A Dr. Congdon once
approached Bible teacher R. A. Torrey, complaining he could get nothing
out of his Bible study.
“Please tell me how to study it so that
it will mean something to me.”
“Read it,” replied Dr. Torrey.
“I do read it.”
“Read it some more.”
“How?”
“Take some book and read it twelve
times a day for a month.”
Torrey recommended
Second Peter.
Dr. Congdon later
said,
“My wife and I read 2 Peter three or
four times in the morning, two or three times at noon, and two or three
times at dinner. Soon I was talking 2 Peter to everyone I met. It seemed
as though the stars in the heavens were singing the story of 2 Peter. I
read 2 Peter on my knees, marking passages. Teardrops mingled with the
crayon colors, and I said to my wife,
“See how I have ruined this part of my
Bible.”
“Yes,” she said, “but as the pages have
been getting black, your life has been getting white.”
Dr. Kenneth Gangel
offers a summary of the reasons Peter wrote his second letter. “This final
impassioned plea to grow in Christian maturity and guard against false
teachers was precipitated by the fact that [Peter’s] time was short (2
Peter 1:13-15) and that these congregations faced immediate danger (2
Peter 2:1-3). He also desired to refresh their memories (2 Peter 1:13) and
stimulate their thinking (2 Peter 3:1-2) so they would remember his
teaching (2 Peter 1:15).... And he encouraged his readers with the
certainty of Christ’s return (2 Peter 3:1-16).” (Today
in the Word)
2 Peter 1:1
2 Peter 1:1 Like Precious Faith
2 Peter 1:2
Real Wisdom
Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God (2 Peter
1:2).
An early evening thunderstorm provided the setting for the most beautiful
rainbow I'd ever seen. But when I tried to describe it to my wife, I
became thoroughly frustrated, for its beauty defied my words. In an
attempt to understand what I had observed, I read an article in the
encyclopedia. It explained that a rainbow is an arc showing the colors of
the spectrum, which is a display of light separated according to
wavelengths. Each wavelength consists of a different color. There-fore the
rainbow appears as a band of colors. The article increased my
understanding, but it offered only cold facts. It didn't capture the
rainbow's glory. Abstract knowledge adds to my intellectual
under-standing, but only seeing its beauty can reach my emotions.
Second Peter 1 mentions two different kinds of knowledge. In verses 5 and
6, the author used a Greek word for knowledge that means the abstract
information needed for spiritual growth. But in verses 2, 3, and 8, he
used the Greek word that denotes a more complete, practical knowledge of
Christ, which is actually the goal of such growth. These two terms differ
in the same way that reading about a rainbow differs from seeing its
beauty. Job spoke of that distinction after his testing when he said to
the Lord, "I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye
sees You" (Job 42:5). As you increase your knowledge about God, pray that
you may also grow in your knowledge of God. —M. R. De Haan II (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
True wisdom starts with a heart full of faith, not a head full of facts.
(Our
Daily Bread)
2 Peter 1:3
2 Peter 1:3 Man Summoned by God's Glory and Energy
The great Scottish Bible expositor Alexander MacLaren once wrote: ‘We may
have as much of God as we will. Christ puts the key of the
treasure-chamber into our hand, and bids us take all that we want. If a
man is admitted into the bullion vault of a bank and told to help himself,
and comes out with one cent, whose fault is it that he is poor?” (Today
in the Word. Moody Bible Institute)
2 Peter 1:4
2 Peter 1:4 Partakers of the Divine Nature
- Alexander Maclaren
2 Peter 1:4
“Exceeding great and precious promises” - If you would know
experimentally the preciousness of the promises, and enjoy them in your
own heart, meditate much upon them. There are promises which are like
grapes in the wine-press; if you will tread them the juice will flow.
Thinking over the hallowed words will often be the prelude to their
fulfilment. While you are musing upon them, the boon which you are seeking
will insensibly come to you. Many a Christian who has thirsted for the
promise has found the favour which it ensured gently distilling into his
soul even while he has been considering the divine record; and he has
rejoiced that ever he was led to lay the promise near his heart.
But besides meditating upon the promises, seek in thy soul to receive them
as being the very words of God. Speak to thy soul thus, “If I were dealing
with a man’s promise, I should carefully consider the ability and the
character of the man who had covenanted with me. So with the promise of
God; my eye must not be so much fixed upon the greatness of the mercy—that
may stagger me; as upon the greatness of the promiser—that will cheer me.
My soul, it is God, even thy God, God that cannot lie, who speaks to thee.
This word of his which thou art now considering is as true as his own
existence. He is a God unchangeable. He has not altered the thing which
has gone out of his mouth, nor called back one single consolatory
sentence. Nor doth he lack any power; it is the God that made the heavens
and the earth who has spoken thus. Nor can he fail in wisdom as to the
time when he will bestow the favours, for he knoweth when it is best to
give and when better to withhold. Therefore, seeing that it is the word of
a God so true, so immutable, so powerful, so wise, I will and must believe
the promise.” If we thus meditate upon the promises, and consider the
Promiser, we shall experience their sweetness, and obtain their
fulfilment. (Spurgeon, C. H. Morning and evening July 27 AM)
God’s Precious
Promises - Corrie ten Boom and her family had a special secret that
helped them get through their difficult days under Hitler’s regime. The
family members would quietly ask each other, “What do you have in your
shoe, Mama?” “What do you have in your shoe, Daddy? “What do you have in
your shoe, Betsy?” The answer—precious portions of Scripture that they had
torn from their Bible. They were literally standing on the promises of
God! (Turning Points Magazine)
2 Peter
1:4
Cheering Promises - Precious faith and precious promise are
necessarily linked together (2Pe1:1-4). The promises excite the faith, and
faith reckons upon the fulfilment of promise. One is sometimes asked why
it is that God's Word seems to fail, and that the righteous do appear to
be forsaken! But surely the reason is, not that there is any failure on
God's side to fulfil His promises, but that the promise is not claimed. It
is possible to carry around a pocket-full of bank notes and cheques, and
to die of starvation because they have not been cashed. When you have
found a promise that just fits your need, do not rest content until you
have laid it before God, and claimed its fulfilment.
Note that everything which is needed for life and godliness is already
granted to us in Jesus our Lord (2Pe1:3). We have not to pray to our
Father for things which He has not anticipated, but to claim those which
He has already given. The one purpose of God's preparation is that we
should not only escape the corruption which is in the world, but become
"partakers of His Divine Nature." What a marvellous promise is this, which
almost passes human thought and comprehension, that we should become
animated and filled by the very nature of God!
Note the recurrence of the phrase "these things" in the following verses.
When they abound in us we cannot be idle or unfruitful. The octave of
qualities enumerated reminds us of those Chinese boxes, each of which
contains a smaller one, until we finally arrive at some precious article
enclosed in the innermost. Faith apprehends everything else--manly
courage, knowledge, sell-control, patience, godliness, kindness, and above
all, love. To be deficient in "these things" is to be short-sighted (R.V.).
