Is Godliness a Means of Gain?

I hear some people have crept in who are demanding to be catered to according to the flesh. They believe that once they have received the form of doctrine, they have the right to make demands.

Don’t be deceived; this is not how the doctrine of Christ works. We have no right to make any demands on others. If a person makes demands, it is only because their old man is active. We are not debtors to the flesh in any way. The life and teaching of Christ is based on giving and sacrificing; let us follow Him in this. If you cannot afford to travel somewhere, then stay home. If God prompts a brother or sister to offer you some help, then thank God. But never demand help simply because you have the form of doctrine, when you are not obedient to it. Rom. 6:17. God tests His people in many ways in order to instruct us in His manifold wisdom. If someone suffers according to the will of God, they must be patient and commit everything into His hand, because to God the Lord belongs deliverance from all things, even escapes from death.

If someone invites you to dinner, be thankful. But if you are not invited, show the mind of Christ and behave the same as if you had been invited—be thankful to God for everything. We have no use for the old man—on the cross with it. Rom. 6:6. If you are someone’s servant, then do not act like you are the master. That is not wisdom. If someone has a servant, then they should behave in a God-fearing manner, and they should not stray from common decency, which is pleasing to God and man. In time, it will become evident, through our conduct and our relationships, whether we are putting the doctrine of Christ into practice or whether it is just the flesh attempting to reap benefits from God’s field. So if anyone makes fleshly demands, they reveal who they really are, and they place themselves outside of obedience to that form of doctrine which we, by God’s grace, have proclaimed in this paper, as well as in our words and writings.

Through the obedience of faith, all the needs among us will be met. That is why each of us must be attentive to what the Spirit is speaking to the church. If God prompts us to help a brother or sister, we must immediately obey the Lord’s command. In this way God’s honor will grow and prosper.

We are not endeavoring to win the multitudes but rather to instruct each individual in godly fear. If we could win the multitudes in this way, then God would receive all the honor.