What Is the Reason for Having a Form of Godliness but Denying Its Power?

What Is the Reason for Having a Form of Godliness but Denying Its Power?

The reason is that those who preach the Word of God do not fulfill the commission Jesus gave to His disciples in Matthew. Matt. 28:18-20.

Jesus speaks about a narrow gate and a wide gate, about a broad way and a narrow way. Matt. 7:13-29. In the same context He speaks about two groups of people who hear His word. The one group does what they hear, but not the other group. Then Jesus explains how badly the ones fare who don’t do what they hear.

They are all alike in that they want to lead people to Jesus as the sacrifice for their sins, but only a few lead them to the narrow gate to become Jesus’ disciples, to receive Him as their Lord. In other words, they do not lead them to the obedience of the faith. Paul received the apostleship for this very purpose. Rom. 1:5. However, Jesus says “there are few” who find the narrow gate and the narrow way.

As soon as you have received Jesus as a sacrifice for your sins, the wolves in sheep’s clothing will appear on the scene. They will show their “care” for you by telling you that you do not have to forsake everything to enter in by the narrow gate. Luke 14:33. These wolves pervert the Word of God to their own gain. And if there is going to be any gain, there have to be many people. 2 Cor. 2:17. There were many who did this even in Paul’s time. He calls them false apostles, deceitful workers who disguise themselves as apostles of Christ, just as Satan also does. 2 Cor. 11:13-15. These men boast of great revivals and large crowds, but they say nothing of leading them to the obedience of the faith. Paul, on the other hand, did not dare to speak of anything but what Christ had worked through him to lead the Gentiles to obedience by word and deed. Rom. 15:18.

In these days we have many opportunities to carry on mission work, especially over the radio. These wolves in sheep’s clothing also boast of how many missionaries they have and how they cover the whole world with their radio messages, but they do not speak about how many have become disciples—how many have entered into the obedience of faith. To them obedience is law and bondage. This is not the gospel for them. They speak about grace, but not about truth. This work of the wolves has a form of godliness throughout the whole world, but it is not accompanied by power for a new life. Paul predicted that this deception would develop to the point where people would turn to fables, away from the truth. 2 Tim. 4:2-5. He also wrote that all those who do not love the truth will be deceived. 2 Thess. 2:11-12.

In John 8:30 and further, we read how much care Jesus took that those who had come to faith would also become His disciples, so that they would be set free from sin by believing the truth. However, it did not take long before they picked up stones to stone Him.

We can also see from Luke 14:25-27 that Jesus was not fooled by the fact that many followed Him. He at once showed them the narrow gate, and He explained the condition of discipleship to them. This is the point on which those who preach the Word of God have always failed, and for the sake of gain—by means of a form of godliness—they have tried to gather large crowds and reap the honor for it. They made the gate wide, and the many who do not love the truth are deceived. They do not attain to the life of Christ, and it is obvious that they do not attain to the oneness that is between the Father and the Son either. Only those who become disciples and walk in the light and partake of the cleansing have fellowship with one another. 1 John 1:7. They alone obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thess. 2:13-14.