3 Pillars for a Godly Life
When living in a culture consumed by compromise, a world that celebrates the flesh, promotes false doctrine, and redefines truth, followers of Christ have to be very intentional about their walk. How can a Christian truly live a godly life in this secular and increasingly secularized cultural climate? Pastor Eddie Perez, campus pastor of V1 Church in Brooklyn, answers this pressing question during a recent sermon.
By drawing from 1 Timothy 4:6–10, Pastor Eddie highlights where the Apostle Paul charges young Timothy to train himself for godliness. The apostle isn’t offering a passive suggestion. He’s issuing a mandate, and through this mandate, Pastor Eddie outlines three pillars that support a godly lifestyle: Diet, Discipline and Discipleship.
Diet – Feed on the Word
The first pillar is our spiritual diet. What we feed our spirit determines our spiritual health.
Paul urges Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:6 to be nourished in the truths of the faith and to feed others in the same manner. In a world filled with “godless myths and silly superstitions,” we are called to reject spiritual junk food and pursue sound doctrine.
“You either kill sin, or you feed it,” Pastor Eddie pointed out.
If your spiritual diet consists of guilty pleasures like endless scrolling, binge-watching, or self-help philosophies devoid of Christ, you're feeding your flesh and starving your faith. A spiritually malnourished Christian becomes an easy target for the enemy. But a well-fed believer—one who digests the whole counsel of God's Word—is rooted, fruitful, and dangerous to the kingdom of darkness.
When we don’t feed ourselves with the truth of Scripture, we end up consuming "godless myths and old wives’ tales"—false teachings that distort the nature of God and distract us from His truth. Pastor Eddie makes a sharp distinction: anything that goes against the deity of Christ or contradicts God’s nature is not to be entertained. Even the difficult parts of Scripture are essential for our spiritual health, and we cannot pick and choose our own truth. “If it doesn’t glorify Christ or defeat the flesh, I don’t want any part of it,” Pastor Eddie declared.
The church can serve as the spiritual gym where we get stretched, challenged, and corrected but too many people prefer to be coddled instead. 1 Timothy 3:15 calls the church “the pillar and foundation of the truth.” If a church makes you comfortable in your sin, it may be time to reconsider your spiritual environment and get your spiritual nourishment from a church that preaches the full counsel of God.
Discipline – Train Yourself
The second pillar, discipline, is how we achieve godliness. “Train yourself for godliness,” 1 Timothy 4:7-8 encourages. "For while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come."
The word Paul uses here in the original text, “gumnazo,” is where we get the word gymnasium from. Spiritual growth doesn’t happen by accident. It requires intentional training, self-denial, and some real, spiritual sweat. The scriptures are not talking about legalism or performative religion, that is counterfeit godliness. What Pastor Eddie calls “Imitating without Intimacy.” Just as athletes have to strip away and stay clear of all that hinders them, we too must cast off the sin and distractions that prevent us from running our race in God.
Discipline means denying the cravings of the flesh. As Paul confesses in Romans 7:15, “I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.” This is the daily war between spirit and flesh. We must choose to fight—not just for ourselves, but for our families and the generations that follow us. True discipline isn’t about rigid rules but about spiritual resilience. It’s not how a Christian performs in public but how deeply they really commune with God in private. Holiness is a heart transformation that results in changed behavior.
Godliness requires the fear of the Lord, a deep reverence that causes us to hate what God hates and love what He loves. Many people today love their sin and have lost their fear of God. Pastor Eddie reminds us: “Sin will seduce you until it owns you. It wants every facet of your being.” But discipline allows you to say, “No more.”
Discipleship – Really Follow Jesus
The third and final pillar is discipleship, but not the superficial kind. This is full-on discipleship, meaning becoming the message, not just preaching it. It is walking closely with others, showing them Jesus through our actions, words, and our sacrifices.
Citing a Barna study, Pastor Eddie highlighted Gen Z’s longing for real relationships and face-to-face mentorship. In an age of digital connection but emotional isolation, people don’t just want to hear about Jesus, they want to experience Him through the lives of those who claim to be His followers.
Discipleship isn’t about appearances or performance. It’s about authenticity (real honesty), grace (loving like Christ), and grit (having backbone). It calls the one being discipled to walk the narrow road even when it’s hard, even when it’s lonely.
Jesus said in Matthew 7:13–14, “Wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction... But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life.”
Many choose the middle road called compromise – just enough Jesus to soothe the conscience, but not enough to cost them comfort. However, true discipleship calls us all to the narrow road, where we carry our cross, die to self, and walk in the power of the Holy Spirit. Discipleship without grace is distorted. But discipleship through grace is transformation.
Godliness Is Not an Option
Godliness is not automatic, inherited, or cultural. It is something that is cultivated through intentional feeding, relentless training, and sacrificial living.
Take a moment to self-reflect on what things are shaping your life? What’s on your spiritual plate? Are you fighting the flesh or feeding it? Are you walking with believers who sharpen you or enable you?
We are here for such a time as this because in a godless world, a godly life stands out—and more importantly, it brings the hope of Jesus Christ to others.
About the Author
Jeannie Ortega Law is a chart-topping singer, evangelist, media personality and author from New York City. She can be reached on social media: @JeannieOrtega or emailed at Info@JeannieO.com
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