What is True Piety?

[Scott Bushey]

As I previously stated, which no one commented on, if your view of God and his holiness, sovereignty and power are skewed, your piety must suffer.

Jesus Himself said: :"Apart from me, you can do nothing". As well, level of piety, from person to person will be providentially different. The seed that grows in Gods soil will bring forth 30%, 60%, 100%. There is nothing a man can do to change that.

'Talents' reflect a level of piety. Not everyone is as graced. My pastor better be more Pious than I.

 

[VictorBravo]

Originally posted by Pilgrim
Many Reformed Baptists I know have no problem with moderate alcohol consumption but I know few that actually partake!

Chris, I know this is a side issue, but you can add a few more to those you know who partake. I make wine and drink it. And I'd say the majority of my brothers and sisters in our congregation have the occasional glass of wine or beer too.

I think it is too bad that "higher life" has subsumed the concept of separation. I consider myself a separatist in the sense that I do not cooperate with worldly endeavors that do not promote the gospel. But I work, shop, eat, and do all sorts of business in the world. In my view, the distinction is not too difficult. I do not formally join or fellowship with groups that are ecumenical or antichrist (that is, their aims support those who deny Christ). On the other hand, I will happily have lunch with an avowed pagan, especially if he wants to hear what I have to say about reality.

Piety, at least in my case, has a lot more to do with what I think and how I occupy my time than an outward and apparent exercise. Nobody sees me pray or read the Bible. On the other hand, everybody in my circle knows I'm a Christian.

I add my endorsement to the Beeke book. I found it good.

Vic

[Edited on 1-23-2006 by victorbravo]

 

[BrianBowman]

Originally posted by Scott Bushey
As I previously stated, which no one commented on, if your view of God and his holiness, sovereignty and power are skewed, your piety must suffer.

Jesus Himself said: :"Apart from me, you can do nothing". As well, level of piety, from person to person will be providentially different. The seed that grows in Gods soil will bring forth 30%, 60%, 100%. There is nothing a man can do to change that.

'Talents' reflect a level of piety. Not everyone is as graced. My pastor better be more Pious than I.

Amen on all accounts Scott. The higher and more clear our view of God and His holiness, the more we realize how wretched we are apart from Him and the more our depravity and need for Him is magnified. This, I believe, is the pathway to greater sanctification.

Thank God for godly Pastors like Matt! He has demonstrated true piety again and again here on PB and I know that I've personally grown in sanctifiction as a result of hearing him preach (via the CCRPC .mp3's) *and* his postings.

 

[turmeric]

True piety consists, In my humble opinion, in dilligent use of the means of grace.

 

[Steve Owen]

Originally posted by Draught Horse
Remember my "You might be a Gnostic thread"? One of them was

If you think that you have two men inside you, Mr Carnal and Mr Spiritual, you might be a gnostic.

Gal 5:16-17. 'I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Sprit and the Spirit against the flesh; and these two are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.

That's not gnostic; that's surely the experience of every believer (Rom 7:19-25 )?

As one who is baptistic, I would say that God has given us 'All things richly to enjoy,' but our conduct is to be different from that of the world (Matt 5:16; 1Cor 6:12; 1Peter 4:3-4 ). We may go to the theatre or to see films, but in the light of Phil 4:8. We may drink alcohol moderately, but in the light of Prov 31:4-7; Eph 5:18 etc. We may go into bars or pubs, but in the light of Eph 5:4.

I am not tee-total, but I do know that drink is an awful deceiver. The first thing that goes is the self-critical faculty. You may think you are being moderate, when in fact you're tipsy and have ruined your Christian witness. People watch Christians closely and are delighted when they can think, "Huh! he's no better than anybody else!"

Grace & Peace,

Martin

 

[turmeric]

If you think that sometimes you behave carnally and sometimes you behave spiritually, that's not gnostic.

If you think you have 2 people inside you, the Dionysian and the Titanic, i.e. the divine and the material, that's Orphic.

Trust me to confuse the issue...

 

[satz]

If you think that sometimes you behave carnally and sometimes you behave spiritually, that's not gnostic.

Agreed.

I think the bible is pretty clear that the regenerate have a real choice about whether they are going to live spiritually or carnally. If they make the wrong choices, their new man can become weak and sickly and they can end up looking an awful lot like the unregenerate.