Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder, since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things.
Though they are not my own, I am learning to share in the heart behind these words. These are the inspired writings of Peter, one of the early disciples of Jesus Christ, penned to the scattered believers of his day; and subsequently, these writings are accessible and intended for our benefit here and now. I have been pondering portions of Peter’s writings these last few weeks and I wanted to share a brief thought.
Peter expresses that it has been made clear to him: his days are short. His time on earth is coming to a close. We do not know the time table, or to what degree it was explicitly revealed to him the number of his days, but we read that it was “clear.” And here in this second letter we are brought into a privy place, a place of sharing with Peter across time through this sacred text, his pen led by the Spirit.
Peter who was called by Jesus to follow. Peter, the big personality in the posse. Peter who walked briefly on water. Peter who saw the storms obey his Master. The same Peter who experienced the Transfiguration of Christ. Peter who ate alongside thousands fed from a small lunchbox as Jesus multiplied the meal. Peter who wept, broken, having denied the Lord. Peter who saw, and touched, and ate with the resurrected King. Peter commanded to tend to the sheep, and Peter present at the Ascension. Peter who preached and saw thousands compelled to submit their lives to Jesus as Lord and Savior. Peter who was foundational in the early church and the spread of the Gospel.
It is this Peter who has come to know his death is imminent–and we get his thoughts. We are privileged to read his reminders, these stirrings. We get to think earnestly on and meditate through and actively observe the qualities and truths he has laid out on his last parchment, which was circulated among the Body of believers, the sheep of his day, and up until present.
I was once asked what I would do with my time if I knew I had only a few days remaining on this earth. 10 years ago I would have given you the skydiving, rocky mountain climbing answers. Today I tell you: I would write. This is a constant struggle, as I know my time is in fact quite limited in the grand scheme (sometime between now and ~60 years), and I don’t spend my days writing. Back to Peter: here in this passage it appears Peter is led and follows in this decision, to sit and put ink to paper.
And this is a marvel to me. It wasn’t the first 20 times I read it over the years, but in the last few months it caught my mind. I couldn’t stop thinking about it. If you were given one pad of paper and a few pens at an appointed time just before the ending of you, on this planet, what would you craft? What would pour out from your penmanship? Would your writing be filled with worth? What would I say? What could I say? They are interesting and important thoughts to think. Maybe these musings ought to alter our schedules today and tomorrow.
Let’s jump back to the text, remembering this isn’t just Peter, but the Holy Spirit at work through Peter for the benefit of believers then and now.
Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder, since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things.
Peter says he wants to remind the readers of some qualities that are knit to the truth they already know. He wanted to remind us while he was present in the body, and in a way that these truths would be recalled even after his departure–even as we are recalling these qualities right now.
Tip: Any time you see the word “therefore,” look and see what came prior. As we look back a few sentences, we come to understand the qualities Peter wanted to remind us of, along with what gain is found in them.
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:3-11
Peter reminds us that God has given us all that we need in this life; He has given us Himself, in Christ. What could be more precious? Is there anything greater? As God has given us all we need for life and godliness in and through Himself, as He has called us to Himself, He has invited us to partake. Not in feeble, worldly, perishing things. God has invited you believer, and me, to partake in the divine. He has invited us to Himself, and to His work, as we worship Him and walk in His ways, in step with the Spirit, made possible through the finished work of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Peter reminds us we have been rescued by our Savior King, and we must recall constantly what we have escaped by the work of our Lord: we are no longer slaves to sin, slaves to the flesh. We are no longer bound, crippled and crumbling in the corruption of the world, as we once were as those apart from God. We are made free; free to walk in righteousness.
We acknowledge where we were, where we were headed, and the fact that we have been rescued, escaping the snare of the world. Now let us partake, as company to the King. Let us strive for the things He has set before us, as His people. By His power, He has invited us into life and godliness. May we choose Him day by day, and moment by moment, striving in faith.
By the power of God, let us make every effort to add virtue, integrity, to our faith. And may this faith and virtue grow as knowledge is grasped for and gained–for the more we know God, the more we can love Him rightly as He is. As we make every effort, recalling where He has brought us from, where He has brought us to, we will grow in self-control. We will no longer honor the flesh as we once did. We will make our aim to honor our Master and walk in His ways. As we carry on, pressing on, our Lord will make us steady and firm, unwavering, our feet set on Truth.
He will grow us in His image, in His character, in godliness, as we pursue Him with our everything. How glorious a truth. As we keep running, we will grasp this Christ-like affection towards our brothers and sisters, ever growing. As we see all the more that we have been rescued from eternal death, as we strive to honor our Lord, we will know more and more what it means to love; and we will love in the way of Christ who gave Himself up for us.
For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.
What promise is held in these sentences. Are we beginning to see why these are the words that came out from the Apostle Peter as death approached? If these qualities are truly yours, if you are resting in the divine power, walking in true life and godliness, partaking in the divine nature as you remember that you have been rescued from a broken and corrupt world, and these qualities in you are increasing, you will be fruitful. You will be effective in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Christian, you are walking in step with the Spirit and being sanctified as you strive, and this is not possible apart from the Gospel, in any real sense. You know God for who He is. You are experiencing Christian growth. You are representing Christ as an ambassador. You are living in the divine nature to which He called you, as He called you to Himself. You are walking in the promises from God to man in Christ.
Brothers and sisters, we must make every effort. We must grow: never settling, never withering, not staling in stagnancy, but always looking to the One who has saved us. The Holy Spirit speaks truth that is already known in Christ, through the hand of Peter. He stirs us up. If these qualities do not belong to us, and if we are not growing in them, we have forgotten the cross of Jesus Christ. We have forgotten that our sins were forgiven. We are so nearsighted that we are blind. We have neglected our rescuing and the Rescuer, and the price He paid that we would be forgiven and brought in to His family.
Let our eyes, the eyes of our hearts, be opened to this deep truth. Let it be confirmed in our minds, in our actions, in all of our days, that we are living unto the Lord, our Rescuer, our Deliverer, our God, the Savior-King, Creator, before the eyes of the watching world. May they desire rescue. May they taste and see that the Lord is good even as they know our love, our hearts, these qualities alive within us, the King’s people. Make us diligent Lord. We long to never fall away. We long for that rich provision of entrance into your marvelous presence, your Kingdom which is unfading.
Let us recall one note in closing, from Peter’s first letter.
…you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 1 Peter 2:9-11
May the watching world see us, the Church; may they see our good deeds, and give glory to God.
Some resources:
1 Peter Summary – Bible Project
2 Peter Summary – Bible Project
Notes on Peter (Gospel influencer)
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