2 Peter 1:6 Leadership Ladder #5 (Godliness)

2 Peter 1:6

Leadership Ladder #5 (Godliness)

³ We have everything we need to live a life that pleases God. It was all given to us by God’s own power, when we learned that he had invited us to share in his wonderful goodness. ⁴ God made great and marvelous promises, so that his nature would become part of us. Then we could escape our evil desires and the corrupt influences of this world.

⁵ Do your best to improve your faith. You can do this by adding goodness, understanding, ⁶ self-control, patience, devotion to God, ⁷ concern for others, and love. ⁸ If you keep growing in this way, it will show that what you know about our Lord Jesus Christ has made your lives useful and meaningful. ⁹ But if you don’t grow, you are like someone who is nearsighted or blind, and you have forgotten that your past sins are forgiven.

¹⁰ My friends, you must do all you can to show that God has really chosen and selected you. If you keep on doing this, you won’t stumble and fall. ¹¹ Then our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will give you a glorious welcome into his kingdom that will last forever. [2 Peter 1:3 – 11 CEV]

I.             Spiritual reality:

                A.            Powerless belief

2 Timothy 3:5: “having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.” [ESV]

                B.            Impotent religion

1 Timothy 3:16: “Without question, the mystery of godliness is great: he was revealed as a human, declared righteous by the Spirit, seen by angels, preached throughout the nations, believed in around the world, and taken up in glory.” [CEB]

                C.            Purposeless lives

2 Peter 3:11: “Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be? You must live holy and godly lives,” [ESV]

II.            What is “godliness?”

                A.            Wesley – A continual sense of God’s presence and providence, and a filial (noting or  having the relation of a child to a parent) fear of, and confidence in, him.

                B.            Vincent – “Worship rightly directed” … “worth – ship” reverence paid to worth.

                C.            Cambridge – “godly conduct” (behavior)

III.           Why is godliness necessary?

                A.            Life AND godliness are linked.

2 Peter 1:3: “By his divine power the Lord has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of the one who called us by his own honor and glory.” [CEB]

                                1.            God has given us ability for these things… EVERYTHING we need.

                                2.            Divine power changes us: life AND godliness.

                B.            Clarke – “A disposition indispensably necessary to salvation… but exceedingly rare among professors.” (People who profess belief/faith/salvation)

James 2:17: “In the same way, faith is dead when it doesn’t result in faithful activity.” [CEB]

James 2:24: “So you see that a person is shown to be righteous through faithful actions and not through faith alone.” [CEB]

James 2:26: “As the lifeless body is dead, so faith without actions is dead.”

***** “exceedingly rare” *****

 IV.          How to save the sinking ship…

                A.            Starts with and continues with DEPENDENCE on God.

                                1.            It is God’s power.

                                2.            It is through Jesus Christ.

                B.            Directed:

                                1.            Outward, toward others it is behavior that reflects Jesus.

1 Peter 2:21: “For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.” [ESV]

                                2.            Inward, brining strict order to our thought lives.

2 Corinthians 10:5: “We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” [ESV]

                                3.            Upward, toward God is worship.

Revelation 5:12: “saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” [ESV]