Can anyone nowadays deservedly be called "Godly"?

[mystic]

I keep hearing people saying X person is a Godly man and that they "know god". First how can someone be called Godly? A short while back a very close friend of mine who is a divorcee married a another divorcee and she repeatedly kept going on and on for months about how Godly her husband is. When I had had enough I eventually told that her husband chose to ignore Scripture and go after and marry a divorced woman so how godly can he be?

She never spoke to me again so I lost that relationship. So much for saving someone from spiritual death according to Matthew and pointing out someone's sins, all that did was cost me a very close friendship.

Anyways, when people tell me X is a Godly person, how should I respond and is there anything which should make a person be called Godly??

[alon]

Jun 26, 2021 3:59:49 GMT -8 mystic said:

I keep hearing people saying X person is a Godly man and that they "know god". First how can someone be called Godly? A short while back a very close friend of mine who is a divorcee married a another divorcee and she repeatedly kept going on and on for months about how Godly her husband is. When I had had enough I eventually told that her husband chose to ignore Scripture and go after and marry a divorced woman so how godly can he be?

She never spoke to me again so I lost that relationship. So much for saving someone from spiritual death according to Matthew and pointing out someone's sins, all that did was cost me a very close friendship.

Anyways, when people tell me X is a Godly person, how should I respond and is there anything which should make a person be called Godly??

Tough question. Being "Godly" is defined as a great reverence for God. Yet examples of Godly men in the Bible show men of great faith and character. However they all had flaws. Even Melech Dovid, said by God to be a man after His own heart killed Uriah and took his wife. So I wouldn't be too harsh on your friend on the divorce issue. Instead, maybe approach it as a discussion on divorce and whether that is Godly. She may still chose not to befriend you any more, but then that is on her. You cannot control what others do.

Divorce and remarriage itself is a difficult topic. So be prepared if you open that particular can of worms with someone.

[mystic]

That is a great example with King David, thanks. Yes, correct on the marriage issue as a lot of christians even some Pastors have married multiple times. Yes it's extremely difficult to follow the scripture to point out one's sins. I can't seem to find anyone who very openly confesses their sins as I do. All I seem to do is to piss Christians off whenever I should point out something they are doing which is against scripture.

I have already lost a few close relationships trying to get them to do the right thing. This is the main reason why I have said I don't see that ministering is my calling or something I should be doing and I should just stick to helping people.

[alon]

Jun 26, 2021 7:01:25 GMT -8 mystic said:

That is a great example with King David, thanks. Yes, correct on the marriage issue as a lot of christians even some Pastors have married multiple times. Yes it's extremely difficult to follow the scripture to point out one's sins. I can't seem to find anyone who very openly confesses their sins as I do. All I seem to do is to piss Christians off whenever I should point out something they are doing which is against scripture.

I have already lost a few close relationships trying to get them to do the right thing. This is the main reason why I have said I don't see that ministering is my calling or something I should be doing and I should just stick to helping people.

Mark 10:2-12 Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” “What did Moses command you?” he replied. They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.” “It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law,” Jesus replied. “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this. He answered, “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.”

There is no doubt divorce, and especially divorce and remarriage is wrong. There are exceptions, but very few. And none of those involve pastors! But as you say it is epidemic in our society.

You and I are alike in another way. We tend to see things in black and white. Little or no grey. So we can come off as judgmental, unbending, and uncaring. They say communication is not about what you say, but about what the other person hears. So we loose friends when we try to talk to them. It's difficult to do, but we must learn to soften our approach. And even more difficult at times when to soften and when to stand unyielding. My personal motto is "Never compromise with evil!" So I will go so far, then no more. Soften the approach, but never agree with a sinful position. And at some point, stand firm and just plainly say they are wrong. Whre's that point? I don't know, and I've about run out of friends to practice on!

 

[mystic]

Great advice but I too don't know where that point or line is.