Keys to Living a Godly Life - Carla D Burnette

God has provided everything we need to live a godly life. He has given us His Word, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit who lives in us. Are we utilizing these resources to truly live for Him?

Let’s turn to 2 Peter 1:3-8 (CSB) for keys to living a godly life.

V. 3, “His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.”

Notice He has given us everything we need through our knowledge of Him. This isn’t just knowing about God, but also knowing Him through intimacy by having a personal relationship with Him. Have you spent time with the Lord today – reading His Word, praying, and worshiping Him? 

Spending time with the Lord is key to living a godly life.

V. 4,“By these He has given us very great and precious promises, so that through them you may share in the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in the world because of evil desire.” 

Next, it is through His promises – such as new life in Christ and the Holy Spirit in us – that we share in the divine nature and escape the corruption of this world. With new life in Christ Jesus, we are made righteous through our belief in Him (2 Corinthians 6:17, 21). Furthermore, the Holy Spirit living in us empowers us to become more like Christ (John 14:16-17). As Christ’s desires become our desires, we escape the corruption of this world. 

Yielding to the Spirit on a daily basis is another key to living a godly life. 

V. 5-7, “For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with goodness, goodness with knowledge, knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with godliness, godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.” 

Because God has provided all we need, verse 5 exhorts us to make every effort to supplement our faith with the qualities listed in verses 5 through 7. Faith, then, is the foundation on which each of these qualities are built, one on top of the other. The Tyndale New Testament Commentary informs us that these verses “illustrate the way in which the Christian faith must be worked out in [our] behavior”. By demonstrating these Christlike characteristics, we live out our faith  (James 2:14,22).

Supplementing our faith with Christlike character is another important key to living a godly life.

V. 8, “For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being useless or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 

Lastly, all the qualities mentioned above in verses 5 through 7 prevent us from being useless or unfruitful in knowing Christ. I don’t think any of us want to be described as useless to our Lord. Out of love for Him, let’s strive to be fruitful in our faith by continually developing these Christlike character traits. This requires allowing the Holy Spirit to transform us and having a willing heart to obey. 

Continually growing in Christlike character is the final key to living a godly life.

Now that we know the keys to living a godly life, let’s examine our hearts and determine to take the necessary steps to implement them. 

Consider the following questions:

• Do I desire to live a godly life and do my actions reflect that desire?
• How much time do I spend in the Word on a daily basis? 
• Do I yield to the Holy Spirit daily? 
• Am I quick to obey the Lord?
• Do people see Christlike character in me?

Father, thank You for giving us all we need to live a godly life. We humbly submit our lives to You and desire to glorify Your name. May Your Holy Spirit remind us of the keys to living a godly life. Help us to implement them for we want to be like Christ. We desire those around us to see You in us. We love You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Comment on the following:

• What key to living a godly life do you need to implement?
• Which question to examine our hearts spoke the most to you?
• What stood out to you in this post?

Additional Scripture References:

John 14:16-17b, 23 (CSB), “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. He is the Spirit of truth.. [Y]ou [know] Him, because He remains with you and will be in you. If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make our home with him.”

Galatians 2:20 (ESV), “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Romans 6:6 (ESV), “We know that our old self was crucified with Him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.”

Never miss a blog post by joining my newsletter tribe. Plus, receive FREE PRINTABLE Bible verse cards to combat fear when you join.