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.
What is godliness? "God was manifest in the flesh." 1 Tim. 3:16. True godliness is God-likeness as in the above portion and as in Eph. 5:1.
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 4:16 teaches the same standard as to Christians loving one another.
Then godliness with contentment is great gain. (1 Tim. 6:6.) Godliness not only has "promise of the life that now is," but also "of that which is to come" (1 Tim. 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. 13:5, "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. 6:7, "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 12:15-20 and Heb. 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. 3:5). 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. 2:14.
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. 6:9-12.
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. 12:11 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 12:30.
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.