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Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master and in high favour; because by him the LORD had given victory to Syria. He was a mighty man of valour, but he was a leper.2 Kings 5:1The story of Naaman is another story from the life of Elisha. Naaman was known for his strength and courage in battle. With that reputation, he would have risen through the ranks until he became the “commander of the army.” Not many people reach these heights.Naaman was “in high favour” with the king. Notice why: “because by him the LORD had given victory to Syria” (5:1). God gave victories to the enemies of His people!This truth is clear in Scripture: When God’s people sinned against Him, He gave them into the hands of their enemies. Success comes from the hand of God whether a person knows Him or not.Naaman was blessed with success, but he also had a great affliction: “He was a leper” (5:1). This terrible reality outweighed everything else. He was facing a grim future.Leprosy in the Bible is a picture of what sin does in our lives. Sin makes us guilty, so we need to be forgiven. But sin also defiles us, so we need to be cleansed.Like leprosy, sin starts small, but it spreads. It is hidden at the beginning, but eventually it shows. It alienates us from God and from His people. And in Bible times, there was no known cure.As we follow Naaman’s story, we are going to see not only how he was healed, but also how a sinner can be cleansed and reconciled to God.How have you seen the effects of sin grow and spread in your life? Have you experienced God’s cleansing and forgiveness?

God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak… to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised… even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.1 Corinthians 1:27-29In the miracles of Elisha, we see two truths: God’s work continues despite our foolish mistakes, and God’s work advances despite our obvious inadequacies. These truths should have three effects in our lives.1. They should humble usGod’s work does not continue or advance because of some greatness in us. It continues despite our obvious inadequacies and our foolish mistakes. These truths should keep us humble.2. They should comfort usGod’s story is always a story of redemption. So don’t ever let your foolish mistakes and your obvious inadequacies crush you. Use your foolish mistakes to learn wisdom. And use your obvious inadequacies to grow in faith. The Christian life is not about what you can do for God. It is about what God can do through you when you place yourself into His hands.3. They should encourage usIf God can work through a student who can’t tell a safe plant from a poisonous one, then God can work through you. If God can work through a poor farmer whose firstfruits amount to only 20 loaves, then God can work through you.God works through people who make foolish mistakes. He works through people who have obvious inadequacies. And that means that God can work through you.Are the truths from the stories of Elisha having any effect in your life? How are they humbling you? Comforting you? Encouraging you?

A man came from Baal-shalishah, bringing the man of God bread of the firstfruits.2 Kings 4:42A farmer arrived with food for the sons of the prophets. These students are living through a famine, and this farmer says that he has brought “the firstfruits” of his harvest.The students hope he has a really big farm! But the cart is almost empty. There’s just one sack with only 20 loaves of bread and some grain. It must have been a massive disappointment.Elisha said to his servant Gehazi, “Give to the men, that they may eat.” And Gehazi said, “How can I set this before a hundred men?” Elisha gave the same command again, adding, “for thus says the LORD, ‘They shall eat and have some left’” (4:42-43). God multiplied the food, and “They ate and had some left, according to the word of the LORD” (4:44).Perhaps you want to be useful to God, but you don’t feel you have much to offer. Remember this farmer. Never underestimate what God can do through your faith and obedience!You can’t read this story without thinking about the greater miracle to which it points. A large crowd had gathered to listen to Jesus in a desert place. The disciples found a small boy with five loaves and two fish, “but what are they for so many?” (John 6:9).The loaves and fish were multiplied in the hands of Jesus, and a vast crowd was fed. There were 12 baskets of food left over. God’s work advances despite our obvious inadequacies.Are you facing an overwhelming task today? You can say with the apostle Paul, “Who is sufficient for these things?” (2 Cor 2:16). And you need to hear the answer: “Our sufficiency is from God” (3:5).Do you feel inadequate for some task that you know God is calling you to? Ask God to multiply your efforts!

They cried out, “O man of God, there is death in the pot!” ... He said, “Then bring flour.” And he threw it into the pot… And there was no harm in the pot.2 Kings 4:40–41How can God’s work continue when His people make so many mistakes? God protects us from the worst effects of our own folly. How does He do this? Here are two ways.1. Sometimes God protects us by His direct interventionFlour does not neutralise poison. What happened here is like when Moses put a log into the bitter waters of Marah and made them sweet (Ex. 15). It is like when Elisha put salt in the bad water at Jericho with a similar effect (2 Kings 2). The log, the salt, and the flour were visible signs of God’s invisible work.You see this when the soldiers came with an armed mob to arrest Jesus. Peter drew his sword and cut off the ear of the High Priest’s servant. “Jesus said, ‘No more of this!’ And he touched his ear and healed him” (Luke 22:51). God protects us by His direct intervention. His hidden hand saves us from untold disasters.2. Sometimes God protects us through wisdom given to othersIf the young student had taken someone with him who knew the plants, he would not have picked poisonous ones. Can you tell the difference between what will nourish your spiritual life and what will diminish it? This is one reason God gives pastors to churches. They can help you to know what is healthy and guard you from what might make you sick. God protects us through wisdom given to others.Have you found wise Christian friends? Make a habit of asking them for their counsel.

One of them… found a wild vine and gathered from it his lap full of wild gourds, and came and cut them up into the pot of stew, not knowing what they were.2 Kings 4:39The Bible is full of foolish mistakes: James and John wanting to call down fire on a Samaritan village. Peter drawing his sword in the Garden of Gethsemane. The disciples rebuking little children for coming to Jesus.The amazing thing is that God’s work continued despite these mistakes. And our lives have been filled with foolish mistakes as well.Who does not regret some foolish thing we said? “Once those words were spoken, I couldn’t take them back.” Or perhaps you regret something you didn’t say: “If I had spoken up sooner, we would not be in this position.”Maybe your mistake relates to money. You bought something and hardly use it. Now you need that money and wish you could have it back.Parents often regret decisions we made in bringing up our children. We didn’t realise it at the time, but we were too harsh. We should have cut our children more slack.For others, it’s the other way round. We gave our children more freedom than they could handle. Now there are behaviour patterns that will be hard to break.Then there are mistakes we have made in ministry. Ronald Wallace says, “For many of us the enthusiasm of our early days… was often marred by misdirected zeal and by a way of approaching other people more likely to do harm than good… We did not know any better at the time.”As with the student who put the poisonous plant in the stew, God’s work continues despite our foolish mistakes.Can you think of a foolish mistake you made, and how God’s work continued in spite of it? Thank God that His work does not depend on us getting everything right.

As the sons of the prophets were sitting before [Elisha], he said to his servant, “Set on the large pot, and boil stew for the sons of the prophets.”2 Kings 4:38We are introduced here to a group of men known as “the sons of the prophets.” They lived in community and gave themselves to study and prayer. They brought the Word of God to the people.It’s likely that Elisha was there often, teaching, mentoring, exhorting them to walk with God. In this time of famine, Elisha wanted them to enjoy a good meal. So he said to his servant Gehazi, “Set on the large pot, and boil stew” (4:38).Then one of the students thinks, “We should add some flavour to the meat.” He found some wild gourds and put them into the pot “not knowing what they were” (4:39).When the sons of the prophets tasted the stew, they knew immediately that something was wrong. They shouted to Elisha, “O man of God, there is death in the pot!” (4:40). Elisha told them to put flour in the stew, and then “there was no harm in the pot” (4:41). God made the poisonous stew safe.This strange story points us to a wonderful truth: God’s work continues despite our foolish mistakes. The student who put the poison in the pot certainly didn’t intend to harm the others. He must have thought “How could I have been such a fool?”When, by a miracle of God’s grace, the stew was made safe, the student must have breathed a huge sigh of relief. “Thank You, Lord! My foolish mistake might have led to disaster, but You stepped in and saved us from the worst effects of my folly.”Do you need God to step in and save you from a foolish mistake?

