On Godliness

SERMON SUMMARY:

Drawing from 2 Peter 1:1-9, this sermon explores what it means for Christians to pursue godliness in their daily lives. The pastor addresses a core tension in the Christian life: that while believers are already forgiven and saved by grace through faith in Jesus, they are not meant to stop there. Godliness is not a means of earning God's favor but flows from God's divine power, given through the knowledge of God himself. The sermon challenges the notion that the Christian life is simply about receiving forgiveness and waiting for heaven, calling that view nearsighted and even blind. Instead, believers are called to make every effort to grow in godly qualities, not passively but actively, much like training the physical body. The result of this pursuit is a life that is genuinely effective and fruitful, bearing visible proof of discipleship and bringing glory to God.

QUOTES:

Godliness is not just about setting some oppressive rules that we're supposed to do and you get in trouble if you don't. Godliness is about shaking off the chains of sin to step into a life of freedom.

It's not that we are trying to get to God, it's that God has come to us.

God is not like the ripcord on a lawn mower, where he's there, pull to start the engine, but the rest of it, we've got to push ourselves. That is not it. God's power is at work in the rib cord of the mower and in the muscle that we put to push the mower.

We are active, not passive, in God's work in us toward godliness.

An effective fruitful life comes not through a successful career, not through getting a big house with all the best toys, not through being perpetually well-informed of all the latest news, not by going to church every Sunday. An effective fruitful life comes by having the qualities of godliness and increasing in them.

He's looking here not at the amount of fruit, whether you have 2 or 10 or 20 or 100. He's focusing on the growth of fruit, fruit that would increase over time.

The way that people can know that we are disciples of Jesus is not by who says they believe that they have faith in Jesus. The way you can know who are the disciples are by who show the fruit of godliness in Jesus.

We don't wanna turn godliness into a trudge instead of a treasure that it is.

Physical health starts with one sit-up. Growth and godliness can start with one sit-up too. And you can do that one sit-up today.

We know that we have planted and watered, but you are always the one that gives the growth.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES:

2 Peter 1:1-9 (primary text)

Philippians 2:13, summarizing that God works within believers to produce both the desire and the ability to do his will

1 Timothy 4:7-8, comparing the training required for godliness to the discipline of physical exercise

John 15:8, where Jesus teaches that bearing much fruit glorifies the Father and demonstrates true discipleship

KEY POINTS:

- Godliness does not originate with us. It is granted to us by God's divine power, specifically through the knowledge of God. We are not climbing toward God through our good behavior; God has come to us.

- Godliness requires real effort. God's power at work in us does not make our effort unnecessary.

- Like physical training, growing in godliness is intentional, disciplined, and ongoing.

- The goal of godliness is a fruitful life. Peter is not calling us to mere rule-keeping. He is calling us to a life that is genuinely effective and fruitful in the knowledge of Jesus Christ.

- Growth, not comparison, is the measure. Peter does not compare one Christian's fruit to another's. He looks for fruit that is increasing over time.

2 Peter 1:1-9

2 Peter 2:19

Philippians 2:13

1 Timothy 4:7-8

John 15:8

1 Samuel 17:46-47

Ephesians 2:8-10

Galatians 5:22-23

Genesis 12, Exodus 3, Joshua 1

John 1:14