We started the second chapter of 2 Peter with a focus on false teachers. The big danger Peter was exposing about these false teachers was their denial of the Second Coming of Jesus. Now, this might not sound like a big deal, but it’s actually a core part of the Gospel message; So much so, that every single book of the New Testament looks ahead to this truth... that one day Jesus will come back, one day all will be made right, one day everything will be restored, and there will be a day of judgment. The denial of the Second Coming wasn’t rooted in a deep theological conviction, rather, it was a way to justify their lifestyle. The implications were that if Jesus isn’t coming back, then there is really no motivation to live a Godly life, and therefore you don’t actually have to follow Jesus (especially his teaching related to money, sex, and power).

The Second Coming of Jesus is not a fringe belief but one that every book of the New Testament points to. The New Testament also tells us we are living in the “last days” while we await “The Day.” This reality is a call to repentance and faithfulness. Peter asks us a pressing question in light of this: “What sort of people out we to be in lives of holiness and godliness?” Because every book of the New Testament points to the return of Jesus, and God’s word can be trusted, we should live in a way as to always be ready for that return. 

Over and over the writers of Scripture place the events they are writing about within history. This is a direct contrast to how many of the myths Christianity supposedly borrowed from to create the Jesus story.  If Christianity isn’t historical or “spiritually” true, then it is not much help for us in facing the reality of living in a broken world. But, because Jesus really was God in the flesh, born of a virgin, lived a life of difficulty, healed the sick, was crucified under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and rose again on the third day, and will one day come back, we can truly have hope. 

When it comes to the theme of worship, Psalm 95 is the classic go-to text in Scripture. Throughout the centuries, Christians have looked to Psalm 95 to inform their worship. This text shares with us almost everything we need to know about it... It answers the question, “What is worship?” “Why should we worship?” and “How can we worship?” 

In verses 12 through 15, Peter states the big purpose of why he’s writing this letter: he wants this church to remember and put into practice what he’s told them. It’s important for us to know that even though this church was doing well, Peter felt very strongly that they consistently needed to be reminded of the truths they already know. For many of us, our greatest need is not to know more truth but to know how to apply the truth we already know.

This past Sunday was our third message looking at what the Apostle Peter has to say about spiritual growth in the opening paragraph of his letter. The big theme of 2nd Peter is “Strive to Grow in the Knowledge of Jesus.” Peter instructs us that we need to make every effort to grow in our faith because the virtue list he gives are some of the marks that our faith is authentic.

Peter’s big concern for those whose lives are not showing any fruit is that they will be “useless,” which means they will not fulfill the intended use and purpose God has for them. This stems from being so focused on the here and now which blinds them from focusing on what is truly important.

Followers of Jesus need to take spiritual growth seriously. As Ruth Haley Barton said, “Spiritual formation is central to the message of the Gospel and therefore central to the mission of the church." Peter makes it clear that growth requires effort and involvement. At the same time, we must never forget that our own efforts are doomed to fail if the Holy Spirit is not working in us to produce change. God’s love is what inspires our action, our actions don’t grow God’s love for us.

Is spiritual growth only a gift from God or is our effort an integral piece of the process? Does God choose us or do we choose him? These are questions followers of Jesus have wrestled with for centuries. To reconcile these questions, Albie introduced the idea of an "antinomy." An antinomy is when you have truths that are “not contradictory but which we cannot neatly reconcile.”  

We see the world in stories. Stories are the primary way that communicate. Discover how your story finds its place within the larger Story of God.

Check out the overview of 2 Peter, the book of the Bible that we will be studying at the start of this New Year!