Charles H. Spurgeon once said "Defend the Bible? I would as soon defend a lion! Unchain it and it will defend itself."
It is certainly no secret, that we are living in a day, where the Bible is constantly being attacked from all sides. The Bible is unlike any other book, its writings spanning 1300-1500 years. By inspiration of the Holy Spirit, it was written by over 40 people. People who were Kings, fishermen, tax collectors, military leaders, farmers, priest, shepherds, Jews and gentiles, servants, and prisoners. Yet, throughout, its teachings and message is consistent, and contrary to what many have claimed, Scripture never contradicts itself. Therefore, I believe that it is crucial, that we as followers of Christ, we be reminded of God's truths.
Throughout the Bible, and certainly, this is true of Peter's epistle, we are reminded of the importance of our knowledge of God's Word.
Hosea chapter 4, verse 1 says "Listen to the word of the Lord, O sons of Israel,For the Lord has a case against the inhabitants of the land, Because there is no faithfulness or kindness or knowledge of God in the land." In verse 6 "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge." And, in verse 7, "The more they multiplied, the more they sinned against Me."
Scripture is very clear, we must have knowledge of God's Word, we must know what we believe and we must know our spiritual condition.
Throughout his epistle, Peter has been telling us that we need to know our salvation, we have already been discussing that. He says we need to know the Scripture, and we're going to get into that in our next message. But, now, we've come to one of those passages, that really gives us insight into Peter's heart.
Let us pray
Heavenly Father,
Open your Bibles with me to II Peter chapter 1, verse 12 through 15. Throughout our study of II Peter, he has been stressing the importance of knowledge, if we are defend ourselves against false teachers and their destructive heretical lies. That has really the heart of this letter. He has been surrounding that in chapter 1 and will again in chapter 3 with the importance of knowledge. We must know what we believe and we must know our spiritual condition. Therefore, we must have knowledge.
In verses 1 through 12, we've covered the initial discussion of the knowledge of salvation. The assurance of our salvation. The theme of these verses is to know that you are saved. And, in our next message, in verses 16 through 21 is one of the most significant and important passages in the entire New Testament, it speaks about the inspiration about Scripture.
However, in our passage today, Peter begins takes the turn toward knowing the Scripture. I invite you to follow long with me as I read to set the text in our minds, as we prepare our hearts for a Word from our Lord. Listen for the voice of our Lord. II Peter 1:12-15.
"Therefore, I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them, and have been established in the truth which is present with you. I consider it right, as long as I am in this earthly dwelling, to stir you up by way of reminder, knowing that the laying aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent, as also our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. And I will also be diligent that at any time after my departure you will be able to call these things to mind."
Before Peter goes into the area of knowledge, in these first few verses, he gives us a look into his heart. He really reveals to us his pastoral passion, an insight into what was motivating him to write this letter. In this beautiful epistle, Peter reveals four things; he reveals the urgency of ministry, the spirit of ministry, the duty of ministry and the brevity of ministry. Given that urgency, this is the passion that moves him.
Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, this letter is a final statement from our beloved Apostle Peter, a statement of divine truth, a legacy, which will go on bearing eternal fruit for as long as time exists. A legacy that will lead people to holiness, virtue, obedience, that will bear fruit which will result in eternal reward. Peter, in this letter, is telling us why he is saying what he is saying and why he is writing it down. This his last message, it is his legacy.
Like any good teacher, Peter realizes, that people will eventually forget what you told them. And, given the importance of Peter's words, like any good teacher with a passionate heart for the work he is doing, he wants to make it very difficult for us to forget. There's a certain sadness here. A sense of failing to teach people what they need to remember. As a pastor, I can really relate to this, because we don't want anybody to forget. It is sad that people are so eager to remember what they might well be better to forget, and they are seemingly so eager to forget what they desperately need to remember. Namely, what the Lord your God did, His character and His law.
I Chronicles 16:12 says "Remember His wonderful deeds which He has done, His marvels and the judgments from His mouth."
When indicting Israel, Isaiah said in Isaiah 51:13, "That you have forgotten the Lord your Maker,
Who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth."
You know, I am often surprised at the reasons why people pick certain churches. Their reason are usually very superficial. Quite honestly, many of their same reasons could be said of a local bar, like "My friends go there." "There is an atmosphere of acceptance, its very inclusive." Or "I get a good feeling when I go there."
