Nov 14 — 2 Peter 1-3

One Reply to “Nov 14 — 2 Peter 1-3”

1. In this second letter, Peter wants us to be strong in our faith, to help us understand how to deal with false teachers in the church as well as “scoffers” with evil desires.

   “For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:8). These qualities are: faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, mutual affection and love. Lord I pray that every day you would add to each of these qualities in my life:
   – strengthen my faith by coming to know you more
   – may my goodness would be evident to those how know you, but more to those who don’t
   – gaining knowledge of you would be a daily activity
   – self-control would extend to what I watch and read as much as what I choose to do
   – give me strength to persevere, even when it doesn’t make much sense
   – that I would act as you’ve taught me in scriptures, surely I understand what godliness means!
   – and I pray for mutual affection and love, qualities that should be overwhelmingly evident in Christian communities and obvious to those who don’t know you at all!

   Thanks Peter for reminding me of these things often, may we all learn to follow your most excellent example, for we know our time on earth is only temporary (1:12-15).

   Chapter 2 has several references to what we call the Old Testament. This reminds me of how important it is to understand Scripture, especially the Old Testament. Peter certainly knew them well and it helps him preach the Gospel because of this understanding. Those who read these words should either know the stories or be entreated to learn about them: the flood and Noah, Sodom and Gomorrah and Lot, the great histories of God’s people. The better we understand these stories, the more we can see God’s hand at work and understand he will not sit by and do nothing. “If this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment” (2:9).

   Peter has strong words against false teachers in chapter 2 and concludes “It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them” (2:21). We have no valid excuse. The words are before us and we’ve heard sermon after sermon appealing to us to follow Christ. Lord give us discernment to see false teachers, ears to hear the truth beyond their cleverly constructed heresy. Keep us from being enamored by eloquent speech, college degrees, books published and blind followers. Teach us personally Lord and help us to help others daily!

   “Scoffers will come” (3:3) and “they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word” the world was created and they mock us when they say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised?” (3:4). There were times in my youth, in my childish ways, I would pray for Christ’s second coming to end this world of all its troubles, but I missed this great truth: “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise…he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (3:9).

   The last verse of 2 Peter was one of the first memory verse songs I wrote many years ago. Our girls know this verse by heart since they heard me practicing over and over again!
   Second Peter 3:18 gives us this word of advice,
   Grow in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
   To him be the glory both now and for ever amen
   To him be the glory both now and for ever amen

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