Syllabus for Partaking of the Divine Nature                        PDN-7

Partaking of the Divine Nature

Lesson 7 – Godliness

Theme:  To show the importance of godliness in partaking of the divine nature.

INTRODUCTION:

A.                For the Christian partaking of the divine nature is two-fold.

1.                 Adding the character of God – II Peter 1:2-6 – 2)“Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,  3)According as his ________ _______ hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and ____________, through the ____________ of him that hath called us to glory and virtue;  4)Whereby are given unto us exceeding ______ and _________ __________: that by these ye might be partakers of the _________ _________, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.  5)And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your _______ _________; and to ________ __________;  6)And to __________ ___________; and to ___________ _________; and to ___________ ____________.”

2.                 Resurrection in His likeness – II Corinthians 5:1-4 -  1)”For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a _________ of God, an _______ not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.  2)For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is ___ ________:  3)If so be that being clothed we shall ___ be _______ naked.  4)For ____ that are ___ this tabernacle do groan, being burdened; not for that we would be unclothed, but _________ ______, that ___________ might be swallowed up in life.”

I.                   Looking At the Picture:

A.                Man by nature – Romans 3:23 – “For all have ________, and come ______ of the glory of God.”

B.                 “Christianos” – Acts 11:26 – “And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch .  And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people.  And the disciples were called __________ _______ in Antioch .”

1.                 Strong’s and Lexicon :  A Christian; a follower of Christ

2.                 Tradition says Christian is “like Christ”

C.                 Being “like Christ” involves a “godly” life

1.                 Greek terms interpreted:

1)      “Thehos” – Strongs – God; divinity

     “Ho Thehos” – The God

2)      “Thehosebiah” – devoutness; godliness; piety

                        2.    “Godliness” – II Peter 1:6 – “And to knowledge                

                              temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience

                              ____________.”

a.               “Eusebiah” – Strongs – piety; godliness; holiness – a. Romans 12:1 – “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye ________ ______ bodies a __________ _________, _____, ___________ unto God, which is your __________ ________.” 

b.               I Peter 1:15 , 15 -  15)”But as he which hath called you is holy, so ____ ____ ______ in all manner of conversation.  16)Because it is written, Be ye ______; for I am ______.”

c.                Lexicon – reverential feeling; piety; devotion; godliness; religion; the Christian religion

d.               “Eusebos – piously; godly

II.                “Godliness”  The Only Acceptable Way

A.                “Eusebiah” used 14 times in New Testament

1.                 Godliness – a labor of love

1)      An exercise –

a.       I Timothy 4:7 – “But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and _________ thyself rather unto __________.”

1) II Timothy 2:15 – “_______ to shew thyself approved unto God, a _________ that needed not to be ashamed, _________ __________ the word of truth.”  -- Again we see here that achieving godliness is an exercise we must in engage in through, in this instance, study of God’s Word.

2)  Hebrews 5:14 – “But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by _______ of use have their senses ___________ to discern both good and evil.”  -- Growth doesn’t come just by osmosis, it comes from use, which can give us reason to tell the difference between good and evil.

b.   Something to be sought after – II Peter 1:5 –  what keywords here show we are to seek after godliness?

1)I Timothy 6:11 – what 6 things are we told     to follow after in this verse?  

2)I Timothy 3:16 – “And without controversy great is the ________ of __________:  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.”

What is the mystery of godliness?

After answering the above then re-read the scripture above and see if you can list the reasons for the answer you gave from this scripture.                     

                         2.                 Godliness is great gain – I Timothy 6:6 – “But _________ with                                         contentment is ______ _____.”

III.             Godliness – importance of – the holy life  – II Peter 3:9-11

9)“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 10)But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein, shall be burned up.  11)Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what _______ of ________ ought ye ___ ___ in all holy conversation and ___________.”

Romans 12:1-2 – 1)”I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye ________ your _______ a ________ __________, _______, __________ unto God, which is your reasonable _________.  2)And be not __________ to this world: but be ye ____________ by the ____________ of your _______, that ye may prove what is that _______, and ____________, and _________, will of God.”

Here we see that we must present ourselves examples of holiness and godliness.  Our example is Christ, His life was a life that exemplary in every way.  How thankful we should be to have such an example to use as a guide in reaching our goal of godliness.

Beverly Rainwater, RainwaterB3@aol.com