PJ's Journal

I have something on my mind that is troubling me and I want to share it, so I am deviating today from the book of 2 Peter.  I can't get a couple of Scriptures off of my mind today dealing with how we as people identify Jesus.  I keep thinking about what Jesus asked the disciples one day as they were hanging out together.  He asked them, "Who do others say that I am?", to which the disciples responded with a variety of answers.  Then Jesus turned to Peter and said, "Who do you say that I am?"  Peter responded by saying, "You are the Christ!"  A very significant answer.  All Peter did was to affirm his belief that this man, Jesus, was the one that all of history had been waiting for, the Son of the Living God!  It was also an affirmation of Jesus as his lord and king.  Who we believe Jesus to be is essential!  It affects every part of our life!  If you have not established and embraced who you believe Jesus to be, then your life will be pretty wishy-wash

"So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with Him." 2 Peter 3:14 Our hope motivates our lifestyle! The end has been set and God's promise of a new heavens and earth is sure, now our responsibility is to live spotless lives. We don't know when He is coming back, it will be like a thief, and we don't want to be caught off guard. Certainly God's desire is for us to live spotless lives, which means that we are blameless and at peace with Him. I do not believe that only the spotless receive this inheritance. The Scriptures are clear that we are saved because of the person and work of Christ on the cross, and salvation is not of ourselves. So what benefit does living a blameless life that is at peace with God bring? I don't know about you, but I don't want to be ashamed of the way I am living when Jesus returns. Certainly, as a follower of Christ, it is no fun to be

"But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with His promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness." 2 Peter 3:10-13 I really can't wait for this day! It is the hope that I look forward to. Some people look forward to the day when school is out, some look forward to marriage, and others to the day when they retire. For me, I look forward to the day when Jesus comes, and I know its a promise He will keep whether it will be during my lifetime or not. It will start like a thief in the night

"But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:8-9 In the context Peter is addressing the scoffer who says "where is this coming he promised?". Peter reminds us that God is not on the same time frame as us. God is eternal and we think 70 years is a long time. In light of eternity, its really not that long. If it takes God 35 years to keep a promise (which is close to the time frame that Jesus ascended until Peter wrote this letter), then we think God is slow in acting upon His promise. Well, its been a little under 2000 years now! Is God slow? No, because time doesn't matter to God, rather He is patient! What is He waiting for? Peter reveals to us that God is not wanting anyone to perish but all

"But they deliberately forget that long ago by God's word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men." 2 Peter 3:5-7 Can you imagine someone who deliberately forgets something? They just refuse to go there, so they try to erase it from there thinking. Peter continues to speak about scoffers who deliberately forget that God created, has destroyed His creation because of sin, and has reserved destruction for both the heavens and the earth on the day of judgment because of sin. Peter starts with the premise that God created. As you know, this premise has been under attack for a long time, and is the source of much debate between the evangelical and secular circles. Everyone has their "evidence" based on known processes today

"First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, "Where is this 'coming' He promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation." 2 Peter 3:3-4 Have you ever felt ridiculed for believing in the Lord Jesus? Being scoffed at is the norm in our society for those who follow the Lord. People don't understand your faith, and many simply refuse to believe in anything supernatural. To be fair, it is hard for people to believe something that they cannot see or feel, and belief in a written record is a little stretch because... "how can you trust it, after all its 'old'". The essence of faith is believing without the tangible. But we have the promises of God to hang our hats on. The most tangible promise we have is the return of Christ, yet that promise has not come to be. Peter prepares the reader for the

"Dear friends, this is my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles." 2 Peter 3:1-2 Peter reveals to the reader the purposes of both this letter and the first one he wrote these people. He desires to stimulate them to wholesome thinking. What is wholesome thinking? Other versions use the word pure or sincere. It means to be unsullied. In other words, Peter desires the people to have right thinking about all things in life. In Romans 12, Paul talks about transformation resulting from a renewed mind. It starts with our thinking! If we want to live victorious in Christ Jesus, it must start with our thinking. We must become people who think biblically, allowing God's Word to direct our thinking in all things. That is why Peter makes a big emphasis on the truth through

"If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. Of them the proverbs are true: 'A dog returns to its vomit,' and, 'A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud.'" 2 Peter 2:20-22 Sometimes I am faced with tough theological questions when I encounter the Scriptures, for my heart is to let the Scriptures mold my thinking about God and life, not someone's teaching. In this passage there are two concepts that need to be addressed. The first concept involves degrees of judgment. I am asked sometimes if God judges people differently in the end and punishes them accordingly. In other words, "Are there degrees in he

"These men are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of the sinful human nature, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity - for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him." 2 Peter 2:17-19 Peter continues to describe the false prophets that he is talking to the people about. Ultimately these teachers are saying nothing. Their message is empty of real impacting truth. Their words are boastful and they appeal to the lustful desires of the sin nature. They entice people to indulge in their sin nature who are trying to escape their own indulgences. Their promise is freedom but the result is slavery. This is one of the most interesting paradoxes of life...when I am free to do whatever I want, it results in slavery. What human does not wa

"They will be paid back harm for the harm they have done. Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast on you. With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed - an accursed brood! They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor , who loved the wages of wickedness. But he was rebuked for his wrongdoing by a donkey - a beast without speech - who spoke with a man's voice and restrained the prophet's madness." 2 Peter 2:13-16 Peter continues his dialog about false teachers. In the beginning of this chapter he warns the reader of their destructive teaching and tactics, then proceeds to write about God's judgment on them. Peter then begins to describe them as arrogant, bold, and a mocker of God. They don't care about the truth, but they do care about their pocketbook. False

