Peter, the apostle who cut the ear off the Roman soldier upon the arrest of Jesus… Peter, the man who denied Jesus three times during the trials of Christ… This same man grew to be a mature leader of the church. He is considered to be the leader of the first century church. He wrote two books of the New Testament. He is a major character in the Acts of the Apostles. His Gospel is related to us by John Mark in the Gospel of Mark.

It amazes me that a man with Peter’s flaws could go on to be such a man of God. His story is one of God’s mercy and grace. He exemplifies Apostle Paul’s assertion that God chooses the lowly and despised (1 Corinthians 1:28).

So, if one looks at the writing of Peter, what can we take away from his message? If we condense his work into one verse, it may be this:

Therefore, beloved, looking forward to [the return of Christ], be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless;

-2 Peter 3:14

To Peter, holiness and godliness were not an option. Our fear of God leads us to a deep relationship with God. Our relationship with God leads us into His love. Our love of God compels us to obey Him. Our obedience to Him allows Him to bestow upon us His holiness.

How, though, can I, a weak and sinful man, ever hope to achieve a close enough relationship to God that my sole desire is to please Him? The truth is, God has already given us the tools necessary to live a godly life.  Peter assures us of this earlier in 2 Peter 1:3

…His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,

What are those tools? Prayer, The Word of God, and fellowship with fellow believers. Peter summarizes this as the knowledge of Him who called us. How do we obtain knowledge of Him? Through prayer, Bible study, and fellowship with other believers.

How do we live a holy life? Get to know God so well that our love for Him outshines our desire to sin.