Godliness: God’s Provision and Our Response

(To watch “Godliness: God’s Provision and Our Response” instead of reading, click here.)

What is sanctification? Is it important to live a life of godliness, and if so, how do we do it? Will God give up on us if we can’t be good enough?

Hi, everyone! Welcome to Session 9 of Discovering Good News in John.

You’ve read in Discovering Good News in John how God used the Gospel of John to lead me to trust in Jesus as Savior. At first, I was overjoyed.

My understanding of what that meant was fuzzy, however. I thought being saved meant God wiped my past sins away so I could start over and be a good Christian who didn’t sin anymore.

But I kept failing. As the months went on, I grew sure that God was disappointed he had given me a chance to be a Christian. Depression seeped in. On the following Christmas Eve, I was so discouraged that I told God I had to give up on being a Christian because I would never be good enough.

Here’s What Was Wrong.

I had false beliefs about God, others, and me, including that God would give up on me if I couldn’t be good enough. I didn’t understand how to draw near to God. And I didn’t understand the extent of God’s grace.

But God doesn’t let us go that easily. As I prayed that I was giving up, I remembered a verse I’d read about God knowing the future. Suddenly I realized that when I’d accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior, God knew all my sins: past, present, and future. He wasn’t disappointed or surprised: Only I was. Joy flooded into my heart.

Justification Versus Sanctification

It turns out what confused me confuses many new Christians. We learn that conversion is repenting of our sins and trusting God for salvation through Jesus, the Son of God. We might learn that justification is a legal standing that means our sins are forgiven because Jesus paid the penalty for them by dying in our place. But then we’re confused over what comes next, which is sanctification.

Sanctification is two things. First, it is being set apart as belonging to God. But second, it is the process by which God makes us holy. We sin less and less, and we become more and more like Jesus. We take on godly character. Our lives become more and more set apart for God.

While justification is instantaneous, sanctification is a process. It’s not an instantaneous change upon conversion (like justification), but a work of the Holy Spirit over time. The work won’t be finished in this lifetime, where we face temptations and deal with weaknesses. But that should not discourage us, because it’s a work God promises the Holy Spirit will do in us.

Our Passage: 2 Peter 1:3-11

According to 2 Peter 1:3-11, sanctification involves both God’s provision and our response. Let’s read the passage now and then dive into the details:

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 1:3–11

The passage begins with God’s provision for a life of godliness.

God’s Provision for a Life of Godliness (1:3-4)

We’ll look at four provisions found in verses 3-4.

1) The Lord Provides Us All Things That Pertain to Life and Godliness

Verse 3 reads,

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness.

2 Peter 1:3

God’s power has granted to us all things that pertain to life. The word life refers to the eternal life that has already begun in us and which we are now living. We are not dead in sin but alive in Christ, and we will continue to live on forever.

God’s power has also granted to us all things that pertain to godliness. This is a powerful promise. Too many Christians think, “I’ll never be holy so why try?” While we won’t achieve perfection in this life, we can live largely holy lives here. I’ve been a Christian for decades now and I’m leading a much more holy life than at first. That is because God’s power grants to us what we need for godliness, and God’s Word tells us how to respond so that we grow in godliness.

Our transformation is a work of God, as 2 Corinthians 3:18 assures us:

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

2 Corinthians 3:18

Likewise, 2 Thessalonians 2:13 reads,

God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.

2 Thessalonians 2:13

2) God’s Provision Is Possible Through Knowing Him

Verse 3 continues:

Through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.

2 Peter 1:3

Although it often doesn’t seem like it, especially to younger Christians, Christians don’t have to live ungodly lives. The Lord has provided for us in such a way that we can be holy and not filled with lusts for things of this world.

3) God’s Promises Provide Us an Escape from Earthly Passions

Verse 4 tells us that God’s promises do two things for us. We’ll look at the second of these first:

He has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.

2 Peter 1:4

The word translated sinful desire is epithumia. It means passion or desire. The ESV, like other translations, is letting us know that Peter means sinful desires, but the Greek word simply means desire. God made us as creatures with strong desires. Therefore, everyone in the world is going to lust after people, positions, possessions, or pleasures of this world, or they’re going to lust after something better; namely, God and his kingdom and the Lord’s promises for us that we will have eternal life and be inheritors of his kingdom.

If we do not have a robust view of eternal life in Jesus, then we will set our desires on things of the world. We will take on symbolic immortality projects—projects that we hope will in some way enable us to transcend our deaths so that our fame—our symbolic immortality—will continue after our deaths. To escape from lusting after the things of this world, we need to have something better to lust after, and God’s promises foot the bill. We’re going to be resurrected, perfected, resplendent, and renowned inheritors of God’s kingdom who will reign with Jesus forever and ever. We’ll return to this topic in Session 11.

4) God’s Promises Provide for Us to Partake of the Divine Nature

Let’s return to verse 4 to see what else God’s promises do for us:

He has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature.

2 Peter 1:4

God’s “precious and very great promises” are what we hold onto so that “through them” we take on “the divine nature.” Through God’s promises we are sanctified.

