 And if you will, you can turn to 1 Timothy chapter 2. Thank you, brothers. All right, thank you, guys. Our sermon title this morning, we are in 1 Timothy chapter 2, and we've been working through this paragraph from verses eight through 15. The title of the sermon is Fit for Godliness. We're in part three, and we have been working through verses eight and nine to begin, and now this morning we come to verse 10. We looked at verse nine in particular at being outwardly fit for godliness and then inwardly fit for godliness. Outwardly fit for godliness in the sense that the outward expressions of faith in Christ, the outward expression of the life is to reflect the inward reality of the heart. We are to be both outwardly fit for godliness. In other words, to those around you, your life should be an obvious testimony to Christ. If you've been genuinely saved, you've made a profession of faith in Christ, you've put your trust in Christ alone to save you, then you're making a promise or a claim to godliness. And today we'll look at how that claim to godliness is by the means of good works. But your life is to be a testimony of that claim to godliness, a testimony to Christ in an outward sense. But now that is only in an outward sense to the degree or to the extent that it reflects an inward truth in your own heart. Outward expressions of morality are empty, hollow, hypocritical, shameful if they are not associated with the godly reality of a changed heart in Christ Jesus. Those outward works are just, you're an empty tomb full of dead men's bones. You are outwardly looking moral, but inwardly you're like a ravenous wolf. We're to be outwardly fit for godliness, but that outward fit for godliness must be matched, must be the expression of an inward reality in the heart. And that is even with respect to dress. In verse nine we looked at how heart attitudes and how they are expressed in modest dress and behavior. And then we're told in verse 10 that women, and remember now men by application of the principle are to conduct themselves in a way that is fitting for their profession, fitting for their claim, their promise to godliness. They're to be outwardly fit for godliness, inwardly fit for godliness. And then today we'll see how we are to be effectively fit for godliness. Now we've unpacked that outward expression as a result of being inwardly fit for godliness. Today in verse 10 we wanna see how we are to be effectively fit for godliness. That effectiveness, empowered and enabled by the spirit of God, it is born out of the gospel and born out of the power of God in our lives. We are to be godly men and women. The Bible is a book about godliness. We're to live as godly testimonies of Christ and of His power in changing the life. Now this godliness is somewhat of a theme through 1st Timothy. We look at the letter from Paul to Timothy. We see several examples of this. In chapter two, verse two, we're to pray for kings, all those who are in authority, that we might live a life in all godliness. We're to live a life in all godliness. In chapter three, verse 16, Paul explains the great mystery of godliness. You'll catch on. Chapter four, verse seven, we are exhorted to exercise ourselves toward, there it is, chapter four, verse eight. Godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come. In chapter six, verse three, we are to consent to the doctrine which accords with, godliness. In chapter six, verse six, godliness with contentment is great gain. Chapter six, verse 11, we are to pursue godliness. That word pursue there means to run after, to press on, to strive for with zeal. We're to pursue godliness. And then here, in 1st Timothy, chapter two, verse 10, we're going to look at the life that is to reflect godliness. Godliness, therefore, is pretty important. We see that explicitly laid out several times in 1st Timothy, but again, everything with respect to scripture speaks of godliness. Our godly testimonies, our godliness that accords with right doctrine, right doctrine that accords with right practice, right living, were to be godly people. Godliness is important. That accords, if you're a Christian, that accords with a great desire of your heart. If you're a genuine disciple of Christ, then one of the great desires of your heart is to be godly, is to please the Lord. And if anyone ever says, you know, of you, boy that's a godly brother, that's a godly sister. That's like music to your ears, right? Our great desire is to be godly. We want to please him in the same token, the great hatred in the heart of every true believer. The great hatred in the heart is ungodliness, that which offends the Lord. We're not to be ungodly, we're to be godly. Now there's an expression in your heart, if you're a Christian, toward this godliness that's been authored by the Spirit of God, empowered by the Spirit of God. It's a part of your changed nature. And I like this, here's a poem that I read, a prayer, that is the expression of that heart. See if you can relate to this. It starts out this way, oh savior of sinners, may thy approbation or thy approval be my only aim, thy word my only rule. Make me to abhor that which grieves thy Holy Spirit, to suspect consolations of a worldly nature, to shun a careless way of life, to reprove evil, to instruct with meekness those who oppose me, to be gentle and patient toward all men, to