In all of Scripture, I've never read where Jesus said to the twelve, "Follow Me, it'll make you feel good about yourself." In fact, in John 15:20, He said "Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also."
And, in Acts 20:35, Paul said "Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said."
In James 1:25, James said "But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does."
Many Christians seem to have a strange form amnesia. It appears to me, that a large proportion of them who go to church, and seem to have forgotten what it's all for. They give very little, if any at all thought to the purpose of what they're going to church for. They seem to have forgotten why we do what we do.
And, while you must remind them from time to time, if you do it in the same way, they will think they heard it all before and they will quickly tune out. Therefore, the challenge of teaching is to repeat the same thing, in a different way, so that the same great truth, will be heard differently. In a new, and exciting way. Needless to say, this can certainly be very challenging.
So, as you can imagine, the challenge that is ever before me, is I have to face knowing that you will forget what I say, but I must also know I can't tell you the same things in the same way. Its often difficult to say the same thing yet, avoiding being too familiar. The reality is, as pastors, we teach the same passages year after year, and we dare not to teach it as it is written.
Therefore, I tend to keep rather extensive notes, so as not to gravitate back to the same patterns of familiar ways, so I have to think through them and how to say them differently. I want you to be able to walk away, thinking, I've never heard that that way before. It's the same great truth, just in different package. There aren't that many different truths in the Bible. The Holy Spirit has a unique away of packaging them differently.
In verse 12, we immediately begin to sense the heart of Peter for his people not to forget. "Therefore, I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them, and have been established in the truth which is present with you." As we have noted many times, the word "Therefore," takes us back to the previous text. Peter had been discussing the greatness of salvation and the blessedness of assurance. The righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ. The multiplied grace and peace through the knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord. That we have received everything pertaining to life and godliness through the true knowledge of Him who called us, that we have made us partakers of the divine nature, that we have we have escaped the corruption of the world by lust.
He discussed that we can experience the assurance of salvation, by adding to our faith moral excellence and knowledge and self-control and perseverance and godliness and brotherly kindness and love. That when these qualities are present, and increasing, you won't forget your spiritual condition. "Therefore, I will always be ready to remind you of these things." Because I don't want you to forget just how great salvation is. So, that you might thank God for it. That you might praise Him for it. And so that you might glorify God for it! So I am always going to be ready to remind you of these things.
You know, so many Christians seem to forget the blessedness of salvation and they wander off into sin. They turn their backs on the righteousness of God and our Savior Jesus Christ. They turns their backs on multiplied grace and peace, on all of the divine power that grants to us everything pertaining to life and godliness. They turn their backs and forget all of that. So, Peter says "I'm always ready to remind you ."
There's also a future tense here, "Therefore I shall always be ready to remind you." In other words, whenever I am given the opportunity, every chance I get, that I can do it, I will do it. I believe that Peter also has another thought in mind, I believe that he is anticipating that everyone who will reads this letter, is going to again find him ready to remind us all of these things. Every time I and II Peter is read, preached and taught, Peter is again reminding of us of these things. What an incredibly beautiful legacy!
In order for you to be reminded, there must be someone to remind you. I must tell you, that much of ministry is reminding you of doctrinal truth, and of moral requirements. Perhaps. all in a truer interpretation. Because there are no new truths in this generation, only a clearer understanding of God's Word. Peter, as Paul, knew the urgency of reminding people. Any faithful pastor feels the urgency of doing that.
In Philippians 3:1, the Apostle Paul said "Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you."
Peter not only understood the urgency of ministry, the matter of warning them against the hazards of error and sin, and he understood the spirit of ministry. Because while in the midst of reminding people, you have to recognize that they do know some things. Peter demonstrates that spirit of meekness, that spirit of gentleness and tenderness, we see that when he says "even though you already know them, and have been established in the truth which is present with you." That's the spirit of graciousness in ministry. There's a genuine sweetness in that.
I believe that when you talk to the people of God there should always be authority, in your voice, which is given to us through God's Word, it's not our authority. But there also needs to be a gentleness, a meekness and a graciousness. There isn't any condescension in Peter's words, he doesn't want to give them the impression that he doesn't believe in their devotion to Christ. So, instead he's saying I have great confidence in what you've already learned, I have trust in what you have already come to believe, so I just want to remind you of what you've already affirmed.
