Every Day Devotion

2 Peter 1:18 [18] We ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. (ESV) The Apostle Peter wrote these words to those who had been infiltrated with false teaching. One of the things that false teachers in every age will attack is the deity of Jesus Christ. In previous verses Peter has said that the apostles were not following cleverly crafted myths. Rather, they were eyewitnesses of the glorious Christ Jesus. Peter had a wealth of memories of following the Lord Jesus Christ. He saw miracle after miracle. The Apostle John wrote that if all the books were written of all that Jesus did while on earth, the world could not hold them. John, James, and Peter were the ones who heard the voice from heaven, when they were with Jesus on the holy mountain. Can you imagine hearing the voice of God speaking audibly? I cannot. To be sure, there are false teachers today who claim that we can hear the audible voice of God. The danger of this is that if we...

2 Peter 1:17 [17] For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” (ESV) In the previous verse Peter made clear that when he speaks of Jesus Christ, he is not speaking of myths and stories. Rather, he was an eyewitness of the Son of God. In this verse he is referring to the event that we call the transfiguration. Jesus gave three of his disciples (Peter, James, and John), an opportunity to see him in a glorified state. We read about this happening in the gospel of Matthew. Matthew 17:2-3 says, "And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him." Can you imagine being the Apostle Peter at that moment? If there was any doubt as to whether or not Jesus was the Son of God, it would have been eliminated at that moment. This is also signif...

2 Peter 1:16 [16] For 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. (ESV) The apostles of Jesus Christ were the primary leaders of the church, and active in proclaiming the gospel all over the known world. It was Peter himself, at the Day of Pentecost, who preached the sermon in which 3,000 people became Christians (Acts 2:41). The authority of the apostles comes from the fact that they were called by God and that they were eyewitnesses of the Savior.  The idea that the apostles would have devised myths to deceive people into following a new religion is absurd. They literally laid down their lives for the message of the gospel. The reward for what they were teaching was torture, persecution, and martyrdom. No one in their right mind would lay down their life for something they know is a cleverly devised myth. Peter himself was martyred for his faith. Peter, in this verse, is...

2 Peter 1:15 [15] And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things. (ESV) Peter was a responsible leader in the church. He was an apostle. We are reminded that the first Christians devoted themselves to the Apostles' teaching (Acts 2:42). Throughout all of the years of church history, one of the constant things that we see amongst those who are faithfully following the Lord is a devotion to the teaching given by the Apostles. This includes this letter that we call 2 Peter. Peter as already made clear in the previous verse that he would be soon leaving the earth. He sensed an obligation to make sure that after he was gone there would be a repository of biblical knowledge that would be a help to those who loved the Lord.  Peter could have been concerned about many things as he considered his departure. It is clear that passing on biblical knowledge was of top priority. The Apostle Paul seemed to share this same kind of purpose...

2 Peter 1:14 [14] Since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. (ESV) If the Lord was willing to tell you the time of your imminent death, would you want to know the date? If so, what would you do with the time that remained. I am sure that a person who did not know Jesus Christ as their Savior would probably live out every sensual pleasure possible. For a believer in Jesus Christ, I am sure that the priorities would be very different. This is certainly the case for the Apostle Peter. In the previous verse Peter said that he would remind the recipients of his letter of the godly qualities that were to be added their faith as long as he was alive. He knew that his days were numbered. What is his priority while he is living. Reminding people of their need to supplement their faith with godly qualities. These qualities are the responsibility of every believer. Remember, we are to make "every effort." Peter was told by the L...

2 Peter 1:13 [13] I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder, (ESV) How often does the Apostle Peter think he should remind God's people of the truths of Scripture? As long as he is in his body. Peter saw his role as a preacher of the Word of God to be one of reminding people of what they have already heard. Peter is absolutely right to feel this way. One of the primary roles of a pastor today is to remind people of the truths of Scripture that they have already heard. Consider what a preacher does. A proper understanding of a preacher of the Word of God is not to come up with some new kind of revelation. Rather, his job is to shine a spotlight onto what Scripture already says. It is a job of being a reminder to people of what the Bible says. Our ability to forget is amazing. We will not ever reach a time when we do not need to be reminded of the truth of God's Word. Even the people of Israel would have viewed the role of parents as those ...

2 Peter 1:12 [12] Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. (ESV) We have looked at these qualities that are to be added to our faith. The qualities listed in verses 5 through 7 are: virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection, and love. I fear that many Christians do not even know that Scripture compels them to "make every effort" to supplement their faith with these important godly qualities. Peter is not just giving a random reminder to the believers who would be the first recipients of his letter. He says that he intends to always remind them. We might think, "Why does he have to remind them so much?" Two reasons come to mind. Firstly, these qualities are essential for our assurance, and for the credibility of our Christian testimony. Secondly, humans are prone to forget. The Apostle Peter is writing to those who already know the qualities th...