be not only a professor, but an example of the gospel, displaying in every relation, office and condition, its excellency, loveliness and advantages. And then notice the humility. How little have I illustrated my principles and improved my privileges. How seldom have I served my generation. How often have I injured and not recommended my redeemer. And how few are those blessed through me. And many things I have offended, in all comes short of thy glory. And pardon my iniquity for it is great. That's just the longing, isn't it? Of a desire in the heart of a Christian who wants to live for Christ, who wants to be godly. And the Christian life is distilled in essence, the Christian experience distilled in essence in this understanding of godliness, that we are to live godly. And that is clearly example for us in Titus. Look over just a few pages to the right to Titus chapter two, Titus chapter two. This, the Christian life distilled in one great statement from Paul here to Titus. Titus chapter two and look at verse 11. Here Paul says, for the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. Teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lust we should live soberly, righteously and godly in the present age. Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and savior Jesus Christ who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from every lawless deed, everything ungodly, right? And purify himself, make someone godly. Purify for himself his own special people zealous for good works. We're to speak these things, we're to exhort and rebuke with all authority and let no one despise you. Look at chapter one and verse one just in the same page there and look at the purpose of Paul's apostleship. Paul, a bond servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ according to or for the purpose of the faith of God's elect and the acknowledgement of the truth which accords with what? Godliness, we're to have faith, genuine saving faith. Paul was concerned with the salvation of souls. He wanted people to come to Christ and then the knowledge of the truth which accords with a godly life. The godly life is to be an expression of that truth. It is the truth which accords with godliness. Here back in 1st Timothy chapter two Paul exhorts us to live a life that reflects this godliness and then gives us in verse 10 the effective means of that namely good works and we're gonna look at that today. As Christians we are to be effectively fit for godliness. So now point three and our third sermon here effectively fit for godliness. Let's look at verse 10 together. He starts out with a word but a contrasting word then says which is proper for women professing godliness with good works. Now verse 10 begins with that word but it's a strong contrast. It is contrasting that which should not be the adornment of women with what should be the proper adornment of women and guys you know that by way of application of that principle that applies to you and I as well. He's contrasting that which should not be a woman's adornment with what should be. Immodest dressed should not be the adornment of a woman now he's saying that what is proper for those professing godliness is good works what should be the adornment of women. He uses the plural there women to mean all women. Not just as an emphasis that applies to all women even today in the church. As we carefully studied verse nine we found that there are those things which are proper for godliness and those things which are not by contrast. There is clothing we gotta get used to this concept. There is clothing that is proper for godliness and there is clothing that is not proper for godliness. There are outward behaviors outward attitudes outward deportment the way that you conduct yourself your behavior your mannerisms that are proper for godliness and those outward expressions that are not proper for godliness. There are heart attitudes that are proper for a Christian and heart attitudes that certainly are not proper for a Christian. And these heart attitudes are expressed here specifically in the way that you dress and the way that you carry yourself. And this is not, so we understand here, this is not an anachronism, it's not outdated, it's not culturally irrelevant, it is not legalistic, study your Bible. This is what the word of God says, amen. And we're to live that way because God is concerned about these things, these things matter. And they matter if you make a principle or make a profession or make a claim for godliness. There's a principle that has to be applied here, even with respect to the way that you dress. In other words, your clothing specifically, your heart attitudes, your behavior, your mannerisms, your way of life must be lined up with God's word. It has to be. It needs to be lined up with your profession of faith. You are to be godly. Now that principle isn't only for women, it's concerned with here men as well. This is absolutely applicable and essential to all who profess the name of Christ. And we're reminded, even looking at verse nine alone, that there is here a right and a wrong, right? There is a light and there is a darkness. There is a good and there is an evil. There's a truth, there's an error. There is a black. There's a white when it comes to scripture. In other words, to profess to being a Christian is to claim or to promise a