What is going on with me? I love God’s law, I want to be righteous, I love God's people, but sometimes you wouldn’t think it to look at me. The problem is the flesh, and Paul says I mustn't use my freedom as an opportunity to indulge it.

Rule keeping is not the way to godliness: it's faith working through love, that's the way. But how does faith work through love?

Occasionally someone crosses your path. There's something about him or her that's very attractive. It's hard to describe but there are some remarkable qualities that you notice right away: inner joy, peace, gentleness, kindness, goodness, strong calm easy confidence in the Lord. They make an impression but the impression is not of themselves, they radiate the presence of Jesus.

Yes, there's something very attractive about people like that. They possess the quality we call godliness.

Wouldn't it be good to be one of those people?

Over the next few weeks godliness will be our theme. We'll think about what it is and why it's so rare, but mostly we'll think about how you can become more godly,