The Apostle says that the soul which has incorporated into itself these
qualities of character will be welcomed into the Eternal Kingdom. It will
enter the Harbour royally, with every sail set and pennant flying, and
receive a choral entrance from the eager crowds that await its approach
(2Pe1:11). Let us be diligent in our appropriation of God's great and
precious promises, so that we shall never fail.
PRAYER - Grant us, O Lord, we beseech Thee, always to seek Thy kingdom and
righteousness; and of whatsoever Thou seest us to stand in need,
mercifully grant us an abundant portion; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
AMEN. (F B Meyer. Our Daily Walk. June 9)
2 Peter 1:4
Partakers of the divine nature - To be a partaker of the divine nature
is not, of course, to become God. That cannot be. The essence of Deity is
not to be participated in by the creature. Between the creature and the
Creator there must ever be a gulf fixed in respect of essence; but as the
first man Adam was made in the image of God, so we, by the renewal of the
Holy Spirit, are in a yet diviner sense made in the image of the Most
High, and are partakers of the divine nature. We are, by grace, made like
God. “God is love”; we become love—“He that loveth is born of God.” God is
truth; we become true, and we love that which is true: God is good, and he
makes us good by his grace, so that we become the pure in heart who shall
see God. Moreover, we become partakers of the divine nature in even a
higher sense than this—in fact, in as lofty a sense as can be conceived,
short of our being absolutely divine. Do we not become members of the body
of the divine person of Christ? Yes, the same blood which flows in the
head flows in the hand: and the same life which quickens Christ quickens
his people, for “Ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.”
Nay, as if this were not enough, we are married unto Christ. He hath
betrothed us unto himself in righteousness and in faithfulness, and he who
is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. Oh! marvellous mystery! we look
into it, but who shall understand it? One with Jesus—so one with him that
the branch is not more one with the vine than we are a part of the Lord,
our Saviour, and our Redeemer! While we rejoice in this, let us remember
that those who are made partakers of the divine nature will manifest their
high and holy relationship in their intercourse with others, and make it
evident by their daily walk and conversation that they have escaped the
corruption that is in the world through lust. O for more divine holiness
of life! (Spurgeon, C. H. Morning and evening: September 16 AM)
2 Peter 1:4
Having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
-Vanish for ever all thought of indulging the flesh if you would live in
the power of your risen Lord. It were ill that a man who is alive in
Christ should dwell in the corruption of sin. “Why seek ye the living
among the dead?” said the angel to Magdalene. Should the living dwell in
the sepulchre? Should divine life be immured in the charnel house of
fleshly lust? How can we partake of the cup of the Lord and yet drink the
cup of Belial? Surely, believer, from open lusts and sins you are
delivered: have you also escaped from the more secret and delusive
lime-twigs of the Satanic fowler? Have you come forth from the lust of
pride? Have you escaped from slothfulness? Have you clean escaped from
carnal security? Are you seeking day by day to live above worldliness, the
pride of life, and the ensnaring vice of avarice? Remember, it is for this
that you have been enriched with the treasures of God. If you be indeed
the chosen of God, and beloved by him, do not suffer all the lavish
treasure of grace to be wasted upon you. Follow after holiness; it is the
Christian’s crown and glory. An unholy church! it is useless to the world,
and of no esteem among men. It is an abomination, hell’s laughter,
heaven’s abhorrence. The worst evils which have ever come upon the world
have been brought upon her by an unholy church. O Christian, the vows of
God are upon you. You are God’s priest: act as such. You are God’s king:
reign over your lusts. You are God’s chosen: do not associate with Belial.
Heaven is your portion: live like a heavenly spirit, so shall you prove
that you have true faith in Jesus, for there cannot be faith in the heart
unless there be holiness in the life. (Spurgeon, C. H. Morning and
evening June 26 PM).
“Lord, I desire to
live as one
Who bears a blood-bought name,
As one who fears but grieving thee,
And knows no other shame.”
2
Peter 1:5
2 Peter 1:5 The Power of Diligence
Are you applying all
diligence in your Christian walk? C. H. Spurgeon reminds us that...
“God sends every bird his food, but He
doesn't throw it into the nest.”
Henrietta Mears
speaks of applying all diligence "It is difficult to steer a parked car,
so get moving."
Giving all
diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge (2 Peter 1:5).
2 Peter
1:5
Long-distance runner Paavo Nurmi of Finland was an Olympic champion,
winning twelve medals (nine of them gold) in the 1920, 1924, and 1928
Games. Nurmi was famous not only for his achievements, but also for
running with a stopwatch in his hand to check his performance. It’s
good to know how you’re doing along the way if you want to win a
long-distance race. Peter would probably have liked Nurmi’s commitment to
excellence. The apostle was determined to win his own race--the Christian
race--and help other believers to do the same. Since we’re also in the
same race, we need to pay close attention to Peter’s teaching. (Today
in the Word)
2 Peter 1:5
Pursuing Knowledge
In an interview at Santa Monica College a few years ago, a student told me
that he was extremely interested in finding out all he could about
religion, that he enjoyed studying it, and that he was looking for truth.
When I questioned him further about his desire to learn so much about
religion, he explained that he wanted to expand his education. His
curiosity drove him to find out what motivates religious people, but he
said he was not the kind of person who gets up in the morning with a
desire to do the will of God.
We are like this student when we want to learn more about the Bible for
some reason other than to know God better and to do what He wants us to
do. The apostle Peter said that we should increase our understanding for
one primary purpose—to bring our faith to maturity. Our goal in pursuing
knowledge should be self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly
kindness, and love, which are marks of a wise Christian. This progression
toward maturity results in a full experiential knowledge of Christ (v. 8)
.
God doesn't ask us to increase knowledge for the sake of knowledge. He
asks us to grow in our understanding so that we can become God-centered,
loving, productive people. —M. R. De Haan II (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Unless it leads to wisdom, knowledge can be dangerous. (Our
Daily Bread)
2 Peter 1:5-6
Giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue
knowledge, etc.” If thou wouldest enjoy the eminent grace of the full
assurance of faith, under the blessed Spirit’s influence, and assistance,
do what the Scripture tells thee, “Give diligence.” Take care that thy
faith is of the right kind—that it is not a mere belief of doctrine, but a
simple faith, depending on Christ, and on Christ alone. Give diligent heed
to thy courage. Plead with God that he would give thee the face of a lion,
that thou mayest, with a consciousness of right, go on boldly. Study well
the Scriptures, and get knowledge; for a knowledge of doctrine will tend
very much to confirm faith. Try to understand God’s Word; let it dwell in
thy heart richly.
When thou hast done this, “Add to thy knowledge temperance.” Take heed to
thy body: be temperate without. Take heed to thy soul: be temperate
within. Get temperance of lip, life, heart, and thought. Add to this, by
God’s Holy Spirit, patience; ask him to give thee that patience which
endureth affliction, which, when it is tried, shall come forth as gold.
