Godliness means God-like-ness – The name Jesus, is from Iēsous, Joshua and Yeshua, and means "salvation" The meaning is more important then the spelling. So we call Him The Christ.

Godliness means god-like-ness. The scriptures instructs us for godliness. This is putting Christ on. It is by our relationship with Him now that as we see Him and learn from Him it is like Him we become. It is from the power and the work of the cross in our lives that changes us and we become more godlike.Â

2 Timothy 3. says that “in the last days perilous times will come.” and that the people of the last times would “have a form of god-like-ness but deny the power of it. from such turn away”. These are those who suppose god-like-ness to be something they get when they see Jesus at a 2nd coming, but it is “He who is immortal, invisible, only wise God” who displays Himself to us now in His true nature, broken down in His various invisible attributes for our understanding and for our consumption. This is our bread of life that what we eat (spiritually) we become that comes down from heaven. We see him now by this and put Him on by faith and become more and more like Him. This is our transformation in the here and now. This is what the gospel is all about. This is the purpose of our sojourning here.

Â Â

2 Peter says that “His divine nature has given us everything that pertains to life and god-like-ness through the knowledge of Him who has called us to glory and virtue” now. That “through these promises we are partakers of the divine glory having escaped the corruption that is in the world”. This he writes of our current reality for those “in Christ”.

But it is theÂ predominantÂ gospel of the 21st century that teaches of a new creation in the future at the return of Jesus Christ for a transformation for us to be god-like. That message denies true god-like-ness which is now a fruit of the finished product of the work of Christ and the cross now in or lives. They succumb to the senses of their humanity and think, surely this is not now but to be seen later, but even Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5 that “that if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation. Old things have passed away, all things become new”. This is the gospel. The truth. The good news.

The gospel of another day for god-like-ness denies the power of the Christ of the cross and supposes another day of a future resurrection as the power of God of a 2nd Â coming. This is another gospel and another Jesus and unfortunately the popular Jesus of our day, having a form ofÂ -like-ness butÂ denying the power thereof”. But “Today is the day”.Â

This is where we are in our time spoken by Paul in 1 Timothy 3.13 “Evil men andÂ impostorsÂ will grow worse and worseÂ deceivingÂ and being deceived”. And they have and they are. Godliness is a cliche, a pious act, a collection of religious duties. An exchange of truth for a lie. It is our carnal man that just loves the idea of a carnal Jesus to come to earth and save us then rule mankind as a man, and this will simply not do. You will have this man the son of Â perdition sitting in a place called the temple of god proclaiming to be god. But you are the temple of God if His spirit dwells in you. Who is sitting on your throne? The Jesus of a second coming? Or the Christ of the cross?

Do you believe the Christ of the cross has the power to save you and transform you now? Or are you waiting for the Jesus of another day at a future coming has to come save you? Do we put on Christ now? Or at a 2nd coming? Is your Jesus now in His original state Â being immortal and invisible? Or is your Jesus to be seen as a man to rule planet earth at some point in time?

Putting on Christ has never meant to be a physical thing. If it did then when Jesus said “He who has seen me has seen the Father” Then we would be able to fix our hair up like His and wear a robe and sandals, but it was Him who said “Tear this temple down and I will rebuild it in 3 days. They thought He meant the physical temple. Do you? He came in the flesh to reveal the invisible and will not become something of time and matter for He is the same yesterday, today and forever. The creator does not become the created.Â

This is the condemnationÂ of thoseÂ Paul wrote of in Romans 1.23 That they traded the truth for a lie “and changed the Glory of the incorruptible God into the image of a corruptible man. That is the portrayal of the 2nd coming Jesus man to save you later denies Him who now saves, but; “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord”. And He did, He came. Â And He is still saving and transforming today.

It is now that we become more and more god-like. This is true godliness and the continual work of Christ in our lives. The second coming doctrines, and they are many, are just illusions and distortions to keep you distracted. So yes, as Christ first stated “the kingdom of God is at hand.” And it still is. Why wait for another?