Piety is defined in the Bible as reverence and devotion to God. It involves living a God-centered life and striving to please Him in all things. The Bible has much to say about what it means to be pious and how Christians should live piously.
According to the book of Job, piety means shunning evil and remaining blameless before God (Job 1:1). Job was called a blameless and upright man who feared God and turned away from evil. His life demonstrated unwavering devotion to God even in the midst of extreme suffering and loss.
The psalms also link piety to a life of prayer, worship, and obedience to God’s commands. Psalm 1 says that the pious person delights in the law of the Lord and meditates on it day and night (Psalm 1:2). Prayer and Scripture reading help nourish reverence for God and strengthen devotion to Him.
Proverbs portrays piety as honoring God with one’s wealth and resources. The book urges generosity towards the poor and needy as an expression of godly devotion (Proverbs 14:31). Using one’s means to help those in need demonstrates love for God through caring for His people.
The prophets Isaiah and Amos both condemn hollow religiosity. They warn against practicing religious rituals without sincere devotion to God and ethical conduct (Isaiah 1:11-17, Amos 5:21-24). External acts of piety must flow from a heart devoted to God and concern for justice, righteousness and the poor.
In the New Testament, Jesus emphasizes the inner spiritual dimension of piety rather than just external acts. He condemns the Pharisees for focusing on outward religiosity while neglecting justice, mercy and faithfulness (Matthew 23:23-28). True piety involves a deep reverence for God permeating one’s thoughts, words and deeds.
Several parables illustrate what authentic devotion to God looks like. In the Parable of the Good Samaritan, the Samaritan embodies piety through loving his neighbor (Luke 10:25-37). And in the Parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector, the tax collector’s humility represents true piety before God (Luke 18:9-14).
The apostle Paul instructs believers to offer their bodies as living sacrifices, which is their true act of worship (Romans 12:1-2). Every part of the Christian’s life is an offering of service to God flowing out of reverence for Him. Participation in worship services must be accompanied by daily pious living.
Paul also teaches that knowledge of God should lead to a life consecrated to Him (Titus 1:1). Coming to know God better motivates the believer to deepen their devotion and service to Him. Theology fuels doxology and ethics.
In 1 Timothy, Paul provides Timothy with a definition of piety. He calls it the mystery of godliness and describes it with six key phrases: God was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, and taken up in glory (1 Timothy 3:16). This encapsulates how Jesus’ incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension form the basis for godly living.
1 Peter exhorts Christians to live in reverent fear during their time in exile (1 Peter 1:17-19). God’s people are to maintain a posture of devotion, awe and obedience to Him while awaiting their heavenly home. Their piety springs from recognizing they were ransomed from sin at the cost of Christ’s blood.
Piety is thus an attitude of reverence before God that permeates every sphere of life. It involves devotion to God in worship, daily habits and practices, ethical conduct, generosity, loving others, and using one’s resources to serve Him. It requires sincere inward faith rather than just external religious rituals. The goal is to live in a way that honors Christ and expresses devotion to Him in every word, deed and aspect of life.
The Bible contains many stories that illustrate piety in action. Daniel exemplified steadfast devotion to God even while serving in a pagan kingdom. His daily habits of prayer demonstrated his reverence for God even under threat of death (Daniel 6:1-28).
Ruth’s commitment to Naomi and the God of Israel after being widowed portrayed remarkable covenant loyalty. She left her homeland out of devotion to Yahweh and her mother-in-law (Ruth 1:6-18). Her piety was attractive and drew Boaz to be her kinsman-redeemer (Ruth 2:10-12).
Mary, the mother of Jesus, modeled obedient humility and reverence before God. Despite the potential for shame, she trusted the Lord’s promises to her and exalted Him in her Magnificat (Luke 1:26-56).
One important aspect of piety is complete devotion to God. The first of the Ten Commandments prohibits idolatry and commands exclusive loyalty to God (Exodus 20:3). Jesus also emphasized loving God with all one’s heart, soul, mind and strength (Mark 12:29-30). Pious living requires singular allegiance to God above all else.
In Acts, Luke describes Cornelius as a God-fearing man who was devout and generous to the poor (Acts 10:1-2). His ethical integrity and heart for God prepared him to receive the gospel when Peter preached it to him. His lifestyle reflected his inner piety.
The Bible contrasts piety with ungodliness and unrighteousness. Romans 1 chastises those who suppress the knowledge of God and engage in idolatry and sexual sin. Rather than honoring God, they dishonor their bodies and exchange the Creator for created things (Romans 1:18-32).
Paul lists godlessness and wickedness as characteristics of those who are objects of God’s wrath in Romans 1:18. Ungodliness can involve disbelief in God’s existence or failing to revere and obey Him. It is the opposite of piety’s God-centeredness.
Other biblical terms and concepts that relate to and overlap with piety include:
- Godliness – Revering God and living in a way that pleases Him (1 Timothy 4:7-8).
- Fear of the Lord – Having awe, respect and reverence for God (Psalm 111:10).
- Righteousness – Moral uprightness and virtue (Proverbs 21:3).
- Holiness – Being set apart and consecrated to God (Hebrews 12:14).
