“Be Diligent to Supply Godliness”
2 Peter 1:6
INTRODUCTION What is the Meaning of 2 Peter 1.6 Part 3 Godliness
2 Peter 1. The Dutchman Cees Sleegers was sent to defend the G-141 bunker in WW2. His unit tried to hold up the Germans from the western banks of the River Maas. When his commanding officer was injured, the twenty year old Cees – the youngest of the survivors – took over command. But the Dutch were suffering heavy losses along the entire Maas defence line. They were either put out of action or retreated.
Cees, who remained in action, continued the battle alone. Using a carbine rifle he prevented various attempts by the Germans to cross the Maas. … He even went out of the bunker and for six hours he held back the German soldiers, reportedly numbering four hundred.
Amazingly he survived! But having the courage of a lion does not make you immune, and Cees ended up in hospital, severely injured with several bullets in his stomach and shrapnel in his back. It was six months before he could leave hospital.[1]
Speaking of godliness, our topic today,
a commentator writes…
[Godliness] is the soldier’s word. The Christian is at once the athlete and the soldier. As the athlete trains himself for the contest so the Christian must train himself to be the follower of Christ. As the soldier must battle towards final victory, so the Christian must dauntlessly and tirelessly face the struggle of goodness. [barclay]
POINT: Live reverently and obediently toward God by knowing and responding to His promises, courageously.
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Diligent to supply
2 Pet. 1:5… [diligent to be grown in these areas…]
2 Timothy 2:3–4 3 Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.
ASK: If you were a soldier in our army in real combat, what temptations would you face? [do own thing, be lazy, scared]
But we face an eternal battle with an unseen enemy. To grow in grow in godliness takes diligence and hard work like a soldier.
POINT: Live reverently and obediently toward God by knowing and responding to His promises, courageously.
One author…Imagine how effective a soldier would be if he exercised and trained only when he felt like it. How ready would he be for battle if he practiced his marksmanship and studied battle strategies only when he felt up to it? What if he put on twenty extra pounds by snacking on chips, soft drinks, and ice cream?” [berg]
We can’t let the affairs of this life distract us from our mission to serve Christ. And so we need to be diligent to supply godliness to our lives.
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What is godliness
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Explanation
EXP: Godliness is living a life like God. Basically, reverence/honor toward God, respect to men.
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And ‘ungodly’ is opposite.
ASK: 2nd chapter, glance at vv.1-3. Let’s read 2 Peter 2:4-9. Then I’ll ask “what is ungodliness?” or What things help describe ungodliness?
Godliness forms the bridge between the 4 personal virtues (pursuing the excellence of Christlikeness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance) and the 2 social virtues of brotherly kindness and love.
The devotion (moral excellence and knowledge) with discipline (self control, perseverance) is results and climaxes in godliness. It also will fuel brotherly kindness and love. (E.g., it takes perseverance to be brotherly kind, love)
The crown of devotion and discipline is the pursuit of godliness.
ASK: Generally, what does godliness look like? [deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age – fulfilling obligation to God and man, growth in grace, humble, diligence, serving Christ on his knees, in his home, and in public]
ASK kids: What does a godly child look like? [talks back to M+D? A child who’s repented of sin, and has asked the Lord Jesus to save them; has grown patience toward brothers and sisters b/c of the work of the HS; obedience to M+D ]
ASK Parent: What does a godly parent look like? Patience, my first thought. Not overreacting to a child’s misbehavior.
ASK: What are some benefits to growing in godliness? Any testimonies of how the Lord has helped you conquer something?
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Benefits
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Growth in godliness will help in times of trial, ensure abundant entrance,
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Consequences of not cultivating it
ASK: what about consequences of not cultivating it? … what is bad in our lives if we don’t grow in godliness?
If cultivated other qualities and not godliness, that kind of discipline could make you self-confident, legalistic, or even arrogant.
POINT: Live reverently and obediently toward God by knowing and responding to His promises.
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How to cultivate it into your life
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Know that without the Lord, you’re ungodly.
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Romans 5:6 6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
A life of true godliness requires this and then a commitment to Christ to follow Him, forsaking self…desire, pleasure, righteousness, etc. This humbles, and humility is the fruit of all graces.
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Recognize you have everything you need for a godly life
READ vv.3-4. Given everything to be godly, yet we must pursue it.
The fact of God’s gifts empowers our pursuit of godly living.
ILL: you have the treasure map, go get the guaranteed treasure; you’ve been given the path of success, now follow it and don’t look back.
ASK: What does God use to help us be godly? Shoot them off here … Prayer, fellowship with God and others, Bible, promises, Holy Spirit working in your heart to guide you, spiritual gifts to you and exercised on your behalf by others, disciplers and teachers, we’re here for each other!
Titus 2:11–12 11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, 12 instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age,
Everything you need to fight the good fight of faith.
Ephesians 6:13–18 13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,
CONCLUSION What is the Meaning of 2 Peter 1.6 Part 3 Godliness
Finally …
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Know and be moved by God’s promises about the future
2 Peter 3:11–12 11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat!
ASK: what does that tell you if someone doesn’t live in a godly way? [He doesn’t have God’s promises down deep in His heart.] Jesus is coming again! Be ready good soldiers, be ready!
Pursuing godliness will ensure abundant entrance!
POINT: The Lord has already provided everything that we need in order to live reverently and obediently toward God by knowing and responding to His promises, courageously. … let us pursue it with all our hearts.
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