Godly Men aren\'t necessarily monksWhat does a Godly man (or woman) look like? Is their wardrobe full of sackcloth? Are their hands superglued together in a state of continuous prayer? Do they have a perpetual glow radiating from every orifice?

You may laugh, but there’s widespread lack of understanding about what godliness is. When people tell me of a Godly person they often have some saintly image, as if they radiated God from their face.

Whilst this happened to Moses, I find nowhere in Scripture that suggests this is the norm for Christians today. The Godly certainly shine, but in a different way to men of old.

Recently I have been reading books as part of the Puritan Reading Challenge. These have been immensely edifying, including the one I’m currently reading (behind schedule): Thomas Watson’s “Godly Man’s Picture” (Buy UK, Read for free).

I’m convinced a definition of Godliness according to Scripture will be of great help to most. Whilst Watson’s classic certainly achieves this, I think it would be beneficial to illustrate these characteristics with examples and counter-examples of Godliness from our day, so we can learn to see it clearly.

This is what I intend to do over the coming weeks and months. It will be a long haul, but it will be worth it.

If your appetite isn’t quite whet read Watson’s original title:

The Godly Man’s Picture Drawn with a Scripture Pencil

or

Some Characteristic Marks of a Man who is Going to Heaven

Worth a look yes?