2 Peter 1:16-2:3
Click Here to Read 2 Peter 1:16-2:3
Peter recounts here his own witness to the glory and honor bestowed upon Jesus by God at His transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-13 NKJV). This confirmed the prophetic words of the Old Testament prophets of who Jesus was, the Son of God, the Messiah, the Savior. “While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!’” (Matthew 17:5 NKJV). The transfiguration of Jesus and God’s voice confirming Jesus as His beloved Son makes the Old Testament prophecies about Jesus more reliable. We can have the same confidence in the Old Testament prophecies that speak of Christ’s return and eternal rule.
“And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter 1:19-21 NKJV).
The prophecy we read in Scripture was not just man’s imagination or fables that were told, but Holy Spirit inspired words of things to come. It also cannot be deciphered by man’s own imagination but requires the Holy Spirit to interpret them. We need to steward a relationship with the Holy Spirit, constantly asking Him to reveal to us the mysteries of the Scriptures and the interpretation of it all. He inspired it, who better than Him to help us understand it all?
Peter encourages us to hold onto these words and let them be our guiding light in this world of darkness. He warns us of many false teachers that will try to lead us astray by twisting and distorting the truth. But these truths we find in Scripture will inspire in us Holy living so that we can remain blameless in the sight of the Lord upon His return. How easy it is to be swayed toward a convincing opinion if we don’t know the truth. This brings us back to the whole message of Peter’s final letter to us. Know the truth. Stay close to the truth. Live by the truth. And there is a lot of truth hidden in the Scriptures still yet to unfold.
To know something is very different than to have heard or read something. To know something is to understand it, to be able to explain it, to be able to develop practical applications of it to your daily life, to be able to see what matches up with it and what doesn’t. This is why Peter said we must with all diligence add certain characteristics to our faith and grow in the knowledge of God and Jesus. “Even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.” (2 Peter 2:1 NKJV). Hard to believe that there would be such convincing teachings out there that would deny Christ and still be proclaimed as truth. There is no truth apart from Christ, Jesus said it Himself, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6 NKJV). Any “truth” that denies Christ, therefore, does not lead to God.
There is judgement coming on those who mislead through their deceptive words. They are bringing destruction upon themselves. “Many will follow immoral lifestyles. Because of these corrupt false teachers, the way of truth will be slandered. They are only out for themselves, ready to exploit you for their own gain through their cunning arguments. Their condemnation has been a long time coming. But their destruction does not slumber or sit idly by, for it is sure to come.” (2 Peter 2:2-3 TPT). The only way we can safeguard our hearts from deception is to be well established and continuously growing in the truth. God has provided for us the words of His Spirit and the witness of His Spirit in us to help us accomplish this. He has given us everything we need; it is up to us to use it though. A flashlight is meant to provide light in a dark place. But if you don’t put a light bulb or batteries in it, it is of no use to you. You can turn it on when you need it, but it won’t give you any light. Well, the Word of God is our light bulb, and the Holy Spirit is our battery pack. When they are actively working together in us, they will give us a guiding light. They will ensure that we can see our way through the dark and deceptive maze in this life and still be prepared and ready for Christ’s return.
“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined. You have multiplied the nation and increased its joy; they rejoice before You according to the joy of harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.” (Isaiah 9:2-3 NKJV).
Let’s pray.
Father, we are so thankful for Your Word and for Holy Spirit. You have provided for us a lighted path of truth to get us through this life. You have given us Your Word to guide us in the present and the future and Your Holy Spirit to illuminate it’s meaning and understand how to apply Your instruction to our lives. Give to us the spirit of wisdom and understanding when we read Your Word, that we may know the truth and with all diligence build our knowledge and our faith as we know You and Your ways. Reveal to us things we haven’t seen before and elevate our ability to comprehend Your thoughts and Your heart behind them. We trust in You completely to guide us through this life, for You have promised to keep us all the way to the unveiling of Christ. Help us to see and follow truth in all things. Amen.