The Godly Man

by Chris Simmons

It is the godly whom God will rescue and reward (II Peter 2:9) and it is the godly whom He will save (Titus 2:12). David noted in Psalms 4:3, “But know that the Lord has set apart the godly man for Himself; the Lord hears when I call to Him.” What are the characteristics of “the godly man” and how should we go about developing ourselves into such a person? The context of Psalms chapter 4 helps us to understand several of these defining characteristics.

The godly man values the valuable. David asked in verse 2, “How long will you love what is worthless?” The godly man is able to discern those things that are truly of lasting value from those which are temporal and fleeting. We read in Jeremiah 15:19, “Therefore, thus says the Lord, ‘If you return, then I will restore you – Before Me you will stand; and if you extract the precious from the worthless, you will become My spokesman. They for their part may turn to you, but as for you, you must not turn to them.” Paul understood the “surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” and the “rubbish” that the things of this life represented (Philippians 3:7-8). We must remember that the things we see don’t last while the things we don’t see are eternal and will last forever (II Corinthians 4:16-18). The godly man discerns true value and makes his decisions accordingly even as Moses was one who was “considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward” (Hebrews 11:26).

The godly man loves truth. Again in verse 2 David asked, “How long will you keep aiming at deception?” The godly man understands the dangers of deception and strives to keep as far away from such as possible. To this end, we need to heed the words of Solomon who said in Proverbs 23:23, “Buy truth, and do not sell it, get wisdom and instruction and understanding.” The godly man never views those who come to him with the truth as enemies (Galatians 4:16) but understands that our salvation is dependent on our acquiring a “love of the truth” (II Thessalonians 2:10). The truth alone is what will set us free (John 8:32).

The godly man seeks to make himself “useful to the Master.” As noted earlier in verse 3, David wrote “But know that the Lord has set apart the godly man for Himself.” Paul wrote to the young man Timothy and instructed him in II Timothy 2:21, “Therefore, if a man cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.” The godly man will look to talents, blessings, and abilities that God has blessed him with (Matthew 25:14-30) and make every effort to use them to God’s glory and honor.

The godly man is a praying man. David said in verse 3, “the Lord hears when I call to Him.” To call to the Lord is to offer “entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings” (I Timothy 2:1) to His holy name. Like breathing, eating, and sleeping – the godly man understands that his communication to his Heavenly Father is a critical part of his daily life that he cannot, and will not, neglect. This is exemplified by Daniel who continued to pray to God “as he had been doing previously” (Daniel 6:10) regardless of whether it was popular or even legal to do so. The godly man prays consistently and persistently (I Thessalonians 5:17; Luke 18:1) and understands the importance of doing so from a pure heart (Psalms 66:18).

The godly man maintains a godly fear of sinning and offending his Heavenly Father. In verse 4, David said “tremble and do not sin.” The godly man is to stand in awe of God and the thought of sinning and offending God will keep him from straying. We read in Hebrews 12:28-29, “Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire.” The godly man understands that every man bears the responsibility in life to “fear God and keep His commandments” (Ecclesiastes 12:13).

The godly man focuses his heart on knowing God’s word. David said again in verse 4, “meditate in your heart upon your bed and be still.” Like praying, the godly man understands the sustenance that God’s word provides him every day. Paul wrote in I Timothy 4:6, “In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following.” David also wrote in Psalms 119:116, “Sustain me according to Thy word, that I may live; and do not let me be ashamed of my hope.” The godly man continually views God’s word with great longing and urgency that will fuel his spiritual growth (I Peter 2:1-2).

The godly man takes up his cross daily. In verse 5 we read where David says, “Offer the sacrifice of righteousness.” Jesus taught in Luke 9:23, “And He was saying to them all, ‘If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.’” The godly man views himself as a living sacrifice to God. Romans 12:1-2, “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” The godly man has given himself to the Lord (II Corinthians 8:5) from which all other decisions in life become easy.

Finally, the godly man has a living and growing faith. David concludes verse 5 by simply saying, “trust in the Lord.” The godly man has, as the foundation for all the other godly characteristics of his life, his complete and active faith (II Peter 1:5). The godly man makes his faith perfect, or complete, by ensuring that his faith is an active, working faith (James 2:22). His confidence is in the Lord and in His revealed will. The godly man puts his life in God’s hand according to His will. David again wrote in Psalms 31:14-15, “But as for me, I trust in Thee, O Lord, I say, ‘Thou art my God.’ My times are in Thy hand.” Without such faith, it is impossible to please Him (Hebrews 11:6). The godly man has faith and trust not just when it’s convenient or when facing a crisis in his life, but always maintains it in spite of his circumstances. David wrote in Psalms 62:7-8, “On God my salvation and my glory rest; the rock of my strength, my refuge is in God. Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.”

Godly men and women come about when these biblical principles are pursued on a daily basis and only through our devotion to them can we ensure that the godly person will never “perish from the land” (Micah 7:2).