life lived in godliness that is attained or achieved through the means of good works. Now we look at verse 10, but which is proper for women professing godliness with good works. What is being claimed here or promised in verse 10 is godliness. That word, the asa bayan, it's a word that means someone who fears God and does as well. Now that's a healthy fear of God. It's a healthy fear of offending God, a healthy fear that leads a disciple of Christ to walk circumspectly, to walk in wisdom, to try to avoid that which would offend God and try to do that which would please God. It's a reverence for a devotion to God that is inevitably linked to obedience to His commands. And that's godliness. Godliness with disobedience is no godliness at all. It's an empty hollow godliness. There is no godliness. That's ungodliness. Godliness separated from a life that is lived in devotion to God is no godliness. It is ungodliness. Here specifically in verse 10, the text is saying that this godliness now is achieved or attained by means of the good works, by means of good works. There's a Greek word translated there with in verse 10. That is a preposition in the Greek. And for you Greek guys, it's a dative of means, which means it describes the means by which something takes place. In other words here, the godliness here that is mentioned that we are to display happens or is achieved or is attained by means of good works. That we're to achieve that godliness by means of good works. Means our profession of faith in Christ is a promise to God. That again, that word there for promise that we will live for Christ Jesus. That we will live to produce good works for Him as a testimony of our profession of faith. That we are to obey Him. We're to live godly lives. This is extremely important to understand. Most of evangelicalism today and most of the pulpits around the world today, that's not what's being taught. You can live how you want to live. It's the sincerity of your profession that gives you the grounds of your assurance. That's not what Scripture teaches. The Bible clearly teaches that the grounds of your assurance is going to be godliness in keeping, in being fitted for your profession of faith in Christ. Those two are to link up. Ephesians chapter 2 verse 10 says this, for we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. It is the means of those good works by which that wonderful adjective of godly is acquired. It's through the means of those good works. Now, is this just avoidance, ethics? We call ourselves a Christian. Are we a Christian now? Simply because of a profession of faith and that which we attempt to avoid. You know what? I'm not going to rob banks. Not going to do it. I'm not going to murder any. I'm going to switch to decaf. All right? Is that what this is? Is that what godliness is in part? Yeah, you're going to abstain from sin. You're to flee youthful lust. You're to stay away from those things and offend God. But is that it? Is that it? Is that all there is to this idea of godliness? I'm just going to stay away from those things that are bad. It might be viewed as sinful. No, it's much, much more than that. Godliness is aggressively putting off sin. It is aggressively and assertively striving to put off the old man putting on the new man such that you are to, as Scripture says, suffer that sin violence. You are to strive, if necessary, to the point of bloodshed. You are to cut off your hand and pluck out your eye. It is to be so serious that you take aggressive steps to free yourself from that sin and the power of the Holy Spirit. By the power of the Spirit, you are to put to death the deeds of the body. It is an aggressiveness toward godliness. It's an assertiveness towards, in the power of the Spirit, again, through his word, pursuing holiness, pursuing your sanctification. So, certainly, it's not just, well, I'll keep myself from that or I'm going to try to stop that. Not just avoidance ethics. But more than just avoidance ethics, it's the life that you live. These are, these good works at the end of verse 10 here are those works, Christian obedience, that springs from or is the fruit of genuine saving faith in Christ. When the Lord saves you, gives you a new heart, indwells you with his Spirit, you will walk according to his statutes. So the Lord promises. So the Lord purchased on the cross. He purchased your obedience to that work, which he prepared beforehand that you should walk in them. It's part of God's saving work. That's the power of God in the life. Now, think about it now. In the same way, that clothing cannot in and of itself or by itself make a woman godly. She has to have the heart with it, right? But that clothing adorns the woman. Adorns the modest woman and it adorns her with that which is proper or fitting for godliness. It's an adornment of her inward heart reality. In the same way, you cannot become a Christian by doing good works. But good works in the same way will inevitably, absolutely, certainly adorn the life of a genuine Christian such that it points to your profession of faith, points to your faith in Christ, points to the changed heart, the power of God in you, his indwelling Spirit. It points to you as a trophy of God's grace pulling you from bondage to sin now being slaves of righteousness. This is a changed life. And in most of evangelicalism today, there's this