbs 23:15-16

The soundness of our life together depends upon our trust in the wisdom God provides for us and our corporate and individual commitments to seek and give and apply the dependable counsel of the Lord. The book of Proverbs speaks of that soundness as being evident in three ways:

• Sound Judgment, Wisdom - Proverbs 3:21; Proverbs 2:7
• Sound Learning - Proverbs 4:2
• Sound Answers - Proverbs 22:21

3.5. DISCIPLINED CONDUCT - Proverbs 1:2-3; Proverbs 10:17; Proverbs 12:1

The knowledge and the understanding that we gain from the wisdom and discernment God gives us should be demonstrated in conduct that is disciplined, that is under the control of the Lord.

3.6. DEVELOPED CHARACTER

When we are making good choices, godly decisions, in our lives together, we encourage the same in others who belong to the body with us. Ephesians 4:12b-16 -God wants us to do so according to His plans for us, plans which develop in us the character of His Son, Jesus Christ.

IV. THE IMPORTANCE OF GODLINESS AND THE BLESSING IT BRINGS - 1 Tim 4:7-8

I want to thank many of you who have live godly life and who have served in the church faithfully in the past four years. You have made a great contribution in building up our church and in doing the work of God's kingdom. This morning I want to exhort all the believers to live a godly life in this present evil world.

Have you met Christian who will tell you that after working in the secular world for a number of years has become worldlier now? They wanted to find a way to come back to God and to serve Him wholeheartedly again.

We know that this world exerts a tremendous influence in our lives. How can we avoid becoming worldly when we go to work in the world? How can we live a godly life in a secular environment? The Word of God exhorts us to pursue godliness. This morning let us consider the importance of godliness, the way to become godly and the blessings of godliness.

A. THE IMPORTANCE OF GODLINESS

i. It is the first responsibility of every person to God

Ps. 111:10 says: "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To God belongs eternal praise."

It is wise to recognize our first responsibility to the creator God. According to the Chinese moral concept, the first responsibility of every person is to show respect to the parents. But the Bible teaches a higher moral principal. It teaches that showing reverence to the creator God is our first responsibility, because all things and all lives came from God. Even our first parents Adam and Eve were created by God.

In the ten commandment, the first four commandments are related to showing respect to God. The first commandment says: "You shall have no other gods before me. The second commandment says: "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; The third commandment says: "You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. The fourth commandment say: "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.

After fulfilling our duty to worship God, the Bible teaches us to show respect to our parents. The fifth commandment says: "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you. (Exod. 20:12).

In the Book of Roman, Paul pointed out that the basic sins of the nations are ignoring the creator God and refusing to give thanks to Him. After ignoring God they also commit other sins such as worshiping idols, fornication, wickedness, evil, greed, depravity, envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice.

We are living in an ungodly world today. Most people ignore the existence of God and disregard His moral laws. They live an immoral life and pursue money, success, material things and enjoyment as the main goals for their lives. In pursuing these things they have become very busy and have no time to think about the consequences of sin.

The world with its attractions and enjoyment has tremendous influence upon Christians. It causes them to lose interest in the things of God. Christians too can become preoccupied with the things of this life such as making money, pursuing a worldly career and enjoying the material things of this world. It is a constant struggle for every Christian to choose serving God or to choose the things of this world. The Bible exhorts Christians not to love the world but to pursue godliness.

ii. Godliness is the highest pursuit in life

Godliness not only means to show respect to God, it also means to become God-like in our character. Paul taught Timothy to train himself in godliness and to become an example to the believers in speech, in behavior, in love, in faith and in purity.

Paul taught the believers to be imitator of God. He said in Eph. 5:1-2: "Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."

God came to the world in the person of Jesus Christ. He lived a perfect life as our example. It is God's will that we should follow the example of Jesus Christ in everything. Paul said in Rom. 8:29 "For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers." To become Christ-like in our character is the highest pursuit in our lives.

I want us as believers to know that the greatest pursuit in your life is not to become successful in your career. The greatest pursuit in this life is to become God-like in character. I exhort all Christians and all friends this morning to pursue godliness as the highest goal in your life. The greatest learning in life is not to learn about agriculture, engineering, business, law or medicine. It is learning to be like God. I have been a Christian for 18 years and I still find it very challenging and very meaningful to stay in the school of Christ and learn to be like Him.

