Godliness and Brotherly Affection

2 Peter 1:3-4 ESV

“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.” 

Peter was writing to those who had obtained a faith of equal standing as that of the apostles, so this was God-given and God-persuaded faith in Jesus Christ that resulted in them dying with Christ to sin and being raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. And they were crucified with Christ in death to sin so that they would no longer live as slaves to sin but as slaves to God.

[2 Peter 1:1-2; Ephesians 2:8-10; Romans 6:1-23; Ephesians 4:17-24]

As those who have believed in Jesus Christ with genuine God-given faith, by God’s power, we are granted all things that pertain to life and godliness. We are delivered from our slavery to sin so that we can now, by God’s power, walk in holiness and in righteousness and in obedience to our Lord, and no longer in sin. And we are forgiven our sins and we are promised eternal life with God, provided that we remain steadfast in that faith until the very end.

He has granted us his precious and great promises, but provided that we meet the requirements for those promises to be fulfilled. For all of God’s promises have conditions that must be met, like we must now walk (in conduct, in practice) according to the Spirit and no longer according to the flesh, and we must not walk in sin, or we will not inherit eternal life with God, regardless of what faith we profess with our lips.

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Jn 6:35-58; Jn 15:1-11; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; 1 Co 6:9-10; 2 Co 5:10; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-11; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 10:23-31; 1 Co 10:1-22; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; 1 Pet 1:17-21; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15] 

For why did God/Jesus Christ grant us all things pertaining to life and godliness? Why did he call us to his own glory and excellence? And why did he grant to us his precious and very great promises? It was so that through them we would become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. It was so we would become like Jesus Christ in character and no longer be like the world. And that is what it means to be holy in all our conduct as he is holy.

So, the whole point of Jesus’ death on that cross was to save us out of our slavery (bondage, addiction) to sin so that we would now serve the Lord Jesus Christ with our lives in all that we are and do and say. It was so that we would die with Christ to sin and live to his righteousness, and that we would now live for him and no longer for ourselves, and so we will no longer walk in sin but in godliness and holiness and in obedience to our Lord.

2 Peter 1:5-11 ESV

“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.”

Now, this is not teaching that we add on the works of the flesh to our salvation. Paul taught against that. But our salvation is not absent of works, but they are the works of God that our Lord prepared in advance for us to walk in them. So, in essence, these works that we are to do, which are of the Spirit of God, and not of our flesh, are us walking out the faith we profess by the Spirit. For this kind of spiritual growth cannot be accomplished in the flesh but only by the working of God in our lives.

[Eph 2:8-10; 1 Co 15:58; 2 Co 9:8; Gal 5:6; Php 2:12-13; Col 1:9-14; 2 Thess 1:11-12; 2 Tim. 2:21; Tit 2:11-14; Jn 15:1-11; Tit 3:8; Jas 2:17] 

But these are not just works, but they are character traits. They are spiritual qualities of the Spirit by the Spirit in our lives. And these should be the result or the fruit of the lives of those of us who are walking in obedience to our Lord in walks of holiness and righteousness, and not in sin. For we don’t just “get saved” and that is it until one day we die and go to heaven. We are in the process of being saved by the Spirit of God as daily we die to sin and live for our Lord and we put on Christ and his righteousness.

So, these should be the qualities being evidenced and lived out in the lives of those of genuine faith in Christ Jesus: virtue, spiritual knowledge and understanding, self-control, steadfastness in faith, godliness, and family-like love and affection for one another. Now this isn’t saying we will be or do or produce all these qualities and character traits 100% of the time in all areas, but the fruit of this should be there consistently, habitually, and as a part of who we are, and not something we just put on before certain people.

But if we are lacking in these qualities and character traits, i.e. they are missing and absent from our lives, then we are regarded as spiritually blind, having forgotten that we were cleansed from our former sins. But if we practice these qualities we will never fall, but we will be given entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. But the inference here is that if we are lacking in these qualities, we will not be given entrance into God’s eternal kingdom, which is supported by many other Scriptures.

[see all noted Scriptures above]

Songs in the Night  

An Original Work / December 18, 2013

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.” Acts 16:25 NIV ‘84

Lord, I praise You forevermore.

You, my Savior, I now adore.

Hope in heaven awaiting me,

Because You died at Calvary.

I have been forgiven,

And I’m bound for heaven.

Jesus set me free from

All my sin, I say.

I will praise Him always!

Lord, I love You for all You’ve done:

Overcame death, my vict’ry won!

Jesus saved me, and now I’m free!

I rejoice in His love for me.

I will walk in vict’ry!

My sin is but hist’ry!

I am free to please Him

With my life today.

I will love Him always!

Lord, I thank You for giving me

A new life bought at Calvary.

Loving Jesus, I meet with Him.

Tender mercies now flow within.

Lord, I am so thankful;

Through my Lord, I’m able

To sit at His table;

Fellowship with Him.

I will thank Him always!

https://vimeo.com/379484387