The word itself gives us a mental picture of a reverent, God-surrendered lifestyle. In the original language, which was Greek, it refers to a devout, pious, and deeply reverent attitude toward God, which naturally flows out into a holy lifestyle. The person who is seeking to be godly holds God in the highest honor. In our list of Christian virtues in II Peter, it is the next step following temperance, which is self-control.
II Peter 1:6 “And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness.”
Once a believer learns to exercise control over fleshly impulses and patiently endure the trials of this life without the trials taking over how they feel and react, their endurance deepens into true godliness. They have a steady desire to worship and please God. They have a desire to align their attitudes and actions with God’s character. As Peter establishes right at the beginning of II Peter 1:3, true godliness is not something we can manufacture simply by human willpower or religious routine. It is a divine enablement, given to believers through a growing, experiential knowledge of Jesus Christ, who has already provided “all things that pertain unto life and godliness.”
Experiential knowledge is information, understanding, and skill gained through direct personal experience rather than abstract theory, textbook study, or secondhand instruction. It takes effort and desire to spend time in His Word and in prayer with Him. It takes study to learn who He is and how He responds. Then we must put knowledge into action in our daily lives. We learn and then put it into practice. While academic or theoretical knowledge tells you about something, experiential knowledge teaches you what it actually is or feels like through living it out. This experiential knowledge is an ongoing quest until the day we die.
In I Timothy 3:16, Paul uses the phrase “mystery of godliness.” Here we see that godliness is not merely a set of moral rules or habits, but it is the living, transformative power of the Gospel centered in the person and work of Jesus Christ. He is the source of our transformation. When we live godly lives, we reflect God’s character in our actions and our thoughts.
I Timothy 3:16 “ And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”
In the Bible, a mystery is a truth previously hidden by God that has now been revealed to His people. Ultimately, godliness means recognizing that Christ Himself is the embodiment of godliness. When we accept Him as our personal Lord and Savior, it will change our lifestyle. We will want to please the one who made eternal life possible for us. When we are anchored in Him, godliness will be the natural fruit that comes from our surrender to Him. We do not rely on our own abilities, but on the one who works through us. We are to rely on the power of Jesus to transform us from the inside out. If we are surrendered to Him, others will see Jesus in us. They will question what makes us different. They will want to know what makes us deal with things around us differently than others do. When we are consumed with God and pleasing Him, our godliness will govern our lives and make a difference in the lives of others.
