Today’s devotional uses a phrase that needs to be looked into deeply. The phrase “Holy conduct and godliness poses this question: “How can one separates holy conduct from godliness?” This is what this devotional desires to exploit. Before the exposition of the phrase, it will be very useful for us to understand the background of the phrase. In the second Epistles, Peter was educating the disciples of things that will be happening close to the end time of the world. He foresaw the coming of scoffers who will mock the word of God over the delay of Jesus’ Second Coming. The scoffers will do this in order to turn away the minds of the believers from God and Jesus Christ. Peter was talking about Spiritual Signs that will show the world is drifting to the coast of being destroyed.
Apostle Peter therefore, said that since everything in the world will be destroyed completely, only one thing is left for those still alive before the destruction comes. What they are left to do is living a life of holy conduct and godliness. Apostle Peter’s Second Epistles was written about 64AD. He then saw the need for whoever would escape the destruction of the world to depart from sins and other evil practices and set himself/herself apart from the world system. They are to embark on conducts that show they are holy and not sinners. Going by the Hebrew word “qodesh” from which English word holy was derived from, means people are to set themselves apart, stay sacred and separate. This is because qodesh means “apartness, sacredness.” or “separateness”.
Apostle Peter said that apart from living holy life, followers of Jesus are to be godly. What the Apostle said in a clear term is that, followers of Jesus are to live a quality life that conforms to the laws and wishes of God. Many Christians seems to bear the name “Christian” while their life styles, conducts, behaviours and attitudes are against what God desires them to do. There is no way one will be godly without doing everything God wants human beings to do according to His patterns. Godliness is more than knowing all the commandments of God. It must do with going about with moral uprightness, reflecting the nature of the Kingdom of God in the course of our everyday life on the earth.
PRAYER:
BLESSED FATHER, I have learnt today that to escape been destroyed with sins in me I have to conduct my life in holiness and godliness. Grant me the grace to exhibit heavenly holy conducts and godliness in the name of Jesus.
bishopubaudenyi@hopealivechurch