The Answer to Godliness
True godliness is not about following a list of rules or behaviors, but about living the life of Christ within you.
K.P. Yohannan emphasizes that true godliness is not merely about outward appearances or following a checklist of spiritual practices, likening it to apples tied to a tree that ultimately rot and reveal their falsehood. He warns against the Pharisaical mindset of being right in doctrine while lacking genuine connection with God, highlighting that true spirituality must stem from a relationship with Christ. The sermon calls for believers to recognize that godliness is not a formula but the embodiment of Christ's life within us, urging a deeper reliance on Jesus rather than mere performance.
Text
Imagine with me that someone bought a whole bunch of bright red, crisp apples and tied them onto an apple tree. Everyone who casually walked by the tree would think, Wow, that tree looks great. See all of those apples? Unless of course they studied it carefully, they wouldn't notice that the apples were just tied onto the branches. If you let some time go by though, anyone would be able to notice that the now-rotting and sour apples were not really a part of the tree.
Our Christianity can be like that apple tree. By knowing the appropriate behaviors, we can make our lives look so spiritual--our praying, our singing, our worshiping and our words. We can become satisfied with simply doing the right things and having the right doctrines. However, here is the problem: You and I can be right in our understanding and all our doctrines, yet be completely wrong on the inside.
Look at the Pharisees. They had everything right. They knew that God is holy. They knew all the laws. They were missionaries. They fasted. They gave. They prayed. They taught the Scriptures.
So what is the problem? Everything began and ended with them. God had no part in it. What God wants us to be goes beyond being right and doing all the right things before man. When you are just performing, Christ is still on the outside. Our "apples" should be produced from the tree. Who we are and what we do must start with the vine or our fruit will not last.
Our problem so often is that we want a plan. We want an agenda. We want a book to tell us step 1, 2, 3: "This is how to become godly." But my brothers and sisters, godliness is not a list of how-tos; rather, it is the very life of Christ. How do we become godly? The answer is Jesus.
Sermon Outline
- The Problem with External Christianity
- The Source of True Godliness
- The Answer to Godliness
- Jesus is the Answer
- Godliness is the Life of Christ
Key Quotes
“Godliness is not a list of how-tos; rather, it is the very life of Christ.” — K.P. Yohannan
“Our 'apples' should be produced from the tree. Who we are and what we do must start with the vine or our fruit will not last.” — K.P. Yohannan
Application Points
- Recognize the difference between external Christianity and true godliness, and focus on developing a deeper relationship with Christ.
- Allow the life of Christ to transform you from the inside out, rather than trying to follow a plan or agenda.
- Remember that godliness is not about being right, but about living for Christ.