In a world that is filled with all kinds of unthinkable evil, it is very important to remind ourselves that the standard of God still remains the same – be holy, for I am holy (First Peter 1:16).
Regardless of age, modernization, and innovations in technology, God wants His people to be holy. He wants them to be like Him in uprightness and godliness. God is so passionate about this; His Word tells us that without holiness no one shall see Him (Hebrews 12:14).
But then, someone may ask, “How can I be upright and godly amid so much pollution? The media is filled with filth, the streets are not left out, and I am surrounded by polluted people in my place of work- almost everywhere. Is it possible to be godly in this time and age?”
Well, for one thing, if it were not possible, I don’t think God would have required us to be so. If God was asking us for something we cannot give, then it would be unfair of Him, don’t you think so? But we know God isn’t unjust. So, how does one live an upright and Godly life?
4 Keys to Living an Upright and Godly Life
God is not unjust; He has made a way for us to live holy and righteous lives.
First things first: It is compulsory for anyone who desires to live an upright life to be born again.
1. Take Up Your True Identity
Jesus said to that Jewish leader named Nicodemus, You must be born again (John 3:7). In other words, you need another spirit – the very nature of God replacing the old nature.
How does this happen? By sincerely asking the Lord to come into your heart, forgive your sins, and make you a new person. When you do this genuinely, you will become a new person; your sins will be washed away, the guilt of sin will be removed, and the nature of God will be imparted to you.
Second: It is impossible to be upright and godly in your own strength – you need the power of the Holy Spirit.
2. Walk in the Spirit
The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God, enables every believer in Christ to live upright. It doesn’t happen by struggle or observing rules and discipline. No, living an upright life is made easy and possible by the power of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:16).
Jesus knew it would be impossible for the disciples to live a good life after His departure, so He told them to wait until they received the power of the Holy Spirit. You must ask for the power of the Holy Spirit, and it will be easy for you to live an upright life for the Lord.
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Third: Another step for every believer at any stage in the spiritual journey of faith is meditation on the Word of God.
3. Meditate on the Word
When you receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, your spirit is reborn. In other words, you receive a new spirit.
Your body remains the same; it doesn’t change. Your color doesn’t change when you receive Jesus. Thank God we will receive new bodies one day. But right now, our bodies remain the same, and we have a responsibility to take good care of our bodies.
In the same way, our soul remains the same. The information you have in your mind isn’t wiped out when you give your life to Christ. That’s why, if you used to listen to vulgar music before you were born again, that music will still play in your memory once in a while or regularly, depending on how you renew your mind.
Meditation on the Word of God (the Bible) renews our minds. The renewal of the mind must take place from time to time. The Word of God instructs us not to be conformed to this world but to be transformed by renewing our minds so that we may prove what the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God is. (See Romans 12:2).
One last vital spiritual aspect is to be in constant touch with other believers in fellowship.
4. Fellowship of the Brethren
I like to think of it this way: imagine a metal box containing charcoal, and you add a little fuel and then light the charcoal.
What happens? They’ll begin to burn. If the fire isn’t strong enough, all you have to do is fan it, and the fire will come up really strong. Now imagine if just one of the charcoals is removed from the fire and kept separately for a short period.
What do you think will happen? Its fire will go out in no time. Even if you fan it, the fire will go off, and its embers will fizzle out after some time.
The same happens when a believer in Christ stays far away from fellowship.
The Early Church, in the book of the Acts of the Apostles, met regularly for prayers, praises, and breaking of bread. ( Acts 2). When they encountered grave challenges, they came together and lifted their voices to God in prayer. The entire place where they prayed was shaken, and the Holy Ghost filled them.
Many believers find it difficult to live a godly life because they are far from the right company and too close to the wrong company.
There are countless testimonies of people who used to be drug addicts but then got into the right company and atmosphere, and their lives began to change dramatically in a very positive way.
I listened to the testimony of a former smoker. According to him, he was seriously addicted to smoking so much that after committing his life to Jesus Christ, he still found himself engaging in the act of smoking. One day, he decided to attend a Christian conference that lasted some days.
He said he just discovered that the hunger and desire for smoking was no longer there; he got hungry for God and enjoyed all that happened during the program. That marked the end of that addiction in his life.
Some struggles, addictions, and habits may never leave until you get under an atmosphere of the anointing of the Holy Spirit that flows when the children of God gather. Glory to God!
I am persuaded that if you engage these four keys, your life will be transformed radically by the power of God.
Prayer
Lord, I receive grace to be godly and upright in Jesus’s name. Amen.
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