"This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the sinful nature and despise authority. Bold and arrogant, these men are not afraid to slander the celestial beings; yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not bring slanderous accusations against such beings in the presence of the Lord. But these men blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like brute beasts, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like beasts they too will perish." 2 Peter 2:10-12 Peter just finished asserting that God knows what He is doing. He knows how to punish the wicked. He then gives a more specific situation. He begins to talk about people who follow the corrupt desire of the sinful nature and despise authority. These are people who will do what ever they want to do. Peter calls them bold and arrogant and the even have the gall to slander celestial beings. They mock God and have a very high opinion of themsel

"For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment; if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; if he condemned the city of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them examples of what is going to happen to the ungodly; and if He rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard) - if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment." 2 Peter 2:4-9 First of all I want to say, "wow, that's a long sentence!" Peter gives several examples of how God has exercised his judgment of the wicked and his

"But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false prophets among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them - bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping." 2 Peter 2:1-3 There is nothing new under the sun. In the past false teachers existed and they will exist in the future. What is a false teacher? A false teacher takes a little bit of truth and distorts the reader's view of God and His work in the world. They bring truth into disrepute. In other words, they make public a low opinion of the truth, destroying its reputation. What makes false teachers so dangerous is that they are slick. Peter tells the reader that t

"And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." 2 Peter 1:19-21 Not only were Peter and his buddies convinced by what they saw, but the prophets of long ago testified about the coming of the Christ. Jesus fit their prophesies, and the identity of Jesus was made more certain. They saw Him and knew what the prophets said about Him. Peter wants to make certain that the reader understands that what the prophet's wrote down was not from them. It was not the prophets own interpretation, and what they said had nothing to do with their will. The process by which the Scriptures were wr

"We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For 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.' We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with Him on the sacred mountain." 2 Peter 1:16-18 It amazes me that folks back in the time when Peter lived present the same accusations presented today. There is no doubt that Peter had been accused several times of making up "stories" about this man Jesus. There was no question about the existence of Jesus, but about the things these men claimed he did. It is a credibility issue. Did they just make up stories? According to Peter, the answer is no! As a matter of fact, he and others were eyewitnesses of the resurrected Christ and the miracles He performed. They

"So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things." 2 Peter 1:12-15 Two things really jump out at me in this passage. First, Peter knows that he is nearing the end of his life. What amazes me is the reason why he knows that..."our Lord Jesus Christ has made it clear." Peter was so in tune to the leadership of the Lord Jesus in his life that he knows his life will end soon. It's revealed to us that Jesus knows this and has made it clear to Peter who has accepted this. That is trust in a sovereign God! There does not seem to be bitterness in his tone, but a sense of urgency. While he is in this

"Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome in the eternal kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Peter 1:10-11 This is an interesting portion of scripture to me. On one hand you have Peter talking about God's calling and election and on the other hand you have man's responsibility. I cannot theologically accept that man's responsibility dictates God's calling and election. God is sovereign and man's will is fallen. I know that there are debates about the argument of "free will" all the time. While I am comfortable believing man has a will that's free to make different choices in life, I don't believe salvation is one of them. Free implies that man left to his own choosing could make a decision to follow Jesus. From a human standpoint this is true, but I don't believe that is what the scriptures teach

"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, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.  For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  But if anyone does not have them, he is near sighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins."  2 Peter 1:5-9 "For this reason" is a great phrase.  Its because of what Jesus has done to make us people who can escape corruption and participate in the divine nature, people who possess the promises of God including the Holy Spirit, that we can become like Christ!  Because this is possible, we are to make every effort to add these qualities mentioned in this passage to our lives.  I don't think Peter is com

"Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires." 2 Peter 1:4 It is important that we define what "these" are referring to in this passage. Its a little vague, but we can use deductive reasoning to hone in on it. What we know is that it refers to something that Peter has already said, and it is through "these" that God has given us His very great and precious promises. Also, we can conclude that it is referring to something plural. Peter has already used the phrase "through the knowledge of God" and "through the knowledge of Him". How is it that we know God? Its through His Word, which are revelations from God about Himself. It makes sense that Peter is referring to these revelations which we would refer to as the Scriptures. Grace and peace come to us through what we know about God,

"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness"   2 Peter 1:3 If your like me, I use to ask myself the question, "What is life all about and how do I thrive in it?"  You will receive many different answers to that question.  Some may say that life is about personal success and happiness and some may say there is no purpose.  Others search all their life to find what its all about while others are convinced they know.  If you look at life through the eye glasses of the Bible, then the purpose of life is pretty clear, its to glorify God, that is to bring into clear focus the greatness and majesty of God.  I personally believe that we do this by living a life that demonstrates our love for God and our love for people.  This life is no easy task.  It will require help.  Isn't it great to know that we have been given everything we need to live out that kind of life, be

"Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours: Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Peter 1:1-2 In Christ all are equal. Here is Peter...an apostle and eye witness of the Lord Jesus. He was a leader among leaders and many in the church looked to Him for advise and approval. Yet truth has grounded him. He understands his position in Christ. He has received the same righteousness that these folks he is writing to has. He views his faith, as precious as it is, as being equal in value to the faith of his readers. It comes from the same God through the same Savior. With that thought in mind, Peter greets them in his letter. I personally think the greeting reveals something about Peter's theology. It reveals the source of true grace and peace. To be a people of grace and to live in