by J. B. Dunlop
The words in this title imply that there may be a kind of contentment without godliness, and in that there is of course some gain.
Christians are to be followers (literally, imitators) of God—to be God-like or godly. They are always to be giving themselves up to God for others, as Christ did on the cross, excepting, of course, what only Christ could do—making atonement. But our godliness, our walking in love is to have no lower standard than this. The Holy Spirit, too, in 1 John 4:1616And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. (1 John 4:16) teaches the same standard as to Christians loving one another.
Then godliness with contentment is great gain. (1 Tim. 6:66But godliness with contentment is great gain. (1 Timothy 6:6).) Godliness not only has "promise of the life that now is," but also "of that which is to come" (1 Tim. 4:88For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. (1 Timothy 4:8)), and both are "gain." So godliness with contentment is great gain. Where there is not this "contentment," the heart is not satisfied—not resting in the joy of communion with the Father and the Son.
Covetousness
Satan knows this well, and tries to rob us of this joy by stirring up covetousness. So we are exhorted in Heb. 13:55Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. (Hebrews 13:5), "Let your conversation [conduct as a Christian] be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." And again in 1 Tim. 6:77For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. (1 Timothy 6:7), "For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.”
But with what am I to be content? Food and clothing. Hear, too, what our Lord teaches as to this in Luke 12, and what we are to consider! We are to consider the ravens and the lilies, and how He feeds the one, and clothes the other (vv. 22-30).
What is covetousness? In Scripture there are different words in the Greek all translated by the same English word "covet" or "covetousness." In Luke 12:15-2015And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. 16And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: 17And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? 18And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. 19And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. 20But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? (Luke 12:15‑20) and Heb. 12:15-1715Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; 16Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. 17For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears. (Hebrews 12:15‑17) it is "greediness for gain." Then in 1 Cor. 5 we are told to put away, not only a fornicator, or drunkard, or railer as a wicked person, but one greedy for gain—a covetous person. Does not all this show how hateful greediness for gain is to God? It is idolatry (Col. 3:55Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: (Colossians 3:5)). How it robs God of His proper place!
It robs the soul of the great gain of godliness with contentment, and the joy of the Father acting a father's part to those who are separate from any unequal yoke with unbelievers! Some lines come before me that illustrate the above, and I pass them on to you:
Overheard in an Orchard
Said the Robin to the Sparrow,
“I should really like to know
Why these anxious human beings
Rush about and worry so.”
Said the Sparrow to the Robin,
“Friend, I think that it must be
That they have no heavenly Father,
Such as cares for you and me!”
The sparrow was wrong, we know. Humans have a heavenly Father, but they do not trust His almighty love and care for them, so they "rush about and worry so.”
Not only does covetousness produce restlessness of soul and worry, it hinders quiet happy communion with the Father and the Son. Joy is lost and there is no strength for either worship or service, except perhaps in a legal way. And the Christian becomes dull and cold and shows little sign of life. Such are seldom heard to open their mouths, either in the worship meeting or the prayer meeting, to God the Father or the Son. Yet the Son says, "Let Me see thy countenance, let Me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely." Sol. 2:1414O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely. (Song of Solomon 2:14).
If the Christian goes on indulging this spirit of greediness for gain, God tells us that such "fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.... But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life." 1 Tim. 6:9-129But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 11But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. 12Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. (1 Timothy 6:9‑12).
Spiritual Strength
Does not all this need power, that is, spiritual strength? Certainly it does, and it is to be found in the risen, ascended One to whom we are united, as well as in whom we are accepted, and to whom we belong. For all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Him, and His "grace is sufficient" for us. His "strength is made perfect in weakness," so we must neither excuse ourselves, nor be discouraged. We who look to Him "can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth" us. He loves us (as a man loves himself) as part of Himself.
Let us not be misled by a frequent misquotation of Rom. 12:1111Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; (Romans 12:11) as telling us to be "diligent in business." It does not say so. Read it carefully, "not slothful in business," and in the J.N.D. translation, "as to diligent zealousness, not slothful." For I am persuaded that many of us are, by misquoting this scripture, falling into the snare of covetousness, or greediness for gain. This is a very different thing from diligently giving all of our time and energy to making money—greedy for gain, and little or no thought of serving the Lord in business. We are not only being robbed of much joy in the Lord, but are injuring others and turning them out of the way by our example.
In Luke 12, our blessed Lord says to us: if inclined to anxiety as to providing necessary things for self or family, don't take anxious thought about these things. And in Matthew, when speaking to His own in the Sermon on the Mount, He tells us to seek first the things of God—the kingdom. Then all that is necessary, that with which we are to be content, that which the ravens and lilies get from Him, shall be added unto us. That precious expression of His loving care for us comes in to encourage us, for "your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things." Luke 12:3030For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. (Luke 12:30).
May we consider these things and the Lord give us understanding in all this. His love for us is great and gracious and unchanging, as told out on the cross and it still goes on towards us now from His throne on high. May this love so constrain our hearts that we may put Christ and God's things first. Let us not live unto ourselves, but unto Him who died for us and rose again, and enjoy the great gain of godliness with contentment.