Ezra 6:1 King Darius gave the order, and they searched in the library of Babylon in the archives.
Ezra 6:2 But it was in the fortress of Ecbatana in the province of Media that a scroll was found with this record written on it:
Ezra 6:3 In the first year of King Cyrus, he issued a decree concerning the house of God in Jerusalem: Let the house be rebuilt as a place for offering sacrifices, and let its original foundations be retained. Its height is to be ninety feet and its width ninety feet,
Ezra 6:4 with three layers of cut stones and one of timber. The cost is to be paid from the royal treasury.
Ezra 6:5 The gold and silver articles of God’s house that Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem and carried to Babylon must also be returned. They are to be brought to the temple in Jerusalem, where they belong and put into the house of God.
Ezra 6:6 Therefore, you must stay away from that place, Tattenai, governor of the region west of the Euphrates River, Shethar-bozenai, and your colleagues, the officials in the area.
Ezra 6:7 Leave the construction of the house of God alone. Let the governor and elders of the Jews rebuild this house of God on its original site.
Ezra 6:8 I issue a decree concerning what you are to do so that the elders of the Jews can rebuild the house of God: The cost is to be paid in full to these men out of the royal revenues from the taxes of the region west of the Euphrates River so that the work will not stop.
Ezra 6:9 Whatever is needed– young bulls, rams, and lambs for burnt offerings to the God of the sky, or wheat, salt, wine, and oil, as requested by the priests in Jerusalem– let it be given to them every day without fail,
Ezra 6:10 so that they can offer sacrifices of pleasing aroma to the God of the sky and pray for the life of the king and his sons.
Ezra 6:11 I also issue a decree concerning any man who interferes with this directive: Let a beam be torn from his house and raised; he will be impaled on it, and his house will be made into a garbage dump because of this offense.
Ezra 6:12 May the God who caused his name to dwell there overthrow any king or people who dares to harm or interfere with this house of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have issued the decree. Let it be carried out diligently.
Ezra 6:13 Then Tattenai, governor of the region west of the Euphrates River, Shethar-bozenai, and their colleagues diligently carried out what King Darius had decreed.
Ezra 6:14 So the Jewish elders succeeded in building the temple under the prophecy of Haggai, the prophet, and Zechariah, son of Iddo. They finished the temple according to the command of the God of Israel and the decrees of Cyrus, Darius, and King Artaxerxes of Persia.
Ezra 6:15 This house was completed on the third day of the month of Adar in the sixth year of King Darius’s reign.
Ezra 6:16 Then the Israelites, including the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the exiles, celebrated the dedication of the house of God with joy.
Ezra 6:17 For the dedication of God’s house, they offered one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and twelve male goats as a sin offering for all Israel- one for each Israelite tribe.
Ezra 6:18 They also appointed the priests by their divisions and the Levites by their groups to serve God in Jerusalem, according to what is written in the Book of Moses.
Ezra 6:19 The exiles observed the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month.
Ezra 6:20 All priests and Levites were ceremonially clean because they had purified[1] themselves. They killed the Passover lamb for themselves, their priestly brothers, and all the exiles.
Ezra 6:21 The Israelites who had returned from exile consumed it, together with all who had separated[2] themselves from the uncleanness of the Gentiles of the land to worship Yahveh, the God of Israel.
Ezra 6:22 They observed the Festival of Matzah[3] for seven days with joy because Yahveh had caused them to enjoy[4] it. He had changed the Assyrian king’s heart[5] toward them so that he strengthened them in the work on the house of the God of Israel.
3 I can pray this because his divine power has bestowed on us everything
necessary for life and godliness through the rich knowledge of the one
who called us by his own glory and excellence. 4 Through these things
he has bestowed on us his precious and most magnificent promises, so
that by means of what was promised you may become partakers of the
divine nature, after escaping the worldly corruption that is produced by
evil desire. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith
excellence, to excellence, knowledge; 6to knowledge, self-control;
to self-control, perseverance; to perseverance, godliness; 7 to
godliness, brotherly affection; to brotherly affection, unselfish love.
