Discipleship

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ
2 Peter 1:3-8

Power for godliness comes through the knowledge of God. The starting point of all godliness is not effort. It is the initial reception of the knowledge of God, when God reveals to us His character, our sin, and Christ's Cross-work through His Word. This knowledge is more than mere cognitive awareness that results from a divine data transfer. It is a relational knowledge of God that results from being called by Him into His family and fellowship (2 Pet. 1:3-8).
Mark Dever