Today’s passage: 2 Peter 3:14-18
Helpful thoughts:
- A Christian who is diligently growing in grace and in knowledge can persevere through false teaching without spot, blemish (participating in the sin) and at peace.
- That diligence allows you to be taught by and grounded in Scripture.
- Proud people who refuse diligence bring their ignorance and resulting instability to the text and therefore misinterpret it.
- False teachers and their followers remain ignorant and unstable…it isn’t just the hearers who are unsteady (Vs. 14).
- False teachers and their followers are increasingly unstable as they continue in their twisting of the Scriptures. (Vs. 17) It doesn’t remain “sort of off”…it continually gets worse over time. Even a little false doctrine will produce greater consequences the longer it is believed and practiced.
- Sadly, both the false teacher and all those who believe and participate in their twisted teaching will go to destruction.
- If you are reading this today and studying God’s Word, you are being diligent! Keep up the good work!
Questions to consider:
- Why is it so important that the Bible is the final authoritative document in our church and not the pastor?
- Should Christians simply trust that the pastor always “knows better” and neglect to study the Word on their own?
- What is the antidote to false teaching? What do people who are in a setting where false teaching is happening need? Where will they find hope and stability? (How sad is it that the very thing they need is being manipulated, causing confusion and distrust!)
- Peter opened and closed this epistle encouraging us to pursue grace and knowledge in Jesus Christ. How will you continue to pursue God’s grace given to you through knowledge? How will you encourage others to do the same?