This is the fourth sermon in a series of messages on the book of 2 Peter. This message continues to discuss the list of qualities given in 2 Peter 1:5-7 that believers are urged to develop in their life of faith.
Written Excerpts:
2 Peter 1:6-7 (NKJV) to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.
Introduction:
Most
of you know that I have been doing a series of messages on 2nd
Peter, and that the last two sermons have been focused on the list of qualities
provided in 2 Peter 1:5-7. I
have been referring to this list as a list of traits and qualities included in
becoming more spiritually mature as we grow in the grace and knowledge of our
Lord.
Last
Sunday we talked about the two qualities of temperance (self-control) and
patience (endurance). Before
that we explored the topics of faith, virtue and knowledge. Today
I want to finish the list that Peter provides here in verses 5-7 by talking to
about godliness, brotherly kindness, and charity (love). Or,
we could say, “godliness,” “love,” and “more love.”
As
we have been doing with the other traits mentioned, let’s examine each of these
words to discover what Peter is urging us to exhibit and practice in our lives
as we grow spiritually in the faith.
I. Godliness
The
first word we’re considering is the word “godliness.”
Some
of you may have heard the phrase, “Cleanliness is next to godliness.” The way
my mom used to repeat that phrase you would have thought it was in the Bible!
Erma
Bombeck ― “Cleanliness is not next to godliness. It isn't even in the same
neighborhood. No one has ever gotten a religious experience out of removing
burned-on cheese from the grill of the toaster oven.” (www.goodreads.com/quotes)
“godliness” – εὐσέβεια A compound word. Root = “worship” Prefix = “well”; thus, worship rightly directed. (Robertson’s
Word Pictures/Vincent Word Studies)
(Vincent
Word Studies in the New Testament) [In secular Greek, godliness is:] "The recognition of dependence upon the
gods, the confession of human dependence, the tribute of homage which man
renders in the certainty that he needs their favor—all this is εὐσέβεια,
manifest in conduct and conversation, in sacrifice and prayer"
(Nägelsbach, cited by Cremer). This definition may be almost literally
transferred to the Christian word. It embraces the confession of the one living
and true God, and life corresponding to this knowledge.
The
word emphasizes the inward attitude of worship and reverence and piety toward
God along with conduct and other outward actions that confirm the heart
attitude. The
outward “motions” of worship without the genuine inward attitude is noted by
Apostle Paul as “a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.” (2
Tim. 3:5) So
true godliness is both the inward attitude and outward conduct of reverence and
worship toward God whom we are totally dependent upon.
Another
source states that godliness denotes character
and conduct determined by the principle of love or fear of God in the heart.
(Intn’l Std Bible Ency.)
(Tyndale
New Testament Commentaries) – …it was the
primary word for ‘religion’ in popular pagan usage. The ‘religious man’ of
antiquity, both in Greek and Latin usage … was careful and correct in
performing his duties both to gods and men. Perhaps Peter uses it here in
deliberate contrast to the false teachers, who were far from proper in their
behavior both to God and their fellow men. Peter is at pains to emphasize that
true knowledge of God (which they mistakenly boasted they possessed) manifests
itself in reverence towards him and respect towards men... Eusebeia is a very practical
awareness of God in every aspect of life.
(Expositor's
Bible Commentary, Revised) – Godliness
entails both vertical and horizontal duties. It is simultaneous reverence
toward deity and a sense of duty toward people.
Observing
Peter’s use of the word in this list of traits in which Christian believers
should be growing and maturing leads us to conclude that he sees godliness, the
attitude and conduct of worship, reverence and love for God as a natural
consequence of temperance and patience.
As
we exercise each of the preceding qualities mentioned, we will naturally move
into a life of godly attitudes and behavior.
D.A.
