Perspectives

2 Peter 1: 12-17… 12) So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. 13) I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, 14) because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. 15) And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things. 16) For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17) He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” (NIV)

Looking back to the time when I was a young person, I often did odd or strange things to find out if God would approve of my decision… Like I would flip a coin, heads meant yes, tails meant no: If I got tails, well then sometimes I would go two out of three. Buying a car: If there was a used green ford car on the car lot, which meant God was telling me to go ahead and buy that car; Other times I would check fortune cookies, all sorts of other silly things to find out if God would approve, why did I do that? Well deep down in my heart I wanted to know the truth, I wanted to know what would happen in the future, I wanted to know if it was the right thing to do. I do not think my motives were wrong; I was just looking in the wrong place because God does not come to us through cookies or the flip of a coin.

See what the apostle Peter is saying here? He is telling us that he wants to bring back the truth which we have forgotten, even though we are founded in the truth, he still wants to refresh our thinking; because sometimes there are certain things we might not want to remember, truths which might irritate us, things that get under our skin. So, we toss that truth into the trash bin of our mind, move it aside… just get it out of the way. The apostle is not scolding us, there are no accusations, rather he compliments us for knowing the truth, and he desires that he will do everything possible if he lives to ensure that the truth of Christ would grow in us even after he leaves this earth.

The dissenters were already busy during the time that Peter was preaching and teaching… just as they are today. These folks had stopped believing that Christ would return, and that Peter did not have the where-with-all to tell them what they should believe and what they should not believe. The second coming of Christ was an – illusion – a misrepresentation of the truth – it would never happen. Peter says, “that he had been an eye-witness of Christ’s majesty, and Christ’s suffering. He reminds us that by faith we can see the cross, by faith we died with Christ to sin, and by faith we were there at His resurrection

When we question if God approves: What should we do? How do I know what the truth is? How can we apply what has been said to a better understanding of Scripture? Look at 2 Peter 1:20 & 21… 20) Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things 21) For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. (NIV)

Peter reminds us that all Scripture was written by the ancient prophets under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. No Scripture is a matter of one’s interpretation. We have people today who have spent a lifetime studying the Holy Scriptures and that under the guidance of God through the Holy Spirit have open their minds so that people like you and me can understand whether God approves of our motives and actions.

To God Be the Glory Great Things He Has Done.

Would you pray this prayer with me…? “Lord Jesus, come into my heart. Forgive my sins. I want my life to change. My thoughts and my attitude need to change. I do not have peace in my heart. I really want that peace, joy, and happiness that I long for. Please let the Holy Spirit help me be the kind of Christian that will bring honour to Your Name.” Amen