If you lack a noble and exciting goal for living, I want to present this supreme goal to you. Learn to be like God. We are never too old to learn this most important lesson in life. When you adopt this as your goal, life will become very meaningful and exciting to you.

B. THE WAY TO BECOME GODLY

1Tim. 4:7 says: "Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives' tales; rather, train yourself to be godly." Notice the words here "train yourself to be godly". Training is the key. We need to make a conscious effort to discipline ourselves to do something related to godliness. I want to mention several basic lessons that we should keep on practicing.

i. First, let us sanctify the Lord's Day

In the Old Testament, the seventh day, or the Sabbath was the holy day. God commanded His people to sanctify this day to remember His creation. This was the day of rest and also the day of worship. A person shows his respect to God by sanctifying this day.

In the New Testament time Christians sanctify the first day of the week rather than the seventh day because Jesus was resurrected on this day. Jesus has already accomplished salvation and He is the victorious king. This is the day for us to rejoice, to celebrate, to worship and to learn about God's Word.

Dear friends, if you are not yet a Christian, this is how you learn to become godly. You should set aside every Sunday to worship God and to learn about His truth. You should make an effort to learn about God's salvation and receive His salvation.

ii. Second, let us pray frequently in the spirit

To become godly we must learn to pray in the spirit. God's teaching is progressive. In the Old Testament, God taught the people of Israel to worship Him outwardly. A magnificent temple was built in Jerusalem as the center for the whole nation to gather together to worship. There were the priests and Levites wearing special clothes to lead the people to worship. There were the big bronze altar, the basin for washing, the animal sacrifices and offerings. God commanded the people to observe the feasts and holy days, etc.

But in the New Testament Jesus taught His disciples to worship God from within their hearts. Jesus said to the Samaritan woman: "God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." (John 4:24) Every born again Christian should know that we have God's Spirit indwelling inside our hearts. We can get in touch with Him through our prayer.

Let us train ourselves in using our spirit to worship, praise and give thanks to God. Let us make confession of sin and intercede for others from our heart. When our spirit is in touch with God's Spirit that is true worship. As we pray earnestly we will discover that the Holy Spirit is leading us to pray. Rom. 8:26-27 say: "The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.

When we are tempted by sins and the attractions of this world, let us pray earnestly so that we can be delivered from temptation. Prayer helps us to gain spiritual strength to overcome the temptation of this world. Another important discipline is studying the Word of God.

iii. Studying the Word of God

Paul had a high view of the Scripture. He said: "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2Tim. 3:16-17) He said to Timothy: "Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching." (1Tim. 4:13).

To guide us to live a godly life God has given to us the Scripture. The Scripture was inspired by the Spirit of God. It is God's Word for us to live by today. If we want to know God's will in anything, we have to find it in the Scripture.

Therefore there is still the need to keep on reading the Word of God everyday. Read a passage of Scripture devotionally everyday and meditate on it day and night. Let the Holy Spirit speaks to you and explains to you the meaning of the Scripture. After knowing God's will, you should diligently obey its teaching and make it a part of your life. The Word of God will lead you to live a holy and righteous life and it will transform your character.

After learning God's truths you should teach them to others so that they too may know the will of God and obey it. The public reading, preaching and teaching of the Word of God will lead Christians to live a godly life. Another important discipline is to be led by the Holy Spirit in all things.

iv. Led by the Holy Spirit in all things

Many Christians have the feeling that the moral standard of the Scripture is too high. A Christian said to me that the Scripture teaches us to be perfect, but in real life no body can be perfect. How can we make the Scripture relevant to our daily life?

Here we face a dilemma. We are human but the Scripture exhorts us to become God-like in our character. How can a human being manifest God-like behavior? Isn't this expectation unreasonable. Well, It is good that we recognize our inability to meet the biblical standard, but let us remember Jesus' words: "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." (Matt. 19:26).

The solution is found in the Holy Spirit. God has given to us the Holy Spirit to help us to live a godly life. The Holy Spirit is called the Spirit of the fear of the Lord. (Isaiah 11:2) The Holy Spirit indwelt and filled Jesus Christ so that He lived a perfect life on earth.

This same Spirit is now indwelling in us. He will lead us to show respect to God and He will lead us to manifest a God-like character in our daily life. He has already given to us a new spirit and has imparted God's new nature in us. So the secret to live a godly life is to be led by the Holy Spirit in all things.

