If you knew your death was imminent, what would you say to mature believers to strengthen them in the faith? What would you say to new converts? That's the position the Apostle Peter finds himself in as he pens his second Epistle. His conclusion, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, may surprise us — he simply reminds his readers of the true gospel. As we plumb the depths of this book, we will see the magnificent riches we have in Jesus Christ, the adorning beauty of a holy life (what the life of a believer should look like), the power and supremacy of the word of God, and the need for vigilance to resist anything contrary to that word. Peter's concern for his readers is summed up well by J. C. Ryle:
“Let us take care that our own personal religion is real, genuine, and true. The saddest symptom about many so-called Christians is the utter absence of anything like conflict and fight in their Christianity. They eat, they drink, they dress, they work, they amuse themselves, they get money, they spend money, they go through a scanty round of formal religious services once or twice every week. But the great spiritual warfare—its watchings and strugglings, its agonies and anxieties, its battles and contests—all of this they appear to know nothing at all. Let us take care that this case is not our own.”
Taught by: Bret Holley
Location: Sanctuary
Audio Files:
Week 1
Week 9