The Final Word

2 Peter 3:18

Much can be learned from the death bed of men and women. In those final words, we get a brief insight into what is most important to them in this life, before they pass into the next. Joan of Arc, before burning at the stake said, “Hold the cross high, so I may see it through the flames!” Edgar Allan Poe said, “Lord, help my poor soul”, and the so-called prophet Nostradamus went down with this prophecy, “Tomorrow, I shall no longer be here”.

We have all heard of the last sayings of Christ on the cross, but we know nothing of the last words of the great apostles of the early church. What might Paul or Peter or John have said in their final moments? This side of heaven, we may never know, but we do know the last thing that they wrote down as inspired by the Holy Spirit.

Peter says, “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever. Amen.” (2 Peter 3:18) Peter’s final words are an encouragement to the reader to continue in the grace of Jesus Christ. “Grace” is on his mind at the end.

Paul’s final writing comes from a prison cell in Rome, where he writes to his young friend Timothy, “The Lord Jesus Christ be with thy spirit. Grace be with you. Amen.” (2 Timothy 4:22) Paul, just like Peter, brings us back to the Lord Jesus Christ and again prays grace on the reader. “Grace” is on his mind at the end.

John receives the Revelation of Jesus Christ and views many things that he is not even able to write down. After having seen these things, he begs Jesus to come quickly (Revelation 22:20). One would think that this would be a great place to close his final book, by begging for the return of Jesus, but John has one more thing to say, “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.” (Revelation 22:21) Again, just like Peter and Paul before him, John brings us back to the Lord Jesus Christ and His wonderful gift of grace. “Grace” is on his mind at the end.

I ended each of the previous three paragraphs with the same sentence, "’Grace’ is on his mind at the end”. I did this to show you that of all that each of these great apostles could have said, it was another mention of God’s wonderful grace that came from their pen. We could spend hours showing what each man’s definition of grace was but without that kind of time, let’s just say that “grace” was the topic of their hearts, all of the time.

If dying words reveal the character of the individual, then we have an insight into what moved the pillars of the early church. It was not works righteousness or shows of emotion that turned their hearts, but it was the message of undeserved grace and favor. May it be our dying word as well.

Don’t Forget That Your Sins Are Gone!

2 Peter 1:3-9

Peter tells the believer that they have been given a “divine nature”, which is the very nature of God. With that divine nature in every one of us, our lives are now elevated to a position that they could never have been prior to our conversion. Because of this new position, we are expected to see “all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue” (1:3), at work in our lives.

Notice that the things pertaining to life and godliness only come out of us as we increase in the knowledge of who God is within us. From this knowledge we then see the following progression in our lives: diligence, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness and charity. As these fruits grow in your heart, they guarantee that the believer will never be “barren nor unfruitful” (verse 8).

Peter is basically stating the same thing that Paul did regarding the fruit of the Spirit. These wonderful by-products of knowing the Lord should always be springing up within the heart of the redeemed. Fruit grows naturally, and needs only the God-given elements to do so. No coaching or prompting on our part makes the apple tree give apples, so no prompting or works on our part makes the heart produce fruit.

Why tell us that these things should be in our life if they must be brought out by the Spirit? If they are not there, then how can our knowing that we lack them help us to bring them out? Peter answers this question in verse 9:

“But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.”

If the believer lacks any of the virtues listed in verses 5-7 it is not because they are not consecrated enough. It has nothing to do with their works or their effort, but rather they are blinded as to who they are in Christ, and they have little spiritual insight into their position in Him. Furthermore, they have forgotten that the blood of Christ has taken their sins away.

So many problems could be avoided by all of us if we would remember on a daily basis that we are forgiven of our sins. The knowledge of forgiveness silences the voice of condemnation in our heart and lets us live free in the wonderful grace of God. When we recognize that we are forgiven, our spiritual eyes are opened and we see God’s purpose for our lives. His fruit begins to explode in every area of our being and we walk in the “exceeding great and precious promises” (1:4).

Remember that your old sins are gone and walk free in these sweet promises of our Father. Have a great day believer!

The Stamp of Approval

2 Peter 3:15, 16

The Apostle Paul must have had a moment or two in his ministry where he wondered if he was preaching the right thing. When confronted in the streets over his doctrine by Alexander the coppersmith, no one in Paul’s entourage stayed with him when he gave his rebuttal (2 Timothy 4:14-16). It must have been a lonely time, to look around and see that no one believes what you are preaching. Perhaps it crossed his mind that God had chosen the wrong person, for maybe one of the men who walked with Jesus in the flesh while He was on this earth would have been better accepted by the people.