effort or this desire to strip away that power from the Gospel and simply boil it down to nothing more than an empty profession, some empty prayer. This is the power of God. James says that faith without works is a dead faith. Those works will confirm or give credence to or evidence of your genuine faith. If you don't have the works, you don't have the faith. It's a dead sham faith. In chapter 2 verse 22, it says that by works, this is James 2 22, by works faith is made complete or perfect. It is confirmed to be true, confirmed to be genuine. But now think of yourself. What if that aggressive striving against or turning from sin isn't there? What if that aggression, that striving, that agonizing to enter into the straight gate? That desire for holiness, what if that's not there? What if those works? Obedience to his commands. Think about your evangelism. Think about your meditating and study of God's Word. Think about it, men, if you are sacrificially loving your wife, ladies, if you are submitting to your husband. What if those works, the fruit of his spirit, what if they're not there? And your faith is a sham. Your faith is empty. It is hollow. As James says, it is dead. This is the godliness that is produced by or evidenced by good works that goes hand in hand with a genuine saving profession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. However, it even goes beyond that. It even goes beyond that. 2 Timothy chapter 3 verse 12 says this, yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. Will suffer persecution. If we see scripture rightly, then this isn't merely a faith or a godliness that abstains from sin. Not just simply a faith or a godliness that aggressively strives against sin. Not just a godliness that actively, proactively and assertively hates ungodliness. Not even that which obeys commands. But here, this is radical, resolute and risk-taking godliness. That you can't be just simply content to obey. You will take a stand. If you have this faith, if you have the fruits of this faith, if you have this changed heart, then you're going to open your mouth for Christ. You're going to take a stand for godliness. You're going to take a stand against compromising the gospel. You open your mouth, you get persecuted. You take a stand, you get persecuted. You evangelize, you get persecuted. And this is the radical, resolute, risk-taking godliness that goes hand in hand with a profession of faith in Christ. Now ask yourself, are you being persecuted? Are you being persecuted for your faith? If not, why not? I am reminded, we've told this story before, but I just love it. It's a wonderful story of Wesley. Leaves a sermon that he preached, so used to being persecuted. Persecuted all the time. Persecution, persecution, persecution. He leaves a sermon, realizing that he wasn't persecuted. As soon as he comes to the realization, he's off his horse on the side of the road praying to God. Farmer hearing him pray, picks up a rock and throws it at Wesley. And Wesley praises God. Thank you, Lord, for being persecuted. In Wesley's mind, not to be persecuted, there was something wrong. Are you being persecuted? All, all, all, all, who desire to live godly in this wicked and perverse generation will suffer persecution. If you're not suffering persecution, why not? If you open your mouth to a lost person, at some point, you're going to suffer persecution. Examine your evangelism. If you open your mouth to a lost person who is hostile to the truth of God, you're going to be persecuted. It doesn't take that long. Take a stand. Be uncompromising. This is not just godliness that arises out of avoidance. This is not just godliness that just obeys those things you want to obey. This is godliness that arises here in persecution. Taking a stand for righteousness. Taking a stand for Christ. Following Him with your life. It is that godliness that's going to result in even here testing and trial and suffering and persecution and testing and trial and suffering and persecution. That is the Christian life. And we've got our brothers and sisters throughout history that have proven that fact. You know, Ray Comfort uses an example that I like. Ray Comfort says this, I'll give you a thousand dollars to go over and witness to that guy. You heard this? I'll give you a thousand dollars to go over and witness to that guy. Now think about it. Most everyone would do that. A thousand bucks I go over and witness to that guy. You'll take the thousand dollars. You'll overcome your fear of man for a love of money but you will not overcome your fear of man for love of Christ and a love of His gospel and a love for the soul of that lost person who is dying and going to hell. What if we paid you a thousand dollars to show up? Show up for evangelism. Show up for the services. Show up for group. You'll show up for a love of money but you won't show up for a love of Christ. For a love of His word. For a love of lost souls. You see that the twisted, wicked, deplorable reasoning in our own minds in our own hearts. That is driven by nothing but a rebellious, wicked flesh. But that's something we have to gouge out. We have to be purifying ourselves from. We need to repent of and turn from. This is a godliness that for love of Christ, for love of God, for love of the gospel, for a burden for the laws, this is a godliness that we obey. This is