[Elisha] prayed to the LORD. Then he went up and lay on the child, putting his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands. And as he stretched himself upon him, the flesh of the child became warm. Then he got up again and walked once back and forth… and went up and stretched himself upon him. The child… opened his eyes.2 Kings 4:33–35There is a marvellous picture here of how Christ gives new life to us. Elisha “lay on the child” and “stretched himself upon him” (4:34).In the Old Testament law, touching a dead body would make you unclean. By stretching himself out over the boy, Elisha was making himself unclean.When Jesus stretched Himself out for us on the cross, He was made unclean for us. “For our sake [God] made [Jesus] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:21).Then notice that Elisha lay on the child, “putting his mouth on his mouth” (2 Kings 4:34). Elisha breathed new life into the boy. And that is a wonderful picture of what Christ does for us. He breathes new life into us by His Holy Spirit, and by God’s grace, the eternal life that is in Him becomes ours.There is no greater miracle than the miracle of the resurrection. There are three stories of resurrection in the Old Testament, all of them from the time of Elijah and Elisha.These stories all point to the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the glorious triumph over death that is ours in Him. It is as if God couldn’t wait to give the good news that death will not be the end. God’s servants have a glorious future. They will enjoy a glorious resurrection.How does the hope of a glorious future comfort your heart?

Gehazi came to push her away. But the man of God said, “Leave her alone, for she is in bitter distress, and the LORD has hidden it from me and has not told me.”2 Kings 4:27Elisha was a great man of God. God worked through him in extraordinary ways. But the emphasis here is not on Elisha’s strength and power but on his limitations and weakness.Notice what Elisha doesn’t know: “She is in bitter distress, and the LORD has hidden it from me” (4:27). He is saying, “God often reveals things to me, but I don’t know what’s going on here.”However discerning you are, there will be things that the Lord hides from you. You will find yourself saying, “I’m walking with God, but I can’t see the way ahead. I am completely dependent on Him.”Elisha didn’t know what God was doing. And notice that Elisha’s initiative was unsuccessful. He sent Gehazi to the house at Shunem with the prophet’s staff. “Gehazi went on ahead and laid the staff on the face of the child, but there was no sound or sign of life” (4:31).How easy it is to live on our gifts, to feel that we have what it takes to do the work of God. God sometimes allows His servants to fail so that we will remember that we are utterly dependent on Him.If that was the experience of a man who walked so closely with God, we should not be surprised if it is our experience as well.Have you failed in something that you were confident about? How could you use this to help you grow in your dependence on God?

When the child had grown… he said to his father, “Oh, my head, my head!” The father said to his servant, “Carry him to his mother.” …The child sat on her lap till noon, and then he died.2 Kings 4:18-20Here we have every mother’s nightmare. The unimaginable sorrow of the death of a child. She laid the boy in Elisha’s room and told her husband that she was going to see the man of God. She said, “All is well” (4:23).She rode her donkey as fast as she could to Mount Carmel where Elisha was—about 18 miles. Elisha told his servant to run and meet her and ask, “Is all well with you?” The woman brushed him off with the same answer: “All is well” (4:26).But when she saw Elisha, she let him have it! “Did I ask my lord for a son? Did I not say, ‘Do not deceive me?’” (4:28). She was saying, “This is exactly what I was afraid of: that my heart would be filled with joy and then be broken.” God’s servants are greatly blessed, and God’s servants endure great sorrows. This is the pattern of the Christian life.You can’t read this story without thinking about another godly woman whose Son was promised and then died. Remember the words of the angel to Mary: “Behold, you will… bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus” (Luke 1:31).Then in the temple, Simeon said to Mary, “a sword will pierce through your own soul also” (2:35). A sword did pierce Mary’s soul. Who can imagine the pain she felt at the cross while her Son suffered and died?Why do the godly suffer? We are only told that they do, that this too is in the purpose of God, and that one day, God will wipe all tears from our eyes.Read Revelation 21:3-4 and reflect on the day God will wipe away your tears.

One day Elisha went on to Shunem, where a wealthy woman lived, who urged him to eat some food. So whenever he passed that way, he would turn in there to eat food.2 Kings 4:8The first thing we are told about this woman is that she had been blessed financially. God had blessed her, and she wanted to bring blessing to others.One way she could do this was to give hospitality to the prophet Elijah. Now she took it a step further. She told her husband, “I know that this is a holy man of God... Let us make a small room… and put there for him a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp” (4:9-10).This woman was blessed, and she wanted to be a blessing to others. Elisha wanted to return her kindness, so he asked what he could do for her. She replied, “I dwell among my own people” (4:13). This is a wonderful expression of contentment. “What more could I want?”But she did not have a child. This had likely been a great disappointment, but she had come to a point of accepting it. “God has blessed me, and I am content.”Elisha told her, “About this time next year, you shall embrace a son” (4:16). The woman’s reaction was one of caution. “No, my lord… do not lie to your servant” (4:16). But God was true to His Word, and “the woman conceived, and she bore a son” (4:17).If you are in Christ today, you are greatly blessed. Whatever hardship you face, whatever gift you have not been given, whatever disappointment you know, in Jesus Christ you are supremely blessed.God has set His love on you. God has sent His Son for you. The Holy Spirit lives in you, and He is always working for your ultimate good.What disappointments have you wrestled with? Where do you see God’s blessing?

My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.Philippians 4:19The story of the widow’s oil points us very wonderfully to our Lord Jesus. Think about what God did for her sons. He paid their debt. He saved them from slavery. He gave them a future. This is what God has done for us in Jesus Christ.Jesus paid our debtWe owe it to God to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. We owe it to our neighbours to love them as we love ourselves. None of us has paid the debt that we owe. Jesus took our debt on Himself and paid it in full on the cross.Jesus sets us freeGod saved the widow’s sons from an awful future as slaves. But Jesus has saved us from an even more horrendous future trapped in hell forever!Jesus said, “Everyone who practises sin is a slave to sin” (John 8:34). Then He said, “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (8:36). God saves us from being sin’s slaves. He brings us into glorious freedom through our Lord Jesus Christ.Jesus will give us a glorious futureHe said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (10:10). Jesus gives eternal life. And it is by believing that we have this life in His name (20:31).“My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19). God will sustain you by the power and presence of His Holy Spirit. You will have all that you need for all that you face in your journey from here to heaven.Thank God for His promise that He will supply your every need.

