“The Path of True Godliness” was written by Willem Teellinck (157-1629), a pastor and prolific writer who helped move the Reformed Church beyond matters of doctrine and policy to reformation in life and practice. This book was translated by the Dutch Reformed Translation Society into the English Language. (From J.I. Packer: It is a landmark feature of the Reformed heritage, and it is rich food for the soul in this or any other age).
I shall attempt to summarise some of the salient points in this book. I have found this book very stimulating and comprehensive in its handling of the subject of true godliness: First of all, it makes me realise how far short is my understanding of this subject and much more so in the practice of true godliness; it is very humbling and truly spiritual food for the soul. I also realised that if the many who are seen to be living godly lives should ‘measure’ themselves against the yardstick of what is written in this book, it would truly be profitable for them as well as serve as ‘exhortations’ that would keep them on the road of godliness that truly pleases God.
What true godliness is
True godliness is a gift of God by which man is made willing and able to serve God. He no longer lives according to the lusts of the flesh, as the ungodly do, but according to the will of God revealed to us in His Word. We give ourselves to the service of God so that we live no longer for ourselves but for God. We regulate our service to God according to the direction of the reasonable “milk” of God’s Word, not according to our own notion or understanding (1 Peter 2:2).
Those who sincerely render this reasonable service show in every respect how much they value, highly esteem, and treasure the Lord their God; they show to the world that they subordinate all their own interests to the Word of the Lord and to His holy will, to their honour and to HIs service, magnifying the Lord our God in every respect.
The Apostle Paul wrote to the church of Corinth along the same lines: We no longer live for ourselves but for HIm who died for us and rose again. For him, to live is Christ, to die is gain. Paul made this appeal to us also that we be not conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of our mind, that by testing we may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
We are to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is our spiritual worship (Romans 12:1-2).
We shall go on in the next sharing to focus on: True Godliness shows itself in three ways.