Bulletin Articles
2 Peter Series: Godliness
“But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.”
II Peter 1:5-7 NKJV
It is clear from the passage above that God intends for us to live a complete, and well-rounded Christian life. As we continue our examination of 2 Peter we see that we are to add “godliness” to the list of virtuous qualities required in order to be fruitful and grow in the faith.
So, what does it mean to have godliness? Does it mean we are to be like God?
Well, in a sense yes. God wants us to pursue a righteous life that is worthy of the calling. (Eph. 4:1) Also, just to be clear being “like God” is different than being “God-like.” We of course stand in awe of our Maker, we praise and honor Him, we worship Him, we praise His name, and we submit to Him in all things. Our “godliness” is therefore a reflection of our commitment to follow Him, and a willingness to be transformed by Him as we renew our minds and strive to do His will. (Rom. 12:2)
Let us also not forget that as God’s workmanship and we were created for good. (Eph. 2:10) We started off good (Gen. 1:31) and therefore we are called to escape the corruption of sin so that we may become partakers of His divine nature. (2 Pet 1:4)
Beyond that He provides us with instruction in righteousness and provides everything we need to be complete, and thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Tim. 3:17) He also blesses us all with various gifts and talents to be used in service to Him. (Rom. 12:6)
Finally, if we are to come anywhere close to resembling godliness, we must also learn to be selfless and obedient. As a primary tenet of our faith, it would be impossible to consider our Lord without acknowledging His selfless obedience, even to the point of death on a cross. (Phil. 2:8) We must therefore also be willing to be selfless and to put away our old lives (of sin) in order to pursue godliness, just as we read in Ephesians 4:24 as we are instructed to “…put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”