Your servant my husband is dead, and... the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves.2 Kings 4:1Let’s look at this story from the perspective of the two boys. It’s striking how often they are mentioned, and it is through their eyes that we see these two truths.1. God works for our freedomThese two boys had quite a story to tell. If one of them could tell us his story, he might say,I’ll never forget the day that creditor came. His words felt like a death sentence. I was about to become a slave. But then God stepped in! As the oil kept coming from the jar, we witnessed the grace and kindness of God, poured out in our home. When we sold the oil, our debt was paid. Instead of being slaves we were free!2. God works for our joy“The man of God… said, ‘Go, sell the oil and pay your debts, and you and your sons can live on the rest’” (4:7). God did more than pay off the debt. He provided a rich future. If one of her sons was here today, he might say,I didn’t know this at the time, but when Elisha said, “You and your sons can live on the rest,” he was telling us that we would have enough to start a small business. And we did very well with it. God did more than pay our debt. He provided for our future life.God works with what He has already given. God works through our faith and obedience. God works for our freedom and joy.In what area do you need God’s freedom? Where do you need His joy?

Then [Elisha] said, “Go outside, borrow vessels from all your neighbours, empty vessels and not too few.”2 Kings 4:3Notice, there was something for this woman to do. God provided for her as she walked in faith and obedience. God is not limited by our faith or by our obedience, but He calls us to be actively engaged in the means by which He provides.Elisha was a prophet, and the word of the prophet was the Word of God to her. “Go… borrow vessels from all your neighbours” (4:3). That was a command for her to obey.Then Elisha said, “and not too few” (4:3). He called her to exercise faith. “Don’t underestimate what God can do! Walk in obedience and anticipate God’s blessing.”Elisha told her, “Go in and shut the door behind yourself and your sons and pour into all these vessels. And when one is full, set it aside” (4:4).Then we read, “She went from him and shut the door behind herself and her sons. And as she poured they brought the vessels to her” (4:5). She did exactly what Elisha had said.One son placed an empty jar on the table, the other son took the full one, and the woman kept pouring. She would say, “Another jar!” Until at last, her son said, “There is not another,” and the oil stopped flowing (4:6).Oil flowed from the little jar as long as there were jars to fill. If the woman had not obeyed the command to borrow the jars, the oil would not have flowed.The widow’s faith and obedience were woven into what God did for her. It was as she obeyed that God acted. And it will be the same for us. God will provide as we walk in faith and obedience.Ask God to help you walk in obedience so that nothing will hinder you from receiving what God wants to give.

Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me; what have you in the house?” And she said, “Your servant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil.”2 Kings 4:2There is something important here about how to help a person in need. The first question is, “What do you have?” What do you have that you could sell to pay this debt? God works with what He has already provided.God is not limited to working with what He has already provided. But this is a pattern that we see often in the Bible.The most obvious example is when a vast crowd gathered to hear Jesus in a remote place. After many hours they were hungry. Jesus said to His disciples, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see” (Mark 6:38).So they went to see what God had already provided. “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?” (John 6:9).But God worked with these five loaves and two fish. In the hands of Jesus, they fed a multitude. Jesus could have created food out of nothing. But He worked with the loaves and fish that were placed in His hands.You can see the same pattern in this story: “What do you have in the house?” “Nothing… except a jar of oil.” God could have created oil out of nothing. But He worked with the oil He had already given.In any situation of need, look at what God has given you already. What gifts do you have? What friends, opportunities, and resources? These may be the things God works with to provide for you.What resources has God given you that He can work with in your circumstances today?

Now the wife of one of the sons of the prophets cried to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the LORD, but the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves.”2 Kings 4:1This woman’s great loss opened a whole chapter of troubles. God’s law made provision for widows among God’s people, primarily through the extended family. But for whatever reason, this woman seems to have fallen through the net, and she was left with mounting debt.Then the man who had lent her money came knocking at the door.“You owe me money.”“I’m sorry, but I don’t have any money to give you.”“Well, what do you have?”“See for yourself. All I have is this little jar of oil.”“What good is that to me? But you do have something that might be useful to me—these two fine young boys. If your debt is not paid by the end of the month, both of your sons will work for me until it is fully paid.”This woman was desperate, so she went to Elisha for help. She knew that he walked closely with God. Perhaps God could help her.This is a wonderful story about God’s provision. We will see how God provides, how we are involved in what God provides, and how this story points us to what God does for us in Jesus Christ.When have you faced desperate times? How did you see God provide?

Now the wife of one of the sons of the prophets cried to Elisha…2 Kings 4:1Many Christians are familiar with the story of Elijah the prophet, but fewer know the story of Elisha the prophet. Elijah is the better known of the two, but God’s people enjoyed more blessing in the days of Elisha than they ever did in the days of Elijah.Taken as a whole, the stories about Elisha say to us, “Look at who God is! Look at what He has done! Look at what He will do! Believe in Him, trust Him, have confidence in Him.” The God who was with Elijah was also with Elisha. God’s work continues even when His servants change.We begin today in our journey through the life of Elisha with the story of a woman who had been married to a godly man. Her husband was “one of the sons of the prophets” (4:1). Prophets were called to speak the Word of God, so she was married to someone who had a ministry of the Word.It’s clear from what she said to Elisha that her husband was a faithful servant of God: “You know that your servant feared the LORD” (4:1).And it seems that this woman’s husband had been especially close to Elisha. She describes her husband as Elisha’s servant twice: “Your servant my husband… You know that your servant feared the LORD” (4:1). This woman’s husband may have been Elisha’s right-hand man.So, this woman had been greatly blessed by God, who had given her a faithful, godly husband and two wonderful sons. But then tragedy struck. The woman’s husband died. And, because she refers to her sons as “children,” it seems that her husband may have died early in life. God’s faithful servants suffer, and sometimes they suffer greatly.Can you relate to this woman?

The Lord is not slow to fulfil his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you.2 Peter 3:9What promise is Peter talking about here? God has promised to judge the earth with fire, just as He once judged the earth with water.You would expect the verse to say, “God is not slow in fulfilling his promise… He is patient with the unbelieving world.” But that’s not what he says. Instead, he says “God is not slow to fulfil his promise… but is patient toward you” (3:9).He’s writing to Christian believers. God is not slow in keeping His promise (of judgement). He is patient with you. Why has Christ not yet come? God held back His judgement long enough to bring you into His kingdom. That’s the love of God for you in Jesus Christ.It’s not just that God has been patient with you. Peter says, God “is patient toward you…” (3:9). If one day with the Lord is like a thousand years, then God has indeed been very patient with all of us. Our sins have gone on a long time according to heaven’s clock.Day by day we cast ourselves on His mercy, trusting the cleansing power of the blood of Christ, and Peter says, He “is patient toward you…” Don’t you find it amazing that God does not look down at you and say, “I’m done with him!” or “I’m done with her!”?Since God has shown you this kind of patience on heaven’s timescale, you can be patient in real time with that unbelieving loved one, or that hard-hearted cynic at the office.Who does God want you to show His patience to today?

With the Lord… a thousand years [are] as one day.2 Peter 3:8If one day is like a thousand years with the Lord, then the average human life (70 years), would run 25 million years. That’s a long time!Maybe you’re feeling the pressure of all the stuff you have to get done next week. But, if you had 7,000 years to do that work, you could get it all done easily! Think how relaxed you could be if one day was like a thousand years to you. That’s how it is with God.Think about your loved ones who do not believe. You have been praying, “How long, O Lord?” It feels like you’ve been waiting forever to see God move. Be encouraged! God can do more in your loved one’s life in a moment than Satan can do in 20 years!God is eternal: He is never rushed, never overwhelmed, never taken by surprise. He has all the time in the world to accomplish everything He has planned to do. If you can take in these great truths, you will have less fear and more peace. You will also find a new freedom.If you know Christ, you have eternal life. That’s a lot of life! You don’t need to go through life counting how much you have left and worrying about whether you will accomplish all your plans. You can afford to give your life away in service to others.You don’t need to fret over opportunities that didn’t open up as you’d hoped. Life on earth is short. Life on earth is short, but life in heaven is long, and in Christ you have more life than you know what to do with.Where do these truths intersect your anxieties and worries today?

