Everything Needed for a Godly Life
I was excited when I opened the You Version Bible app on my phone this morning. It is from this app that I get the daily verses that I post on social media. This app is also where I track my progress on the M’Cheyne Bible reading plan. One of today’s readings is 2 Peter 1, one of my all-time favorite passages.
2 Peter 1:3-11 contains the clearest and most succinct explanation of the Christian life in the Bible. Here’s the passage:
3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.
10 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, 11 and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Verses 3 – 4 shows the grace of God in reaching sinners. By his divine power, not by anything we did, he called us to his glory and goodness, through the knowledge of him. He has gifted us with his great and precious promises. And because of that we have escaped the corruption of the world and participate with him in the divine nature.
It is all a work of God. It is a gift of grace and mercy.
Then verses 5 – 11 show us what our response should be to such a wonderful gift of grace and mercy. Now that we have been made alive and called to glory and goodness, because he has given us everything we need for a godly life, we ought to “make every effort” to walk in that good and godly life.
How do we that? By depending on the divine power with which he has gifted us.
What will it look like when we are doing that? We will live lives in which our time and energy go into increasing in faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, mutual affection, and love.
And, when, depending on divine power, we make every effort to grow in these characteristics of a godly man, we can trust that we will not stumble as we go through this life, and will be greeted with “well done faithful servant” when we enter the eternal kingdom.
This is the Christian life. It is important to note the order. First, God comes with grace and mercy for sinners that gives them everything they need for a godly life. Then, having received grace, and depending on divine power, they respond with making every effort to grow in godliness.
This is my prayer and hope for you today.
Much love, Barry