Array yourself with patience, that you may not murmur nor be depressed in
your afflictions. When that grace is won look to godliness. Godliness is
something more than religion. Make God’s glory your object in life; live
in his sight; dwell close to him; seek for fellowship with him; and thou
hast “godliness”; and to that add brotherly love. Have a love to all the
saints: and add to that a charity, which openeth its arms to all men, and
loves their souls. When you are adorned with these jewels, and just in
proportion as you practise these heavenly virtues, will you come to know
by clearest evidence “your calling and election.” “Give diligence,” if you
would get assurance, for lukewarmness and doubting very naturally go hand
in hand. (Spurgeon, C. H. Morning and evening: July 26 AM)
2
Peter 1:6
...perseverance, and in your perseverance godliness
An Elusive Virtue - In 1404, twenty-five-year-old Lorenzo Ghiberti won
a commission to build and adorn a pair of bronze doors for the north side
of the baptistery in the cathedral of Florence, Italy. He took twenty-one
years to design and cast the masterpieces, dividing the doors into
twenty-eight New Testament panels. They cost $550,000. The donors then
asked him to make corresponding double doors for the baptistery’s east
side. This endeavor took twenty-seven years and featured the Old Testament
in ten panels. He spent forty-eight years one just two projects, but his
time and effort left artistic masterpieces for generations to admire.
Building spiritual lives challenges us to a perseverance that defies even
Ghiberti. The free will, prejudice, stubbornness, and pride that mocks God
are all obstacles to change and growth. The life produced by the Spirit in
the Word seldom comes easily or quickly. People are never as easy to mold
as bronze and wood. Although a skilled craftsman can predict how basic
elements will react under given stimuli, the spiritual leader never
masters the moods and reactions of people. (Hurley, V.
Speaker's sourcebook of new illustrations
Dallas: Word Publishers)
2
Peter 1:8
As the Life, So the Fruit - IF we desire to glorify our Lord by
fruitfulness, we must have certain things within us; for nothing can come
out of us which is not first of all within us. We must begin with faith,
which is the groundwork of all the virtues; and then diligently add to it
virtue, knowledge, temperance, and patience. With these we must have
godliness and brotherly love. All these put together will most assuredly
cause us to produce—as our life fruit—the clusters of usefulness, and we
shall not be mere idle knowers, but real doers of the Word. These holy
things must not only be in us, but abound, or we shall be barren. Fruit is
the overflow of life, and we must be full before we can flow over.
We have noticed men
of considerable parts and opportunities who have never succeeded in doing
real good in the conversion of souls; and after close observation, we have
concluded that they lacked certain graces which are absolutely essential
to fruit bearing. For real usefulness, graces are better than gifts. As
the man is, so is his work. If we would do better we must be better. Let
the text be a gentle hint to unfruitful professors, and to myself also.
(Spurgeon, C. H: Faith's Checkbook)
2 Peter
1:8
For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you
neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus
Christ.
In growing a healthy, fruit-bearing church, try this plan.
Plant three rows of squash:
• Squash gossip.
• Squash criticism.
• Squash indifference.
Plant seven rows of peas:
• Prayer
• Promptness
• Perseverance
• Politeness
• Preparedness
• Purity
• Patience
Plant seven heads of lettuce:
• Let us be unselfish and loyal.
• Let us be faithful to duty.
• Let us search the Scriptures.
• Let us not be weary in well-doing.
• Let us be obedient in all things.
• Let us be truthful.
• Let us love one another.
No garden is complete without turnips:
• Turn up for church.
• Turn up for meetings, in prayer, and Bible study.
• Turn up with a smile, even when things are difficult.
• Turn up with determination to do your best in God’s service.
After planting, may
you grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
(2 Peter 3:18). And may you reap rich results. (Morgan, R. J.
Nelson's complete book of stories, illustrations,
and quotes Page
122. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers)
2 Peter 1:8
Holy Fruit - Billy Graham told about the conversion of H. C. Morrison,
the founder of Asbury Theological Seminary. He said that Morrison, a farm
worker at the time, was plowing in a field one day when he saw an old
Methodist preacher coming by on his horse.
Morrison knew the elderly gentleman to be a gracious, godly man. As he
watched the old saint go by, a great sense of conviction of sin came over
Morrison and he dropped to his knees. There between the furrows in his
field, alone, he gave his life to God.
When he concluded the story, Billy Graham earnestly prayed, "Oh, God, make
me a holy man."
Augustine said, "Do you wish to be great? Then begin by being." True and
lasting greatness stems from what we are. Though we may seem to be doing
nothing at all, we can be doing everything worthwhile if our lives are
being styled by God's grace. Even if we are set aside through old age,
sickness, or seclusion, we can still be productive. Are you bedridden or
house-bound? Your holy life can still bear fruit.
This can happen only as we stay in close relationship with Jesus (John
15:1-11). Only then will we have the fruit that "remains" (v.16). —D H R
(Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
I lived so that all whom I met could see
His Holy Spirit shining through me;
O friend, is this what our hearts can say
As we sit and think at the close of day? —Nicholson
The most powerful
testimony is a holy life. (Our
Daily Bread)
2 Peter 1:8
The Garden - Imagine the beauty of fields where the tassels of dark
green corn and heads of golden wheat wave gently in the breeze. Or picture
in your mind gardens where magnolias bloom, roses spill out their perfume,
and pansies lift their faces toward the sun.
Then think of a plot of land that is a monument to neglect--overgrown with
weeds that choke out the growth of what is good, useful, and beautiful.
Now let's envision another kind of garden, one that has to do with
spiritual realities. The apostle Peter told us how we can avoid being
"barren" and "unfruitful" (2 Pet. 1:8). He encouraged believers to be
diligent and spiritually productive, developing the character qualities of
faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly
kindness, and love (vv.5-7).
Doing this requires effort. It demands that we work on our relationship
with God--reading the Bible regularly, praying often, resisting
temptation, focusing on obedience to Him, and reaching out to others in
love. Peter mentioned the additional benefits of fruitfulness: a growing
assurance, spiritual stability, and a rich welcome into the eternal
kingdom of our Savior (vv.10-11).
How productive is your life's garden? --HVL (Our
Daily Bread)
The Master is seeking
a harvest
In lives He's redeemed by His blood;
He seeks for the fruit of the Spirit,
And works that will glorify God. --Lehman © 1924 H. S.
Lehman
A fruitful life is a
joyful life.
2
Peter 1:9
The Cure for Short Sight - For he that lacketh these things is blind,
seeing only what is near."
THE CHRISTIAN graces which we have to supply present themselves to the
Apostle s mind as the golden links of a chain or necklace, which begins
with Faith, and ends with Love, so that Faith and Love clasp in the centre
(2 Pe1:5-7).
The idea of lavish expenditure is here associated with the word translated
"Supply" (2Pe 1:5-11). Among the ancient customs of Greece, was the
expression of goodwill to society on the part of leading citizens by the
provision of public entertainments, in honour of benefactors, or generals
returning victorious from war. Rich men craved permission to bear the
cost, as in modem days men will endow hospitals and libraries.
So the Apostle says, See to it that you spare no cost in the glorious
provision of "these things"; spare neither thought nor pains, if only
these Christian graces are in you and abound. Then, for you also, there
will be a profuse expenditure of Heavenly welcome. You will not enter the
Heavenly City unnoticed and alone. A choral and processional greeting will
be yours. You will not enter the port like some water-logged vessel, but
with colours flying and all sails set! (2 Pe 1:11.)
