THE DANGER OF UNGODLINESS

The word ‘ungodly’ means to be irreligious, or living as God does not exist. It means to either deny or disobey God in your life. The ungodly man may call himself a Christian, attends church, but God is not in the center of his heart, mind and will. The Bible calls ungodliness sin. A relationship can degenerate and become ungodly. An ungodly marriage may look good but is corrupted inside. It’s a dangerous soul-tie, overfamiliar, and sinful relationship. In the Bible, an unbeliever is called ungodly. But it is possible for a believer to behave like an ungodly. You still go to church, pray, read the Bible, but in your daily life, you live like there is no God. This evil spirit of ungodliness can influence your marriages and other relationships. God is angry with the ungodly and punishes them.

“For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ” (Jude 1:4). “And this occurred because of false brethren secretly brought in (who came in by stealth to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage), 5 to whom we did not yield submission even for an hour, that the truth of the gospel might continue with you” (Gal 2:4,5). Here we see the danger of ungodly infiltration in the churches or in the homes. These ungodly men have crept in unnoticed. They entered secretly, like snakes. They pretend to be born again but they are not. They look innocent, but they are spiritual spies and cause much damage from inside. They bring false doctrines or sinful ideas to influence the minds of immature believers and to control their decisions. Their aim is to study the liberty and love we have and to bring us into the bondage of sin. They turn the doctrine of justification by Grace and by Faith into a license to sin. They are Satan’s agents. In a prayerful church, they will not go far. The Holy Spirit will expose them. They will either repent or run.

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness” (Rom 1:18). Ungodliness means choosing to deny or ignore God. Unrighteousness means active wickedness and evil. These sinful men “suppress truth”. Truth means the knowledge of God revealed in Creation, in man’s conscience, and especially in the Bible. The suppression or quenching of truth is a willful act. It is not done in ignorance. “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil” (Jn 3:19). Selah!

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night” (Ps 1:1,2).

The Bible revealed that there are two groups of people in this world: The Godly (saved) and the Ungodly (unsaved). It is possible to be a believer, and you still listen to the counsel of the ungodly. That ungodly counsel will corrupt your character and testimony and damage your marriage. The word “blessed” means the happiness, the spiritual and material prosperity of a godly man. He puts God at the center of everything he plans and does. “To walk” means a way of life. The counsel of the ungodly is the advice to disobey God’s commandments, to forget God in your decisions. This is the reckless and dangerous path of the wicked and ungodly men. Without repentance, sin becomes worse. The first level is to listen to the counsel of the ungodly. The second step is to enter and stand in the path of sinners. This is a decision and an action. Sin has now become a habit, a lifestyle. To sit in the seat of the scornful shows a settled situation. The backslider has found his place among those who reject God and the Bible. They not only hate God, but they mock the believers who try to follow Jesus.

“Do not enter the path of the wicked, And do not walk in the way of evil. 15 Avoid it, do not travel on it; Turn away from it and pass on. 16 For they do not sleep unless they have done evil; And their sleep is taken away unless they make someone fall. 17 For they eat the bread of wickedness And drink the wine of violence” (PV 4:14-17). To live a godly life is a choice. There is a price to pay. To die to sin and reject evil is a daily choice. The believer obeys God’s Word and encourages others to do so. He does spiritual warfare against all evil. He is not careless with his testimony. He is committed to obey God’s Word. This is a warning about the company we keep. Your choice of friends, mentors, pastors, counsellors, is a mirror of your character. Be wise when making friends.

“Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits” (1Cor 15:33). This is a warning against deception. False teachers can deceive you with false doctrines and ungodly counsel. God cannot be deceived. But we can be deceived. Be vigilant about the influences you allow into your life, whether friendships, media, or other sources. Protect your heart. Seek friends that align with biblical values and encourage spiritual growth. “He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will be destroyed” (PV 13:20). In the Bible, godly wisdom is a great achievement. Wisdom can be thought and can also be caught, as we walk closer to godly wise men. Elijah and Elisha, Paul and Timothy, these are godly relationships between mentors and students. Making friends with fools is dangerous. A fool is not only someone who is mentally incapable, but a man who rejects God’s Word. Following fools leads to spiritual and physical destruction.

Below are some examples of bad, ungodly relationships and marriages. God punished all of them. They died untimely and shameful death.

*Zimri (a Jew) and Cozbi (a Moabites) (Numbers 25). Phineas was zealous for the Lord and killed this ungodly couple. God blessed him!

*King Ahab and Jezebel – “But there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do wickedness in the sight of the LORD, because Jezebel his wife stirred him up” (1Kg 21:25). Revelation 2:18-29.

*Annanias and Saphira (Acts 5:1-11). Their sin was that they tried to deceive the Church pretending to be better than they are.

Ungodly relationships do not give glory to God. Both partners are selfish and wicked, helping one another to sin. The wife submits unto her husband as unto the devil. The husband loves his wife as devil loves sin. These are some ways you can detect if your marriage is ungodly:

*All major decisions are done by themselves and not by asking God to approve of lead. They decide to buy things, travel, how to spend money, how to spend their vacations etc, based on the time or the amount of money they have. In a godly relationship, major decisions are done with fasting, prayer, and waiting on God. Sometimes, telling a wise spiritual leader is necessary for confirmation.

*Your conversation is only about worldly things, material things, money, children etc. God’s Word is not the center of your conversations

*The husband and wife are careless with their relationship and with every work they do. Working without commitment is sin. Jesus is your Master only if you work with all your heart. “Whatever you do [whatever your task may be], work from the soul [that is, put in your very best effort], as [something done] for the Lord and not for men, knowing [with all certainty] that it is from the Lord [not from men] that you will receive the inheritance which is your [greatest] reward. It is the Lord Christ whom you [actually] serve” (Col 3:23,24; AMP).

What is the solution? Repent and come back to Jesus! Remember that “when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly” (Rom 5:6). Fast and Pray! “But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. 22 And on some have compassion, making a distinction; 23 but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh” (Jude 1:20-23).

Consider what Christ could have done for the Church instead of laying down his life: He could have subjected us to criticism – churches are full of things to criticize. He could have pointed out our weaknesses, which are many. Or He could have outright condemned us – rightly dismissed us as an unworthy bride. But when Christ looks at us, the Church, He has only praise, commendation and encouragement. He never condemns us! He never accuses us. We are very weak and have many problems. We sin daily, but He never criticizes us. Some of you may say: but God hates sin. Yes! But when we the believers fall into sin, Jesus is our advocate in heaven. When He looks at us now, He does not see sinners or troublemakers. He sees His brothers and sisters, whom He carries to heaven on eagles’ wings. This is how Christ loves us. Not only that He died for our sins, but He has removed every condemnation, shame or guilt. This is how the husbands should love their wives. Embrace your wives, problems and all. Be like Jesus! Do like Jesus! Carry their pains and limitations on your bodies and quench them with love and prayers. This is how Christ loves the Church! Worship the Lord!