TUESDAY 29th
2 Peter 1:6
‘. . . and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness,’
Supplement your faith with godliness. Godliness is piety, which means dutiful devotion to God. Back in verse 3, Peter has already said that God’s divine power has been granted to us in all things that pertain to life and godliness. I am going to suggest that to add godliness to our faith means that we should desire to act like God would act in our relationship toward the world and towards one another.
The Greek word ‘eusebia’ used for what is translated ‘godliness’ in our English versions means ‘duty or devotion’. We as believers should not only be devoted toward God but should also act in ways that portray the duty that we have toward God, the duty we have toward God should lead us to reflect him in and through our lives through godly living, godly desires, godly ambitions, godly motives, godly responses, godliness in every way.
Paul speaks about godliness in his letter to Timothy, he says in 2 Timothy 3:5 ‘having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power’. He is talking about those who are deceptive in their appearance, deceptive in their behaviour, they would claim to be godly, but their actions would prove otherwise, they are religious rather than God fearing.
On two more occasions Paul refers to godliness while writing to Timothy and I will use these references to finish this devotion.
1 Timothy 4:7-8 and oh how many times I misapplied this Scripture at school while making excuses to the teacher to get out of our PE lessons which I hated so much! ‘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’. (At school I only knew the KJV which says, ‘For bodily exercise profiteth little’, if that was the case as far as I was concerned why bother!)
1 Timothy 6:6-11, in fact this Scripture gives us another list of supplements or qualities. ‘But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.’