As you study the composite whole of Paul’s message, you find that it is unnecessary, and even possibly counter-productive to have someone who walked with Jesus be the first preacher of the New Covenant. The message of New Covenant has nothing to do with the walk and lifestyle of Jesus Christ, which is why we never see Paul making reference to the things that Jesus did. Paul knew that Christianity is not about emulating the things that Jesus did, but about allowing His life to be lived through us because of His resurrection from the dead.

Any reference that connects Christianity with how Jesus would do things will invariably link works to righteousness. It subtly teaches the believer that they should be walking better, talking better, etc, so that they can know “What Would Jesus Do?” This type of lifestyle leads to condemnation and guilt, for you will never live up to the standard of Jesus on a day to day basis, and grace never demands that of us. Grace is a free gift, and if we must earn salvation, then it ceases to be by grace that we are saved.

Paul needed a good, old fashioned, honest endorsement for his message from someone who people trusted, and in the Apostle Peter, he found that man. Peter closes his final epistle by putting his stamp of approval on the ministry of Paul, even stating that the wisdom that Paul had concerning salvation was “given unto him” (2 Peter 3:15). Peter knows that the message that Paul is preaching did not come by intelligence or studying, but by divine revelation.

Paul’s writings are complex and they cover a variety of intricate topics within the framework of God’s grace and goodness. Peter said that Paul’s messages contained “some things hard to be understood” (2 Peter 3:16), so don’t be dismayed if you struggle within the writings of Paul even today. Pray for revelation of Paul’s message, where the Holy Spirit can reveal to you the powerful truths behind this wonderful author of God’s grace and mercy.

I must tip my cap to Peter in this situation, for his endorsement did not come easy. Paul openly rebuked Peter for acting one way in front of Gentiles and another way in front of Jews (Galatians 2:9-14). Peter could have rebelled against this and rejected the ministry of Paul, but instead he changed and became open to the message of pure grace, which affected not only his ministry, but ultimately the entire world.

The stamp of approval has been given to the message of grace, and it has been given by those who walked with Jesus Himself. Don’t run from the wonderful news of radical grace, for only that will radically change your life.

The Final Word

2 Peter 3:18

Much can be learned from the death bed of men and women. In those final words, we get a brief insight into what is most important to them in this life, before they pass into the next. Joan of Arc, before burning at the stake said, “Hold the cross high, so I may see it through the flames!” Edgar Allan Poe said, “Lord, help my poor soul”, and the so-called prophet Nostradamus went down with this prophecy, “Tomorrow, I shall no longer be here”.

We have all heard of the last sayings of Christ on the cross, but we know nothing of the last words of the great apostles of the early church. What might Paul or Peter or John have said in their final moments? This side of heaven, we may never know, but we do know the last thing that they wrote down as inspired by the Holy Spirit.

Peter says, “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever. Amen.” (2 Peter 3:18) Peter’s final words are an encouragement to the reader to continue in the grace of Jesus Christ. “Grace” is on his mind at the end.

Paul’s final writing comes from a prison cell in Rome, where he writes to his young friend Timothy, “The Lord Jesus Christ be with thy spirit. Grace be with you. Amen.” (2 Timothy 4:22) Paul, just like Peter, brings us back to the Lord Jesus Christ and again prays grace on the reader. “Grace” is on his mind at the end.

John receives the Revelation of Jesus Christ and views many things that he is not even able to write down. After having seen these things, he begs Jesus to come quickly (Revelation 22:20). One would think that this would be a great place to close his final book, by begging for the return of Jesus, but John has one more thing to say, “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.” (Revelation 22:21) Again, just like Peter and Paul before him, John brings us back to the Lord Jesus Christ and His wonderful gift of grace. “Grace” is on his mind at the end.

I ended each of the previous three paragraphs with the same sentence, "’Grace’ is on his mind at the end”. I did this to show you that of all that each of these great apostles could have said, it was another mention of God’s wonderful grace that came from their pen. We could spend hours showing what each man’s definition of grace was but without that kind of time, let’s just say that “grace” was the topic of their hearts, all of the time.

