Sam was his name. He was working on some of our rental properties “helping us” get them ready to rent. Two houses became huge projects as the tenants left them in a total mess. Sam would tell us what he was doing and how much money he needed and we would pay him. After three substantial payments I decided to look in on the progress. We had been making decisions to invest money based on wrong information and this was a very painful lesson costing us thousands of dollars.
We can all relate in one way or another to the idea of basing decisions and conclusions on information that was wrong. This is the story of anybody’s life that neglects the life-producing truth of God’s Word. 2 Peter is all about ensuring believers believe that which is true.
Peter almost immediately wrote this 2nd letter obviously writing from a sense of urgency. He’d received reports of false teachers. Peter instructed and encouraged these believers to know and rehearse true knowledge of God. The word knowledge appears 15 times in this short, 3-chapter letter.
The theme is simple, pursue spiritual maturity through God’s Word. Peter repeatedly points to the Word of God as the primary means of growth for the Christian.
2 Peter 1:3-8 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 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. NIV
Why do we even need to be concerned with a godly life where we are adding goodness, knowledge, mutual affection and love to faith? Why can’t I just do my best to find my way and everybody just stay out of my business!
According to Scripture it is not good for us to be alone and on our own. According to Scripture we need to be enlightened by God or we will be deceived into a life filled with pain and regret.
In 1989 a 7.0 earthquake hit San Fancisco. Tragically 63 people died. In 2010 a 7.0 earthquake hit Haiti but in this instance more than 230,000 people were killed.
Both are tragic situations but the carnage of Haiti from the same magnitude earthquake was so much more primarily because of impoverished people who lived in such a poorly constructed land.
Biblically impoverished people live poorly constructed lives. #destinyokc
I’ve been in places of ministry leadership for years and it grieves me to see people simply dismiss the truth of Scripture from their lives. When we dismiss God’s perspectives about our lives, our marriages, our career choices, our finances, all areas of our lives carnage becomes inevitable.
Nobody wants to suffer carnage that results from a life of disobedience. The only escape is submission and the human heart fights submission because of the fall of humanity. Children don’t have to be taught to be selfishly focused on themselves when they are young. They must be taught to share and consider others. How do you teach a child to be selfless? Rehearse it over & over!
2 Peter 1:12 So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. NIV
Behind every sin we commit is a lie we believed. #destinyokc
Lies are the language of the kingdom of darkness. Darkness and ignorance are synonymous words. Truth is the language of the kingdom of Light. Light and knowledge are also synonymous words.
God’s Word is how we embrace and protect healthy perspectives that make us effective and productive in our knowledge of Christ.
Jesus didn’t die so you could have and enjoy vacation. He died so you could have and enjoy life! True life! Abundant life! This is a life that is filled with treasures of friendship with God and with others because of goodness, mutual affection, love and kindness.
GP4RL: Turn The Page every day this week.
DISCUSSION GUIDE FOR COMMUNITY GROUP LEADERS
Click here for a downloadable pdf file of this guide.
OPENER DISCUSSION:
• If you knew you were about to die and had time to make only one phone call or write one letter or e-mail, whom would you contact? Why?
2 Peter is all about embracing and protecting a healthy perspective that will help us in being effective and productive in our knowledge of Christ. Peter actually speaks in 2 Pet 1:8 that we can grow ineffective and unproductive.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
• How would you describe a faith that is unproductive and ineffective?
• How would you describe a faith that is productive and effective?
2 Peter 1:3-8 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 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. NIV
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
• Which of these character qualities Peter is saying to add to our faith do you find it most difficult to practice?
• The first thing Peter says to add to our faith is goodness. How could a person add goodness to their faith?
• What is one thing you could do this next week to improve your productivity and effectiveness in your relationship with God?
2 Peter 1:12 So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. NIV
Clearly we need to rehearse and practice Kingdom Truths even if we are totally familiar with them. Read, rehearse and meditate on these 6 verses we have looked at in our group 2 Peter 1:3-8 every day this week.
GOING DEEPER
II Peter was a "reminder" to the readers of the truth of the Gospel, which they had received as against the attacks of false teachers who would pervert it. The author urges his hearers to remain steadfast even amidst persecution and reminds them that the Lord will keep His promises. He speaks of the "day of the Lord" and of the necessity of keeping themselves "without spot and blameless" (3:14)
MESSAGE BIBLE INTRODUCTIONS:
1 & 2 PETER
Peter's concise confession - "You are the Messiah, the Christ" - focused the faith of the disciples on Jesus as God among us, in person, carrying out the eternal work of salvation. Peter seems to have been a natural leader, commanding the respect of his peers by sheer force of personality. In every listing of Jesus' disciples, Peter's name is invariably first.
