Godliness

Read 2 Peter 
 
2 Peter 1:3-7 By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. 4 And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires. 5 In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.
 
PETER’s letter is to a church. Each church member wants harmony, peace, love and joy, don’t we? To get to that kind of life, we go through a process similar to the way we become mature in the way we live. For example, from the day we are born to when we grow old in God’s grace our parents, our schools, certain people and other influences guide us to learn and become better equipped to have a good life. If we learn life’s lessons and use our knowledge correctly, we will essentially live a maturing life of good habits, effective work, right relationships and economic stability. This is the way of productive living in our physical life.
   Peter has given to you a very specific formula to live a godly spiritual life. Following this plan from the time you are “born again”, you will have a mature life with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. By his divine power God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. Do you want to know God’s will? Then build your life toward God in the building blocks Peter described.
   Notice “godliness” is one of the building blocks. This is a word that is seldom used, but we should speak it often. In the general culture of that day, “godliness” referred to family love. It was an intense love for brothers and sisters. To encourage godliness with brotherly affection is to say, “Love each other in the church with a complete, deep love.” This is a God-like love with the purpose to uplift, protect and correct one another. Godliness is a love that is willing to submit your life to God for the good of his church.
   Through the apostle Peter, God the Spirit has given you a plan to mature in your spiritual life. Just as you would mature in your physical life, you must be deliberate to do the right things. Build your life with God on God’s terms.