If dying words reveal the character of the individual, then we have an insight into what moved the pillars of the early church. It was not works righteousness or shows of emotion that turned their hearts, but it was the message of undeserved grace and favor. May it be our dying word as well.

Don’t Forget That Your Sins Are Gone!

2 Peter 1:3-9

Peter tells the believer that they have been given a “divine nature”, which is the very nature of God. With that divine nature in every one of us, our lives are now elevated to a position that they could never have been prior to our conversion. Because of this new position, we are expected to see “all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue” (1:3), at work in our lives.

Notice that the things pertaining to life and godliness only come out of us as we increase in the knowledge of who God is within us. From this knowledge we then see the following progression in our lives: diligence, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness and charity. As these fruits grow in your heart, they guarantee that the believer will never be “barren nor unfruitful” (verse 8).

Peter is basically stating the same thing that Paul did regarding the fruit of the Spirit. These wonderful by-products of knowing the Lord should always be springing up within the heart of the redeemed. Fruit grows naturally, and needs only the God-given elements to do so. No coaching or prompting on our part makes the apple tree give apples, so no prompting or works on our part makes the heart produce fruit.

Why tell us that these things should be in our life if they must be brought out by the Spirit? If they are not there, then how can our knowing that we lack them help us to bring them out? Peter answers this question in verse 9:

“But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.”

If the believer lacks any of the virtues listed in verses 5-7 it is not because they are not consecrated enough. It has nothing to do with their works or their effort, but rather they are blinded as to who they are in Christ, and they have little spiritual insight into their position in Him. Furthermore, they have forgotten that the blood of Christ has taken their sins away.

So many problems could be avoided by all of us if we would remember on a daily basis that we are forgiven of our sins. The knowledge of forgiveness silences the voice of condemnation in our heart and lets us live free in the wonderful grace of God. When we recognize that we are forgiven, our spiritual eyes are opened and we see God’s purpose for our lives. His fruit begins to explode in every area of our being and we walk in the “exceeding great and precious promises” (1:4).

Remember that your old sins are gone and walk free in these sweet promises of our Father. Have a great day believer!

The Stamp of Approval

2 Peter 3:15, 16

The Apostle Paul must have had a moment or two in his ministry where he wondered if he was preaching the right thing. When confronted in the streets over his doctrine by Alexander the coppersmith, no one in Paul’s entourage stayed with him when he gave his rebuttal (2 Timothy 4:14-16). It must have been a lonely time, to look around and see that no one believes what you are preaching. Perhaps it crossed his mind that God had chosen the wrong person, for maybe one of the men who walked with Jesus in the flesh while He was on this earth would have been better accepted by the people.

As you study the composite whole of Paul’s message, you find that it is unnecessary, and even possibly counter-productive to have someone who walked with Jesus be the first preacher of the New Covenant. The message of New Covenant has nothing to do with the walk and lifestyle of Jesus Christ, which is why we never see Paul making reference to the things that Jesus did. Paul knew that Christianity is not about emulating the things that Jesus did, but about allowing His life to be lived through us because of His resurrection from the dead.

Any reference that connects Christianity with how Jesus would do things will invariably link works to righteousness. It subtly teaches the believer that they should be walking better, talking better, etc, so that they can know “What Would Jesus Do?” This type of lifestyle leads to condemnation and guilt, for you will never live up to the standard of Jesus on a day to day basis, and grace never demands that of us. Grace is a free gift, and if we must earn salvation, then it ceases to be by grace that we are saved.

Paul needed a good, old fashioned, honest endorsement for his message from someone who people trusted, and in the Apostle Peter, he found that man. Peter closes his final epistle by putting his stamp of approval on the ministry of Paul, even stating that the wisdom that Paul had concerning salvation was “given unto him” (2 Peter 3:15). Peter knows that the message that Paul is preaching did not come by intelligence or studying, but by divine revelation.

Paul’s writings are complex and they cover a variety of intricate topics within the framework of God’s grace and goodness. Peter said that Paul’s messages contained “some things hard to be understood” (2 Peter 3:16), so don’t be dismayed if you struggle within the writings of Paul even today. Pray for revelation of Paul’s message, where the Holy Spirit can reveal to you the powerful truths behind this wonderful author of God’s grace and mercy.

I must tip my cap to Peter in this situation, for his endorsement did not come easy. Paul openly rebuked Peter for acting one way in front of Gentiles and another way in front of Jews (Galatians 2:9-14). Peter could have rebelled against this and rejected the ministry of Paul, but instead he changed and became open to the message of pure grace, which affected not only his ministry, but ultimately the entire world.