Notice the order of these graces. Each is in the other like those Chinese
boxes, each of which contains a number of smaller ones which fit inside.
Opening the one marked Faith, manly courage should be discovered; opening
courage, knowledge should present itself; from knowledge, we should come
on self-control; within self-control should be patience; inside patience
we have towards men should be godliness towards God; then we find
brotherly love; and finally we come on Love!
The Apostle says that those who lack "these things" are
short-sighted--they see only the things of this world, not the real things
of eternity. The tenth verse warns us that the careful culture of these
things in the heart will prevent stumbling in the outward life (Judges
1:20-24). So many people wait to feel good before they act goodness. The
Divine method is to step out on the path of obedience to Christ, believing
that He will supply the needed grace.
PRAYER
Accept, O Most Merciful Father, of this renewed dedication which we make
of ourselves, our bodies, souls, and spirits unto Thee. Grant that we may
be like Jesus, pure and undefiled, meek and gentle, peaceable, patient,
contented and thankful. AMEN. (F B Meyer. Our Daily Walk. September 6)
2 Peter
1:9
Identity Crisis - Several years ago I read about a young husband who
forgot that he was married. According to the newspaper account, the day
after the newlyweds returned from their honeymoon, the husband was 3 hours
late getting home from the office. Dinner was burned--and his bride was
burning mad. He had absentmindedly gone to his mother's house!
That's a funny story. But when people who belong to the Savior suffer from
a similar memory problem, it's not very humorous. The apostle Peter
reminded those of us who have entered into a relationship with Jesus that
we are not what we used to be. As God's people, we should always keep in
mind that we have been cleansed from our old sins (2 Pet. 1:9) and that we
have a new purpose in life.
We who are united to Christ need to remind ourselves continually that we
belong to Him, and we are to choose to live for His glory. By studying the
Scriptures, communing with the Father, and fellowshiping with His
children, we can avoid the spiritual identity crisis of forgetting who we
are.
Believer, you have been spiritually reborn into God's family. Failing to
remember this will result in something far more serious than a burned
dinner (vv.8-11). --M R De Haan II (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Yes, I know Him as my
Savior,
For my sins are washed away;
And I'll never cease to praise Him
For this truth through endless day. --Hallan
Your identity crisis
is resolved when you identify with Christ. (Our
Daily Bread)
2 Peter 1:10
Regarding "Make your calling and election sure" C H Spurgeon wrote...
When Mr. Whitefield was once asked to
use his influence at a general election, he returned answer to his
lordship who requested him that he knew very little about general
elections, but that if his lordship took his advice, he would make his own
particular "calling and election sure." It was a very proper remark.
I beseech you, give no sleep to your eyes till you have read your title
clear to mansions in the skies. Shall your eternal destiny be a matter of
uncertainty to you? What! Is heaven or hell involved in this matter, and
will you rest until you know which of these shall be your everlasting
portion? Are you content while it is a question whether God loves you or
is angry with you?
2 Peter
1:10
David W. Folsom, author of the book Assets Unknown, estimates that
there are over one trillion dollars worth of unclaimed property in the
United States held in federal and state accounts, waiting to be claimed by
the rightful owners. These assets include stocks and bonds, unclaimed
pension and insurance benefits, and uncashed dividend checks. This
staggering figure illustrates the “high cost of forgetting what you own.”
As Christians we are “co-heirs with Christ” (Rom. 8:17); we can’t afford
to lose sight of what God is holding in store for us. For-getting
spiritually costs more than forgetting financially.
Peter desired that his readers not forget what they learned. To the
apostle, faith in Christ was far too “precious” (v. 1) to be allowed to
slip away. The challenge for believers--then and now--is to make our
“calling and election sure.” This entails both God’s choice of His own and
His action in bringing His chosen ones to Himself. Rather than forgetting
who we are and where we have come from, we need to do the things that will
spiritually strengthen us. In this way, we can guard ourselves against
falling into temptation or believing the lies of the deceivers. Peter knew
these believers in Asia Minor were well-established in the faith. But he
also realized how powerful the lure of false teaching would be for them,
especially after he and the other apostles were gone. This was a critical
issue for Peter; when he wrote this letter he knew that he was not going
to live much longer. Jesus had revealed this to the faithful disciple who
had loved and served Him for so long. The Lord had predicted Peter’s
martyrdom years earlier (John 21:18-19). Many historians believe that
Peter was put to death in Rome shortly after 2 Peter was written. (Today
in the Word)
2 Peter
1:10-11
Preparing Or Enjoying? - When you're 9 years old, you don't want to
think a lot about the future. That's why it sometimes doesn't do any good
to explain to my son Steven the long-term advantages of struggling through
long division and practicing the piano. While I'm trying to convince him
that he needs to be preparing for his future, his mind is set on enjoying
the present.
All of us have that tension in our lives. Like children basking in the
freedom of a summer day, we would prefer to spend our time enjoying
life--playing, engaging in recreation, even savoring the joys of working
at a job we love--instead of doing the hard work of preparing for our
future.
If you have put your wholehearted faith in Jesus Christ to save you, you
have the assurance of a future with Him in heaven. That might cause you to
sit back and relax, thinking that the rest of life is just a vacation. Yet
that's not what the Bible teaches.
In Philippians 2:12, Paul said to "work out" our salvation. And in 2 Peter
1:8, the call is to add godly character qualities to our lives. As we do
these things, we are preparing for the time when we will be with our Lord.
Coasting is not an option. Let's prepare ourselves for service here on
earth and for eternity with God in heaven. --J D Brannon (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
All things of earth
are but a mist
That soon will fade away;
What lasts throughout eternity
Is what we do today. --DJD
Now is the time to
invest in eternity. (Our
Daily Bread)
2 Peter 1:11
2 Peter 1:11, 15 Going Out and Going In
A Christian on his deathbed spoke these words:
‘I shall be satisfied if I can but
creep into heaven on my hands and knees.’
We can easily
understand the spirit which prompted those words; he felt his service was
as nothing compared with his need for God’s mercy. At the same time there
is another sense in which the words are not rightly applicable to the
Christian, or Peter speaks of our having an abundant entrance given us in
the everlasting kingdom (2 Peter 1:11).
In keeping with
this, Paul constantly emphasized the Christian life with words such as
wealth, riches, abundance, and he prayed that Christians might be
‘filled with all the fullness of God’
(Ephesians 3:19)
Paul was not
satisfied with a bare entrance into heaven. His desire was that both he
and his converts would have the fullest possible Christian life here
below, and then enter fully into the joy of the Lord above. This is the
true Christian life—the life of fullness, power, depth and reality.” (W.
H. Griffith Thomas)
2 Peter
1:11
An entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly.
There are two ways of entering a port. A ship may come in, waterlogged and
crazy, just kept afloat by continual working at the pumps; or it may enter
with every sail set, her pennon floating at the masthead. The latter is
what the apostle desires for himself and those whom he addresses. He
desired that an entrance abundant should be ministered unto them.
