For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously, and in a godly manner in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, eager for good deeds.

Titus 2:11-14

Redeemed from lawlessness and purified: that’s what it means to be godly. Not earned by adopting a certain set of behaviors but gained by our own adoption by God.

What we have to do then is reject those things which are unfitting for our changed status. We put aside that which would make us impure or ungodly, because of the hope we have in Jesus. Not grudgingly as worldly people would, only doing good because of obligation or hope of gain but eagerly, knowing that we do so imitating the one who saved us.

Ethan Kirl