There is a deep longing in every true believer’s heart to live a godly life. Not merely a moral life. Not merely a respectable life. Not merely a religious life. But a life that reflects the character of Christ — a life shaped by the Spirit, rooted in the gospel, and marked by the beauty of holiness. And yet, if we are honest, many Christians feel stuck. We want to grow, but we feel weak. We want to change, but we feel inconsistent. We want to be godly, but we feel painfully aware of our failures.
Peter writes this letter to believers who feel that tension. They are facing false teachers, cultural pressure, and spiritual discouragement. And in that environment, Peter does not scold them. He does not shame them. He does not tell them to “try harder.” Instead, he lifts their eyes to the resources God has already given them. He reminds them that godliness is not something we manufacture — it is something God empowers.
In 2 Peter 1:3–7, Peter gives us a vision of what a godly life looks like and how it grows. And he begins with a stunning declaration.
I. GOD HAS GIVEN US EVERYTHING WE NEED FOR A GODLY LIFE (v. 3)
Peter writes, “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness.” Not some things. Not most things. Not the basics, with the rest left up to us.
All things.
This is one of the most liberating truths in the New Testament. God does not call us to live a godly life and then leave us to figure it out. He does not command us to grow and then abandon us to our own strength. He does not demand fruit without providing the root.
Everything required for life and godliness — everything necessary for spiritual growth, moral transformation, endurance, holiness, and obedience — has already been given to us in Christ.
How? Peter says it comes “through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.”
Godliness begins with knowing Christ. Not merely knowing about Him. Not merely admiring Him. But knowing Him personally, relationally, intimately.
The more we know Christ, the more His power shapes our lives. The more we behold His glory, the more we are transformed into His likeness. The more we trust His promises, the more we walk in His ways.
A godly life is not the result of human willpower — it is the result of divine power.
II. GOD HAS GIVEN US GREAT PROMISES TO TRANSFORM US (v. 4)
Peter continues: “By these He has granted to us His precious and very great promises.”
God does not merely give us commands — He gives us promises. He does not merely give us duties — He gives us hope. He does not merely give us instructions — He gives us assurances.
And these promises are not small. They are not ordinary. They are not fragile. Peter calls them precious and very great.
Why? Because through these promises, Peter says, “you may become partakers of the divine nature.”
This does not mean we become gods. It means we become godly.
We share in God’s character. We reflect His holiness. We bear His likeness.
We display His love, His patience, His purity, His compassion.
The promises of God are the fuel of godliness. When we trust His promises, we escape the corruption of the world. When we cling to His promises, we resist sinful desires. When we believe His promises, we grow in holiness.
A godly life is not built on fear — it is built on faith. Not on guilt — but on grace. Not on self-effort — but on divine promises.
III. GOD CALLS US TO MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO GROW (vv. 5–7)
After grounding us in God’s power and God’s promises, Peter now turns to our responsibility. He says, “For this very reason, make every effort…”
Notice the order. God’s power comes first. God’s promises come first. Then our effort.
Effort without grace leads to legalism. Grace without effort leads to laziness.
But grace that produces effort — that is godliness.
Peter then gives us a beautiful chain of virtues — a ladder of spiritual growth. Each virtue builds on the one before it. Each one deepens the one after it. Together, they form a portrait of a godly life.
Let’s walk through them.
1. Faith — the foundation
Everything begins with faith. Faith is the root of the Christian life. Faith is the hand that receives God’s promises. Faith is the anchor that holds us to Christ.
Without faith, there is no growth. Without faith, there is no godliness. Without faith, there is no life.
But faith is not the end — it is the beginning.
2. Excellence, which is moral excellence
To faith, Peter says, add moral courage, moral excellence, moral strength. It is the determination to do what is right even when it is costly.
