Denying The Power
Paul warns about people who appear to have respect for God but they reject His power and ability to make a difference. They “[have] a form of godliness but [deny] its power.” (2 Tim. 3:5a)
To have a “form of godliness” means to have an outward appearance that does not match the inner reality. They are posers. They wear a “godliness” costume and act the part but they deny the reality of it.
A key evidence of God working in a person’s life is power. A godly person is a powerful person. This power comes from God and Paul prayed that believers would realize the kind of power God puts at their disposal through the Holy Spirit.
Therefore I … do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know … what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places (Eph. 1:15-20)
The kind of power God used to raise Jesus from the dead and seat Him in heaven is the kind of power at work in believers today. Those who have only the outward form of godliness, the pretenders, will not accept that this power exists. They deny it and reject its reality.
Believers are not to spend a lot of time with people like this but “from such people turn away!” (2 Tim. 3:5b) We are to avoid being influenced by their lack of faith and denial of God’s powerful working in His people.
