POWER FOR LIFE AND GODLINESS

“As HIS DIVINE POWER has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness…” (2 Peter 1:3a).

The Believer’s Inheritance in Christ includes the POWER for LIFE and GODLINESS: “As HIS DIVINE POWER has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us to glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (2 Peter 1:3-4). God has already given us everything we need for life and godliness! The exceeding greatness of His Power brings the fulfilment of “exceedingly great and precious promises” (Ephe.1:19). Peter was not referring to eternal life in the by-an-by, but the ‘here and now’ benefits of our salvation!

Godliness refers to a God-honouring life between the time we come to Christ and the time we go home to be with Him. And Christ has already given us everything we need for it! Yes, we face the harsh realities of life in a fallen world. But because of our relationship with Christ, we have been given a Warrior Spirit that lives inside of us. He fights on our behalf and enables us to produce good fruit: faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection, and love (vv.5-7).

God’s Power makes possible our position and privileges in Christ Jesus and all that we will ever need to live godly lives which are pleasing to the Lord. All of these come as a free gift of God's grace – through the merit of Christ's sacrificial death at Calvary and the Power of His resurrection! As God’s children, we are called to live a life of godliness: to live in Spirit and Truth and in total dependence upon our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. But, it is only through His divine power that we have been equipped by God, to live such godly lives having been imputed with Christ’s righteousness, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, identified with His goodness and grace, and accepted by the Father, in the Beloved – by grace through faith in Him.

It is only by God's divine power that we were saved through faith in Christ's sacrificial work at Calvary, and enabled to live as unto the Lord. It is His power that saves the sinner and energizes the saint to live a godly life. His power saves us from the penalty and power of sin. All that pertains to life and godliness in a believer is achieved through the ministry of the Holy Spirit in our hearts and the intercessory ministry of our great High Priest in heaven, Jesus Christ: “It is Christ that died, yes rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us” (Rom.8:34b). In Christ we have received all that we need to live a godly life that is pleasing to the Father. God works in us, to equip each believer to mature in the faith, grow in grace and come into a fuller and deeper knowledge of our Lord and Saviour (Phil.2:13).

Without Christ we can do nothing but we can do all things through Christ who equips us with His divine power. We have been called, chosen, redeemed and accepted, not because of our own merit, but by His glory, goodness, virtue, and His grace. We are called to be partakers of His glory and be clothed in His righteousness as God’s children and joint-heirs with Christ. He laid aside His glory so that He could call us out of darkness into His marvellous light.

We thank the Lord that by His divine power we have been called, chosen, redeemed, accepted and equipped, to live the godly life that He desires of us. We have been imputed with Christ righteousness, in-dwelt by Christ's Holy Spirit, identified with all His goodness and grace and accepted by the Father, in the Beloved - by grace through faith in Him. He alone is worthy of all honour and praise – in Time and for all of Eternity, AMEN.