In the early church, his influence was enormous and acknowledged by all. By virtue of his position, he was easily the most powerful figure in the Christian community. And his energetic preaching, ardent prayer, bold healing, and wise direction confirmed the trust placed in him.
The way Peter handled himself in that position of power is even more impressive than the power itself. He stayed out of the center, didn't "wield" power, maintained a scrupulous subordination to Jesus. Given his charismatic personality and well-deserved position at the head, he could easily have taken over, using the prominence of his association with Jesus to promote himself. That he didn't do it, given the frequency with which spiritual leaders do exactly that, is impressive. Peter is a breath of fresh air.
The two letters Peter wrote exhibit the qualities of Jesus that the Holy Spirit shaped in him: a readiness to embrace suffering rather than prestige, a wisdom developed from experience and not imposed from a book, a humility that lacked nothing in vigor or imagination. From what we know of the early stories of Peter, he had in him all the makings of a bully. That he didn't become a bully (and religious bullies are the worst kind) but rather the boldly confident and humbly self-effacing servant of Jesus Christ that we discern in these letters, is a compelling witness to what he himself describes as "a brand-new life, with everything to live for.
CHUCK SWINDOLL EXPLANATIONS:
2 PETER: Who wrote the book?
Peter introduced himself at the beginning of the letter as “a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,” and he addressed the letter “to those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours” (2 Peter 1:1). Only later does it become apparent that Peter was writing to the same group of believers who had received his first letter. In 2 Peter 3:1, the author reflected that this is “the second letter I am writing to you.”
Where are we?
Peter wrote this letter from Rome soon after he wrote 1 Peter in AD 64–66. So what would have prompted another letter to the same group so soon after the first? From the contents of the letter, it appears that Peter had received reports of false teachers in and among the churches in Asia Minor. The apostle warned them about the insidious presence of those who spread heresies among the people (2 Peter 2:1), marking such difficulties as a sign of the last days (3:3). Peter wanted to encourage his people to stand firm and to instruct them on how best to do that.
Why is Second Peter so important?
The churches of Asia Minor were not just struggling with the persecution and suffering addressed in Peter’s first letter; they also had strife and dissension within their ranks. In an effort to stem the tide of heresy and false teaching among the Christians, Peter emphasized the importance of learning and clinging to the proper knowledge of God. In fact, this concept was so important to him that the word knowledge appears—in one form or another—some fifteen times in the span of this short, three-chapter letter.
What's the big idea?
Peter’s theme in his second letter is a simple one: pursue spiritual maturity through the Word of God as a remedy for false teaching and a right response to heretics in light of Christ’s promised second coming (2 Peter 1:3, 16). When false teachers begin to whisper their sweet words into the ears of immature Christians, the body of Christ begins to break apart, to lose what makes it distinctive in the first place—faith in the unique person and work of Jesus Christ. Peter repeatedly points to the Word of God as the primary means of growth for the Christian (1:4, 19–21; 3:1–2, 14–16).
Peter encouraged his readers to apply themselves to acquiring the true knowledge of God and living out the life of faith with “all diligence,” so that they may “be found by [Jesus] in peace, spotless and blameless” (1:5; 3:14). And if believers did not follow his advice, they would be giving their Christian community over to the heretics, people who look to “exploit . . . with false words” (2:3).
How do I apply this?
As with the recipients of Peter’s letter, we all go through difficult times. Those trials seem to hit us even harder when the source of the struggles comes from somewhere or someone close to us. We know intuitively this is true in our personal lives: a rift in a marriage, an unwed daughter’s unexpected pregnancy, or an abusive relationship with a relative. But it holds true within the church as well.
Believers can create dissension in multiple ways, particularly in the areas of relationships and theology. To guard against that kind of discord—both in our families and our churches—God’s people need to know who He is. Our knowledge of God through His Word is the first line of defense against the conflicts that threaten to tear us apart. As Peter wrote: “Be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men . . . but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:17–18).
With that in mind, what means are you taking to grow in your faith? Let’s take the time to guard our minds with the proper knowledge of God so that we may not drift off from the path that God has laid out for us.