Carson ― “People do not drift toward Holiness. Apart from grace-driven effort,
people do not gravitate toward godliness, prayer, obedience to Scripture,
faith, and delight in the Lord. We drift toward compromise and call it tolerance;
we drift toward disobedience and call it freedom; we drift toward superstition
and call it faith. We cherish the indiscipline of lost self-control and call it
relaxation; we slouch toward prayerlessness and delude ourselves into thinking
we have escaped legalism; we slide toward godlessness and convince ourselves we
have been liberated.” (www.goodreads.com/quotes)
May God help each one of us to recognize that
godliness is not something that just accidentally happens, but it is an active
pursuit of God and letting His likeness shine in our lives and attitudes.
II. Love
and Charity
I
want to move on to consider the next two words together. In the KJV, Peter
urges his readers to supply along with the performance and practice of all the
other previous qualities two more traits identified as “brotherly kindness” and
“charity.”
One
writer says that “godliness” cannot exist without finding expression in
brotherly kindness. The Apostle John says, “If anyone says he loves God and
hates his brother, he is a liar.” So
love is intimately connected to godliness. And love is the crowning virtue of
any list of Christian character traits we must possess and express.
These
terms are from two different Greek words that both mean love. In
many more recent translations of the Bible “brotherly kindness” is translated
as “brotherly affection,” and “Charity” is translated as love.
“brotherly
kindness” – φιλαδελφία; Another compound word, brother (adelphos) and love
(philéo).
“charity”
– ἀγάπη; love.
In
comparing the two words, they are similar in the sense that they include
expressions of affection, fondness, and devotion.
Philéo
usually includes the idea of love and affection for someone to whom one is
closely connected by blood or by faith. It includes true concern, care and
hospitality for those with whom there is a strong bond. Philéo
is often associated more with emotion and warm feelings of compassion toward
another person with whom we have a connection.
Agapē, on the other hand, is a specific kind of love that
is demonstrated in sacrifice and unyielding commitment. Agapē is rooted in God and His nature; not in the object of
love. It is the ability to express genuine concern and appropriate loving
actions in spite of the qualities of the person being loved. Charity
(agape) is God’s nature of self-giving love flowing through us into the lives
of others who need it.
One
writer compares the two terms like this:
(Tyndale
New Testament Commentaries) – In [brotherly
kindness] (philia) the partners
seek mutual solace [or comfort and support]... [the] feelings are aroused
because of what the loved one is. With agapē
it is the reverse. God’s agapē [love]
is evoked not by what we are, but by what he is. It has its origin in the
agent, not in the object. It is not that we are lovable, but that he is love.
When
we practice brotherly love, we carry out actions and deeds of love for those
whom we have developed a deep connection and bond either through family or
through faith and have grown to appreciate them as a dear friend. We
do deeds of kindness and affection for them because we feel a closeness and
fondness for them, as well as warm feelings of appreciation. We’ve grown to
love them because of their character and who they truly are.
Charity
(Agapē love) on the other hand,
requires us to do a lot of the same kinds of deeds and actions, but it is not
necessarily because the other person is so nice or pleasant or deserving. It is
because of God’s nature that is imparted to us through the Holy Spirit and we
demonstrate God-like love because of who He is, not because of who the other
person is.
A
few weeks ago I spoke to you about love and we looked at some of the verses in
1 Cor. 13 as it describes this agapē
kind of love.
We
talked about qualities of this God-like love such as: Believes all things (Thinks
the best); Suffers long; Is kind; Not arrogant; Keeps no record of wrongs.
It
is fairly easy to practice these qualities with people whom we have a good
relationship with and have come to have brotherly
love toward them. But
it is not easy at all to practice these qualities toward people who are not in
a good relationship with us and in all appearances do not deserve this kind of
loving treatment. Yet, that is what God calls us to do.
The
more that we are able to demonstrate this divine love, the more it gives
evidence of our spiritual growth and maturity. Jesus
told His disciples that the one thing which would identify them as His
disciples was their love for one another. It
is not our doctrine, as important as that is. It
is not our conservative or liberal viewpoints. It
is not anything else that will communicate “Disciple of Jesus” except how we
demonstrate love to one another.
Let
us close by singing They Will Know
We Are Christians By Our Love.
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