An abundant entrance
is really a choral entrance. The idea may be illustrated from the entrance
of a Roman conqueror to his city, whence he bad been sent out to war. Amid
the crowds of spectators, the procession climbed slowly to the capital,
while sweet incense was poured on the air, and music raised her sweetest
and most inspiring strains. Will your entrance into heaven be like that?
Will you enter it, saved so as by fire, or to receive a reward? Will you
come unrecognized and unknown, or be welcomed by scores and hundreds to
whom you have been the means of blessing, and who will wait you? Will your
coming make music right through the home of God? This is the meaning of
the choral entrance. It reminds us of those words of Christ about the
friends whom we have made by the right use of money welcoming us into
eternal habitations.
The conditions on
which that choral welcome will be afforded are clearly enunciated here.
Look back to 2 Peter 1:5–6 (r.v.). There the identical word of the choir
occurs again, translated “supply.” It is as though these eight Christian
graces composed the octave choir, and that our diligence in acquiring and
cultivating these will be rewarded hereafter by the choral welcome into
the eternal kingdom of the Lord Jesus. Wherefore give diligence. (Meyer,
F. B. Our Daily Homily)
2 Peter
1:11
Travel Light
As Christians, we need to think of ourselves as travelers who are just
passing through this sinful world. We are not permanent residents, but
pilgrims on a journey to a better land. Therefore, we need to “travel
light,” not burdening ourselves with an undue attachment to the material
things of life. the more we care for the luxuries and possessions of
earth, the more difficult will be our journey to heaven.
The story is told
about some Christians who were traveling in the Middle East. They heard
about a wise, devout, beloved, old believer, so they went out of their way
to visit him. When they finally found him, they discovered that he was
living in a simple hut. All he had inside was a rough cot, a chair, a
table, and a battered stove for heating and cooking. The visitors were
shocked to see how few possessions the man had, and one of the blurted
out, “Well, where is your furniture?” The aged saint replied by gently
asking, “Where is yours?” The visitor, sputtering a little, responded,
“Why, at home, of course. I don’t carry it with me, I’m traveling.”
“So am I,” the godly Christian replied. “So am I.”
This man was
practicing a basic principle of the Bible: Christians must center their
affections on Christ, not on the temporal things of this earth. Material
riches lose their value when compared to the riches of glory. To keep this
world’s goods from becoming more important to us than obeying Christ, we
need to ask ourselves, “Where is our furniture?” (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
2 Peter 1:12
It was important for Peter to bring known truths to remembrance. Believers
are apt to forget them, and then they do not exert the influence that they
ought. Amid the cares, the business, the amusements, and the temptations
of the world, the ministers of the gospel render us an essential service,
even if they do nothing more than remind us of truths which are well
understood, and which we have known before. A pastor need not always aim
at originality; he renders an essential service to mankind when he reminds
them of what they know but are prone to forget. He endeavors to impress
plain and familiar truths on the heart and conscience, for these truths
are most important for mankind. Though we may be very firm in our belief
of the truth, yet it is appropriate that the grounds of our faith should
be stated to us frequently, that they may be always in our remembrance.
(Albert Barnes)
2 Peter 1:19
The prophetic word made more sure
"Peter was with Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration, and nothing could
shake Peter's conviction that he had been there in the midst of that
heavenly glory. And yet for all that, Peter says concerning the inspired
word, "We have a more sure word of prophecy." He felt that even the memory
of that vision, which he had assuredly seen, did not always yield to him
so much assurance as did the abidingly inspired Word of God. You ought to
feel the same. (C H Spurgeon).
There's no better book with which to
defend the Bible than the Bible itself. (D L Moody)
The study of God's
Word brings peace to the heart. In it, we find a light for every darkness,
life in death, the promise of our Lord's return, and the assurance of
everlasting glory. (D L Moody)
In all my
perplexities and distresses, the Bible has never failed to give me light
and strength. (Robert E Lee)
The Bible is God's chart for you to steer by, to keep you from the bottom
of the sea, and to show you where the harbor is, and how to reach it
without running on rocks or bars. (Henry Ward Beecher)
2 Peter
1:19
Hearing God - The first morning I heard the mockingbird practicing his
bagful of imitations outside my window, I was thrilled by the beauty of
his songs. Gradually, however, I began to take this early morning songster
for granted. One day as I awoke, it dawned on me that I no longer
appreciated my regular visitor. It wasn't the mockingbird's fault. He was
still there. His beautiful song hadn't changed, but I was no longer
listening for it.
As believers in Christ, we may have a similar experience hearing God speak
to us in His Word. When we are first saved, the Scriptures, with their
soul-stirring instruction and vital spiritual food, are deeply satisfying.
As time goes on, however, we routinely read those same portions over and
over in a manner that no longer speaks to us. Our spiritual senses grow
dull and lethargic, and God's exhilarating Word becomes commonplace to us.
But then, what joy we feel when a passage reveals an exciting truth, and
once again we "hear" the Lord!
Are you reading the Scriptures out of a tired sense of duty? Or do you
still possess the fresh expectancy you had when you first believed? Today,
when you read God's Word, listen closely for His voice. -R W De Haan (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
I scanned the
Scriptures thoughtlessly--
My haste had closed my ear;
Then prayerfully I read once more--
This time my heart could hear. -Gustafson
Without a heart for
God, we cannot hear His Word. (Our
Daily Bread)
2 Peter 1:21
The Bible
The apostle Peter wrote two books of the New Testament, yet he realized
that he was merely an instrument through which God transmitted His
message to people. Peter told his readers that "prophecy never came by the
will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy
Spirit" (2 Peter 1:21).
In Thoughts for the Quiet Hour, C. H. Spurgeon wrote,
"The Bible is the writing of the living
God." He explained that though "Moses was employed to write his histories
with his fiery pen, God guided that pen. It may be that David touched his
harp and let sweet psalms of melody drop from his fingers, but God moved
his hands over the living strings of his golden harp. Solomon sang
canticles of love and gave forth words of consummate wisdom, but God
directed his lips and made the preacher eloquent. If I follow the
thundering Nahum, when his horses plow the waters; or Habakkuk, when he
sees the tents of Cushan in affliction; if I read Malachi, when the earth
is burning like an oven; or the rugged chapters of Peter, who speaks of
fire devouring God's enemies; if I turn aside to Jude, who launches forth
anathemas on the foes of God—everywhere I find God speaking. It is God's
voice, not man's."
"All Scripture is
given by inspiration of God." But more than that, it is God Himself
speaking to us. —R W De Haan (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
The Bible is the
only book whose Author is always present when it is read. (Our
Daily Bread)
2 Peter 1:21
Windtalkers - Their contribution to victory in World War II was
enormous, but few people even knew about them. In 1942, the US Army
recruited and trained 29 young Navajo Indians and sent them to a base
surrounded in secrecy. These people, who were called "windtalkers," had
been asked to devise a special code in their native language that the
enemy couldn't break. They succeeded, and the code was never broken. It
secured and greatly speeded up war communications. For 23 years after the
war, that secret code remained classified in case it might be needed
again.
