Book - 2 Peter

Think of it – we will one day (sooner or later) be in heaven! Think of it! No more sorrow, sickness, death, or pain. Think of the joy we will have without spoil for all eternity. All of the things in this life will vanish. Why do we spend so much time on things that will vanish in an instant? Strange, is it not? Therefore we are encouraged to live life in such a way that whatever we do, however we do it, will have more than just an earthly impact, it will have an eternal impact!

There are many who have denied the Second Coming of Jesus. But the Second Coming is certain. We are living in the times in which many of the signs of His return are taking place. Those who deny His soon return do so because they do not want to give up their lifestyle of sin. If they admit to His soon return, they must admit to a day of reckoning for their sins. He will certainly come back! For us who are followers of Jesus His return is our greatest joy, motivation, and hope! His return brings us the greatest hope in this life!

The Apostle Peter continues to warn of the dangers of false teaching and false teachers. He states that we can know them by their character, their creed, and their conduct. One of the sneaky ways a false teacher is discovered in churches is when they MIX truth and error; MIX good and Bad; Bible doctrine and man's doctrine. This “mixing” is what is extremely subtle and dangerous. We must become so familiar with the TRUTH that the moment we hear or see error it will raise caution in our hearts and minds. The Church needs a real good dose of discernment in the days we live in!

In a world full of uncertainty and chaos we have a more sure word – the Bible. The Bible has been attacked for 2000 years and yet it continues to proven to be accurate and reliable again and again. It has been said, ‘The Bible is an anvil that has broken many hammers.’ You can be more certain of the Bible than gravity itself! The Bible is as rock-solid as the Rock of Gibraltar! Jesus said, ‘Heaven and earth will pass away but My Word will never pass away!’ It is the MORE SURE WORD! And we would do well to heed it.

We often hear about living well, but are we ready to die well? Preparing for death sounds like a morbid thing, but it really is the wisest, smartest thing anyone could ever do. If one is not prepared to die they cannot fully live. Christianity promises and prepares for a glorious death. We all will one day die, and as Jesus said, what will it profit us if we gain the whole world and lose our own soul? It is not how one starts a race that counts, but how he finishes. Let’s run the race that we may win!

It is possible to become a ‘stagnant Christian’; one who is just not growing anymore. There are some who have been Christians for years, but they are still 'spiritual babies'; they are in an arrested state of spiritual development. We grow not only in grace, but we grow in a holy character. The rewards of growing into greater Christlikeness will be glorious. Let’s continue to grow!

Knowing God is the most important knowledge anyone can attain to. It is a knowledge that will affect every aspect of your life. The more we grow in our knowledge of Jesus, the more we experience living an abundant life filled with promise, hope, strength, faith, and victory, even through our hardships!