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In verse three of Peter’s second letter chapter one he writes: “By his divine power God has given us everything we need for living a godly life.” Obviously, the expectation is that believers should actually live a godly life.  In other scriptures such as I Peter 1:16 (NLT) we are directed to be ‘holy’. “But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”

              If you were to do a survey with people who claim to be believers, I think most of them, hopefully all of them, would agree that we should be godly and holy. But ask exactly how that manifests itself in day to day living and one would hear a wide variety of answers.

              In past years, at least in some circles, holiness or godliness in a person’s life would be measured by how well they keep a series of do’s and don’t’s.  Today, referring to ‘do’s and don’t’s’ usually results in an accusation of being judgemental.

              There are a couple of things that I think are true in today’s context. First there is less concern about actually living a holy and godly life than there has been in the past. Unfortunate and surely must not be pleasing to God.  And secondly even those who historically religiously emphasized the ‘do’s and don’ts’ now have a substantially stripped down list.  So then for a new Christian or for the believer who reads these calls to holiness and godliness what action should be taken?          

              I think we can all agree with the position that the closer we become to Jesus the more godly and holy we will become.  But Peter makes it clear that some effort is required on our part.  Holiness and godliness just don’t automatically happen.  James makes it clear that we have everything we need to live a godly life.  How did we receive this?  By coming to know him. Verse 3:

              3 We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. 4 And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.

              Surely, knowing him, and growing in our knowledge of him, will allow his divine nature to “rub off” on us allowing us to become more godly and holy.                              

              From an anonymous hymn “To be like Jesus”:

To be like Jesus, To be like Jesus, All I ask, to be like Him, All thru life's journey from earth to glory, All I ask, to be like Him.                                                                         Pastor Dave