His Divine power has given us everything we need for life and Godliness – practical religion - if Jesus is beautiful and He lived His life beautifully, then, in Him, our life is beautiful, and when we obey Jesus, our lives a beautiful.
His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. New International Version
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 marvelous glory and excellence. New Living Translation
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence... ESV
Life: real and genuine, actual
"a life active and vigorous, devoted to God, blessed
this portion even now in this world of those who put their trust in Christ
Next portion life eternal, the resurrection
Godliness: reverence, respect
Promoting godliness - as to reflect or imitate, God
Aims and acts of godliness - holy conduct toward God and others
This life, this godliness, the fruit of our relationship with God, in Christ, by His Spirit – that Divine power, should result in something beautiful, that increases in its effectiveness and productivity:
Life and godliness.
Jesus’ godly life, His practical religion in action
John 2:1-12
James 3:13,17-18 “13Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom… 17...the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.”
Good, beautiful - beautiful, as an outward sign of the inward good, noble, honorable character; good, worthy, honorable, noble, and seen to be so.
Beautiful, praiseworthy; beautiful, as an outward sign of the inward good, noble, honorable character; good, worthy, honorable, noble, and seen to be so.
beautiful by reason of purity of heart and life, and hence praiseworthy; morally good, noble
This is not “good, as unto righteousness (as to prove to, or appease, God. But, “good” as an expression of one’s righteousness in Christ as to imitate and please, that good which is done because one has believed in Jesus, been justified by that faith, and have had the righteousness of Jesus imputed in them, by and with the Holy Spirit.
This is the “good” Jesus’ commends us to do that brings, that when seen, brings glory and praise to our Father in heaven (Matthew 5); Mary’s loving and gracious gesture of anointing Jesus feet (Matt 26:10; Mark 14:6); and that which Paul describes as that good which should grow weary of doing (Gal 6:9).
So this godliness Peter speaks of ought to result in an “A beautiful life is lived beautifully, a life lived beautifully, does beautiful things.” This IS good.
What is godliness? It is a life lived to God, for God, as God does.
Our being saved “to obedience” is our life being saved and preserved, conditioned and equipped, empowered and enabled, created - beautifully, to be beautiful, that in doing what it, what we, were created to be like, we do, beautifully. And that is beautiful. That is Jesus in me, living life with me, in a godly, or practical way - being good and beautiful, we do beautiful things.
God is love, God's love does; as we have been loved, and been made love, our love must also, do - and this is good and this is beautiful and this is “practical religion”.
So, this life with live in Christ by faith, in the knowledge of God, this is a vigorous life, marked by practical religion and is best expressed by mutual concern for one another, and mutual concern - does. (Isa 58:6-12; Gen 3:10,21; Matt 25:35-38; Mark 10:51; John 3:16; 5:19; 13:5; Rom 1:5; 6:17-18; 12:1; Eph 2:8-10; 1Pet 1:2; Acts 2:42-48; Ja 1:26-27; 2:16; 1Jo 3:17)
As God in His love, by His mercy, in His gracious faithfulness, did (and does). In the beginning, God, “did” for His beloved
Gen 3:10,21
3:10 “10He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”
3:21 21The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.
So, we, having experienced that love, now, do
1Peter 5:7-10 “7The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. 8Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”
Ja 1:26-27; 2:16
1:26-27 “26Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. 27Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”
2:16 “14What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?”
1Jo 3:17 “16This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”
Math 25:34-40 “34“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
Jesus is the light and life of all men, His life and life are our light and life and how He lived this life is how we are to live… Jesus expresses this vigorous life, this fervent bubbling love, with real religion - love and concern expressed in practical help, the fruit of His love, His (mutual concern) for the bride and the groom, the hostess - His mother Mary and the parents of the couple. Not to mention, the participants in the party.
This is the life that Jesus came to give - as represented in John 2. For us to get, have, and live this life, Jesus willingly laid down His life that He might give it - to have and live this life we must drink the wine of the Kingdom - which is Jesus, His blood, shed for us - His life, in us. (John 6:26-58)
John 2:1-12
The reflection of this life now in us, more than just animated, but a life vigorous in Christ, that reflects the kingdom AND its divine power, is how we live - now - especially, among ourselves, Jesus’ disciples - it is to be as concerned for one another as Jesus was and is for us, me.
Love is, this new and vigorous life, for which we have been given everything we need to live, is expressed by our mutual concern.
How has God ordained that we express this “practical religion”, the “godliness”? Love and serving the “one-another” within the body of Christ.
1Cor 12:12-26
Unity and Diversity in the Body
12Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13For we were all baptized by c one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.
15Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
21The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
Why does God have to command us to love this way? Because we have a propensity to not.
1Cor 11:17-34 Correcting an Abuse of the Lord’s Supper
17In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. 18In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. 19No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God’s approval. 20So then, when you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat, 21for when you are eating, some of you go ahead with your own private suppers. As a result, one person remains hungry and another gets drunk. 22Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God by humiliating those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? Certainly not in this matter!
23For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
27So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. 29For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. 30That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. 31But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment. 32Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be finally condemned with the world.
33So then, my brothers and sisters, when you gather to eat, you should all eat together. 34Anyone who is hungry should eat something at home, so that when you meet together it may not result in judgment.
And when I come I will give further directions.
