This provides suggested answers to the Message Based Discussion Questions for the message presented on March 16, 2014, “How to live Godly” as part of the 1 Timothy series. These are merely to stimulate thinking so that God will lead you to dig deeper into the Word.

1 Timothy 3:14-15; Isaiah 6:1-3

How do you live godly?

1)    Let God manifest Himself in your life

• Phil. 2:5-8;  Gal. 2:20

2)    Let God’s Spirit declare you righteous

• Luke 4:1,14, 18; 5:17; 6:19; 8:46; Acts 10:38; Heb. 9:14; Phil. 3:9-10

3)    Let angels see God working in you

• Luke 2; Matt. 4:11;  1 Pet. 1:10-12

4)    Live Jesus before the world

• Matt. 28:19-20; Rom. 10:12-17; 1 John 3:17-18

5)    Give the world something to believe

• 1 Pet. 3:15

6)    Be received in glory

• Rom. 8:29-30.

Live like Jesus, by depending on God’s Spirit and Word to live through you!

• You cannot live a godly life on your own.  Is. 64:6
• You cannot contribute righteousness to God Phil. 3:9-10
• Humbly let God work through you Gal. 2:20  This is why the world rejects Christians and the church.  We point out where the world is wrong, but don’t live it ourselves. We judge rather than show mercy. Is. 6:4-8. The obvious response will be, “Yes, Lord yes. Here am I, send me!”

Message Based Discussion Questions

1)    When you were growing up, was there a person you thought was godly?  Describe that person.

• My great grandfather John was a strong man and into hunting, and was well known for his knowledge of the Scriptures.
• He was a quiet man and seemed very godly, but he died when I was seven. I heard him pray over the meals and he had his Bible handy.

Digging Deeper:

2)    What was revealed in the New Testament that was not revealed in the Old Testament? _ Mystery Doctrines_ What is unique about each of the mystery truths mentioned below?

• They were not revealed in the Old Testament
• They are all related to the Church Age believers as the royal family of God
• They give added responsibility to believers to study Scripture, understand it and honor the Lord Jesus by them.
• They help us understand the Divine operating assets that are available to every believer today.
• They explain why the church is unique in contrast the Jewish people awaiting the fulfillment of the Covenants.
• They explain why Israel is blinded right now awaiting the Covenants.
• They explain how the saints today will be raptured to heaven.
• They explain how the Church is the Bride of Christ.
• They explain how Jesus lives in the believer as his hope of glory.

3)    Upon whom did Jesus depend during His earthly ministry? _The Word and Spirit_  Why did Jesus have to rely upon the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:1,14,18; 5:17; 6:19; Heb. 9:14)?

• In each of the above passages, Jesus depended on the Holy Spirit. The passages demonstrate that Jesus truly “emptied” Himself, that is, voluntarily relinquished the use of divine attributes, so that it was totally the Holy Spirit who empowered His humanity.
• Jesus had to rely on the Holy Spirit in order to be true humanity and the mediator between God and man. If He had used His power, He would not have been equal with man (Phil. 2:7). In the great Spiritual Conflict, the Divine court room trial could have been thrown out on a technicality (Ps. 50:6). A Mediator has to be equal with both parties (1 Tim. 2:5). Because He was deity (equal with God’s person) and completely dependent on the Holy Spirit (equal with God’s work), His sacrifice would therefore be acceptable to the holiness of God.

4)    Did the world recognize Jesus as the Son of God right away? _no__ What do the following passages prove about Jesus (Matt. 3:17; 7:29; 17:5; John 2:11; 3:2)?

• Matt. 3:17 Jesus was confirmed, affirmed and proven by the Father. It showed that the world did not know Jesus before that time.
• Matt. 7:29 He taught as One having authority, not like man (the Pharisees)
• Matt. 17:5 He had the Father’s complete backing, “Hear Him!” Even the disciples were not listening to Jesus.
• John 2:11The disciples began to believe on Him, because of the signs He performed.  They had not trusted Him before.
• John 3:2 Nicodemus represented the religious world that still questioned Jesus, but many recognized He was sent by God.

Making application from the message:

5)    How do you let God live through you?  What is your part in it? (see the message notes)

• I deny myself, my desires and my agendas (Luke 9:23)
• I entrust myself to the filling of the Holy Spirit (Eph. 5:18)
• I move in accordance to the revealed canon of Scripture (John 17:17)
• When my flesh wants to be angry, I surrender that to Jesus and let Him live kindness and tender-heartedness through me.
• When my flesh wants to worry, I surrender that to Jesus and let His confidence live through me to do God’s will.

6)    How would you disciple someone to live out each of the message principles?

• Let God manifest Himself in your life – see question 5
• Let God’s Spirit declare you righteous – be completely dependent on the Holy Spirit (which is actually a small portion of time).
• Let angels see God working in you – they are looking at how the grace of God works through one who is not deserving of God’s power and Truth, yet continues through him to accomplish God’s will.
• Live Jesus before the world – preach the gospel in words and live the gospel in deeds.
• Give the world something to believe – demonstrate that the Christian life is supernatural and different from the rest of the world.
• Be received in glory – live a life of settled assurance, while the world sees you in the valley of the shadow of death.

7)    How do you explain to someone the difference between you living righteous principles and you living a godly life?

• Living righteous principles may be human effort and knowledge of living according to Biblical truth.  The Pharisees did that in many cases.
• Living a godly life is dependence upon the Holy Spirit when living according to Truth.

Mystery Truth

• The Mystery of the Kingdom of Heaven Matt 13:10-11
• The Mystery of Israel’s partial blindness Rom. 11:25-32; 9:1-36
• The Mystery of the translation of the saints, living and dead 1 Cor. 15:51-52
• The Mystery of God’s divine will Eph. 1:9-10
• The Mystery of the Church Eph. 3:3-10
• The Mystery of the Church as the Bride of Christ Eph. 5:23-33
• The Mystery of the Deity of Christ Col. 1:15-19; 2:2-3
• The Mystery of the indwelling, in-living Christ Col. 1:25-27
• The Mystery of iniquity 2 Thes. 2:7-9
• The Mystery of the Faith 1 Tim. 3:9
• The Mystery of godliness of the Christian 1 Tim. 3:16
• The Mystery of Seven Stars and Seven Lampstands Rev. 1:20
• The Mystery of the defeat of Satan Rev. 10:1-7; 11:15; 15;1; 16:7
• The Mystery of Babylon Rev. 17:5