a godliness that we pursue. That we apply ourselves to as Christians. Is that legalistic? No, this is not salvation by works. This is salvation that works. And these works, these good works, prepared by God from before the foundation of the world that we should walk in them, these are works that He purchased with His own blood. That He gave Himself for. There were to be testimonies of His grace. Were to share the gospel and build His church and bring them into the kingdom. This is the way we're to live our life. This godliness is so much more than just what most people think that it is. Gotta inform our understanding from God's word and live in uncompromising godliness. John Bunyan said this the following Christ. He said, the following of me Christ is not like following the following of some other masters. The wind sits always on my face and the foaming rage of the sea of this world and the proud and lofty waves thereof do continually beat upon the sides of the bark or ship that myself, my cause, and my followers are in. He therefore that will not run hazards and that is afraid to venture a drowning. Let him not set foot into this vessel. Christianity today is so packed with nominal Christians. We don't need one more. We need those that will follow Christ, that will charge hell, that will witness to the lost and see His kingdom grown. See, elect coming into the house of God. This nominal Christianity is deadly to Christianity. It's poisonous and corrupt and ruins the testimony of godliness that the churches have to have to the world. If this world does not rise up against you in response to your promise of godliness and not just the world, those religious, those are the ones that persecuted Christ. Those are the ones that persecuted the apostles. Those that held them out themselves out to be religious. They don't rise up against you. Something is wrong. Take stock of your life right now. Don't be deceived, little children. Let no one deceive you. He who practices and it's this kind of godliness, this righteousness, he who practices righteousness is righteous as he is righteous. Those aren't practicing that righteousness. They're of the devil. Are you demonstrating true godliness through your good works? The Bible says in 2 Timothy chapter 3 verse 5 that there are those who have a form of godliness but they deny its power. That power there is the enabling grace of God in the life of a believer that transforms, that overcomes sin, that empowers to follow Christ. This is the power, as 2 Peter 1.3 says, has given us all things that pertain to life and to godliness. Are you professing godliness but you don't have that power at work in you? Are you sitting around in your apathy, in your indifference when it comes to the commands of God? Does your life match your profession? Listen, it is a wicked, hypocritical thing, the Lord in the parable of the fig tree sees a fig tree. Fig tree simply producing leaves, no fruit. The Lord himself about to uproot that tree, cast it into the fire and decided to wait three years. Let's dig around it. Let's fertilize it, see if then it will produce fruit. If it doesn't produce fruit, then it's nothing, it's worth nothing but to be dug up and thrown into the fire. You may be here today and you profess the name of Christ. You say with your lips that I am a Christian but you don't live this godliness. You don't take a stand for Christ. You're not fervently serving Him. And in your life, you are that fruitless fig tree. Then dig yourself up around the roots, fertilize yourself, get yourself fruit producing. Otherwise you are good for nothing than to be dug up and thrown into the fire and that's what's going to happen. We're to live for Christ. Spurgeon says, beware of the hell of the false professor. And this today is the great hypocrisy of our professing Christian culture that they would profess to embrace the gospel of godliness only to live ungodly. We'll stand before God and we'll give an account. Romans 2 says this. Christ will render to each according to His deeds, His good works or His bad works. Eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor and immortality but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish on every soul of man who does evil to the Jew first and also to the Greek for there is no partiality with God. In Revelation 20 we see the account of the great white throne judgment. The Lord Jesus Christ came first as suffering servant. He'll come again as judge and He'll judge the nations. It says there, the small and the great. They'll stand before the throne and Christ will judge them and He judges them according to their works. Let me give you an example of what that looks like. Go to Matthew chapter 25. Matthew chapter 25. Saved by grace and grace alone through faith alone and the Lord Jesus Christ alone. When you're judged, you'll be judged by your works. Judged by your deeds, whether good or bad. There will be a resurrection of life or of everlasting shame and contempt based on again your works. Here is a different judgment. This is a judgment of the sheep and the goats at the end of the tribulation but it gives you an example of what that looks like as we go through this. Look at Matthew chapter 25. Look beginning in verse 31. Here Christ says, when the son of man, it's a title for himself, speaks of his humanity. When the son of man comes in