Paul exhorted Timothy to set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. It is possible for us to meet this standard today if we depend on the leading on the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is guiding us how to speak in our daily life. He is restraining our tongue. He doesn't want us to speak evil words from our mouth. He prompts us to speak only clean, thankful and edifying words.

The Holy Spirit not only controls our tongue, He also controls our anger, malice, pride, jealousy, greed, lust and gluttony. He moves us to manifest the gentleness, goodness, humbleness, kindness and the patience of Christ.

He also leads us to separate ourselves from the world. He doesn't want us to go to sinful or worldly places such as casino, bar, dancing hall or movie theater. He leads us to go to holy places and join the holy activities of the saints such as attending meetings at church or in the believers' house.

If we spend time with Christ and remain in His love, the Holy Spirit will fill our heart with the great compassion of Jesus Christ. We will possess the ability to love our family, to love the members in the church and other people. We will have the compassion to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ to the people near by and to the people far away.

As we walk closely with God, we will grow in faith. Like the Lord Jesus we will have the faith to do God's work. We will be able to pray for the sick, lead people to receive God's salvation and build up the church of God.

We will also become Christ-like in purity. God is light. When we walk with Him, He reveals to us many secret sins hidden in our heart. The Holy Spirit convicts us of these sins and prompt us to remove them from our lives. Gradually we will become pure in our motive, affection, purpose and our conduct. We will become more and more holy, righteous and truthful. We will become more and more Christ-like in our character.

C. THE BLESSINGS OF GODLINESS

1Tim. 4:8 says: "For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come."

i. It makes our soul and spirit strong

Paul said in this verse: "physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things". Physical exercise helps our bodies to become healthy and strong. That is quite important for our happiness and career. Poor health causes many people to feel depressed. Poor health is a big hindrance for a person to pursue a successful career.

If physical health is important, spiritual health is even more important. Many people feel depressed and have problems in life because they are psychologically sick. They are filled with bitterness and anger inside when they are mistreated by others. They show resentment and bad attitude at home and in the work place. They create friction and tension to the people around them.

Some people are filled with envy, jealousy, vanity, greed and pride, these sins cause them to have abnormal behavior. Not only that they themselves are not happy, they make the people around them also feel uncomfortable.

On the other hand, when a person pursues godliness, he will remove bitterness, anger, envy, vanity, pride and greed from his life. A pure conscience give him happiness. God is pleased with him and the Holy Spirit will fill his heart with divine love, joy and peace. This person will be respected by his family, friends and members in the church. They will love him and want to be his friends. This will bring true happiness in his life.

ii. God will bless us

Psalms 1 says: "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. (Ps. 1:1-3).

In the Bible we find that God blessed many godly men and women. God is the ruler of heaven and earth. He is in control of all things. In the past, God blessed Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joshep, Joshua, David, Daniel, etc, Today He will bless all faithful believers who follow Him and live a godly life. He will bless our families and career. God will give us wisdom so that we know how to get along with people and how do our job well. Ps. 84:11 says: "For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless."

iii. We will have the strength to serve effectively

As we pursue godliness, we will spend a lot of time in prayer and communion with the Lord, we will experience being filled with the Holy Spirit. Like the early disciples we will possess power, zeal and love to bear witness for Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit will also give us wisdom to present the gospel clearly and effectively. We will be able to lead many people to the kingdom of God.

God will bestow upon us many spiritual gifts such as preaching, teaching, counseling, comforting and leading. We will become effective in building up the saints. We will be able to help building up a strong church to be a testimony for God in our community. When we do a lot of good work for Christ, we will receive glory, honor and rewards in His eternal kingdom.

CONCLUSION

Dear friends, many of you have to work in the world from now on. Are you going to become worldly or remain to be a godly person?

I hope you recognize the importance of godliness this morning. It is your first responsibility to God. It is also the highest pursuit in life. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. It leads you to live a beautiful and abundant life.

To possess this virtue you need to train yourself. Develop the good habit of sanctify the Lord's Day. Come to worship Him and learn His Word every week. Discipline yourself to pray to Him frequently in your spirit. Study and teach His Word diligently. Follow the leading of the Holy Spirit in everything. He can make you to become God-like in your character. He will lead you to take possession of the many rich blessings in Christ.