GUARD AND GROW
2 Peter 3:14-18 NLT
14 And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight.
15 And remember, our Lord’s patience gives people time to be saved. This is what our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom God gave him— 16 speaking of these things in all of his letters. Some of his comments are hard to understand, and those who are ignorant and unstable have twisted his letters to mean something quite different, just as they do with other parts of Scripture. And this will result in their destruction.
17 You already know these things, dear friends. So be on guard; then you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing. 18 Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen.
Peter is concluding his letter with a warning to the believers and encouragement as to where to focus their spiritual growth.
Peter urges the believers to live in peace and to be pure and blameless in the sight of the Lord. Making every effort indicates the importance of living in this way. Typically, whenever someone is concluding a personal letter, the biggest things on their heart can come out at the conclusion. A type of “and oh yeah, don’t forget this.” Living in peace and being pure and blameless, or as the NKJ says, without spot and blameless. The picture is of clean, upright lives. Peter had first-hand knowledge of the Lord due to walking with Him for three years. This gives Peter some personal insight as to what was important to the Lord.
The Lord’s patience with people gives them opportunities for salvation. Many of us would have been in trouble if the Lord had not been patient. I don’t believe He stops His patience toward us after we receive salvation. He puts up with us, and I, for one, am thankful.
Peter does mention Paul and his writings. Peter and Paul had some conflict during the early days of the church. I don’t believe Peter is holding a grudge, but he acknowledges that some of Paul’s writings are hard to understand. That is an interesting note. Paul had such revelation that even Peter was a bit stumped. And what’s worse is that ignorant and unstable people twist what Paul is saying, typically to fit their own desires. Which they also do to other parts of the Scriptures, resulting in their destruction.
Be on guard against these scripture-twisting people was Peter’s warning to the believers. The danger was being carried away with their scriptural errors and putting themselves in an unstable place spiritually. There are ways that a person can guard against spiritual error, although Peter does not spell out any specifics. The best way is to know enough about the scriptures to check on what people are saying. Also, the Spirit of truth lives in us and will witness to our hearts when something is not right. A friend of mine has a saying, “Not quite is not right.” Whenever we hear something said or taught, and it lands funny or seems a bubble off, put your guard up. I admit that whenever I hear someone that I have not heard before, my guard is up by default. I ain’t buying what everyone is selling. I would much rather take the safer than sorry position.
Peter instructs these believers, and his message is still applicable to us today, to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. That is safe ground. What has Christ provided for by His grace? What can I learn about Jesus? On a separate note, that is almost always safe ground for determining truth. What does someone say about Jesus? What do the scriptures say about His grace for us? We have the potential to grow in our understanding of grace. Paul told Timothy to be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And we can grow in our knowledge of the Lord. By time in His Word and through fellowship and communication with Him, we come to know about Him and actually know Him. That’s an exciting proposition. The world has never had a more interesting, loving, strong, brilliant person. And we can know Him more and more.
PRAYER
Lord, I ask that I might grow in grace and in the knowledge of You. Help me recognize any error that would cause me to lose a stable footing spiritually. Thank You for Your Spirit to lead and guide me.