The stamp of approval has been given to the message of grace, and it has been given by those who walked with Jesus Himself. Don’t run from the wonderful news of radical grace, for only that will radically change your life.

The Final Word

2 Peter 3:18

Much can be learned from the death bed of men and women. In those final words, we get a brief insight into what is most important to them in this life, before they pass into the next. Joan of Arc, before burning at the stake said, “Hold the cross high, so I may see it through the flames!” Edgar Allan Poe said, “Lord, help my poor soul”, and the so-called prophet Nostradamus went down with this prophecy, “Tomorrow, I shall no longer be here”.

We have all heard of the last sayings of Christ on the cross, but we know nothing of the last words of the great apostles of the early church. What might Paul or Peter or John have said in their final moments? This side of heaven, we may never know, but we do know the last thing that they wrote down as inspired by the Holy Spirit.

Peter says, “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever. Amen.” (2 Peter 3:18) Peter’s final words are an encouragement to the reader to continue in the grace of Jesus Christ. “Grace” is on his mind at the end.

Paul’s final writing comes from a prison cell in Rome, where he writes to his young friend Timothy, “The Lord Jesus Christ be with thy spirit. Grace be with you. Amen.” (2 Timothy 4:22) Paul, just like Peter, brings us back to the Lord Jesus Christ and again prays grace on the reader. “Grace” is on his mind at the end.

John receives the Revelation of Jesus Christ and views many things that he is not even able to write down. After having seen these things, he begs Jesus to come quickly (Revelation 22:20). One would think that this would be a great place to close his final book, by begging for the return of Jesus, but John has one more thing to say, “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.” (Revelation 22:21) Again, just like Peter and Paul before him, John brings us back to the Lord Jesus Christ and His wonderful gift of grace. “Grace” is on his mind at the end.

I ended each of the previous three paragraphs with the same sentence, "’Grace’ is on his mind at the end”. I did this to show you that of all that each of these great apostles could have said, it was another mention of God’s wonderful grace that came from their pen. We could spend hours showing what each man’s definition of grace was but without that kind of time, let’s just say that “grace” was the topic of their hearts, all of the time.

If dying words reveal the character of the individual, then we have an insight into what moved the pillars of the early church. It was not works righteousness or shows of emotion that turned their hearts, but it was the message of undeserved grace and favor. May it be our dying word as well.

Don’t Forget That Your Sins Are Gone!

2 Peter 1:3-9

Peter tells the believer that they have been given a “divine nature”, which is the very nature of God. With that divine nature in every one of us, our lives are now elevated to a position that they could never have been prior to our conversion. Because of this new position, we are expected to see “all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue” (1:3), at work in our lives.

Notice that the things pertaining to life and godliness only come out of us as we increase in the knowledge of who God is within us. From this knowledge we then see the following progression in our lives: diligence, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness and charity. As these fruits grow in your heart, they guarantee that the believer will never be “barren nor unfruitful” (verse 8).

Peter is basically stating the same thing that Paul did regarding the fruit of the Spirit. These wonderful by-products of knowing the Lord should always be springing up within the heart of the redeemed. Fruit grows naturally, and needs only the God-given elements to do so. No coaching or prompting on our part makes the apple tree give apples, so no prompting or works on our part makes the heart produce fruit.

Why tell us that these things should be in our life if they must be brought out by the Spirit? If they are not there, then how can our knowing that we lack them help us to bring them out? Peter answers this question in verse 9:

“But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.”

If the believer lacks any of the virtues listed in verses 5-7 it is not because they are not consecrated enough. It has nothing to do with their works or their effort, but rather they are blinded as to who they are in Christ, and they have little spiritual insight into their position in Him. Furthermore, they have forgotten that the blood of Christ has taken their sins away.

So many problems could be avoided by all of us if we would remember on a daily basis that we are forgiven of our sins. The knowledge of forgiveness silences the voice of condemnation in our heart and lets us live free in the wonderful grace of God. When we recognize that we are forgiven, our spiritual eyes are opened and we see God’s purpose for our lives. His fruit begins to explode in every area of our being and we walk in the “exceeding great and precious promises” (1:4).

Remember that your old sins are gone and walk free in these sweet promises of our Father. Have a great day believer!