By contrast, the Bible was not sent down to us in some unbreakable code
impossible to understand. Although it contains rich imagery, vivid
metaphors, and the record of magnificent visions, it was written by human
authors to give people the message of God's love and salvation.
That message is clear and unmistakable. The biblical writers were moved by
God's Spirit to record exactly what He wanted us to know. For centuries
people have been freed from their sin and guilt by believing His message.
We owe a great debt to the windtalkers. We owe an even greater debt to the
writers of Scripture, who received God's Word and wrote it down. So let's
read it often. —Dave Egner (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
When reading God's
Word, take special care
To find the rich treasures hidden there;
Give thought to each line, each precept clear,
Then practice it well with godly fear. —Anon.
Many who have been
blind to the truth have found that reading the Bible is a real eye-opener.
(Our
Daily Bread)
2 Peter 1:21
Perfect Predictions - At the beginning of a new year and a new
millennium, we hear many predictions. But then, making predictions is
nothing new. In 1983, US News & World Report magazine had a section titled
"What The Next 50 Years Will Bring." It had the usual suggestions about
the growing importance of computers, about new medical breakthroughs, and
about the sleeker, faster ways of getting around. The introduction said,
"Prediction is at best a risky business." Then it quoted Sir Francis
Bacon, who said, "Dreams and predictions ought to serve but for winter
talk by the fireside."
That may be true of man's predictions, but not of God's prophecies. Man
may speculate about what will happen next week, but God showed us in the
Bible that He knows the future. This truth is one reason we can have
absolute confidence in the Book of books. The Old Testament contains
hundreds of prophecies about people, events, and nations that have already
been fulfilled. The chance of that many predictions coming true is
astronomical.
Do you lack confidence in the Bible? Spend some time examining its many
fulfilled prophecies. I predict you'll be convinced that it truly is God's
Word, and that you can rely on it for everything in your future. —J D Brannon
(Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
For Further Study: Look up the following prophecies and their fulfillment:
Isaiah 7:14 & Luke 1:26-35; Micah 5:2 & Matthew 2:1; Isaiah 53:9,12 &
Matthew 27:38,57-61. See also
Can I Really Trust The Bible?
In a changing world you can trust God's unchanging Word. You can trust the
Bible—God always keeps His word. (Our
Daily Bread)
2 Peter 1:21
Always Right - A weatherman boasted, "I'm 90 percent right—10 percent
of the time." That's a ridiculous statement, but some people resort to
that type of doubletalk to cover up a poor record.
The Bible's prophetic record, though, truly is accurate. Let's look at a
few examples.
The Lord Jesus was born in the city of Bethlehem (Micah 5:2) of a virgin
(Isaiah 7:14) at the time specified (Daniel 9:25). Infants in Bethlehem
were massacred as prophesied (Jeremiah 31:15). Jesus went down into Egypt
and returned (Hosea 11:1). Isaiah foretold Christ's ministry in Galilee
(Isaiah 9:1-2). Zechariah predicted His triumphal entry into Jerusalem on
a colt (Zechariah 9:9) and His betrayal for 30 pieces of silver
(11:12-13). David had never seen a Roman crucifixion, yet in Psalm 22,
under divine inspiration, he penned a graphic portrayal of Jesus' death.
Isaiah 53 gives a detailed picture of our Lord's rejection, mistreatment,
death, and burial. These few prophecies (and there are many more) should
impress us with the reliability of the Bible.
Since these predictions have all been fulfilled, let us also accept with
confidence what the Bible says about the future. Remember, we have a book
of prophecy that is right—all of the time! —R D H (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
I'll trust in God's
unchanging Word
Till soul and body sever;
For though all things shall pass away,
His Word shall stand forever! —Luther
You can trust the
Bible—God always keeps His word. (Our
Daily Bread)
2 Peter
1:21
"Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost."
The best interpreter of a book is generally the man who wrote it. The Holy
Ghost wrote the Scriptures. Go to him to get their meaning, and you will
not be misled. (C H Spurgeon)
2 Peter
1:21a
With Compliments of the Author - The story is told about a young
boy named Timothy who was planning to give his grandmother a Bible for
Christmas. He wanted to write something special on the flyleaf but wasn't
sure what to say. So he decided to copy what he had seen in a book his
father had received from a friend.
Christmas morning came and Grandmother opened her gift. She was not only
pleased to receive the Bible, but she was amused by the inscription
Timothy had put in it. It read: "To Grandma, with compliments of the
author."
Even though that boy was unaware of it, he had suggested a unique fact
about the Bible. It came to us from its Author -- God. The apostle Paul
wrote, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God" (2 Ti 3:16). And
in today's Bible reading Peter said, "Holy men of God spoke as they were
moved by the Holy Spirit" (2 Pet. 1:21). That makes the Bible the most
valuable and desirable of all books.
Knowing who wrote a book often determines whether we'll pick it up and
read it. The Bible, with its divine origin, not only ought to be read, but
it demands our respect, our trust, and our obedience. It comes "with
compliments of the Author." - R W De Haan (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Your thoughts are
here, my God,
Expressed in words divine,
The utterance of heavenly lips
In every sacred line.--Bonar
The Bible is a gift
from the Author -- God. (Our
Daily Bread)
2 Peter 2
2
Peter 2:1
Quotes and Illustrations
Related to False Teaching...
Ravi Zacharias has this to say about False Teachings...
We are living in a time when . . . philosophically,
you can believe anything, so long as you do not claim it to be true.
Morally, you can practice anything, so long as you do not claim that it is
a ‘better’ way. Religiously, you can hold to anything, so long as you do
not bring Jesus Christ into it.” (Zacharias, Ravi: Jesus Among Other Gods)
2 Peter 2:1
Today in the Word
One reason the U.S. government is redesigning the country’s paper currency
is to reduce the problem of counterfeiting. The government has been trying
to foil counterfeiters for years. Indeed, the ribbed edge on dimes and
quarters, which is called “reeding,” was introduced years ago in part to
prevent counterfeiting. Why does our government have to work so hard to
combat counterfeiting? Because counterfeiters are always among us, looking
for opportunities to practice their deceptive trade. In this sense,
counterfeiters are like the false prophets and teachers who are always
present among God’s people, looking for opportunities to practice their
deceit and counterfeits. Peter addressed this problem in his second letter
to the churches of Asia Minor. (Today
in the Word)
Wayne A Detzler
on heresy writes that...
Some in the church of which I was pastor
believed that people without Christ would be lost, but that they would not
suffer eternal punishment. The argument went like this: Those who reject
Christ will go to a place of punishment after death. However, they will
ultimately be annihilated and cease to exist. Thus they will not suffer
eternal punishment in hell. This heresy, called "annihilationism," is
widespread in England. It is wrong because it denies the eternal nature of
punishment, and it also contradicts the biblical teaching about the
immortality of the soul. (Detzler,
Wayne E: New Testament Words in Today's Language. Victor. 1986)
Puritan writer
John Trapp...
Heresy is the leprosy of the head.