Faith produces virtue. When we trust Christ, we begin to desire what He desires. We begin to pursue what is good, pure, and honorable.
Virtue is the first fruit of a living faith.
3. Knowledge — spiritual understanding
To virtue, add knowledge. This is not academic knowledge. It is spiritual discernment — the ability to see life through God’s eyes.
Virtue without knowledge becomes zeal without wisdom. Knowledge without virtue becomes cold and prideful. But virtue informed by knowledge becomes powerful and fruitful.
A godly life requires a growing understanding of God’s Word and God’s ways.
4. Self-control — mastery of desires
To knowledge, add self-control. This is the ability to say “no” to sinful desires and “yes” to God’s will.
Self-control is not repression — it is Spirit-empowered discipline. It is the ability to govern our appetites, emotions, and impulses.
A godly life is not ruled by cravings, moods, or temptations. It is ruled by Christ.
5. Perseverance — endurance under pressure
To self-control, add steadfastness. This is perseverance — the ability to remain faithful under trial.
A godly life is not fragile. It does not collapse under pressure. It endures hardship with hope.
6. Godliness — reverence toward God
To steadfastness, add godliness. This is the heart of the passage — the theme of the sermon.
Godliness is not outward religiosity. It is inward devotion. It is a life oriented toward God. It is a heart that loves what God loves and hates what God hates.
Godliness is the aroma of Christ in a believer’s life.
7. Brotherly affection — love for the family of God
To godliness, add brotherly affection. This is warm, practical, relational love for fellow believers.
A godly life is not isolated. It is not cold. It is not self-focused.
It is deeply connected to the body of Christ.
8. Love — the crown of Christian maturity
Finally, to brotherly affection, add love. This is agapē — the highest form of love. It is sacrificial, unconditional, Christlike love.
Love is the goal of spiritual growth. Love is the fulfillment of the law. Love is the evidence of true godliness.
A godly life is a life of love.
IV. A GODLY LIFE IS POSSIBLE — AND BEAUTIFUL
When you put all of this together, Peter gives us a breathtaking picture of what God intends for His people. A godly life is not a fantasy. It is not reserved for spiritual elites. It is not beyond our reach.
It is possible because:
God has given us His power.
God has given us His promises.
God has given us His Spirit.
God has given us His Word.
God has given us a path of growth.
And when these virtues begin to grow in us, something beautiful happens. Our lives begin to reflect the character of Christ. Our hearts begin to burn with love for God. Our relationships begin to display the grace of the gospel. Our witness becomes compelling. Our faith becomes fruitful.
A godly life is not a burden — it is a blessing. It is not a duty — it is a delight. It is not a performance — it is a transformation.
A godly life is not beyond our reach. It is God’s gift, God’s work, and God’s promise. And He who began a good work in us will bring it to completion.
V. A GODLY LIFE BEGINS WITH A GODWARD HEART
Let me close with this: A godly life does not begin with effort. It begins with desire. A desire to know Christ. A desire to be like Him. A desire to please Him. A desire to reflect His glory.
And that desire is itself a gift of grace.
So, we pray:
“LORD, make us godly. Give us a heart that longs for You. Give us faith that grows, moral excellence that shines, knowledge that deepens, self-control that strengthens, steadfastness that endures, godliness that worships, brotherly affection that embraces, and love that reflects Christ.” Amen.
Ezra 5:1 But when the prophets Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel who was over them,
Ezra 5:2 Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua, son of Jozadak, began to rebuild God’s house in Jerusalem. The prophets of God were with them, helping them.
Ezra 5:3 At that time, Tattenai, the governor of the region west of the Euphrates River, Shethar-bozenai, and their colleagues came to the Jews and asked, “Who gave you the order to rebuild this temple and finish this structure?”
Ezra 5:4 They also asked them, “What are the names of the workers constructing this building?”
Ezra 5:5 But God was watching over the Jewish elders. These men wouldn’t stop them until a report was sent to Darius so that they could receive written instructions about this matter.
