Fifty Marks of Godly Men

by

Zac Poonen

Fifty Marks of Godly Men

© Zac Poonen, 1971

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Fifty Marks of Godly Men

Godly men stand before God’s face and hear His voice daily;

Godly men have no desire in their heart for anyone or anything other than God Himself;

Godly men fear God so greatly that they hate sin in every form and love righteousness and truth in all their ways;

Godly men have overcome anger and sexually sinful thoughts, and would rather die than sin even in thought or attitude;

Godly men have a lifestyle of daily taking up the cross and pressing on to perfection, and are constantly working out their own salvation with fear and trembling;

Godly men are full of the Holy Spirit and so rooted and grounded in love that nothing can ever move them into an unloving attitude towards another person, however great the provocation;

Godly men are so rooted and grounded in humility that neither human praise, nor spiritual growth, neither a divinely endorsed ministry, nor anything else will be able to make them lose the awareness that they are less than the least of all believers;

Godly men have an understanding of God’s nature and purpose through His word, and tremble at that word so that they will not disobey even the smallest commandment or neglect to teach it to others;

Godly men proclaim the whole counsel of God and expose religious harlotry and unscriptural human traditions;

Godly men have revelation from the Holy Spirit on the secret of godliness, on Christ having come in the flesh and opened a new and living way through the flesh;

Godly men are diligent and hard-working, but also have a sense of humour, and know how to relax and play with children and enjoy God’s good gifts in nature;

Godly men are not ascetics, but at the same time live a disciplined life and are not afraid of hardships;

Godly men have no interest in expensive clothing or sight-seeing and will not waste their time in unprofitable activities or their money in unnecessary purchases;

Godly men have mastered their desire for fancy foods and are not enslaved to music, or sport, or any other legitimate activity;

Godly men have been disciplined successfully by God in the fires of affliction, abuse, tribulations, false accusation, physical sickness, financial hardships and opposition from relatives and religious leaders;

Godly men are full of mercy and can sympathise with the worst of sinners and the worst of believers, and have hope for them, because they consider themselves to be the chief of sinners;

Godly men are so deeply rooted in the security of the love of their heavenly Father that they are never anxious about anything, or afraid of Satan, or evil men, or difficult situations, or anything;

Godly men have entered into God’s rest, believing in the sovereign working of God in all matters for their best and therefore give thanks always for all men, for all things and in all circumstances;

Godly men find their joy in God alone and are therefore full of the joy of the Lord, having overcome all bad moods;

Godly men have a living faith, having no confidence in themselves or their natural abilities, but complete confidence in God as their unfailing Helper in all situations;

Godly men live, not by the promptings of their own reason, but by the leading of the Holy Spirit;

Godly men have been genuinely baptized in the Holy Spirit and fire by Christ Himself (and not deceived by some emotional counterfeit or some theological argument);

Godly men live constantly under the anointing of the Spirit, endowed with the supernatural gifts that He has given them;

Godly men have revelation of the church as the body of Christ (and not a congregation or a denomination), and they give all their energies, their material wealth and spiritual gifts to build that church;

Godly men have learnt to bridle their tongues through the help of the Holy Spirit and their tongues are now aflame with the divine Word;

Godly men have forsaken all, and are not attracted any more to money or material things, and desire no gifts from others;

Godly men can trust God for all their earthly needs and never hint about their material needs or boast about their labours, either in their conversation or through letters and reports;

Godly men are not stubborn, but gentle, and open to criticism and eager for correction from older and wiser brothers;

Godly men have no desire to dominate or advise others (although ready to give advice, when asked for), and have no longing to be considered as ‘elder’ brothers, or leaders, but only desire to be ordinary brothers and servants of all;

Godly men are easy to get along with, and are willing to be inconvenienced and taken advantage of, by others;

Godly men will make no distinction between the millionaire and the beggar, the white-skinned and the dark-skinned, the intellectual and the simpleton, and the cultured and the barbarian, but will treat them all alike;

Godly men will never be influenced by their wife, children, relatives, friends, or anyone to cool off even slightly in their devotion to Christ, or their obedience to God’s commandments;

Godly men can never be bribed to compromise by any reward that Satan may offer (whether honour, or money, or whatever);

Godly men are fearless witnesses for Christ, fearing neither religious heads nor secular heads;

Godly men have no desire to please any human being on the face of the earth, and are willing to offend all men, if necessary, in order to please God alone;

Godly men always seek God’s glory, God’s will and God’s kingdom over mere human need and their own comfort;

Godly men cannot be pressurised either by others or by their own reason into doing ‘dead works’ for God, but are eager and content to do the revealed will of God alone in their lives;

Godly men have the discernment of the Spirit to distinguish between the soulish and the spiritual in Christian work;

Godly men look at things from a heavenly view point and not an earthly one;

Godly men will refuse all earthly honours and titles offered them for their labours for God;

Godly men know how to pray without ceasing, and also how to fast and pray when needed;

Godly men have learned to give generously, cheerfully, secretly and with wisdom;

Godly men are willing to be all things to all men, so that by all means they might save some;

Godly men have a longing to see others not only saved but also made disciples of Christ, and brought to the knowledge of the truth and to obedience to all of God’s commandments;

Godly men have a longing to see a pure testimony established for God in every place;

Godly men have a burning passion to see Christ glorified in the church;

Godly men do not seek their own in any matter;

Godly men have spiritual authority and spiritual dignity;

Godly men will stand alone for God in the world, if need be;

Godly men will be totally uncompromising like the apostles and prophets of old.

God’s work in the world suffers today, because such men are few in number. Determine with all your heart that you will be such a man for God, in the midst of a sinful and adulterous generation and a compromising Christendom.

Since there is no partiality with God, it is possible for you to be such a man, if you yourself earnestly desire to be one. Since God demands commitment and obedience only in the conscious area of your life, it is possible for you to be such a man, even if the conscious area of your life is limited. (That area will keep increasing as you walk in the light and press on to perfection). There is no excuse then why you cannot be such a man.

Since nothing good dwells in your flesh, seek for grace from God to have the virtues listed above. Cry out to God daily that He will fill you with His Holy Spirit and give you grace to be such a man in these the closing days of the age.

Throughout the centuries, the men and women whom God has been able to use to rout the forces of darkness, to make a lasting impact upon the heathen for His Name and to establish a testimony for His glory, have always been few in number. The blessings of God are received by many, but the working remnant that labours together with God has always been a small group. Few are willing to pay the price to be a part of that remnant.

The Lord is looking throughout our land today for such men – men of spiritual calibre – whom He can use to glorify His great Name where it is at present being reproached.

God is looking today for men and women who will allow Him to be so sanctified in them that people around begin to recognise it and an impact is made upon them for His Name.

Zac Poonen was formerly an officer in the Indian Navy. He has been engaged in a church-planting ministry in India and other countries since 1975. He ministers at deeper life conferences in many lands. He and his wife Annie, live in Bangalore, South India. They have four married sons, who, along with their wives, are also following the Lord.

website: www.cfcindia.com; email: cfc@cfcindia.com