Bible in a Year Series - Day #359 - This post is part of a year-long series where we are reading chronologically through the Bible. Click here to learn more. You are most welcome to join along at any time.
Today's text from the ESV Study Bible: 2 Peter & Jude
What a mess!
There is a common theme throughout the New Testament writers: beware of false teachers.
These false teachers were clearly creating problems in the early church, and I recall Jonathan Edwards dealing greatly with them during the Great Enlightenment; which propagated his great text on Religious Affections.
It seems to me that the best course of action, for all of us, is to make certain the we are not false teachers, rather then setting about on a quest to slay false teachers around us.
If we all would seek a godly transformed heart, then certainly there will be fewer wolves in the flock.
For the Christian, almighty God has done something that we ourselves could not accomplish: brought life where there was once death through his effective call to salvation:
"His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire." (2 Peter 1:3-4)
Contrary to the bunk that flows from the mouths of a great many popular Sunday morning so-called preachers, the path of a godly transformed heart is not easily attained. In fact, we will now find ourselves at war with our own human natures!
To combat this Peter prescribes:
"For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. 10 Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. 11 For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 1:5-11)
Interestingly, this path begins with virtue (Gk. aretē, “virtue, excellence” was used by Greek writers to describe the sum of all desirable character qualities - ESV Study Bible) and immediately into knowledge (we must read and seek to understand the Bible for ourselves) and then with self-control and steadfastness seek godliness which produces brotherly affection and ultimately love.
Sadly, a great many never even make it to second base (knowledge) and thus we live with wolves teaching a false doctrine.
We must each resolve ourselves to a steady diet of God's word so that the transformation of the mind that Paul spoke about in Romans 12 can begin to shape our hearts, minds, and ultimately our very souls.
Oh my soul, with a very short chain, chain thyself to God's neverending well of truth.