Ezra 5:6 This is the text of the letter that Tattenai, the governor of the region west of the Euphrates River, Shethar-bozenai, and their colleagues, the regional officials, sent to King Darius.
Ezra 5:7 They sent him a report, written as follows: To King Darius: All greetings.
Ezra 5:8 Let it be known to the king that we went to the house of the great God in the province of Judah. It is being built with cut stones, and its beams are set in the walls. This work is being done diligently and succeeding through the people’s efforts.
Ezra 5:9 So we asked the elders, “Who gave you the order to rebuild this temple and finish this structure?”
Ezra 5:10 We also asked them for their names so that we could write down the names of their leaders for your information.
Ezra 5:11 This is their reply: We are the servants of the God of the sky[1] and land, and we are rebuilding the temple built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and finished.
Ezra 5:12 But since our ancestors angered the God of the sky, he handed them over to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this temple and deported the people to Babylon.
Ezra 5:13 However, in the first year of King Cyrus of Babylon, he issued a decree to rebuild the house of God.
Ezra 5:14 He also took from the temple in Babylon the gold and silver articles of God’s house that Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem and carried them to the temple in Babylon. He released them from the temple in Babylon to a man named Sheshbazzar, the governor by the appointment of King Cyrus.
Ezra 5:15 Cyrus told him, “Take these articles, put them in the temple in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be rebuilt on its original site.”
Ezra 5:16 This same Sheshbazzar laid the foundation of God’s house in Jerusalem. It has been under construction since then, but it has not been completed.
Ezra 5:17 So, if it pleases the king, let a search of the royal archives in Babylon be conducted to see if it is true that King Cyrus issued a decree to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. Let the king’s decision regarding this matter be sent to us.
Ezra 4:1 When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the returned exiles were building a temple for Yahveh, the God of Israel,
Ezra 4:2 they approached Zerubbabel and the family heads and said, “Let us build with you, for we also worship your God and have been sacrificing to him since the time King Esar-haddon of Assyria brought us here.”
Ezra 4:3 But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the other heads of Israel’s families answered them, “You may have no part with us in building a house for our God since we alone will build it for Yahveh, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the king of Persia has commanded[1] us.”
Ezra 4:4 Then the people already in the land discouraged the people of Judah and made them afraid to build.
Ezra 4:5 They also bribed officials to act against them to frustrate their plans throughout the reign of King Cyrus of Persia and until the reign of King Darius of Persia.
Ezra 4:6 At the beginning of the reign of Ahasuerus, the people who were already in the land wrote an accusation against the residents of Judah and Jerusalem.
Ezra 4:7 During the time of King Artaxerxes of Persia, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his colleagues wrote to him in Aramaic and translated.
Ezra 4:8 Rehum, the chief deputy, and Shimshai, the scribe, wrote a letter to King Artaxerxes concerning Jerusalem as follows:
Ezra 4:9 From Rehum, the chief deputy, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their colleagues– the judges and magistrates from Tripolis, Persia, Erech, Babylon, Susa (that is, the people of Elam),
Ezra 4:10 and the rest of the peoples whom the great and illustrious Ashurbanipal deported and settled in the cities of Samaria and the region west of the Euphrates River.
Ezra 4:11 This is the text of the letter they sent to him: To King Artaxerxes from your servants, the men from the region west of the Euphrates River:
Ezra 4:12 Let it be known to the king that the Jews who came from you have returned to us at Jerusalem. They are rebuilding that rebellious and evil city, finishing its walls, and repairing its foundations.
Ezra 4:13 Let it now be known to the king that if that city is rebuilt and its walls are finished, they will not pay tribute, duty, or land tax, and the royal revenue will suffer.
Ezra 4:14 Since we have taken an oath of loyalty to the king, and it is not suitable for us to witness his dishonor, we have sent to inform the king.
