Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard…
Summary: The third warning Peter gives us has to do with false teachers. Beware!
You have been warned!
Sometimes warnings work, and sometimes they do not. In the world of traffic engineering, the focus is on keeping traffic moving safely. Actually, that is two things to focus on. Keeping traffic moving and keeping people safe are two different things.
Often, the solution to a safety concern is to install a warning sign. The large yellow diamond-shaped signs are everywhere on our roads, and they carry a wide variety of information. They warn us of soft shoulders, no shoulders, and bikes on shoulders. Signs alert us to the dangers of curves ahead, intersections ahead, even stop signs ahead. The one common theme of warning signs is that they are always placed before the danger.
So far, Peter has warned us about taking our faith for granted and the fact that he will leave the body soon. This warning sign has to do with false teachers.
If we were talking about actual warning signs instead of metaphorical ones, this third sign would be a doozy. It would be a giant sign twenty feet high. It would be the brightest yellow warning sign ever. It would have flashing yellow lights all around, and to top it off, there would be orange flags attached to the top of the sign. Even the signpost would be illuminated with reflective tape. Everything about this sign would scream WARNING! DANGER AHEAD!!
The entire second chapter of Peter’s letter is a tirade about these people who teach heresies. It is easy to get caught up in Peter’s frustration with this situation and miss the warning. The danger is that these false teachers believe in their own teaching. They are not intending to deceive in most cases (although this is possible). Peter even says that they have “known the way of righteousness” at one time (2 Peter 2:21). But something horrible has happened along the way.
Peter says that they have “wandered off.” They have followed “the way of Balaam… who loved the wages of wickedness.” The interesting thing about the “wages of wickedness” is the currency that is used. Payment is not always made in money.
Sometimes these wages are paid in self-importance. Such wages stroke the ego and satisfy a hunger for power and influence. It is a sad thing to see in a believer because they still believe. It is just that they believe more in their own ideas than what the Word of God says.
Sadly, every division in the church can be attributed to this root cause. If we all submitted to Jesus, would there be division in the church or unity? I think we know the answer.
Peter warns us to be on our guard against false teachers, destructive heresies, and the unrighteousness that goes with them, but how? How do we protect ourselves?
The answer is blindingly simple.
“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.” (2 Peter 1: 5-7)
The “knowledge” that Peter mentions is our knowledge of God through the Scriptures. Every other item on his list is a character trait related to faith in God. Knowledge is the one thing that comes from outside ourselves and there is only one source for that knowledge, the Bible.
Application: The Bible is the most important book in existence. Knowing what is in it is the key to avoiding false teachers.
Food for Thought: How does the Holy Spirit help us with the items on Peter’s list (2 Peter 1: 5-7)?
I didn’t learn how to ride a bicycle until I was 10 years old. A lot of kids learned way earlier than that, but I too afraid of getting hurt, so I let me fear hold me back. My grandmother (bless her) was the one who got me to ride a bike by holding onto the seat and running beside me until she saw I could balance on my own. Then she let go and let me ride on my own, but was still there beside me, watching over me and telling me what to watch out for.
To me, that is how the Holy Spirit helps us with the items on Peter’s list. As a human I find it difficult to balance my sinful nature and my walk with the Lord. Not that I am trying to live both, not that kind of balance. Balance in that sin pushes me to the ground, and my desire to live as God wants is me on the bicycle.
At a very basic level, the Holy Spirit speaks to my heart when situation arise, in dealing with others and internally in how I want to react or act in everyday situations. There is always that pause between what I’d like to do initially, and what the the scripture says I should do. I’m then presented a choice, and I can follow goodness or evil. As I choose goodness over evil, the lines of communication grow stronger. As I add to it more scripture, the lines of communication grow stronger. I gain more self-control of my thoughts and actions, and my relationship grows stronger with the Lord.
John 16:13-14 “But when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own authority. But He will speak whatever He hears, and He will tell you things that are to come. He will glorify Me, for He will receive from Me and will declare it to you.”
Chris,
What a great illustration! 🙂
I have a mental image of the Holy Spirit walking beside us, keeping us steady as we struggle to figure out how to work the pedals and stay upright as we learn the business of serving God.
Nicely done!
I think this is an ‘alternative’ fruit of the Spirit list. Really, we’d be deceiving ourselves if we thought we could accomplish it.
I like Chris’s illustration, it demonstrates what’s going on very well. The Holy Spirit presents us the right path, the choice of righteousness, the ‘make every effort’ in our passage is the knowledge that we have the responsibility to choose. We are not puppets, God didn’t want puppets. But we still need His help to do any of it.
A –
Does Peter ask us to accomplish the list, or use it as more of a spiritual workout every day?
I guess I don’t really see much difference between the two things you’ve asked. If you’re doing a spiritual workout with the list, then you are doing it, you still can’t do any of it without the Spirit. I guess I’d lean away from the spiritual workout definition because…. why just a workout? A workout is done separate from the rest of your life, but that’s where the growth needs to be evident.
He tells you that by faith or in faith you should be making every effort to grow in these things. Notice that he’s telling you to increase in then, therefore it’s the improvement not being stagnant (however strong you already may seem) in these qualities that is accomplishing the list.
Peter also says, if you don’t have these things, then you have already forgotten about your own salvation. I’d also assume that it you don’t have any of these qualities, then you’re ignoring the Spirit too.
A,
Thank you for the additional thoughts. I appreciate your views on this and the way you engage a topic!
Romans 5: 1 – 5.
01-20-2022, 2 Peter 3:17a Pt III, How does the Holy Spirit help us with the items on Peter’s list (2 Peter 1: 5-7)?
By faith, develop moral excellence, insight, understanding, self-control, steadfastness, godliness. We will develop brotherly affection, learn to unselfishly seek the best for others and to do things for their benefit.
2 Peter 1:5-7.
The key to our spiritual growth as instructed is the first two words,
“BY FAITH”.
Salvation is God’s free gift to all who in faith, turn from their sins in repentance, and receive Jesus Christ. After this, it is our responsibility to become doers of His word, allowing Christ to be seen in our lives. The Holy Spirit provides the inner experience, reality of God’s presence in each believer. He motivates and empowers believers to grow in Christ who will minister to the world around us, to the degree we submit to His power over our own.
John 6:63, It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.
Romans 8:10, If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness.
Ron –
Your description of the Holy Spirit in us is enlightening. I especially appreciate the observation that the Holy Spirit held us to grow in Christ “to the degree we submit to his power.”
Well said!