Godliness is a living that is like God and expresses God.

[jidong xiao]

照彼得在六节的话，在我们的节制上，我们需要发展忍耐。节制是对付自己，忍耐是容忍别人与环境。要过正确的基督徒生活，我们需要对我们周围的人忍耐，也需要对我们的景况和环境忍耐。

在我们的忍耐上，我们需要发展敬虔。敬虔指像神并彰显神的生活。我们管治我们的己并容忍别人与环境时，需要在我们属灵的生活中发展敬虔，使我们得以像神并彰显祂。倘若信是种子，美德和知识是根，节制是干，那么忍耐和敬虔就是枝子。这里我们看见相当完全的发展：由种子发出根、干和枝子。至终，在七节我们看见弟兄相爱和爱，作为花和果子。

According to Peter's word in verse 6, in our self-control we need to develop endurance. Self-control is to deal with ourselves; endurance is to bear with others and with circumstances. In order to live a proper Christian life, we need endurance toward those around us and also toward our environment and circumstances. 

In our endurance we need to develop godliness. Godliness is a living that is like God and expresses God. As we exercise control over the self and bear with others and with circumstances, godliness needs to be developed in our spiritual life so that we may be like God and express Him. If faith is the seed, virtue and knowledge the roots, self-control the trunk, then endurance and godliness are the branches. Here we see a rather full development: out of the seed come the roots, the trunk, and the branches. Eventually, in verse 7 we see brotherly love and love as the blossom and the fruit.