2 Peter 1:1-22

The Danger of False Teachers

But there were also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach their destructive heresies about God and even turn against their Master who bought them. Theirs will be a swift and terrible end. 2 Many will follow their evil teaching and shameful immorality. And because of them, Christ and his true way will be slandered. 3 In their greed they will make up clever lies to get hold of your money. But God condemned them long ago, and their destruction is on the way.

4 For God did not spare even the angels when they sinned; he threw them into hell, in gloomy caves and darkness until the judgment day. 5 And God did not spare the ancient world — except for Noah and his family of seven. Noah warned the world of God's righteous judgment. Then God destroyed the whole world of ungodly people with a vast flood. 6 Later, he turned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into heaps of ashes and swept them off the face of the earth. He made them an example of what will happen to ungodly people. 7 But at the same time, God rescued Lot out of Sodom because he was a good man who was sick of all the immorality and wickedness around him. 8 Yes, he was a righteous man who was distressed by the wickedness he saw and heard day after day.

9 So you see, the Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trials, even while punishing the wicked right up until the day of judgment. 10 He is especially hard on those who follow their own evil, lustful desires and who despise authority. These people are proud and arrogant, daring even to scoff at the glorious ones without so much as trembling. 11 But the angels, even though they are far greater in power and strength than these false teachers, never speak out disrespectfully against the glorious ones.

12 These false teachers are like unthinking animals, creatures of instinct, who are born to be caught and killed. They laugh at the terrifying powers they know so little about, and they will be destroyed along with them. 13 Their destruction is their reward for the harm they have done. They love to indulge in evil pleasures in broad daylight. They are a disgrace and a stain among you. They revel in deceitfulness while they feast with you. 14 They commit adultery with their eyes, and their lust is never satisfied. They make a game of luring unstable people into sin. They train themselves to be greedy; they are doomed and cursed. 15 They have wandered off the right road and followed the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved to earn money by doing wrong. 16 But Balaam was stopped from his mad course when his donkey rebuked him with a human voice.

17 These people are as useless as dried-up springs of water or as clouds blown away by the wind — promising much and delivering nothing. They are doomed to blackest darkness. 18 They brag about themselves with empty, foolish boasting. With lustful desire as their bait, they lure back into sin those who have just escaped from such wicked living. 19 They promise freedom, but they themselves are slaves to sin and corruption. For you are a slave to whatever controls you. 20 And when people escape from the wicked ways of the world by learning about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and then get tangled up with sin and become its slave again, they are worse off than before. 21 It would be better if they had never known the right way to live than to know it and then reject the holy commandments that were given to them. 22 They make these proverbs come true: "A dog returns to its vomit," and "A washed pig returns to the mud." (NLT)

 

The Scripture this week is long but it all fits together. The ungodly and the false teachers will all get their reward in the end at judgment. They live among us so you need to let the Holy Spirit show you God’s path for you. Let us take this as a warning that we need to be careful in what we teach so study the word carefully, spend much time in prayer, let the Holy Spirit lead you and give all the glory to God. Follow Jesus’ example in all that you do.

 

Engage the Present – Create the Future – With Jesus Christ

2 Peter 1:16-21

Paying attention to Scripture

16 For we were not making up clever stories when we told you about the power of our Lord Jesus Christ and his coming again. We have seen his majestic splendor with our own eyes. 17 And he received honor and glory from God the Father when God's glorious, majestic voice called down from heaven, "This is my beloved Son; I am fully pleased with him." 18 We ourselves heard the voice when we were there with him on the holy mountain.

19 Because of that, we have even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. Pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a light shining in a dark place — until the day Christ appears and his brilliant light shines in your hearts.   20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophets themselves   21 or because they wanted to prophesy. It was the Holy Spirit who moved the prophets to speak from God. (NLT)

 

Pay close attention to the Word for it is a light that shines into your being. It will guide you through this life until the return of Jesus. Remember that the scriptures are from the Holy Spirit and that it was the Holy Spirit who moved the prophets to speak from God. Therefore be careful as you read, understand the words and take them to heart.

 

Engage the Present – Create the Future – With Jesus Christ

2 Peter 1:12-15

Paying attention to Scripture

12 I plan to keep on reminding you of these things — even though you already know them and are standing firm in the truth. 13 Yes, I believe I should keep on reminding you of these things as long as I live. 14 But the Lord Jesus Christ has shown me that my days here on earth are numbered and I am soon to die.   15 So I will work hard to make these things clear to you. I want you to remember them long after I am gone. (NLT)

 

It is always good to go back to the basics from time to time. Peter near the end of his life wanted to remind them as well as us that we need to continue to work hard for the Lord Jesus Christ to His praise and glory. We need to have moral excellence, self-control, patience, godliness and love within our lives. We need to continue improving these skills so that they become second nature to us. Peter calls us to remember these things so that we can continue to grow in Christ. Never give up and never give in to the world but continue in your walk with Jesus so that these things can be seen in you.

 

Engage the Present – Create the Future – With Jesus Christ

Words of Encouragement

                                                                   

2 Peter 1:5-11

Growing in the Knowledge of God

5 So make every effort to apply the benefits of these promises to your life. Then your faith will produce a life of moral excellence. A life of moral excellence leads to knowing God better.  6 Knowing God leads to self-control. Self-control leads to patient endurance, and patient endurance leads to godliness. 7 Godliness leads to love for other Christians, and finally you will grow to have genuine love for everyone. 8 The more you grow like this, the more you will become productive and useful in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But those who fail to develop these virtues are blind or, at least, very shortsighted. They have already forgotten that God has cleansed them from their old life of sin. 10 So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Doing this, you will never stumble or fall away. 11 And God will open wide the gates of heaven for you to enter into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (NLT)

 

Work Hard! God wants you to work hard for Him and for yourself. Apply the things that God has written in His word. Love as God Loves, be Holy as God is Holy. You may not be perfect, but you need to do your best because Jesus gave His best for you. Remember that you are in a process moving forward toward a goal; toward a higher calling for you have been called to be a child of the living God. Seek God and He will open wide the gates of heaven for you to enter into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Let God do His work in you and through you to His glory and honor. Trust Christ and you will never stumble or fall away. So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen.

 

Engage the Present – Create the Future – With Jesus Christ

2 Peter 1:5-9

Growing in the Knowledge of God

5 So make every effort to apply the benefits of these promises to your life. Then your faith will produce a life of moral excellence. A life of moral excellence leads to knowing God better.  6 Knowing God leads to self-control. Self-control leads to patient endurance, and patient endurance leads to godliness. 7 Godliness leads to love for other Christians, and finally you will grow to have genuine love for everyone. 8 The more you grow like this, the more you will become productive and useful in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But those who fail to develop these virtues are blind or, at least, very shortsighted. They have already forgotten that God has cleansed them from their old life of sin. (NLT)

 

Faith, moral excellence, self-control, patience, endurance, godliness and love, these virtues are what you should be working on and developing in your life. These things lead you closer and closer to Christ. Put your faith in Christ to lead you in this development so that you will be productive in life and go deeper in the knowledge of Christ.

Do not be one who forgets these things and lives only for themselves. Remember what it says about those who do not follow Christ “the blind leading the blind will fall into a pit.” Shortsightedness brings sorrow and pain, for they have forgotten that God has cleansed them from their old life of sin.

Remember that you are now a new creature in Christ and that the old person has passed away.

 

Engage the Present – Create the Future – With Jesus Christ