his glory and all the holy angels with him then he will sit on the throne of his glory instantly from humanity to king to glory, right? Verse 32, all the nations will be gathered before him and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats and he'll set the sheep on his right hand but the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right hand come, you blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. And look at what this is based on, verse 35. For I was hungry and you gave me food. I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was a stranger and you took me in. I was naked and you closed me. I was sick and you visited me. I was in prison and you came to me. It's like, well, wait a minute. I thought that this was salvation by grace through faith. This makes it sound like it's salvation by works. This is not a salvation by works. This is inevitably, inexorably, absolutely, certainly a salvation that works. It's a salvation that produces, purchased by Christ, produces good works. You'll be judged by those works that confirm the presence or absence of genuine saving faith. Those works confirm. Christians, if you're here today and you're a Christian, do you know that you'll also go before Christ and be judged? There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. Well, you'll go before Christ and you will give an account for your life. Romans 14, verse 10 says this, that all Christians will stand before the judgment seat of Christ that each of us will give an account of ourselves to God. 2 Corinthians chapter 5, verses 9 and 10 says this, therefore, we make it our aim. Listen, understanding this, understanding this, we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to him, for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ that each one may receive the things done in the body according to what he has done, whether good or bad. That's Christians. Christians will give an account of themselves before God. Let that be a cause for adjoicing. When you stand before God to give an account, that can result in reward. The Lord giving you rewards for a life of devotion, a life of godliness as evidenced by good works. Those are rewards from Christ. Are you building your life on a foundation of precious stones? Are you building your life in service to God on a foundation of wood, hay, or stubble, which will be burned up? There's no condemnation. When we stand before the Lord to give an account of him who is given much from him, much will be required. Do something with the power of the Holy Spirit in you. Live for Christ. Be godly. Now, what does this godliness, where does it come from? What drives it? What brings it about? Certainly, it comes from a changed nature. You have a new heart, new nature. Your desire is to be godly, to live a godly life pursuing good works. It comes from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, working through the providence of God, working through the word of God to make you holy, to motivate you, to push you to good works, to godliness. It comes from a fear, a healthy fear of God. John Murray said this. He called the fear of God the soul of godliness. You don't have a fear of God, cultivate one. You don't know God well enough if you don't have a healthy biblical fear of God. And that's that fear that doesn't want to do anything to offend him, that fear of God that causes you to walk circumspectly, to be wise, to be cautious that you faithfully represent him to the world, to healthy fear of God. The promises of God. The promises of God should motivate us to godliness. There are great promises to those who are living godly lives. The great blessings of God. John Bunyan, I love John Bunyan. He said this again. God hath strewed all the way from the gate of hell where thou wast to the gate of heaven whether thou art going with flowers out of his own garden. I love that. Behold how the promises, invitations, calls and encouragements like lilies lie round about thee. Is that a blessed thought, Christian? The promises of God like lilies. He just adorns you with promises. Adorns you with strength. Adorns you with his spirit. Adorns you with grace. Take heed, he says, that thou dost not tread them underfoot center. With promises that I say, yea, he hath mixed all those with his own name, his son's name also, with the name of mercy, goodness, compassion, love, pity, grace, forgiveness, pardon and whatnot that may encourage the coming center. The promises of God. Godliness should come about from testing will. If you're a Christian, godliness will come as a fruit of testing, as a fruit of trial, as a fruit of suffering. We're to take joy in trials because of the godliness, the patience, the perseverance, the proven character that trials and tests and suffering bring about. It will bring about godliness. If you want to be godly, be prepared to suffer. He made the captain of our salvation perfect through suffering. He'll sanctify you through suffering. But is it worth it? Isn't it worth it? Lord, I want to be godly. I want to live for Christ. I want to exude at Christ with every breath and be prepared to suffer. Be prepared to endure tests and trials. The excellencies of Christ should motivate and push you to pursue godliness, his perfect life, his perfect sacrifice, his resurrection, his example, his glorious example, the power of God. 2 Peter 