6. Godliness


6a. How do you think right thoughts?
Before you speak or act, you think. If you can control your thought life, you will be able to control your speech and your actions. In Christ you are free from sin, free from your past and now free to think good, pure, and positive thoughts. With Christ's help, you can learn how to control how you think. When you were saved you were born again. When you were born again, you accepted Christ INTO your heart. Now, He is within you, giving you the desire to see and hear good things. As you cooperate with Christ and you are careful to feed your mind good things, your thinking patterns will change..
John 8:31:32	³¹To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. ³²Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
Philippians 2:5	⁵Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Colossians 3:1-5	¹Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. ²Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. ³For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. ⁴When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. ⁵Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.
Philippians 4:8	⁸Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.
Psalms 119:15-16	¹⁵ I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. ¹⁶ I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.
1 Timothy 1:3-4	³As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer ⁴nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. These promote controversies rather than God's work--which is by faith.
2 Timothy 2:23	²³Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels.
Psalm 101:3	³ I will set before my eyes no vile thing. The deeds of faithless men I hate; they will not cling to me.


6b. How should a Christian speak?
You judge a person largely by their speech. You listen to their words and then you evaluate the attitude which underlines them. Your conversation will now display the change of heart you have experienced. You will talk about good things, godly things, happy things, and eternal things. When your tongue slips, you will sense in your spirit you have sinned. When this happens, ask God's forgiveness. Don't waste time condemning yourself. Your words are important. Chose them wisely and keep them clean.
Matthew 12:34-35	³⁴You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. ³⁵The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.
James 3:5-6	⁵Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. ⁶The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
James 3:9-12	⁵Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. ⁶The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
Matthew 5:33-37	³³"Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.' ³⁴But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; ³⁵or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. ³⁶And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. ³⁷Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
Colossians 3:8	⁸But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.
Ephesians 4:29	²⁹Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
Ephesians 5:18-20	¹⁸Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. ¹⁹Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, ²⁰always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Proverbs 12:22	²² The LORD detests lying lips, but he delights in men who are truthful.




6c. How do you radiate the character of God?
The characteristics of a godly person are found in Galatians 5:22-23. They are called the fruit of the Spirit. These beautiful traits are the fruit or results of the Holy Spirit's working in your life. Basically, to be godly is to radiate the fruit of the Spirit from your life. In so doing, you are radiating the character of God's beauty to the world.
Matthew 7:17	¹⁷Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
Galatians 5:17-24	¹⁷For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. ¹⁸But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. ¹⁹The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; ²⁰idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions ²¹and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. ²²But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. ²⁴Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.
1 Timothy 6:11	¹¹But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.
2 Corinthians 3:18	¹⁸And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
1 John 1:8-10	⁸If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. ⁹If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.