When you come to know Christ, the truth abides in you, it is with you. You know, I can really identify with Peter because there is so much false teaching, false doctrine all around us. I feel a sense of urgency to remind you, even though I know you know the truth of the gospel, I am compelled to remind you of certain things.
Our beloved Peter articulates this thought, the duty of ministry very well, when he says in verse 13, "I consider it right, as long as I am in this earthly dwelling, to stir you up by way of reminder."
Peter would have certainly have had more opportunity to know the truth than anyone. Not only was he among the twelve, not only was he the leader of the twelve, he was among the three, Peter, James and John, who knew Christ most intimately. In fact, in many ways, Peter would have been the most immediate confidant of Jesus Christ. No man ever lived had been in greater proximity to the truth, having heard His teaching, having seen the miracles first hand, having experienced Jesus life and ministry on a personal level, things that weren't even recorded in the Bible.
And, he felt very comfortable there in His presence, because he was so brash, even making major assumptions about what he could say in His presence. John says, there were so many things that even the books of the world couldn't record them. John also experienced that truth, and he was reminded of it over and over again. Jesus taught the same truths, He knew that you had to repeat the same things, in different ways. I imagine that is why He was so distressed toward the end of His ministry, when they still hadn't gotten the message. Peter may have been thinking about his own defection. Even after all of that firsthand exposure to truth, at the moment of crisis, there was Peter, denying Jesus Christ.
In Luke 22:31-34, Jesus said "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers." But he said to Him, “Lord, with You I am ready to go both to prison and to death!" And He said, "I say to you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know Me."
More than anyone, Peter knew that even though you have the truth, even though it's present with you, you need a reminder, lest you defect. You see, a good teacher never holds back on truth, because it is known. The truth, always bears repeating. Because no amount of knowledge of the truth puts you beyond the need of being reminded.
Verse 14, "Knowing that the laying aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent, as also our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me." He begins by saying "Knowing," that is to say, I have no doubt "that the laying aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent" Death is described very aptly as the laying aside of an earthly dwelling, a tent. Peter is talking about his own death. He's saying my death will be soon. Now, because Peter at this time was in his 70's, for him to say my death will be soon is actually very reasonable. In fact, he had outlived most people of his age. But notice, that he is also is implying that it will be swift. "As also our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me." The Lord Jesus made it clear to him that his death was going to be sudden.
If you would turn back to John 21, after Jesus restored him, telling him "If you love Me, tend my lambs." In verses 18-19, Jesus then tells him about his death. "Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go." Now this He said, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He *said to him, "Follow Me!"
The phrase "stretch forth your hands," is used in sources outside the Bible to speak of crucifixion. He is predicting Peter's execution. By the way, this would have been about thirty-seven or thirty-eight years earlier. For nearly forty years, Peter would have lived then, knowing that he was going to die a sudden death by execution. Peter was living all those years the reality of that. Having seen it with his own eyes,in the case of Jesus, and in the case of many others who were crucified in and around the same time. If you want to know whether or not Peter was truly transformed, compare his denial with living a life nearly forty years long knowing at any moment his life would be brought to an end by execution, and still being faithful.
In verse 15, there's a sense of brevity, he even appears hopeful. "And I will also be diligent that at any time after my departure you will be able to call these things to mind."
Peter has been gone a long time, and yet, today, you can pick up a Bible and you are reminded. That's exactly what Peter wanted to happen. You know what I find amazing, is that the closer he got to the end, the faster he ran.
In Closing..
One of the prayers for my own ministry is to leave a legacy impacting the lives of people, its one of the joys, knowing that my preaching will carry on God's truth even after I'm gone. I am in no way comparing my ministry to Peter's, mine is not inspired as his was. Like many of us who teach, Peter was not concerned that you remember him, he's concerned that you will remember what he taught. Church history has it that it wasn't long after this that he died. Before he was crucified, he was forced to watch the crucifixion of his wife. It is said that during her crucifixion, he stood at the foot of her cross encouraging her, "Remember the Lord, remember the Lord."
After she died, Peter insisted that they crucify him upside down, that he was not worthy to be crucified like his Lord, which they did. This letter is his legacy. It's interesting to know, that all these years later, we are fulfilling his hope, that we too might have the knowledge of salvation, the knowledge of Scripture, the knowledge of sanctification. And that in our own day, we might not be deceived by false teachers. Thanks be to God, that Peter understood the urgency, the spirit, the duty, the brevity of ministry.
May it be so..
the Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Now and forever, in Jesus' name
Amen