Sunday, June 7, 2020
Living a godly life is filled with challenges and opportunities. On this side of eternity we struggle because no matter how earnestly we long for righteousness, there is always the human desire to live independently of God’s rule. It is a consequence of man’s free will because he can choose those things that he desires in contrast to the things God desires.
In this brief section of scripture, Peter lays out how we can do this successfully. Several important concepts detail the adventure of learning to live godly lives in a world that constantly competes for attention.
FAITH
Faith is the beginning of living the godly life. Peter makes it clear that “was given to you because of the justice and fairness of Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:1). Contemplate the dynamics of that concept! The very faith that anchors your life in Christ was a gift from Him because of His nature of justice and fairness!
KNOWLEDGE
The importance of coming to a knowledge of Jesus Christ and God, His Father, cannot be minimized. It is the core to living a godly life. Five times in this brief section of scripture, Peter talks about an informed faith. How can one know how to be godly if he or she does not know the one who is calling them? When we know them then we desire to be like Them. This inherently makes us more godly than we were before and it is the starting point for going further. Knowing Christ is the touchstone of our lives (see Philippians 3:7-11).
POWER
By God’s divine power, Peter says, God Himself “has given us everything we need for living a godly life” (2 Peter1:3). Note the word “everything.” Of course, we struggle to realize the dynamic of this reality. However, as we have seen before, perhaps the most important calculus for estimating the significance of this reality is found in the midst of suffering and even death; two of the great, universal challenges of mankind.
EFFORT
Secure in your faith we come to know God through Jesus Christ who empowers us to be just like Him: i.e., godly. It is in the security of this complete connection, that we are now free to pursue Him with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength.
The more disciplined we are in this pursuit the more godly we will become. The serendipity of this pursuit is that it begins to crowd out our desires for this world’s distractions. As Peter concludes:
So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away. Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
2 Peter 1:10-11 (NLT)