The Book of 2 Peter was written by the Apostle Peter not long after writing his first letter. As noted last week, it was during a time of increasing persecution for the church, remembering that for the first 34 years of the Church (AD 30-64), persecution came from the Jewish leadership in synagogues throughout the Empire. Again, as noted last week, it was apparent that the Jews were looking for a Messiah to overthrow the Romans, but instead, they got what Paul and Peter preached, a “crucified Savior,” One who also rose from the dead.

In this letter, Peter likely addresses the same audience of Jewish and Gentile Christians as he did in his first letter, but this time he identifies them as “those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours” (1 Pet. 1:1). While 1 Peter was written to help the churches face persecution from outside sources, this letter was written to address problems that were arising from within the churches. Here, Peter warns of false teachers who are preaching their false doctrines within the church, and as a result, he calls them to rise above the lifestyle of these heretics and exhibit lives of godly character. Furthermore, these false teachers scoffed at the thought of any judgment, and Peter encouraged the churches by letting them know that although judgment on these teachers may not be immediate, it would come.  

One of my favorite passages in this book jumps right out at us as Peter begins his letter,

“…seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, in order that by them you might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust” (2 Pet. 1:3-4).

Peter is telling his audience, and each of us, that those who are “in Christ” have everything that is needed in order to lives godly lives, and that through His magnificent promises, we might become partakers of His divine nature. And one of those “magnificent promises” is that we can have an entirely new life, just as the Apostle Paul reminded the Corinthian Christians, that “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation” (2 Cor. 5:17), that is, he is given a new nature that reflects the “divine nature” through the indwelling Holy Spirit. 

And then Peter goes on to provide the means by which character change comes to each of those “in Christ,”

“Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, …knowledge, …self-control, … perseverance, … godliness, … brotherly kindness, … and love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they will render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 1:5-8).

I am convinced that all of those who are truly “in Christ” desire to live productive and fruitful lives, and Peter let’s us know how we can do that. It can happen by being “diligent” to add to our faith the qualities noted in the passage above, namely moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, kindness, and love. So, you say that you have faith, then Peter tells us to add to it these qualities, and he wants us to be “diligent” to do so.

And then Peter tells us that if we allow these qualities to grow in us, we will never “stumble” in our walk with Him. Furthermore, he tells his readers, and us, that we will have the assurance that Christ is really living in and through us, and that our future entrance into His “eternal kingdom” will be our confident destiny. Here is what he says,

“Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you, for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you” (2 Pet. 1:10-11).

Toward the end of the first chapter, Peter let’s his readers know that his “departure” from this life was imminent. Knowing this, he wanted them to recall all of these things, reminding them that,

“We did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses to His majesty” (2 Pet. 1:16).

So, what event must Peter have been referring to, that is, when was he an “eyewitness to His majesty?” Well, he goes on to tell his readers,

“For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, ‘This is My beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased,’ and we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain” (2 Pet. 1:17-18).

Yes, Peter heard the Father proclaim His pleasure with His Son Jesus when Peter, James, and John were with Him on the Mount of Transfiguration (recorded in Matthew 17:1-13). Peter goes on to tell us that we need to pay close attention to this “prophetic word,” because,

“…no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God” (2 Pet. 1:19-21).

From this passage, we understand that all of Scripture is divinely inspired. And then, Peter goes onto speak of the dangers of false teachers who had entered their fellowship, and the coming of the day of the Lord. And as he wraps up his second letter, he reminds his readers, and all of us, that,

“…God is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9).

Friends, it is God’s desire that no one “perish” in an eternity without God, but that everyone would come to the point of repentance, turning to God by faith in Christ Jesus. And then, Peter closes his letter by the final exhortation for all of us,

“…but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 3:18).

What a wonderful way to conclude his second letter, by exhorting his readers, and us, to continue growing in their faith, which includes growing in grace (recognizing God’s unmerited favor bestowed upon us) as well as in the knowledge of our Lord that leads to a vibrant, mature Christian life.

Peggy and I pray that we will all heed these words of Peter in his second letter to the churches. If you are a Christian, then use all of the resources he has made available to us to grow in our walk with Christ, and if you have never repented of sin and come to Christ, then God is waiting for you to do so, so that you can spend eternity with Him in His “eternal kingdom.”

Have a wonderful Easter week! God bless each of you.