- Faithfulness – Maintaining allegiance and obedience to God (Hosea 2:20).
- Worship – Reverently acknowledging and serving God (Psalm 29:2).
- Humility – Recognizing one’s lowliness before God (Micah 6:8).
- Wisdom – Skill and righteousness in living (Proverbs 1:7).
These overlapping virtues work together to comprise a pious life consecrated to God. Wisdom literature in the Bible, such as Proverbs, offers practical advice on living wisely and righteously before God.
In the New Testament, the language of Greek philosophy was sometimes adopted to explain Christianity to pagan cultures. Platonic and Stoic philosophies valued the pursuit of virtue, moderation and pious living through self-control and wise habits.
The early church fathers, such as Ambrose, Augustine and John Chrysostom, wrote extensively on piety and virtue. They on the importance of spiritual disciplines like prayer, fasting, simplicity, generosity and worship for cultivating virtue and devotion to God.
The Protestant Reformation criticized perceived superficiality and hypocrisy in medieval Catholic piety. Reformers like Luther and Calvin advocated returning to the Scriptures alone to define piety rather than traditions or clerical mediators.
In the modern period, piety became associated with personal affections and emotions in relationship with God. Movements like Pietism and Puritanism emphasized spiritual rebirth and a faith that touched the heart rather than mere intellectual assent.
Today, debates continue about the relationship between piety and ethics or social justice. Some see piety as merely individual and private. But the biblical emphasis on caring for the poor and vulnerable suggests piety should shape the public square.
Here are some key Bible passages that reveal important aspects of pious living:
Deuteronomy 10:12-13 – What does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the LORD’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?
Psalm 15 – LORD, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain? The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart; whose tongue utters no slander, who does no wrong to a neighbor, and casts no slur on others.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
Matthew 5:8 – Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
James 1:27 – Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
1 Peter 3:15 – But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.
As these passages demonstrate, biblical piety involves loving devotion to God expressed through obedient, righteous living, ethical conduct, generous care for the vulnerable, and professions of faith with humility, sincerity and graciousness.
Serving as a model of piety, Jesus devoted Himself fully to honoring God the Father while on earth. His sincere heart of worship was displayed when He drove out the money-changers from the temple who were exploiting people (John 2:13-17). The righteous anger He exhibited revealed His deep reverence for God’s house.
Jesus perfectly fulfilled the greatest commandments to love God and neighbor (Matthew 22:34-40). He loved and obeyed the Father to the point of death on the cross. And He loved sinners by dying for them when they were still His enemies. His piety was characterized by sacrificial love.
Christ’s followers are called to walk similarly in a manner worthy of their calling in Christ (Ephesians 4:1-3). This means living a life devoted to God’s glory and modeled after Jesus’ humble servanthood. The believer’s life is to be a fragrant offering and act of worship to God (Romans 12:1).
Pursuing piety requires depending on the Holy Spirit to produce His fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). These traits enhance devotion to God and likeness to Christ. The Spirit empowers believers to live godly lives worthy of their calling.
Here are some habits and practices that can cultivate greater piety according to the Bible:
- Reading, memorizing and meditating on Scripture – God’s Word nourishes reverence for Him and guides pious living (Psalm 1:2).
- Prayer – Communing with God fosters intimacy and devotion to Him. Regular prayer is vital (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
- Worship – Public worship reinforces awe for God and celebrates Him. Personal worship is also key (Psalm 95:6).
- Fellowship – Mutual encouragement in the body of Christ inspires holiness as iron sharpens iron (Hebrews 10:24-25).
- Stewardship – Using one’s time, abilities and money to honor God deepens devotion (Proverbs 3:9).
- Evangelism – Sharing the gospel displays love for neighbor and God (Matthew 28:19-20).
- Ethical living – Upright conduct honors God’s character and commands (Micah 6:8).
In addition, fasting, silence and solitude, simplicity, service, and observing spiritual disciplines like the Sabbath can foster piety. Accountability relationships that spur on reverence for God are also beneficial.
By God’s grace and the Spirit’s empowerment, Christians grow in pious devotion to God. This brings blessings, benefits and rewards both in this life and the next. Jesus promises that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be satisfied (Matthew 5:6).
A godly life infuses peace and meaning. It helps believers enjoy God and find purpose and gladness in glorifying Him. They receive the Father’s acceptance and care as His beloved children.
Piety also produces fruits of the Spirit that benefit the community such as love, patience and kindness. People can see the attractiveness of the gospel through devoted Christ-followers. Their pious examples spur others on to godliness.
In heaven, the pious will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him (James 1:12). They will participate in the eternal, unhindered worship of God in the new creation. The infinite joys of knowing and praising God will be their reward.
The pious live with hope and confidence that God will vindicate them on judgment day. Their devotion to Him – though imperfect – will result in their salvation rather than condemnation (1 John 4:16-18).
In conclusion, the Bible provides a robust paradigm for pious living marked by loving devotion to God and neighbor. Piety involves both private worship and public righteousness. It encompasses honoring God in everyday habits, stewardship, speech, conduct and service. The pious life fulfills the purpose for which humans were created – to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.