1.3 goes on to say, His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness through what? Through the knowledge of Him. Through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue. It's the power of God, the knowledge of Him. God, through the power of His might, purchased by the blood of Christ for you will make you effective in godliness. He alone can. It is all a product of His Spirit, by faith in Christ, purchased by Christ on the cross. If you're a Christian, all of these great and glorious things, all of these great and glorious truths that have been secured for you, sought by God, bought by Christ and wrought by the Holy Spirit are for you to make you effectively fit for godliness. If you're not, you've got a question whether your faith is a genuine faith. You must claim that promise of God, these promises of God by faith in Christ and live for Him. Live like it. Maybe you haven't yet turned to Christ. Maybe you find yourself waiting for something. Waiting for the Lord to do something. You hear that, don't we? Waiting until you're better. As the hymn goes, if you wait until you're better, you'll never come at all. You'll never be saved. You'll never be saved. Maybe you're waiting for a better time. You know, I'm not ready. Don't you see? You are a rebel. You are a godless rebel that makes excuses for yourself. You excuse yourself by waiting on the Lord. You excuse yourself by waiting on repentance, waiting on faith, waiting for the Lord to do something. There is no excuse. The Bible never tells you to wait for the Lord. It says to wait on the Lord. It's a totally different thing. Trying to wait for the Lord. Your duty is to turn and to flee to Christ. The Lord bids you come. Will you come? Will you turn from your sin and live a godly life for Christ? Who has done everything? It's all accomplished in Him? It's all done in Him? The Lord bids you come. Come to me, He says. All you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and lowly in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Jesus stood and He cried out saying, if anyone thirsts, let him come. Let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters. You who have no money, come buy and eat. Yes, come buy wine and milk without money and without price. The Spirit and the bride say, come and let him who hears say, come. Let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely. Let the wicked forsake his way. The unrighteous man his thoughts. Let him return. Let him come to the Lord and he will have mercy on him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon. Lord bids you come. Make a profession or a promise of godliness that you will in the power of the Spirit by faith in Christ, evidence by your good works that are done in Christ to give glory to Christ. Aren't you sick and tired of those godless works that you do that bring nothing but shame and contempt to you? That bring reproach to the name of Christ? A turn from your sin. The Lord bids you come. And it's your duty to come. Today is the day. Now is the time. There is nothing to wait for. It's simply an excuse. If you're here today and you're a Christian, plow up the ground around your fig tree and make sure that you're producing fruit for God and not the fruit that merely abstains but the fruit that fervently serves. That's the fruit that the Lord is looking for. That's the fruit of genuine saving faith. You won't produce that on your own. If you try to produce it on your own, you will be hopelessly in despair. That's produced by faith in Christ. Turn to the Savior. Trust in him and live a life fitting for godliness. You've been effectively fit by God for godliness. If you're his, live for him. Let's pray together. Father in heaven, Lord, we praise you for your word, for this truth. God, thank you for the power, the enablement by your spirit to live for you. I thank you for those precious promises. God, those lilies draped around us. We can live. Walk along this Christian life in and among. Thank you for the excellency of Christ and his shed blood on Calvary that purchased our redemption, freed us from bondage. That we might, Lord, be your own special people. Zealous for good works. Which, as Ephesians says, Lord, you prepared beforehand that we should walk in them? God, find us faithful to obey you in these things. God, find us faithful trophies of your grace. Lord, protect us from making a profession of godliness but denying its power, living like the world, and where we want to exude Christ, bleed, be blind, live for him wholeheartedly because you are worthy to be worshiped and praised. Or you're worthy to be glorified, magnified, exalted. And we, Lord, your humble and contrite servants, Lord, desire from the heart with all that we are, all our heart, soul, mind, and strength to worship you in this way. Thank you, Lord, for those promises that we live according to that say it will be so if we're in Christ. Anyone here, Lord, is not in Christ. I pray that you would just crush them under the weight of their sin, lay your gracious but heavy hand upon them, pierce them with conviction, and press them until they press them into the Kingdom by your Spirit through faith in Christ and save their soul for your glory. All this, Lord, because you are worthy. We pray these things in the name of our blessed God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.