Ezra 4:15 states that a search should be made in your ancestors’ record books. In these record books, you will discover and verify that the city was rebellious and harmful to kings and provinces. Revolts have been occurring in it since ancient times, which is why this city was destroyed.
Ezra 4:16 We advise the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are finished, you will not have any possession west of the Euphrates.
Ezra 4:17 The king replied to his chief deputy Rehum, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their colleagues living in Samaria and elsewhere in the region west of the Euphrates River: Greetings.
Ezra 4:18 The letter you sent us has been translated and read in my presence.
Ezra 4:19 I issued a decree, and a search was conducted. It was discovered that this city has had uprisings against kings since ancient times, and there have been rebellions and revolts.
Ezra 4:20 Powerful kings also ruled over Jerusalem and exercised authority over the whole region west of the Euphrates River, and tribute, duty, and land tax were paid to them.
Ezra 4:21 Therefore, order these men to stop so that this city will not be rebuilt until I have pronounced a further decree.
Ezra 4:22 Do not neglect this matter. Otherwise, the damage will increase, and the royal interests will suffer.
Ezra 4:23 As soon as the text of King Artaxerxes’s letter was read to Rehum, Shimshai, the scribe, and their colleagues, they immediately went to the Jews in Jerusalem and forcibly stopped them.
Ezra 4:24 Now, the construction of God’s house in Jerusalem had stopped and remained at a standstill until the second year of the reign of King Darius of Persia.
Ezra 3:1 When the seventh month arrived, and the Israelites were in their towns, the people gathered[1] as one in Jerusalem.
Ezra 3:2 The priests, Jeshua son of Jozadak and his brothers, along with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his brothers, began to build the altar of Israel’s God and offer ascending[2] offerings on it, as it is written in the instruction[3] of Moses, the man of God.
Ezra 3:3 They set up the altar on its foundation and offered ascending offerings for the morning and evening to Yahveh, even though they feared the people of the lands.
Ezra 3:4 They celebrated the Festival of Huts[4] as prescribed and offered ascending offerings each day, based on the number specified by the judgment[5] for each festival day.
Ezra 3:5 After that, they offered the continual[6] ascending offering, the offerings at the beginning of each month, and for all Yahveh’s appointed[7] holy occasions, and the spontaneous voluntary donations brought to Yahveh.
Ezra 3:6 On the first day of the seventh month, they began to offer ascending offerings to Yahveh, even though the foundation of Yahveh’s temple had not yet been laid.
Ezra 3:7 They gave money to the stonecutters and artisans. They gave food, drink, and oil to the people of Sidon and Tyre so they could bring cedar wood from Lebanon to Joppa by sea, according to the authorization given them by King Cyrus of Persia.
Ezra 3:8 In the second month of the second year after they arrived at God’s house in Jerusalem, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, Jeshua, son of Jozadak, and the rest of their brothers, including the priests, the Levites, and all who had returned to Jerusalem from the captivity, began to build. They appointed the Levites, who were twenty years old or older, to supervise the work on Yahveh’s house.
Ezra 3:9 Jeshua with his sons and brothers, Kadmiel with his sons, and the sons of Judah and Henadad, with their sons and brothers, the Levites, joined together to supervise those working on the house of God.
Ezra 3:10 When the builders had laid the foundation of Yahveh’s temple, the priests, dressed in their robes and holding trumpets, and the Levites descended from Asaph, holding cymbals, took their positions to praise Yahveh, as King David of Israel had instructed.
Ezra 3:11 They sang with praise and thanksgiving to Yahveh: “For he is good; his covenant faithfulness[8] to Israel endures permanently.”[9] Then, all the people gave a great shout of praise to Yahveh because the foundation of Yahveh’s house had been laid.
Ezra 3:12 Many of the older priests, Levites, and family heads who had seen the first house wept loudly when they saw its foundation, but many others shouted joyfully.
Ezra 3:13 The people could not distinguish the sound of the joyful shouting from that of the weeping because they were shouting so loudly, and the sound was heard far away.
jeffersonvann 