Category: 2 Peter

May 6, Reading 2 – 2 Peter 3

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

Peter gives a three-point sermon in this chapter: I want to stimulate you to wholesome thinking, so recall these points from the Scriptures: Scoffers, The Lord’s Patience, The Motivation To Holy and Godly Lives. What should you apply today?

SJA Notes

“But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.”

Here is the big picture for us, God’s people!

We don’t just have a little hope, maybe getting a house or a degree or to find someone to share our 70 years with (because these hopes are limited and finite in and of themselves).

We have this GREAT and MIGHTY hope, the promise of God Himself.

New Heavens and a new Earth.

But not just made over like with the flood. See how Peter layers over this, pointing us to the finality of what will happen to these current heavens and earth. Burned up, dissolved.

This is completely new.

And His promise is that this will be where righteousness dwells.

In Revelation 21 we read, “And I heard a louse voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.'”

God is righteousness! He will dwell with us! Hallelujah, what a promise we have!

* Gracious Father,

Thank You for this wonderful steady sure, great and mighty hope that we have in You.

For new heavens and a new earth.

Please remind us of this Lord God, when the day is long, when the shadows weigh in on us, when life and hard and lonely and we feel lost.

For what a hope this is.

Thank You Lord God.

Amen.

May 4, Reading 3 – 2 Peter 1

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

Notice how Peter talks about Jesus: our God and Saviour. The righteousness of Jesus is the means of your salvation. With Jesus you have everything you need for life and godliness. Meditate over the connections between the attributes listed in verses 5-8.

SJA Notes

Virtue.

Knowledge.

Self-control.

Steadfastness.

Godliness.

Brotherly affection.

Love.

In his second letter Peter gives us this very clear list. Each of these qualities can be layered in our lives, for each of us will have wrestled with them through our lives, and will continue to.

Because that is what Peter (and the Almighty God) encourages us to do.

“For if these qualities are yours and are increasing,”

Not just that we have the qualities, but that they are INCREASING!

There is much friction in increase. We cannot ride a bike for any distance without pumping our legs until they’re tired to gain movement and increase. We cannot know the depths of good bread-making without kneading the dough and getting our arms sore.

So we must wrestle with this list. Virtue. Knowledge. Self-control. Steadfastness. Godliness. Brotherly affection. Love.

Stitch it together with Paul’s list in Galatians 5:22-23 (they synchronise and are not dissonant).

Peter tells us that with these qualities we are effective and fruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

If we have these qualities we are good soil!

* Father God,

You have given us Your word, please write it on our hearts this day.

Please help us Lord to take hold of Peter’s words here, to think seriously about the list that he gives, as it is from You.

And thank You for Peter’s wonderful words at the end of this passage. That he was convinced of the real and true nature of Your Word. Of Jesus.

Hallelujah, what a Saviour You are!

Amen.