With the Lord... a thousand years [are] as one day.2 Peter 3:8Do the math—Abraham was born on Monday. King David was born on Tuesday. Jesus was born on Wednesday. The middle ages flashed by yesterday, and our generation will have passed before this morning is over. Another 30 generations will have passed by tomorrow morning.By God’s scale, 70 years pass by every 100 minutes. So, imagine a person who does not believe in or obey God. He is making his mark in the world, but God looks down and says, “He’ll be gone in 90 minutes.” God says, “What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes” (Jas. 4:14).When we get anxious about the state of the world, let’s remember that to the Almighty, the whole of human history is very short. So, when “The kings of the earth set themselves… against the LORD and against his Anointed… the Lord holds them in derision” (Psa. 2:2, 4). He is not worried about His enemies, so you don’t need to worry about them either.This cuts the root of our self-importance. Your life on earth is very short, so what really matters? You might think that what matters is your education, your career, your opportunities, your investments, your health, your travel, and your quality of life. But, as far as God is concerned, all of us will be in His presence in less than 90 minutes.Once you see that, you will have a very different idea of what matters: “Teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom” (Psa. 90:12).Ask God to give you the wisdom to see what really matters.

Scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires.2 Peter 3:3Over the last century, we have seen evolutionism, which said “There is no Creator!” We are seeing the decline of postmodernism, which said “There is no Truth!” And now we’re seeing the rise of a new atheism, which says “There is no God!”Perhaps you work with people who are cynical about your faith. Their language distresses you. Sometimes they despise the things of God that are precious to you. How are you going to handle that? It’s easy to get frustrated when people are cynical or sceptical toward God, but we need to deal with it because a Christianity that’s angry with the world never gets us anywhere (Jas. 1:20).The pressures of living with unbelief come much closer to home for many of us. What do you do when your son or daughter turns away from following Christ? They don’t believe. They show no interest in spiritual things. Eyes roll when you talk about going to church.What happens inside of you is very predictable. You feel helpless, What can I do? What can the church do? And when you feel helpless, frustration grows and with it comes anger. And anger won’t do much to bring him or her closer to the Lord!One of the hardest things in the world is to see people you love wasting their lives, following their own desires. The most natural thing in the world is for you to feel defeated, perplexed, frustrated, embattled, helpless, angry, tense, afraid, and ashamed.How can you develop more patience with sceptical people, so that what comes out of you reflects the Spirit of Jesus rather than the spirit of the Pharisees?

Scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires.2 Peter 3:3This is what the first Christians experienced; it’s what we experience today; and it will be the experience of the church until Christ comes.When the New Testament refers to the “last days,” it includes all the days between Jesus’ first and second coming (see Acts 2). So, don’t be surprised by antagonism toward the gospel. By nature we do not seek God, we do not love God, and we cannot please God.Rejecting God’s Word (scoffing) and choosing your own way go together. If you want to follow your own desires, you have to reject God. You have to put yourself and your own agenda in first place in your life. The sinner would prefer a world without God, because he wants to be his own god. Paul says, “Men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth” (Rom. 1:18).Unbelief and rebellion are the default position of the human heart, “The mind that is set on the flesh [i.e., the nature we are born with] is hostile to God” (Rom. 8:7). “Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh” (8:5). The idea that sinners really love God and are seeking after Him, if only they could find Him, is completely false.Peter has been telling us that in Christ we have “all things that pertain to life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3). That means we need to find in Christ the strength, patience, wisdom, and grace to live in a world that does not see His glory, does not believe His Word, and does not follow His way.Are you prepared to follow Jesus in this Christ-rejecting world?

The Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgement.2 Peter 2:9There is a great promise here for the Christian. You love the Lord and you grieve over sins—in you and around you. God knows how to rescue you from trials. And He will rescue you. You can count on that.We learn something else here: There is a punishment for sin that begins now. Sin brings the misery of its own consequences in this life. The way of the sinner is hard, but it gets worse if you refuse to leave this path: God holds the unrighteous for the day of judgement (2:9).Can you feel the weight of these words? If you love your sins, and refuse to turn from them, then right now this is what God is doing in your life: He is continuing your punishment, and He is holding you for the day of judgement.This is not what you want God doing in your life. You want to be with the godly who grieve their sin, repent of their sin, and turn, on account of their sin, in faith to Jesus Christ crucified.You wonder, How can I change? I try to change and then I go back to what I was before. I am just like the dog that returns to its own vomit. I am unrighteous. How can I be godly?You cannot change on your own. But you can come to Jesus Christ today, because God’s “divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence” (1:3).Which did you most need to hear today, the promise or the warning?

What the true proverb says has happened to them: “The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire.”2 Peter 2:22The dog goes back and sniffs around. It is intrigued; it loves the vomit. The pig goes back and wallows in the mud. Why? Pigs love mud. And the unrighteous love sin. That’s why they keep going back to it.The washed pig looks better, but it goes back to the mud. The dog feels better (you always feel better after you throw up), but it goes back to the vomit. The pig looked better, the dog felt better, but a dog is still a dog and a pig is still a pig. The only change is a change in appearance.Peter says, “That’s the counterfeit Christian.” You had some kind of religious experience that made you look better or feel better, but you remained the same person you were before, and if that’s the case, your position is worse off than at the beginning (2:20).Perhaps you are familiar with the truth. Other people may think you love Christ, but you know that’s not true. Your familiarity with the truth will make you more resistant to Christ than others who have never heard. Every time the gospel is preached, we are drawn nearer to Christ or we move further away. Our hearts are made softer or our hearts are made harder.Don’t let that be true of you: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts” (Heb. 4:7). Turn to Christ today and embrace Him as your saviour. Don’t let your familiarity with the gospel make you harder.What is familiarity with the truth doing in your life? Drawing you nearer to Him? Or moving you further away?

Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked (for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard).2 Peter 2:7-8Here is one “hidden” mark of a genuine believer. It cannot be known for sure in others, but you can be sure of it in yourself.Be careful not to make false judgements about others. Peter writes about those who deny the Lord (2:1). But Peter denied Him three times. So, if you were to say, “He’s a counterfeit!” you’d be wrong. There will be many surprises in heaven—who’s there and who’s not.Lot chose to live in the city of Sodom, and he experienced a great deal of unhappiness there. Some decisions in life have lasting consequences—where you live, what career you choose, who you marry. A bad decision may bring you sorrow, but it cannot stop God’s grace in your life.The mark of a righteous man living in an unrighteous world, Peter says, is that he is “distressed” and “tormented” day after day. He is distressed over sin in the world around him. And he is distressed over sin in his own soul. The distinguishing mark is not that Lot was without sin. The evidence that Lot was a righteous man was that he grieved over sin wherever he saw it.Your distress over the sin around you is a clear mark of God’s grace in your life. A true Christian grieves over sin wherever he sees it. That includes the sin in your own soul. A counterfeit Christian takes it very lightly. It doesn’t bother him.Are you distressed by the sins you see around you? How about by your own sins?

