2 Peter 1 We move onto Peters second and final letter to the Jewish Christians scattered across the land. There are some scholars who wonder whether Peter actually wrote this book ... and there are some who wonder who it was written to. But all scholars agree that it was part of the original Scripture credited as Gods word and authored, therefore, by Him above all. There is an urgency to this letter, which would make sense if Peter wrote it. He wouldve known the corner society had backed him into, and he would know that his death as a martyr for Christ was coming soon. With that in mind, lets get into 2 Peter. First, I love that in vs. 1, once again, Jesus is referred to as our God and Savior Jesus Christ. Jesus is God. This is what sets apart Christians from other faiths. We believe the claim of Christ - that He was God, the Messiah, the Savior ... the one true God. It is the Trinity that is written about in Scriptures and it is our believe in the Trinity that makes us Christians. Here are some key points from this Chapter: GODS WORD is ENOUGH: (vs. 2-5) In the Word of God we have everything we need to live a life of godliness. Gods promises allow us to participate in the kingdom of God and they help us escape the corruption in the world. Wow ... so crucial. FAITH SHOULD GROW: Our faith begins as something precious and small ... a spark, a seed. We realize life is empty and that God is God. We turn away from our sinful life (because we are all sinners) and we turn toward God. Ahhh, sweet beautiful faith begins. But from here, we are called to grow. Weve talked about this so many times, the call to move on from milk to solid food, and to grow up. Here, Peter tells us what that looks like. We must make every effort to add to our faith these things: 1. Goodness, then 2. Knowledge, then 3. Self-Control, then 4. Perseverance, then 5. Godliness, then 6. Brotherly love 7. Kindness, then 8. Love. Dont you think its interesting that love is the most complex of all. Real love takes great spiritual maturity. Why? Because its not a simple matter of smiling and being kind. It involves the aspects of Gods love. It involves our behavior and our hearts and our knowledge of Gods word. When we understand all of that, then we can truly love others. Love must stand on Gods word. That means we cannot endorse all things, but only the things of God. That - in gentleness and kindness - is Love. vs. 8-11 Talk further about the benefits of growing up and going through these steps of faith in Christ. CONTINUE: vs. 12-15 talk about Peters determination to continue to remind the believers of these truths as long as he lives. Why? Because the world wears away our faith and makes us forget whats important to God. Practice this, friends. Talk about the truth with your kids and friends ... keep the Word of God alive and active in your life. Lest we forget ... GOD IS THE AUTHOR - vs. 16-21 reaffirms yet again the validity and power of Gods word. He is the Author. This is the Word that has stood from before the beginning of time. You can count on it, friends ... it wont change. Not ever. In the end only Gods word will stand. We are heading toward the home stretch, which means there will be an increasing number of Scriptures devoted to end times and holding out the hope of God until the return of Christ. Itll be an exciting adventure, friends. ~Karen Kingsbury~
Posted on: Thu, 20 Mar 2014 16:52:00 +0000
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