By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvellous glory and excellence.
2 Peter 1:3 NLT
How does a person get to heaven? Is it by proper knowledge of Christian doctrines? Or by godly living? Is it by faith in Christ’s free gift of salvation? Or by working according to Christ’s goals and principles? Is it by God’s call to us to be His own? Or by our own endurance with God until the day we die? The truth is that no one was born a qualified candidate of heaven. On the contrary, we are under the power of sin and damned to eternal punishment in hell. We needed a greater power for our rescue.
Consequently, we do not have anything in ourselves to help us live a godly life. We are not able to live a life that is pleasing and acceptable unto God. But God manifested His glorious power in Christ Jesus. He made a complete provision for us live in holiness in the order of life and then godliness.
This verse should be of immense interest to every Christian because it tells how we can keep from falling in this life and how we can have the assurance of a triumphal entry into the next. Through the good news of Jesus, God’s manifests His power in bringing us salvation. The good news is the power of God to save us from the penalty and the power of sin.
God’s power grants us life in both natural and spiritual realms. He bestows a soul to our flesh, provides for our needs, and gifts wisdom, strength, and wealth as required. Spiritually, we have the high priestly work of Christ, the ministry of the Holy Spirit, the activities of angelic agencies on our behalf. Also, we have the new life we receive at conversion, and His word for our instructions.
God made a way for our redemption from sin and the power of darkness. He called us unto Himself, not because of any good found in us. God called us by His marvellous glory and excellence. “…He brought you out of the darkness of sin into his wonderful light.” – 1 Peter 2:9
Then, He made provision in full for us to live in the light. “He has given us everything we need for living a godly life”. The power to live a holy life is in the knowledge of Him who called us through His Son Jesus Christ. Just as His divine power is the source of holiness, so the knowledge of Him is the channel. To know Him is eternal life (John 17:3) and progress in this knowledge is progress in holiness. The more we know Him, the more we want to know, and the more we become like Him.
If God has done so wondrously with us, why do we still struggle to live a godly life? How would you answer this in your own life?
