Grow in the Grace of God

“Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.” (2 Peter 3:14-18 ESV)

In context, this third chapter of 2 Peter is discussing the subject of the return of Jesus Christ and how there will be people in the last days who will scoff at the fact that Jesus has not yet returned, as promised. And then we are reminded of how Jesus judged the earth and the people of the earth with the flood, and that he will once again judge the earth and the people of the earth, but this time with fire. 

And then we are challenged with the thought of Jesus’ return, and of the judgment that he will pour upon the earth, and in light of that what sort of people we ought to be in lives of holiness and godliness while we wait for our Lord’s return. At that time he will judge the earth and the people of the earth, and he will take his faithful ones to be with him for eternity, i.e. those who walk in obedience to his commands and not in sinful lifestyles.

And because of that, we who profess faith in Jesus Christ are to be diligent to be found by the Lord without spot or blemish, and at peace. And if we look at the Scriptures, and what they teach on this subject, we will learn that what that is talking about is that we must be those who are surrendered to Christ as Lord, who are walking in obedience to his commands, and for whom sin is not our practice, but righteousness is what we practice.

So, we are to be careful that, while we wait for our Lord’s return, that we are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose our own stability (or fall from our secure position, or from our secure standing, or firmness, or from our own steadfastness, or our own fixed and established position, etc.). So, this is definitely a warning against falling away from the truth of God’s word and following after the lies, and falling prey to false teachings.

But is there a danger beyond that? Or what is the real danger involved here if we are carried away with the error of lawless people? Well, if they are lawless, and we are carried away with their error, then it would be that we would, thus, become lawless, too. And those who become lawless, and remain there, will not inherit eternal life with God, according to the Scriptures. For Jesus said that not everyone who calls him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the ones DOING the will of God the Father (Matthew 7:21-23).

All throughout the books of the New Testament we are warned that if we make sin our practice, and if righteousness and obedience to our Lord are not what we practice, that we will not inherit eternal life with God, regardless of whether or not we profess faith in Jesus Christ. For it is not those who give lip service to the Lord only who have the hope of eternal life with God, but it is those who obey him and who do not walk in sin.

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; 1 Peter 1:15; 1 Pet 2:24; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]

So, again, this is why we are given so many warnings in the Scriptures against falling away and returning to walk in sin and not in holiness and in righteousness and in obedience to our Lord. And this, too, is why we have so many strong encouragements in the Scriptures that we must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and walk in obedience to his commands and live holy lives, pleasing to him.

For the grace of God is not free license to continue in deliberate and habitual sin against the Lord without punishment. The grace of God, which is bringing us salvation, which will not be complete until Jesus takes us home with him for eternity, is training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we wait for our Lord’s return. So, please take this seriously, for your eternity depends on it.

Songs in the Night  

An Original Work / December 18, 2013

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.” Acts 16:25 NIV ‘84

Lord, I praise You forevermore.

You, my Savior, I now adore.

Hope in heaven awaiting me,

Because You died at Calvary.

I have been forgiven,

And I’m bound for heaven.

Jesus set me free from

All my sin, I say.

I will praise Him always!

Lord, I love You for all You’ve done:

Overcame death, my vict’ry won!

Jesus saved me, and now I’m free!

I rejoice in His love for me.

I will walk in vict’ry!

My sin is but hist’ry!

I am free to please Him

With my life today.

I will love Him always!

Lord, I thank You for giving me

A new life bought at Calvary.

Loving Jesus, I meet with Him.

Tender mercies now flow within.

Lord, I am so thankful;

Through my Lord, I’m able

To sit at His table;

Fellowship with Him.

I will thank Him always!

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