There will be false teachers among you.2 Peter 2:1Peter’s plain statement reminds us that the church needs to be protected. Among the many wonderful people who come through the doors of the church each year, there will be some who would do the church more harm than good. They may seem like the nicest of people, but they do not believe in the authority of the Bible or in the exclusivity of salvation in Christ. We must welcome such people, because they need Christ as much as we do, but we must not allow them to have influence in the church. If what Peter says here is true, this means that sceptics will always be able to point to hypocrisy and inconsistency in the church. They’ve always done it and they always will. One of the strangest reasons for not following Christ goes like this: “I’ve seen people in the church who are hypocrites.” You will not follow Christ because some people who claim to do so are hypocrites? The existence of the counterfeit is never a good reason for rejecting the genuine. Peter says, “Of course there are counterfeit Christians. Of course there are teachers who do the church more harm than good. What else would you expect in this fallen world? Grow up! Don’t be naïve! Don’t miss what’s real, simply because you have seen the counterfeit.” You might be able to make a case this week to someone who’s hiding behind this excuse!Do you know someone who has rejected Christianity because of hypocrisy?

There will be false teachers among you.2 Peter 2:1What is the difference between a genuine believer and a counterfeit believer? Here are four more characteristics that Peter gives us.4. Different Character. (What kind of people are being produced?) The true believer pursues virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection, and love (1:5-6). The counterfeit Christian is marked by arrogance and slander (2:10), greed and adultery (2:14), and they “despise authority” (2:10).5. Different Appeal. (Why should you listen to the message?) God has spoken, and the true teacher appeals to this, “We have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention” (1:19). But the false teacher makes “loud boasts” trying to entice people by appealing to the “sensual passions of the flesh” (2:18). So, the true teacher asks: What has God said in His Word? But the false teacher asks a very different question: What do people want to hear?6. Different Fruit. (What result does the message have in people’s lives?) The true believer is effective and fruitful in his or her knowledge of Jesus Christ (1:8). The counterfeit is described as “waterless springs” (2:17). He or she promises much but produces little.7. Different End. (Where does the message ultimately lead you?) Here we find the most disturbing contrast of all. The true believer will receive “richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (1:11). The false believers will experience “swift destruction” (2:1). “Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep” (2:3).Jesus tells us that there will be many who have been involved in ministry in His name, to whom He will say, “I never knew you; depart from me” (Mat. 7:23). Who are these people? Surely Peter is describing them right here.Take a moment to thank God for the faithfulness you see in your leaders.

There will be false teachers among you.2 Peter 2:1Second Peter 1 describes genuine believers. Second Peter 2 describes counterfeit believers. Put these chapters side by side, and you will see the differences between them. 1. Different Source. (Where does the message come from?) Peter says, “We did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1:16). Then he says the false teachers exploit you “with false words” (2:3). The true teacher sources what he says from the Bible, the false teacher relies on his own creativity. He makes up his own message. 2. Different Message. (What is the substance of the message?) For the true teacher, Jesus Christ is central. We have “all things that pertain to life and godliness” in Him (1:3). For the false teacher, Jesus is at the margins: They “will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them” (2:1). It’s rare for someone in church to openly deny Jesus. Movement away from Him is subtle. Listen carefully to what the false teacher is saying, and you will see that Jesus is not essential to his message. 3. Different Position. (In what position will the message leave you?) The true Christian has “escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire” (1:4). Listen to how Peter describes the counterfeit Christian: “They promise… freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved” (2:19). Two very different dynamics are at work here. The true believer is escaping corruption, while the counterfeit believer is mastered by it.Thank God for the faithfulness you see in your leaders and teachers.

False prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you.2 Peter 2:1There are no ifs, ands, or buts here. It’s a clear and definite statement. There were false prophets among the people (of Israel in the Old Testament). That’s a matter of history.False prophets were a constant problem in the Old Testament, and those who falsely claimed to be prophets of God were to be stoned. The people rarely had the will to deal with them, and so they multiplied, causing disaster to the spiritual life of God’s people.In the same way Peter says, “There will be false teachers among you” (2:1). Notice the words “among you.” Peter is writing to the church and he says, “There will be false prophets among you.” So, he is not talking about new-age people on television. He is talking about people in the local church, members of a local congregation.This is telling us that there is no such thing as a pure church this side of heaven. You will never find one. The wheat and the tares grow together. Warren Wiersbe writes in his book, Be Alert: “Satan is the great counterfeiter…[He] has a false gospel (Gal. 1:6-9), preached by false ministers (2 Cor. 11:13-15), producing false Christians (2 Cor. 11:26)…Satan plants his counterfeits wherever God plants true believers” (Mat. 13:38).What difference could knowing this make to your life?

Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have.2 Peter 1:12Why would you get up tomorrow morning and read the Bible? It’s more than gathering information, it’s about grasping all that Jesus is for you, savouring all that He has done for you, and receiving all that He holds in His hand for you.We miss the boat when we tell ourselves we know stuff that in biblical terms we don’t know. Like when a girl says, “I know God loves me, but I hate myself.” If Peter were her pastor, he would put his arm around her shoulder and say, “You think you know His love, but if you were savouring God’s love for you right now, you would never say that you hate yourself.”When a guy says, “I know the gospel, but I can’t overcome this compulsive sin,” Peter would put his arm around him and say, “You think you know the gospel, but the moment you gave way to temptation, you lost touch with the power and the presence of the Spirit in your life.”There’s an old song that captures this well:Make the book live to me, O Lord,Show me Yourself within Your Word,Show me myself and show me my Saviourand make the book live to me.Come humbly like this to the Word every day. Come to worship and hear the Word like this every week, and it’ll change your life. You will find everything you need for life and godliness.Are you coming to the Word and to worship like this?

Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have.2 Peter 1:12Being reminded of something you already know gets annoying fast. So, when Peter says, “I intend to always remind you of what you already know and are firmly established in,” it looks like a formula for frustration.But “remembering” in the Bible is much more than being able to recall something that happened. When Peter describes a person who professes faith but never grows, he says that he has “forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins” (1:9). But if you went up to this person and said, “Jesus died for your sins,” he or she would say, “I already know that.”The problem is not that he cannot recall forgiveness, but that his forgiveness doesn’t mean much to him anymore. It is no longer something that is real and alive, fresh and present for him. It is no longer shaping his life.When Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper, He took the bread and the wine, and said, “Do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19). What does it mean to remember the Lord Jesus? If you never took communion again for the rest of your life, would you forget that Jesus died on the cross?Of course not! But Jesus wants His death and resurrection to be more than something you can recall. He wants you to savour its blessing, taste its goodness, and experience its power. He wants you to live in the sufficiency of all that He has accomplished for you.Have you “remembered” Jesus’ death and resurrection this week? Have you savoured its blessing? Tasted its goodness? Experienced its power?

No prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.2 Peter 1:20-21The best way to grasp what Peter is saying is through a story.Paul is under arrest and he is being taken to Rome. Luke describes the journey: “A tempestuous wind, called the northeaster, struck down from the land. And when the ship was caught and could not face the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along” (Acts 27:14-15).The word Luke uses here for the ship being “driven along” by the wind is the same word Peter uses for the prophets being “carried along” by the Spirit. How much control do you have when your ship is being carried along by a storm?The direction of the boat was controlled by the wind in the same way that the message of the prophets was controlled by the Spirit. These men did not control the message; the message controlled them. It came to them from God like a mighty wind.If they were “carried along,” so that what they wrote was exactly what God wanted them to say, then this puts the Bible in a different category from every other book written—religious or secular—since the beginning of time.And if what Peter says here were not true, we would hardly know God at all. If God had not spoken, then all we would have is the sum of human experience found on Amazon, and much of it is immensely painful. In a world of opinion God has given us this revelation.Do you agree with Peter that God has spoken to us? Rewrite 2 Peter 1:20-21 in your own words.

No prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man.2 Peter 1:20-21Peter wants us to know how the Scripture came to be written. Where did the Old Testament come from?Peter begins by telling us where the Scriptures did not come from: “No prophecy of Scripture…” (1:20). He is distinguishing “prophecy of Scripture” from all other prophecy.If you lived in ancient Israel, you’d think twice about getting up and saying, “I have a message from God.” The penalty for being a false prophet (claiming you had a message from God, when it was really your own idea) was stoning.The severity of this law reminded people of the seriousness of claiming the authority of God for your own ideas. People in ancient Israel knew that there was a world of difference between the thoughts of men and the Word of God.How did the millions of books on Amazon come to be written? The authors felt that they had something to say. These books come from man’s will, man’s insight, man’s initiative, man’s creativity… and women’s too.Postmodernism has recognised that the world is full of ideas people want to push on us. The history of the world is littered with interpretations of life and truth. There’s the communist view, the new age view, the liberal view, the conservative view, and many more.Peter says, “The Scripture doesn’t belong in this line-up. It’s not another bunch of men pushing their own ideas of life on us.” If you want to understand the Bible, you need to know that it is fundamentally different from any other writing the world has ever known.What makes the Bible different from other books?

We did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.2 Peter 1:16Peter is talking about the second coming of our Lord Jesus, when He will appear in power and glory, and all His people will be with Him.Peter says, “This isn’t a cleverly invented myth. I know because I’ve seen His power and glory. I saw him transfigured.” Peter saw the glory of Jesus as one day you will see Him.The Apostles were eyewitnesses and the New Testament records what they saw, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory” (John 1:14). “We were eyewitnesses of his majesty… We ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain” (2 Peter 1:16, 18).The church is “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone” (Eph. 2:20). The Prophets of the Old Testament point forward to Christ. The Apostles in the New Testament bear witness to Christ. The phrase “the apostles and prophets” is a shorthand way of referring to the whole Bible—the Old Testament and the New.Jesus Christ is the message of the whole Bible. We see in the Law, He is needed. In the Prophets, He is predicted. In the Psalms, He is worshipped. In the Gospels, He is described. In the Acts, He is proclaimed. In the Epistles, He is explained. In the Revelation, He is unveiled.React to this statement: “Jesus Christ is the message of the whole Bible.”

We did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.2 Peter 1:16In Jesus Christ you will find everything you need for life. But if our knowledge of Jesus comes through the Bible, how do we know that it is reliable? Can we trust the Bible?Wayne Grudem, in his Systematic Theology, identifies four things we need to know about the Bible. Peter touches on all of them here:1. Authority—Scripture is the Word of God. Peter says, “Men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (1:21).2. Sufficiency—Scripture has all that we need for knowing Christ. God has given us everything we need for life in knowing His Son, Jesus Christ, and He has given us everything we need for knowing Jesus in the Bible.3. Clarity—in Scripture God has spoken in a way we can understand. Peter himself says that Paul’s letters contain “some things in them that are hard to understand” (2 Pet. 3:16). But the things that are most important are clear in the Bible. That’s why God says parents are to teach it to their children (Deut. 6:6-7). The Word itself will make “wise the simple” (Ps. 19:7; 119:130).4. Necessity—what would we know about God if we didn’t have the Bible? From creation we know that God is great and glorious, but we could never know that He is love, or that Christ died for our sins and rose again, or that He is coming again. That’s why we need the Bible.Imagine your own confidence in the Bible resting on these, like four legs of a stool. Rank each leg from 1 to 4, strongest to weakest.

For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.2 Peter 1:8If you pursue virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection, and love, you will be fruitful—whatever you try, wherever God calls you.Peter wants to encourage us to pursue these things, and he tells us what will happen as we do so:Your confidence in Christ will grow. Be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election (1:10). This cannot mean that pursuing these virtues will somehow contribute to your calling and election. By definition, someone else must “call” you, someone else must “elect” you. People do not call themselves to dinner or elect themselves to office. Your calling and election are from God. Nothing you do can add to or take away from His work. As you pursue the life Peter describes here, you will enjoy a growing confidence and assurance in Jesus Christ.You will receive a rich welcome. There will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (1:11). The Bible makes it clear that we will all stand before the Father and give an account of our lives. When Jesus presents you to the Father on the last day, you don’t want to hear Him say: “Here’s [put your name here], who was trusted with much, but was largely ineffective and unproductive.” You want to hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”What do you find most encouraging here?

Whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.2 Peter 1:9If there isn’t a sense in your heart that “This is what I must pursue,” if there’s no correlation between Peter’s call and the pursuit of your life, there is something wrong with you. That’s what Peter is saying.If you are a person who professes faith, but the goal of your life cannot be expressed in the pursuit of these things, something is desperately wrong. Peter uses three ways of describing what is wrong—nearsighted, blind, and forgetful.If these virtues are not evident in you, then you are nearsighted. You can’t see into the distance. You’ve lost sight of the day when you’ll stand before the Lord and give an account of your life.More than that, you are blind. You can’t see what is going on around you. You’re stumbling because you’ve lost sight of what you’re up against.And you have forgotten that you were cleansed from your sins. You’ve forgotten what it means to be a Christian. If you have no desire to pursue a life that is holy, you’ve forgotten that Jesus came to save you from your sin and lead you into a different kind of life.If it is not clear to you that this is the life God is calling you to pursue, and that you must pursue, then hear Peter’s message today as a wake-up call. There’s something wrong.What is your response to this wake-up call from God’s Word on a scale from 1 (not a big deal), to 10 (something needs to change!)?

Make every effort to supplement your... self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.2 Peter 1:5, 6-7Here are four more virtues that Peter encourages us to actively pursue in the power of the Holy Spirit:4. Steadfastness (Pressing on): The impulsive person gives up easily. He is pushed around by what he feels. When the impulsive person gets fed up, he wants to give up. You need to grow out of that. Where do you most feel like giving up today?5. Godliness (A life that flows from a passion for God): Worship refreshes your love for Christ. This love is the source of your love for other Christians and your love for the world. What priority does worship and prayer have in your life? How is your love for Christ?6. Brotherly affection (A generous spirit toward other believers): The person who is really useful to Christ is always asking, “How can I contribute to the lives of others?” This person is slow to think the worst, and quick to think the best of other believers. Are you aware of a Christian in financial (or any other) need? Have you been thinking the worst of someone?7. Love (God’s compassion for the world): It is possible to be passionate about reaching the lost, yet critical of other Christians; or generous to other believers, yet heartless toward the lost. God doesn’t give you the choice. Where can you demonstrate God’s compassion for lost people? Do you know someone who has never heard the “good news” of Jesus Christ?Make every effort to progress in these things. Go after them with all the energy you can muster. Make them yours. Add them to your faith.Which one of these will you commit to more actively pursue?

