Skip to main content

2 Peter 1:12-15 Remember not to forget - Day 333

Good morning fellow sojourners,

It is remarkable how the letters in the New Testament can be different in style and format, but convey the same message.  Paul wrote to specific churches or individuals.  Peter writes "To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ 2 Peter 1:1.  Imagine getting a letter from one of the twelve and he tells you that you have a faith of equal standing as his.  You haven't experienced any of the things Peter did, but he considers every one who has been born again to have equal standing.  And the basis for this is the righteousness of God and Savior Jesus Christ. 

Blessings,

Jeff

This is the proof text for the concept I picked up from an Alistair Begg sermon.  Or rather, it is the proof text Alistair Begg used for the principle that sermons should remind us of what we should not forget, not teach us something new.  Of course the underlying assumption is that each believer already knows what he shouldn't forget.  However, becoming a believer does not cause you to know everything.  So new believers will hear "new things" in a sermon that a more mature believer already knows.  

But the reference point is always what is written in the word.  Peter probably taught these things verbally where ever he went.  But he knew they had to be recorded in writing for future generations.  When ever Jonathan or one of the other elders or a guest speaker preach, we must hold fast to the trustworthy word as taught.

But this principle makes it incumbent on every believer to read and study scripture on your own.  Peter wants everyone to be able to call these things to mind.  Not just hear them in a sermon, but know them based on your own study.  We are nearing the end of this year's read through the Bible.  It may have taken longer that a year to get here, but I pray that this has instilled a desire to increase in the knowledge of God by reading His word to you

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

2 Chronicles 33:7-9 Thoughts on Davidic covenant - Day 362

Good morning faithful readers, The finish line is in sight!!!  One of the themes of scripture is that God is a covenant keeping God.  There are many between God and man. Adam, Noah, David are examples.  Covenants are more than promises.  They are made between a superior and inferior with conditions for each side and blessing and penalties based on keeping the conditions.  These are covenants of works which fallen man was unable to keep.  Thanks be to God that the Father made a covenant of grace with Christ, the second Adam, which he fully kept. Blessings, Jeff The promise in v8 was made to David when he had planned to build the temple and God promised to build him a house forever. (2 Sam 7:10).  Seems like there are only two possibilities about Manasseh's disobedience.  Either he knew of this covenant that God had made with his 13th great grandfather and chose to disregard it, or he didn't know of it and was unaware of the penalty.  Let's con...
Post a Comment
Read more

2 Chronicles 30:16-20 Hearts set to seek the Lord - Day 359

Good morning fellow members of the household of God, After writing the devotional, I am thinking about the Passover as a household event.  In ancient Israel, the physical household of man was covered by the blood of the lamb.  Now, it is the spiritual household of God that is covered by the blood of the Lamb. Blessings, Jeff The account of the greatest celebration of Passover since time of Solomon (v 26).   Observations: One of the things that made this one great is participation of some of the tribes from the northern kingdom.  Israel was a united kingdom and Solomon and now toward the end of the northern kingdom, there is at least a semblance of being united. God allows some exemptions: Who offers the sacrifice:  The original Passover was a family by family sacrifice of a lamb.  However in  Deuteronomy 16:5-6 this changed to a centralized location once they entered the promised land.  (You may not offer the Passover sacrifice within any of ...
Post a Comment
Read more

2 Chronicles 35:23-26 Lament for the last good king - Day 364

Good morning fellow exiles and pilgrims, One more day of devotions.  We are indeed exiles and pilgrims in this world as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen.  The 20th anniversary of 9/11 attacks can serve as a reminder that this world is not our home. Blessings, Jeff The lamentations for Josiah written by Jeremiah.  However, the book of Lamentations does not include any reference to Josiah as they are focused on the fall of Jerusalem.  While these lost lamentations were "made the rule" there are only 4 more kings and none of them were good like Josiah and none died in Jerusalem.  The phrase "to this day" generally refers to the time of the author (post exile).  Taken together, it may be that these laments were for the last good king and during the exile the people were longing for the next good king. Zerubbabel in a way was the next good king as temple and Jerusalem were rebuilt. But Jesus truly was the next king and He...
Post a Comment
Read more