Again, we are either going to lust after people, possessions, positions, and pleasures or we’re going to lust after God and his kingdom. The former leads to death. Lusting after God and his kingdom made available to us allows us to escape the corruption in the world and become like him. When we grasp God’s promises about our eternity with him, when we set our desires on that eternity rather than on the things of the world, then we partake of the divine nature.

So God has provided all we need for godliness. How then does he want us to respond? What is our response to God’s provision?

Our Response to God’s Provision (1:5-11)

That is found in verses 5-11. Our response is to pursue godly character.

Pursue Godly Character

For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.

2 Peter 1:5–7

Because God has provided everything we need for godliness, “we make every effort” to add these godly qualities to our lives. The Christian life isn’t about God doing everything while we sit back and let it happen. It’s not, “Don’t try to resist sin by your own power; let God do it.” We work in concert with the Holy Spirit’s work in us.

Pursuing godly character is our response to God’s provision. If we forget God’s provision, either we become proud, thinking godly character is our own doing, or we become discouraged, thinking we’ll never grow based on our own lack of ability. But when we remember God’s provision, then we pursue godly character with joy, knowing he is working in us. Indeed, Philippians 2:12-13 encourages us:

Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Philippians 2:12–13

Here again, because God is working in us to make us both willing and able to do his will, we work out our salvation in our everyday lives.

The Scripture gives us many ways to do this.

Jesus explained that we should get rid of things that stumble us. 1 Timothy 4:7-8 reads,

Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.

1 Timothy 4:7–8

We can train ourselves for godliness, and in time, we’ll see results. For example, periodically I do a 24-hour complaining fast. Philippians 2:14 says to do all things without grumbling or complaining, which was a hard habit to break. However, setting aside a day to consciously refrain from all complaining (whether the complaint is legitimate or not) helps me break the habit whenever it starts taking hold.

It’s worthwhile studying each of the qualities in 2 Peter 5-7. But for now, I’ll point out that one of the things we need to do is pursue knowledge. This includes knowledge of God’s commands and knowledge of the ways Scripture tells us to pursue godliness, of course. But it also includes knowledge of the many promises of God—like the fact that we are going to reign over God’s kingdom forever. They tell us who we are in Christ and where we are going. Setting our hope on God’s promises is essential for growing in godliness.

Reasons to Pursue Godly Character

2 Peter 1:8 tells us why we should pursue godliness; namely…

Pursuing Godly Character Makes Us Effective and Fruitful

Verse 8 reads,

For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 1:8

As these qualities increase, the more effective we’ll be in our relationships, ministries, and businesses. We’ll also bear the fruit God wants to see in our lives, the fruit Jesus talked about in John 15.

Verse 9 explains why some true Christians aren’t growing in godly character. That is…

Forgetting His Promised Forgiveness Obstructs Godly Character

Verse 9 reads,

For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.

2 Peter 1:9

In other words, beating yourself up over past sins you’ve committed doesn’t help you become godlier. Rather, true Christians who lack godly qualities have forgotten one of God’s promises: He has forgiven their sins. The Babylon Bee had a headline that read, “‘I Know God Forgives Me, But I Can’t Forgive Myself,’ Says Woman Whose Moral Compass Is More Developed Than God’s.” That’s a tongue-in-cheek way to make an excellent point. Those who fail to accept God’s promised forgiveness are saying Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross was not enough.

Beating ourselves up over past sins hurts our walks with Jesus. It does not help us grow in godliness.

Verse 10 has another benefit.

Pursuing Godly Character Confirms Your Election

The passage reads,

Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.

2 Peter 1:10

Growth over time in the qualities listed in verses 5-7 confirms our calling. When we suffer and still honor God, we confirm our calling. When we choose to obey God even though it costs us, we confirm our calling. In all these cases, we not only make it plain to all who see us that we’re true Christians, we also assure our hearts if doubts assail us.

If you’re a Christian who is dismayed over failings and fearful that you might not be saved, take heart. Your dismay and fear are both evidence of your calling. Confess your sins and repent, then thank God for forgiving you. Live like you’re forgiven, remember God’s promises, and pursue godly character.

Second Peter has one more benefit that comes from pursing godly character:

You Will Receive a Rich Welcome into His Eternal Kingdom

Verse 11 reads,

And you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 1:11, NIV

That is a promise to hold onto. That is what we set our hearts on. Instead of setting your desires on the people, possessions, positions, and pleasures of this world, set them on receiving “a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

In Conclusion

Today, we’ve seen God’s provision for a life of godliness and our response. God is sanctifying us and making us more like Jesus. So we should respond by holding onto his promises and pursuing godly character, knowing he is helping us every step of the way.

This week in Discovering Good News in John, complete chapter 9: Consecrated for a Mission. We’ll answer the question, Why did Jesus go forward knowing he faced betrayal? See you next time.

Join the Discussion

1. What one thought stuck out to you in this week’s video? why did it stand out?
2. What one thought stuck out to you from this week’s chapter? Why did it stand out?
3. Question 25, page 144: Describe a time when Jesus answered a prayer you asked for in his name in order to glorify God.

Books You Might Like

• Discovering Good News in John
• Immortal: How the Fear of Death Drives Us and What to Do About It by Clay Jones

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• What Is God Like? Part 1 (the first in this series)
• What Is Salvation?
• Work Out Your Salvation?