For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control.2 Peter 1:5–6Peter’s emphasis is on our effort to actively pursue these in the power of the Holy Spirit: Make every effort to add these things to your faith. Go after them. Make them your own. God has given you power, now stretch yourself out in the pursuit of these things.1. Virtue (Moral excellence): If you want to be a fruitful Christian, you need to grow in virtue or goodness. The sheer moral excellence of Jesus’ life compels us, and a reflection of that goodness in our lives will be compelling to others. So, make every effort to grow in virtue. How can you become more active in doing good to others?2. Knowledge (Practical wisdom): If you want to be a fruitful Christian, you need to grow in wisdom. This happens as the Word of God is learned, believed, applied, and obeyed. David said, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Ps. 119:105). You will find direction, wisdom, and stability as you meditate on God’s Word. Are you taking full advantage of the opportunities available to you for learning God’s Word?3. Self-control (Controlling your passions instead of your passions controlling you): Peter, the most impulsive man in the New Testament, and then a trusted apostle, wrote this. That’s growth! If that can happen for him, it can happen for you. Where do you need to exercise more self-control? In your eating and drinking? In what you watch? In how much or how little you sleep? In what you spend? In your temper or your tongue?Which one of these do you need to go after and more actively pursue?

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness.2 Peter 1:3If God has provided everything we need for a godly life, why is it that some Christians never seem to grow? They never seem to have much joy or make any progress. Peter says that they’re “ineffective or unfruitful” in their knowledge of Christ (1:8). Why is that?If you want to grow in the Christian life, there are certain things you must do, certain things to pursue in the power of the Spirit, and “if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful” in your knowledge of the Lord (1:8).You must “make every effort” (1:5) to pursue these things. Get into an active frame of mind. Take responsibility for your own spiritual growth. You cannot be passive. It’s no use saying, “Let go and let God.” That’s the opposite of what is being said here.Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones has a helpful illustration from the world of farming: “It is no use telling a man to farm if he does not have a farm. If he is without land, without the seed, and without the tools, nothing can be done. But all these are given to us, and therefore, having received them, we are asked to farm.”Even then, our farming does not guarantee a harvest—God makes things grow. But the farmer is still involved. There is something for you to do, and if you do not do it, there will be no harvest.Are you struggling to do the work? Or are you struggling to trust God to make things grow?

For this very reason, make every effort…2 Peter 1:5Get this picture in your mind: An old Volkswagen Beetle sitting next to a Boeing 747 aeroplane. Now, imagine the Volkswagen pulling the 747! Believe it or not, a Volkswagen can actually do this. But what the power of a Volkswagen could never do is make the 747 actually fly!You cannot live the Christian life apart from the power of the Holy Spirit. The New Testament talks about people who have the appearance of godliness, but they deny its power (2 Tim. 3:5). That’s like the Volkswagen pulling the plane. It takes great effort, but it’s ultimately futile. It will never fly! Jesus said, “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).There is a kind of effort that is completely futile, but there is also a kind of effort that is wonderfully fruitful, and that is what Peter is talking about here: “For this very reason…”—in the light of the gospel—because you participate in the divine nature and Christ has released you from Satan’s chains, you are in a position to act.If these things are true of you, if you are in Christ, then use the power that you have been given. Fire up those great engines… and fly!Are you using the power you’ve been given? Or does your Christian life sometimes feel like a Volkswagen pulling a 747?It takes great effort, but it is ultimately futile.

He has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.2 Peter 1:4If you feel defeated today, take in this promise: By His power, and through Jesus Christ, God’s promise to you in the gospel is that you should escape the corruption caused by evil desires. Sin shall no longer be your master.You will not escape the battle with evil desires. But if you are in Christ, you have escaped their power over you. Stop telling yourself that you are in chains when God has set you free.A gospel that offers forgiveness, but not power, isn’t big enough for life. Many people have heard a gospel that is about forgiveness for the past and heaven for the future, but it has nothing to say about God’s power to change your life now.That’s why there are so many people who attend church and profess faith, but they never grow. They remain stuck in the same failures, gripped by the same fears, trapped in the same despair.Peter says, “Let me tell you about a faith that is big enough for life. Let me tell you about God’s power that gives us everything we need for life and godliness. That power will come into your life through Jesus Christ, who calls you by His own glory and goodness.”Jesus’ promise is that His Spirit will live in you, giving you new power, new desire, and new capacity, so that you will escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires! Sin shall no longer be your master!As you think about Christ’s promise, say to Him, “Thank you, God, that’s what I have.” And if you don’t yet have His promise, say, “Please God, that’s what I need.”

He has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.2 Peter 1:4Where does corruption come from? What would need to change in order for our world to become truly free, just, and loving? Some people will tell you that it comes from lack of education, lack of opportunity, or lack of resources.But Peter says corruption in the world is caused by evil desires. Envy, greed, lust, pride, and laziness are the kinds of desires that are in us and that corrupt us. That’s why you find corruption in people who have education, opportunity, and resources, as well as those who don’t.God promises that all those who have faith ‘escape’ from this corruption. You may be thinking, Escape? What do you mean by ‘escape’? I’m a Christian, and I have an ongoing battle with lust, or greed, or pride, or envy. I struggle with evil desires all the time!If you understand your position as a Christian believer, it will help you make sense of your experience. You’re like a fugitive. You’ve been released from captivity to sin by the power of Jesus Christ. You’ve escaped. But Satan, who once held you captive, is always after you.Satan is “like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). He wants to get you back in chains, but God is with you and He will protect you. Sin is your enemy, but it is no longer your master (Rom. 6:14).Are you struggling to make sense of your experience? Are you clear about your position as a Christian?

[By] his own glory and excellence… he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature.2 Peter 1:3-4What exactly does God promise to those who have faith? The first thing Peter mentions is that “you may become partakers of the divine nature.” What does that mean?How could you partake or participate in the divine nature? Either you would somehow have to enter into God, or God would somehow have to enter into you.The Bible nowhere suggests that we enter into God. But it clearly teaches that when a person comes to faith in Jesus Christ, God’s Spirit enters the life of that person. When Peter says, “You may become partakers of the divine nature,” he is talking about our union with Christ.The apostle Paul says, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Gal. 2:20). Our Lord puts this in a picture: “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit” (John 15:5).The power of God that was once distant from you is now present with you, so that you have everything you need to face life! That’s the promise of the gospel. It means new power, new desires, and new capacities in the soul of the person who has faith.When we are in heaven, we will see Jesus in all His glory, and we will say, “We knew He was great, but not this great! And to think that He was with us all the time on earth! Why didn’t we have more faith? Why didn’t we make more progress? What were we thinking?”What is your response to this promise? What does it mean to you?

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.2 Peter 1:3What would make a 21st century person follow Jesus? There are certainly many answers, but the Bible sums up what causes a person to follow Jesus in two words—glory and excellence.Jesus’ goodness is put on display by the sheer excellence of His life, the abundance of His grace and kindness. Jesus’ glory is the total impact of all that He is. That’s how Jesus gets hold of people. He calls us through His own glory and excellence.So, it follows that if we want to see people follow Christ, we should make much of His glory and His excellence. Make these things the focus of your family discussions around God’s Word, your Sunday school class, or your small group. Keep this central when you share the gospel. Remember, the gospel is not primarily about you and your faith; it’s about Jesus and His glory.How is faith formed in a person’s life? Jesus said, “I, when I am lifted up… will draw all people to myself” (John 12:32). Faith is formed as Christ is exalted. When you see His glory and excellence you will be compelled to follow Him.Have you begun to see the goodness and glory of Jesus Christ? Do you see why it is so important to make this the focal point in your ministry?