Puritan writer
Thomas Watson...
Error damns as well as vice; the one pistols, the other poisons.
Puritan writer
John Flavel...
By entertaining strange persons, men sometimes entertain angels unawares:
but by entertaining strange doctrines, many have entertained devils
unaware.
Orestes Brownson...
Error makes the circuit of the globe while Truth is pulling her boots
on.
German proverb...
An old error is always more popular than a new truth.
Blaise Pascal
(1623-62)...
Man is being filled with error. This error is natural and, without grace,
ineffaceable.
William Trench
(1807-86)...
Schism is practical heresy, and heresy is theoretical schism.
John Calvin...
Heresy is a magnet to attract the unsound and unsettled mind
2 Peter 2:1
The Owner and His Slaves
(sermon)
Alexander Maclaren
2 Peter 2:1
Bad Gifts - A New York City couple received through the mail two
tickets to a smash Broadway hit. Oddly, the gift arrived without a note,
and they wondered who had sent it. But they still attended the show and
enjoyed it immensely.
Returning to their apartment, they discovered that their bedroom had been
ransacked. Valuable furs and jewels were missing. On the pillow was this
simple note: "Now you know."
Like that nameless thief, a false teacher knows what people want and
appeals to their desires (2 Peter 2). He doesn't wear a lapel pin to warn
of his lies, but he comes disguised as a representative of the truth. He
claims he will enrich lives, but those who follow him often learn at a
high cost that they have been deceived.
Jesus, however, is a teacher we can trust completely. He offers us the
gift of eternal life because He truly loves us. Accepting His gift of
salvation is the first step in protecting ourselves from the deceptive
gifts that false teachers offer.
But even believers can be deceived by false teaching. That's why God's
Word exhorts us to study the Scriptures (1 Peter 2:2), test what we hear
(1 John 4:1), and grow in the faith (2 Peter 1:5-9). That way, we won't
suddenly discover that our spiritual life is in disarray. - H W Robinson (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved) (See also
How To Recognize A Good Church)
Since savage wolves,
consumed with greed,
Seek simple sheep on which to feed,
Wise are those wary lambs who graze
Close by their Shepherd's watchful gaze.-- Gustafson
Not all gifts are
free; some have hidden price tags.
2 Peter 2:4
Quotes and Illustrations related to Divine Punishment...
George
Sweeting...
For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into
hell - On one occasion Colonel Robert G. Ingersoll, the agnostic
lecturer of the last century, was announced to give an address on hell.
He declared he would prove conclusively that hell was a wild dream of some
scheming theologians who invented it to terrify credulous people. As he
was launching into his subject, a half-drunken man arose in the audience
and exclaimed, "Make it strong, Bob. There's a lot of us poor fellows
depending on you. If you are wrong, we are all lost. So be sure you can
prove it clear and plain." No amount of reasoning can nullify God's sure
Word. He has spoken as plainly of a hell for the finally impenitent as of
a heaven for those who are saved. (George Sweeting: Great Quotes &
Illustrations)
C S Lewis
The safest road to
Hell is the gradual one—the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without
sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts. (Lewis, C S, The
Screwtape Letters)
A W Tozer
The vague and
tenuous hope that God is too kind to punish the ungodly has become a
deadly opiate for the consciences of millions. (A. W. Tozer)
Anonymous
It does not require a decision to go to hell.
Carl F Henry...
The final chapter of human history is solely God's decision, and even now
He is everywhere active in grace or judgment. Never in all history have
men spoken so much of end-time, yet been so shrouded in ignorance of God's
impending doomsday.
Alistair Cooke...
The time was the 19th of May 1780. The place was Hartford, Connecticut.
The day has gone down in New England history as a terrible foretaste of
Judgment Day. For at noon the skies turned from blue to grey and by
mid-afternoon had blackened over so densely that, in that religious age,
men fell on their knees and begged a final blessing before the end came.
The Connecticut House of Representatives was in session. And as some of
the men fell down and others clamored for an immediate adjournment, the
speaker of the House, one Colonel Davenport, came to his feet. He silenced
them and said these words: "The day of judgment is either approaching or
it is not. If it is not, there is no cause for adjournment. If it is, I
choose to be found doing my duty. I wish therefore that candles may be
brought.
George Sweeting...
One of the greatest
paintings of all time is Michelangelo's The Last Judgment. The action of
the painting centers on Christ as He raises His arm in a gesture of
damnation. Though some elements of the painting appear unbiblical, at
that time its message reminded people of God's holy presence, which had
been forgotten in the humanism of the day. The painting pictures the dead
as they are resurrected to be judged. As hell releases its captives, the
Judge of Heaven reviews their works. The entire painting reflects the
despair of that generation. When the painting was unveiled, a storm of
conviction fell upon the viewers. All Europe trembled as the story of the
power of The Last Judgment traveled from city to city. (Sweeting, G. Great
Quotes & Illustrations)
C S Lewis...
There is no doctrine
which I would more willingly remove from Christianity than this (hell)
if it lay in my power. But it has the full support of Scripture and,
especially, of our Lord’s own words; it has always been held by
Christendom; and has the support of reason.
J I Packer...
Wisdom directs us to admit that there is no biblical alternative to the
biblical doctrine of eternal punishment.
C H Spurgeon...
As the Lord liveth,
sinner, thou standest on a single plank over the mouth of hell, and that
plank is rotten. Thou hangest over the pit by a solitary rope, and the
strands of that rope are breaking.
John Thomas...
A hard look at this doctrine should first change our view of sin. Most
believers do not take sin as seriously as God does.
Billy Graham...
As hell was becoming for many no more than a swear word, sin was also an
accepted way of life. . . . If people can ignore what the Bible calls sin,
then they can quite logically discount what it says about the reality of
hell.
Time/CNN Polling
Data from a telephone poll of 1,018 American adults, conducted by
Time/CNN by Yankelovich Partners, Inc., asked these questions:
Do you believe in hell, where people
are punished forever after they die?
Yes: 63%
No: 30%
Do people get into heaven based mostly
on the good things they do or on their faith of God, or both (asked of 809
who believe in heaven):
Good things they do: 6%
Faith in God: 34%
Both: 57%
Immediately after death, which of the
following do you think will happen to you? (asked of 809 who believe in
heaven):
Go directly to heaven: 61%
Go to purgatory: 15%
Go to hell: 1%
Be reincarnated: 5%
End of existence: 4%
2 Peter
2:4
Hell’s Horrors by Melvin Worthington
Introduction: The doctrine of eternal punishment remains one of the
strongest incentives for coming to Christ for salvation. Jesus spoke more
about hell than about heaven.
1. A Place. The Bible identifies
hell as a place (Luke 16:27–28; 2 Pet. 2:4; Rev. 20:13–15). Hell is a
place of punishment, partition, and permanence.
2. A Population. A comprehensive
list of the inhabitants in hell is found in 1 Corinthians 6:9–12 and
Revelation 21:8.
3. A Portrait. Luke 16:19–31
provides a detailed account of a man in hell. Careful attention should be
given to his dying moment, described misery, desired mercy, disturbing
memory, deadly mistake, and the divine message.
