The Godliness Doctrine (Santosh Poonen)

Paul repeatedly exhorts Timothy, a man of God, that the godliness of our life must correspond to the doctrine we preach (I Timothy 5:7,14, 6:1-3). God’s Name is reproached most by Christians who preach the doctrine, but don’t demonstrate godliness in their everyday life. The Immorality of the Workplace: The immorality of the workplace is this mindset: “What I do to earn a living isn’t important to God. So: I will do as little work as possible for as much money as possible.” The consequence of an immoral attitude toward work is that: we avoid work as much as possible (II Thessalonians 3:10); work loses its purpose because it’s only a means to an end; we think that work is of the world, so we treat it as a place of compromise. John Wesley taught: “Earn all you can (I Thessalonians 4:10-12)… save all you can (I Timothy 5:8)… give all you can (II Corinthians 9:6-8).” The Idolatry of the Workplace: The idolatry of the workplace is this mindset: “Money is my god. So: I make all of my life’s decisions based on how they will impact my opportunities to make more money.” When dealing with mammon, remember: even if you buy it, you still don’t own it (I Corinthians 10:26); learn to be content with food, clothing, shelter (I Timothy 6:8); even God took a rest from His work (Genesis 2:2-3). You can tell a dog’s master by whom he responds to. So also, you can tell a man’s master by whom he responds to (Matthew 6:24)! If you’re anxious, it is a sure sign that you love money (Matthew 6:24-25). Work was a part of God’s plan before the Fall (Genesis 2:15). Mankind is designed to work, because we are created in the image of the Master Workman (Genesis 2:2-3). God shows us the process for work in Genesis 2: He creates (v4), we cultivate (v5), He causes the growth (v9). If you are bored with or complain about your work here on earth, you will be out of place in heaven.