Author: Aaron Hufty

Re:Verse passage – 2 Peter 3:1-7 (day two)

…that you should remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles. v. 2

Peter has railed against false teaching for much of his letter. The passage this week provides our path through the jungle of misinformation. Our constant companion throughout our faith journey is God’s Word. As we grow in our faith, we will better understand the mysteries of faith. It is our duty to weigh everything we hear, even by people we trust, against the Word of God. As you ask questions and begin conversations, you strengthen those muscles of discernment so that you may more easily recognize truth and falsehood. Be on guard, be in the Word, ask questions.

Re:Verse passage – 2 Peter 2:17-22 (day two)

 These are springs without water and mists driven by a storm, for whom the black darkness has been reserved. v. 17

Promises given by false teachers will always be what you want to hear. They will always guarantee success, happiness, or gain. That is why they are so popular. We don’t want to hear about struggle, about sacrifice, or about self-denial. Those things don’t get votes, they don’t excite the masses, and they don’t fill seats, but they are often the reality of any believer’s journey. I don’t want to paint a picture of a dire strife-filled existence in Christ, but I want my teachers to be honest about what it means to put your faith in something eternal rather than something temporal. We may not get the brass ring we are reaching for here on earth, but each follower of Christ WILL achieve the eternal glory of life with Jesus. Is your faith dependent upon whether you get wealthy? Are you needing some material gain in order to serve the body of Christ? This kind of thinking will only end in disappointment. Our gain is Jesus. This will be sufficient.

Re:Verse passage – 2 Peter 2:10-16 (day two)

…but he received a rebuke for his own transgression, for a mute donkey, speaking with a voice of a man, restrained the madness of the prophet. v. 16

When was the last time you were stopped in your tracks by something unexpected? There are times when we are so focused on ourselves, or the path that we believe to be right, that we miss the obvious warning signs of danger. In Balaam’s case it took a donkey speaking before he took notice of the angel in the road. We all make decisions based on what we think is best for us, for our families, for the church. How often are we challenging our own convictions against the Word? If we don’t have a constant connection to the Lord, we will go off course. That is inevitable, but we don’t have to stay there. Don’t be afraid to course correct. Don’t be afraid to go against the flow. Don’t be afraid to listen to the voice of the Lord in unexpected places.

Re:Verse passage – 2 Peter 2:4-9 (day two) 

…but preserved Noah…v. 5b; and if He rescued righteous Lot…v. 7a 

These verses are double-edged. We retell and rejoice in the stories of Noah and Lot. God preserved his people through their lives and through their faithfulness. Aren’t you grateful for their examples of faithful living? The other side of the coin is the very real and hard circumstances in which they were living. The world was hostile towards the things of the Lord. Everywhere around these men were sin and temptations to fall into darkness. This was by no means an easy journey for them. While we tell the stories of God’s deliverance, we do well to not sugarcoat the struggle they faced around them. To do so is to minimize God’s powerful ability to deliver his people even in the most dire circumstances. He will preserve, he will rescue, don’t give up.

Re:Verse passage – 2 Peter 2:1-3 (day two)

…just as there will also be false teachers among you…v. 2b

There are a lot of good speakers in the world. However, not all good speakers are speaking what is good. Discerning the difference is the responsibility of every believer. As we are bombarded with reels, memes, and sound bites, we must ask ourselves what is being said in the larger narrative. Every speaker has talking points that re-emphasize their agenda, but they are so often couched in language that is inflammatory or exaggerated to get maximum coverage. Whether from the pulpit or in politics, this is a technique that we must be wary of. Yes, it is good to trust your pastors, but it is also incumbent on each of us to pray, read, listen to the Holy Spirit, and to ask questions. Even the best of us can make mistakes; it is whether we acknowledge them as such that separates us from the world. Don’t fall victim to people that always say what you want to hear. Don’t stop asking questions. Don’t stop trusting God’s Word.

Re:Verse passage – 2 Peter 1:16-21 (day two)

So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. v. 19

I was once at a conference where Michael W. Smith was talking about how his friend, Amy Grant, wrote the song “Thy Word.” She was at a retreat and she had been out walking long past sunset; and as she made her way back to her cabin, she was in complete darkness. She fumbled around for a while in frustration, but then spotted a lamp that was in a cabin window that led her back. That lamp may not have illuminated the entire landscape, but it gave her enough to take one step at a time. This is how prophetic words work in our lives. In the midst of a world walking in darkness, these words offer a step by step path to follow until we get to a place where the day dawns and all the truth is made clear. May we cling to the Word of God as our lamp for each step we take today.

Re:Verse passage – 2 Peter 1:12-15 (day two)

And I will also be diligent that at any time after my departure you will be able to call these things to mind. V. 15

Peter has the heart of a teacher. His desire for the church is not to remember the great things that Peter had done, but rather to be equipped to carry on without him. The legacy of faith is not dependent on personality, but on the character of Christ. Peter’s hope is that the believers know how to discern for themselves what is true, good, and beautiful. People may not speak our name the way we speak of the Apostle Peter, but the legacy of faith that we give our children will speak for generations. Giving people in our care the ability to know truth is a gift. May it be the first we give. May we hope for others to remember our lessons of faith long after they remember our names.

Re:Verse passage – 2 Peter 1:8-11  (day two)

Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; v. 10

“These things” refers to the fruit of the spirit mentioned earlier in the text. (Moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, kindness, and love) This is the list we studied last week. Returning to these hallmarks of our faith journey will keep us centered and give us a purpose. Frankly, by focusing on these attributes of faith, they will begin to consume our thoughts and actions and take the place of anything that would hinder us from growing. The stronger we become in these areas the more likely we will weather any crisis. Fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of your faith.

Re:Verse passage – 2 Peter 1:5-8  (day two) …and…v. 5, 6, AND 7

Have you ever taken a spiritual gifts inventory? When you get results you will hear people saying, “I have the gift of hospitality, or patience, or kindness, etc.” This isn’t the way Peter presents this list in these verses, and I am certain that Paul would agree. If we are not careful when we take those assessments, we will tend to think gifts are some sort of side dish that we can choose one with our meal – but you can only get one! Peter says apply diligence as a starting place, and then add – and, and, and, and. There should be a measure of all these characteristics in our walk. Sure, you may have an abundance of one gift, but in some measure, they should be present in us all. So, add some love, AND joy, AND peace, AND patience, AND kindness…you get the idea.

Re:Verse passage – 2 Peter 1:1-4  (day two)

To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: v. 1b

I am reading a devotional that includes poetry, song, scripture, and wisdom from great men and women of faith. I love the heart of George Herbert. This is a portion of “The Authour’s Prayer Before Sermon”

Thou hast exalted thy
mercy above all things; and hast made our salvation, not our
punishment, thy glory: so that then where sin abounded,
not death, but grace superabounded; accordingly, when we
had sinned beyond any help in heaven or earth, then thou
saidest, Lo, I come! then did the Lord of life, unable of him-
selfe to die, contrive to do it. He took flesh, he wept, he
died; for his enemies he died; even for those that derided
him then, and still despise him. Blessed Saviour! many
waters could not quencn thy love! nor no pit overwhelme it.
But though the streams of thy bloud were currant through
darknesse, grave, and hell; yet by these thy conflicts, and
seemingly hazards, didst thou arise triumphant, and therein
mad’st us victorious.

The faith that we have received from Jesus came at great personal cost to him, but his victory over death was also our hope of salvation. We must continue to walk in the honor of his victory. We did nothing to earn or deserve it, but by his mercy we are able to partake in it. Thanks be to God.