As you receive so shall you give

I almost put off the essay portion of this lesson today, too long. I had never read 2 Peter for the purpose of public explication. I was told by my pastor, Dr Randy Rogers, that this book was not commented upon until the third century. The rest being largely commented upon often and much earlier. Some have said this fact brings into question the authenticity of Peter as author. Methinks perhaps another explanation likely. That being, that others may have encountered, as I did, the sense of a very personal, poignant, direct plea by Peter,as he prepared to put off his tabernacle, for readers to inculcate, to adapt, that which they spoke, into their daily walk. A call to not just say but to do. If we are going to use God, let us try to use Him up! Let us hide His word in our hearts that others may see Him fully!

When reading this passage I became aware of many of my own shortcomings as pertain to the discrepancy in my life where sincerity and 'See I do as I say' is the tool which most "hear" from afar, so that my voice, my speech is drowned and faint. This letter forces me to introspect, to peer deep within, and I do not want to tell you all the things that fall on my heart as I read this first chapter and realize how many times I have said "well I am just human I can do no better, after all Jesus is forgiveness". I remember now that I have a Holy Father and He has Given His Holy Son that I might live within the Power and Protection and Enlightenment and Encouragement---as well as the Forgiveness of the Holy Spirit. If as the 20th verse of chapter one says 'no prophecy is private' then let us begin to call upon this power to deliver, this promise of protection, this spirit of enlightenment, and realize, manifest the encouragement publicly and loudly at least as often as we do the forgiveness. We have hidden God in our hearts and speak of only a part of Him? Who are we to hide God's face from others. People did not write about 2nd Peter because it wasn't there, they did not write about 2nd Peter because they were ashamed of the disuse/misuse/abuse of power it reveals in the reader! This is a personal onslaught by God through Peter against the weakness within and evil about his friends of the time and his readers today. This is the meat and potatos of scripture, folks. So hold on tight, and if you should wake with a fright in the night call out to Jesus with all your might and He will bestow upon you His Light!

Peter begins his last letter, with a standard greeting, but one directed at the growing number of believers. He refers to those believers in the King James as 'them that have obtained like precious faith'. Then he gives a blessing that as their knowledge of Christ Jesus grows so should their grace and peace. This increase in grace and peace is in accordance with that which God is able and wills to do for us, His faithful, and includes the things which pertain to this life as well as those things spiritual and eternal. We are given those things that we need here, now, so that we might be able to focus on those divine things from above. Avoiding the lust and corruption of the world and attaining unto the glory and virtue of the Father.

Along with this undertaking we, being sincere and earnest, are to add to this faith we have first received, acknowledged, then developed, virtue, add to this faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge and to knowledge temperance, to temperance patience, and patience godliness, and godliness kindness, and to kindness love. If we have these things, and abound in them then we will not be unfruitful or lacking in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

On the other hand, if we have not diligently applied ourselves to the aquisition of, and application of, the increase and growth of faith through virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness and love, then we are blind and forgetful of the price of our atonement and always stumbling and unsure and an afright, a wall, to others who would draw closer to God. We should rather be diligent and work toward those things noble and uplifting of the Divine nature as have been revealed and given us-ward, making our calling and election a certainty in our minds so that we might not be a stumbler nor an idget. As we have been diligent here, when we arrive through the Gates of Heaven, then, we will be given that entrance into eternity. Due diligence.

Would I be negligent if I did not mention here, now, to you these things which help to secure your faith in your own mind and encourage your faithfulness, even though ye already know the things of which I speak. If yes, then I shall not be negligent to speak these things and often so that we may be reminded and encouraged toward our diligent doing.

At this juncture, Peter, refering to his body as being in a tabernacle which he will soon put off, begins to segue, from the exhortation for his readers to work hard at spiritual growth, to what was for most of the original readers of this epistle, a reminder, and, to later readers of the gospels, a summation of Peter's personal witness and testimony of the Christ, Jesus our Lord and Saviour. Here, I am reminded of that hymn we all know 'I Love To Tell the Story'. The last verse especially poignant here--"I love to tell the story for those that know it best, seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest, And when in scenes of glory, I sing the new, new song, 'Twill be the old, old story, that I have loved so long."

Peter uses his impending death as a reason for the impetus, the fervent exhortation and admonitions of this book. He is indicating that there is not much time left for him personally to do that which God has for him to do. He is repeating many things which his readers have already heard, but as the song states, we relish in the rehearing. We can take this as a message to each of us today, for surely as each day passes we are ever nearer that time when we no longer are able to convey to our family our neighbor our friend, acquaintenance or stranger, those things which God wants them to hear and believe.

These two books of Peter make it more plain than nearly any other scriptures, the importance of our being as separate in body as we are separate in spirit from the chains of sin. This passage also demonstrates to us the effectiveness of telling the story as we have experienced it so others might hear and know God's presence and power and promise.

Peter reminds us of the closeness to our Majesty he had. He was there when the voice from heaven said "This is my beloved Son In whom I am well pleased!" And again the voice was there on the holy mount at the transfiguration of Jesus. We do well to take heed of these words of Peter concerning Jesus and the light He offers us through Peter.

The chapter concludes by stating no prophecy is of a private nature for it comes from the Holy Ghost to men God has chosen for the task. I think it seems obvious to the reader, this writing of Peter tells us in no uncertain terms we are to do those things which please God for if we do not please Him here we will not please Him when we enter the Gates.