Paul plainly said, "Godliness is profitable" (v. 8). If anything is profitable, it pays off. Thank God there is profit from serving God. Living for God is not detrimental to a successful life. It is "profitable unto ALL things."
According to the Bible, godliness insures us many things: prosperity and perpetuity are just two examples.
Prosperity
The Bible says that as long as King Uzziah sought the Lord, God made him to prosper (2 Chron. 26:5). Furthermore, in the early days of Joshua's ministry, when he had to fill the shoes of Moses (think about having to fill the shoes of Moses!), God told him exactly how to prosper:
"This book of the law shall not depart out of they mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success" (Josh. 1:8).
In the New Testament, Paul told Timothy, "Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all" (1 Tim. 4:15). In other words, everybody can see it.
Perpetuity
Godliness will also insure perpetuity. In the ninety-first Psalm God said, "With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation" (v. 16).
In Psalm 34 He said, "What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good? Keep thy tongue from evil, and they lips from speaking guile" (vv.12-13).
In the New Testament Peter quotes that Psalm, "For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile" (1 Peter 3:10).
The Bible teaches that godliness insures perpetuity.
"Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth" (Eph. 6:1-3).
Teach your children that while they're small. I taught Ken and Pat that passage nearly every day. That's the reason we never had to take either one of them to the hospital. (Those are not "well days" when you're in the hospital.)
Of course, somebody always comes up and says, "I know So-and-so, and he was a preacher, and his boy died when he was twelve years old." Well, that doesn't change the Bible. Maybe he was a good man. Maybe he loved God with all of his heart, but he didn't have the revelation of what we know.
You see, the Bible says, "The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever…" (Deut. 29:29). When it was revealed to me, I knew it belonged to my children as well.
Yes, I believe we can believe God for long life here. But John 3:16 says, "…whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Now that's long life, isn't it?
Just because I leave this body is no sign I'm dead! I'm never going to die. The Bible says, "Whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die" (John 11:26). (Of course, if Jesus tarries His coming, we will depart these bodies at physical death.)
Your loved ones are not dead. Don't even say they're dead. They just moved out of this house into Father's House. Glory!
Did the Psalmist David say, "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord till I die"? No! no, no! He said, "I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever" (Ps. 23:6).
Forever! Perpetuity. That means forever and ever.
Godliness means life in God. It's profitable. It's prosperous. It insures perpetuity. It pays off in this life. In this life! And in the life to come.
Be determined. Live for God.
Excerpt permission granted by Faith Library Publications
Rev. Hagin served in Christian ministry for nearly 70 years and was known as the "father of the modern faith movement." His teachings and books are filled with vivid stories that show God's power and truth working in his life and the lives of others.