To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours…2 Peter 1:1Faith is a gift to receive and a command to obey. “Have faith in God” (Mark 11:22). That’s a command! God calls us to do it.Isn’t it strange that we say to an unbeliever, “Put your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ”? How can an unbeliever put his or her faith in Jesus? If you’re an unbeliever, then by definition, you do not believe. You don’t have any faith to put in Jesus!How then can anyone ever be saved? When the disciples asked this same question, Jesus said “With man it is impossible, but… all things are possible with God” (Mark 10:27). God created the world out of nothing, and He is able to create faith out of nothing, too.Augustine, a bishop in the early church, understood this and said to God, “Command what you will, only give what you command!” In other words, “Lord, command whatever you like. Command me to believe. But I don’t have faith, so you need to give it to me.”If you are not yet a Christian, this is a great place to begin. You can come to God today and say, “You command me to have faith. I don’t have it. So give me what I do not have. Make me what I’m not.” If you come to God like this it will change your life.You are admitting that you cannot save yourself. You are casting yourself on Him. You are agreeing with Jesus that your salvation is impossible apart from God. The first step of faith is to admit that you do not have faith, and to ask God to give you what you do not have.Have you taken this first step of faith?

To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ… in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.2 Peter 1:1-2Peter is writing to people of faith, telling them that in Jesus Christ they have everything they need for life. What does it mean to have faith?Christian faith is faith in Jesus ChristPeter affirms that Jesus is God. People who say that Jesus is never referred to as “God” in the Bible need to see this. Peter also affirms that Jesus is Saviour and Lord.Christian faith is confidence in Jesus’ ability to bring you through every circumstance of life. You will mess up in many ways, but by faith you know that Jesus is Lord of every trial and Saviour from every temptation. Jesus is with you and for you; He won’t mess up His work—which is to save you and on the last day present you to the Father, without fault and with great joy.Christian faith is apostolicWe often speak about personal faith—that’s good, because nobody else can believe for you. But Christian faith is more than personal, it’s apostolic. To be a Christian means that you share the same faith as the apostles.We often ask people, “Do you have a personal faith?” We should also ask them, “Do you have an apostolic faith? Do you share the faith of the apostles? Do you believe what they believed?” What matters is not that you have “a” faith (as if you needed to make up your own), but that you hold to “the” faith, or what Peter calls here “a faith of equal standing with ours.”Do you pass these two tests of faith? If so, Peter is telling you that you have everything you need for life. If not, what are you waiting for?

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.2 Peter 1:3Doesn’t that sound a bit ambitious, even pretentious?What do you need for life? Wisdom for raising kids. Courage in the face of opposition. Peace under pressure. Faith in the face of tragedy. Comfort in loss. Love when you feel alone. Healing when you are wounded. Strength when you are overwhelmed.The apostle Peter is making an extraordinary claim—in Jesus Christ you will find everything that you need for life! This challenges the way we sometimes think about Christianity.We sometimes view our lives like a series of compartments. Work is a whole world in itself, and family is a whole different world. Pleasure—that’s what I do for my own happiness. Then there’s faith—a very important part of my life. Lastly, there are my hopes and dreams.A lot of folks in church would agree that Jesus Christ has everything we need for faith. But many are not sure that He has everything we need for life!Think about the implications. What do you need for school or university? What do you need for marriage? How about the single life? What do you need to get through your midlife crisis? What do you need for facing your later years?All these seasons are part of life, and Peter says that God has given everything that we need for life through our knowledge of Christ who called us by His own glory and goodness.How confident are you, on a scale from 1 (no confidence) to 10 (complete confidence), that in Jesus you have “everything” you need for life?

He died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.2 Corinthians 5:15What are you doing with the life God is giving to you? Perhaps you have thought, “Well, I’ve really messed up.”You may think, “I have said one thing and done another. I have made commitments to the Lord, but I haven’t kept them. I have taught others, but I have not lived up to my own teaching. I have behaved like a fool. I see now that God has left me to myself. And as my heart has been exposed, I feel there is no hope for me.”Oh yes there is! The fact that you see the need of your heart is a sure sign that God’s grace is already at work in you. He has brought you to see your need of a saviour.Now here is what you must do: You must humble yourself before God in repentance. Tell Him you are done living for yourself. Thank Him that Jesus Christ bore the wrath that was due to you, and ask Him in faith to be your Lord and your Saviour.There is hope for you in Jesus Christ, who died for your sins. “He died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised” (5:15).If you feel you’ve messed up your life, can you trust that there is hope for you in Jesus Christ?

But Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart... so that the wrath of the LORD did not come upon them in the days of Hezekiah.2 Chronicles 32:26Notice how grace prevailed in this man’s life. When Hezekiah came under the discipline of God, he saw the pride of his heart, and he saw what a fool he had been.“God has given me life! He brought me back from the point of death, and here I am, living for myself. What am I doing?”Then it says, “The wrath of the LORD did not come upon them in the days of Hezekiah” (32:26). Notice that the wrath was postponed. It was not removed. Justice has to be done somewhere, and sin has to be dealt with. This is why Jesus Christ came into the world.What we see in Jesus is the opposite of what we have seen in Hezekiah. Hezekiah became proud in his heart. Jesus humbled Himself to the point of death on a cross (Phil. 2:8).Hezekiah lived for himself. Jesus gave Himself for the good of others. “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (Jn. 15:13).When Hezekiah was faced with the wrath of God, he thought, “As long as it is on others and not on me.” But Jesus said, “Let it be on me, not on them.”Jesus absorbed in Himself the wrath that was due to us on account of our sins. For all who come to Him in faith and repentance, the wrath due to us is not only postponed, it is completely removed! “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1).Have you come to Jesus in faith and repentance? Thank Him that the wrath due to you for your sins has been completely removed.

Hezekiah did not make return according to the benefit done to him, for his heart was proud. Therefore wrath came upon him and Judah and Jerusalem.2 Chronicles 32:25God knows how to deal with a proud heart. Notice what happened when Hezekiah became proud and lived for himself: “Wrath came upon him.” Hezekiah came under the discipline of God. God loves His children too much to allow them to continue in sin.What did this wrath look like? Chronicles tells us how God dealt with Hezekiah and how He will deal with us, if our hearts become proud. “God left him to himself,” in order to test him and to know all that was in his heart” (32:31).When a person turns away in defiance and refuses to repent, things don’t go so well. The Prodigal Son knew about that. He sinned against God, and for a long time there wasn’t a hint of repentance. Life did not go well for him (see Lk. 15:11-32).In the end, he became desperate. He may have told himself that what he needed was a new job, new friends, maybe a new location. But what he really needed to do was repent.He needed to repent toward God: “I have sinned against heaven” (15:18). And he needed to repent toward the people in his life: “I have sinned… before you” (15:21).Our Lord says that the Prodigal Son “came to himself” (15:17). That’s what happened to Hezekiah. He came to his senses. When God left him to himself, the foolishness of his proud heart was exposed.Have you ever felt that God had left you to yourself to see what was in your heart? How did you respond?