Conclusion:
What about you? Are you a believer? Have you placed your faith in the
finished work of Christ for salvation? God has given His Son, the
Scriptures, and His Spirit to bring men to Christ. He will give nothing
else. (Morgan, R. J.
Nelson's complete book of stories, illustrations,
and quotes
Page 97. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers)
2 Peter
2:4 Where is the promise of His coming?
While We Wait by Melvin Worthington.
Scripture: Luke
19:13; John 14:1–3; Acts 1; 1 Corinthians 1:7; 1 Thessalonians 1:10,
4:13–18; Hebrews 9:24–28; 1 John 3.
Introduction: The
Second Coming of Christ is mentioned over 300 times in the Bible. It is a
comforting hope, a cleansing hope, a compelling hope, and a certain hope.
1. The Promised Advent. We read
the Almighty’s promise in John 14, the angelic promise in Acts 1, and the
apostolic promise in 1 Thessalonians 4 and 1 John 3.
2. The Prevalent Attitudes.
Scoffers have doubted it, skeptics have denied it, sensationalists have
distorted it, saints have depended on it, and the Scriptures have
disclosed it (2 Pet. 3).
3. The Practical Application.
While we wait for the Second Coming of Christ we should walk circumspectly
(Eph. 5:15), work consistently (1 Cor. 15:57, 58), wait contentedly (James
5:7), watch carefully (Mark 13:32–37), witness compassionately (2 Cor.
5:10–21), warn convincingly (Acts 20:17–38), and worship congregationally
(Heb. 10:25).
Conclusion: Are you
living in light of Christ’s Second Coming? (Morgan, R. J.
Nelson's complete book of stories, illustrations,
and quotes Page 147. Nashville: Thomas Nelson
Publishers)
2 Peter
2:4
Where is the promise of His coming?
Our Daily Bread
Our Lord's Return - Nearly 2,000 years ago Jesus said, "I am coming
quickly." Since then, some have wrongly tried to predict when He will
return. Others have scoffed. Was Jesus wrong? Did something happen that He
didn't foresee?
Of course not! We view time from the perspective of our own brief life
span. But to the eternal God,
"One day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day" (2 Pet.
3:8).
Jesus told His disciples that God had not given them specific information
about "times or seasons" (Acts1:7). He wanted them -- as He wants us -- to
live in an attitude of expectation. Paul echoed this when he spoke of
Christ's return as "the blessed hope" (Ti. 2:13).
But how do we live expectantly? Jesus instructed the disciples to be
witnesses to all the world (Acts 1:8). Paul said, "Watch and be
sober" (see commentary on
1Thessalonians 5:6) and love other believers (Acts 1:12-15). John urged us
to walk in close fellowship with Jesus (1 Jn. 2:28-3:3) and to purify
ourselves so that we will "not be ashamed before Him at His coming" (1
John 2:28).
The Lord's any-moment return is no cause for date-setting but for watchful
expectation. Let's serve Him in every aspect of our lives, and one
day we'll hear Him say, "Well done, good and faithful servant" (Mt.
25:21). -H V Lugt (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Blessed are those
whom the Lord finds watching,
In His glory they shall share;
If He shall come at the dawn or midnight,
Will He find us watching there?-- Crosby
A watching Christian
will be a working Christian
2
Peter 2:7
C H Spurgeon
If Lot had not escaped, he would have perished with the men of Sodom. He
could not endure them. He was vexed with their filthy conversation. How
horrible, then, would it have been for him to perish with them! I cannot
bear to think that some of you upright, moral people may yet be lost. You
were never drunkards, and yet you will perish with the drunkards unless
you repent and trust in Jesus. You were never swearers, but you will be as
surely damned as the blasphemers will be unless you come to Christ. You
cannot bear unchastity or filthiness of language. There is much about you
that is most amiable and excellent. But even to you the Savior says, "Ye
must be born again" ( John 3:7). And if you are not born again, if you
have no faith in Christ, you will as surely perish as will the worst of
men. (C H Spurgeon)
2
Peter 2:9
C H Spurgeon
Faith's Checkbook
Whom, When, How to Deliver - THE godly are tempted and tried. That is
not true faith which is never put to the test. But the godly are delivered
out of their trials, and that not by chance, nor by secondary agencies,
but by the Lord himself. He personally undertakes the office of delivering
those who trust Him. God loves the godly or godlike, and He makes a point
of knowing where they are, and how they fare.
Sometimes their way
seems to be a labyrinth, and they cannot imagine how they are to escape
from threatening danger. What they do not know their Lord knows. He knows
whom to deliver, and when to deliver, and how to deliver. He delivers in
the way which is most beneficial to the godly, most crushing to the
tempter, and most glorifying to Himself. We may leave the “how” with the
Lord and be content to rejoice in the fact that He will, in some way or
other, bring His own people through all the dangers, trials, and
temptations of this mortal life to His own right hand in glory.
This day it is not
for me to pry into my Lord’s secrets, but patiently to wait his time,
knowing this, that though I know nothing, my heavenly Father knows.
(Spurgeon, C H: Faith's Checkbook)
2 Peter
2:9
The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly.
F B Meyer
Our Daily Homily
The following authentic story will best illustrate and enforce this text.
I give it as it was given to me by a friend who had verified the
circumstances during a visit to Blankenburg. A godly Lutheran pastor,
Sander, of Elberfeld, had been compelled to rebuke an evil-liver for some
gross sin, and had thereby attracted to himself his malicious hate; and
the man vowed to repay him. One night the pastor was called to visit a
house that could only be reached by passing over a plank which bridged an
impetuous torrent. Nothing seemed easier to his enemy than to conceal
himself on the bank till the man of God was returning from the opposite
end of the plank, to meet him in the middle, throw him into the deep and
turbid stream, leaving it to be surmised that in the darkness he had
simply lost his foothold. When, however, from his hiding-place he caught
sight of the pastor’s figure in the dim light, he was surprised to see
that he was not alone, but accompanied by another. There were two figures
advancing towards him across the narrow plank, and he did not dare attempt
his murderous deed. And as they passed his hiding-place, the one whom he
did not know cast such a glance towards him as convinced him of the
sinfulness of the act he had contemplated, and began a work in his heart
which led to his conversion.
When converted, he
sought out the pastor, to confess to him the murderous intention which had
so nearly mastered him, and said: “It would have been your death had you
not been accompanied.” “What do you mean?” said the other; “I was
absolutely alone.” “Nay,” said he, “there were two.” Then the pastor knew
that God had sent his angel, as He sent him to bring Lot out of Sodom.
(Meyer, F. B. Our Daily Homily)
2 Peter 2:21
"It had been better for them not to have known the way of
righteousness.... "
If you go down to destruction from the borders of salvation, it will be
sevenfold destruction. If you die with Jesus weeping over you, as he did
over Jerusalem, you will die horribly. If you sink down to hell with that
word in your ears, "How often would I have gathered you, as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not" (Matt. 23:37),
your sinking will be like that of a millstone in the sea. If you perish
under a gospel ministry, it were better for y
