Living hope

Since the beginning of time, they have been around. They come from every race. They have lived in every century. They have penetrated every culture. They have whispered their message behind closed doors and shouted it from the street corners. They have spread their poison one-on-one and before groups of thousands. They have used tablets, scrolls, books, radio, television, and the Internet to mislead anyone who will listen. False teachers have been and always will be among us.

OK, time for some theology. Put today’s passage under the heading “Inspiration of Scripture.” Peter’s words here serve as a proof text verifying God as the author of the Bible by using the pen and personalities of men. Check out this passage.

The written Word of God, made more certain by fulfilled prophecy, is like “a lamp shining in a dark place.” The psalmist said it this way, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105).

Peter was indeed an “eyewitness of [Christ’s] majesty” (2 Peter 1:16). While the false teachers invented clever stories, he spoke the very words of God. His firsthand account carried weight with the recipients of this letter…and is authoritative for us today.

The early church was saturated with false teachers. To gain a hearing, they devised clever stories that would appeal to their listeners. To the intellectuals, they philosophized. To the emotional, they told stories that grabbed the heart. To the spiritually naive and immature, well, anything worked with them. False teachers always skipped a significant doctrine (or two), but they could sure draw a crowd, so Peter made it clear that his message about Jesus was as an eyewitness.

It is early in the morning as you sit down with pen and paper. Composing on a computer won’t do. You want these words to flow straight from your heart, personalized with your distinct handwriting. The end of your life is near, and you write knowing that you are expressing your last thoughts. What would you write in that letter? Here is what Peter writes in his final letter.

How can you know for sure that you are a true believer? How can you have certainty about your eternal home? These are key questions, and the answers focus on your spiritual growth. Here’s what Peter says in today’s passage.

I officiated a memorial service for Lois, a believer who followed hard after Jesus. One word that described her entire life was “service.” Not long before she died, her daughter-in-law took several of Lois’ great-grandchildren to visit her in a care facility. They became worried when she was not in her room and began searching for her. Finally, they found Lois at the end of a hall in her wheelchair, reading to a person who could not see.

Becoming a Christian is a free gift of grace. There is nothing we can do to earn our salvation. It is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. We were dead in our sins, and God breathed spiritual life into us. Salvation is of the Lord. But growing as a believer involves the power of the Holy Spirit in us and our personal commitment, desire, and ongoing discipline to grow.