22nd September 2013,
Passage: 2 Peter 1:12-16 Hymns 97, 430, 634
12 Therefore I intend always to remind you of these
qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. 13 I
think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder, 14 since I know that the putting off of my
body will be soon, as our Lord
Jesus Christ made clear to me. 15 And I will make every effort so that
after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things. (2 Peter
1:12-15, ESV)
Consider
how you easily forget! How many friends from primary or high school can you
remember – yet they made your life so good and happy? Can you remember all that
was preached last week? We forget so easily. We forget people, we forget
important events, we forget good incidences – we have a terrible tendency to
forget! That is why you are taking notes, this is why you buy a diary every
year. This is why we have alarms. This is why many communities have memorial
services for their dead relatives!
This
is one of the reasons why we have to come to church regularly. This is one of
the reasons why we need brethren close to us always so that they may remind us
of things. It is because of our tendency to forget that we have the Scriptures
written down so that we turn there often. God knows that sin has affected our
memory and that we forget even the very things that we want to remember and
sometimes struggle to forget the things that we want to forget – maybe a range
of anger, may be a terrible blunder, maybe some things we have said or done –
they just don’t go. Sometimes it is something that someone has done or said to
us that we want to go away.
This
only serves to prove that we are perverse more than we can admit. Sin makes us
forget and so effectively stands between us and that which is best and
excellent to us. We forget to pray as much as we ought, or to read the Bible,
or to call your mother, or to pick up an important thing.
In
view of this, then it is essentially necessary that we be constantly reminded
of the spiritual things that build us up, for the following reasons given in
this passage:
1. To establish
you in truth
Therefore I intend always to remind you of these
qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have (v.12)
Whenever
this letter is read, we are reminded the words of Apostle Peter that were the
very breath of God. Hence by this we come to the truths of God’s revelation.
The Scriptures constantly emphasizes the need for a constant reminder:
But on some points I
have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given
me by God… (Rom. 15:15)
Finally, my brothers,
rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is
safe for you. (Phil. 3:1)
I write to you, not
because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie
is of the truth (1John 2:21).
Therefore,
truth is not some new invention or revelation by some preacher that Christians
need to hear but the same old truths of the gospel that you constantly need to
hear as often as possible so that you may live by them. A lot of boldness is
needed when reminding people of what they ought to know and practise – even
Apostle Paul needed it! Wisdom and grace is also essential. Reminder is also
good in that It is ‘safe’ as he tells the Philippians. When John writes about
the same things again, he says that the very reason for writing is because they
already know it! Truth needs to be reiterated and emphasized until we will put
on immortality, where sin will no longer be a factor of our lives.
We live
at a time when many Christians believe that sensational preaching is good; new
teaching is what they want to hear. We must never be those who are followers of
the new teaching. Most of the new teaching is only an old heresy coated with
the current language.
Many of
us are not so open to having their memories refreshed by others.
We are
quick to say, “I know”. Peter in verses 12 is convinced of his responsibility
as a pastor to remind and refresh the memory of his congregation and of other
Christians later who were to believe later. He is concerned that they know the
truth, He is concerned that they live by the truth that they already know. He
joins with Paul in telling them that the Lord has given Him the position he gad
in order that the grace of God at work in him may be shared by other
Christians.
2.
To stir you up to action
It is
not enough that you know the truth. Even Peter tells them that their problem is
not that of ignorance, but it is that they know
and are established in the truth
that they have (v.12). Mental knowledge of the truth is not what is
needed. What is needed is practicing the Christian qualities that he already
enumerated in vv. 5-7. Therefore their problem was not doctrinal unorthodoxy –
their problem was pharisaical knowledge with no commitment and actions to the
truths that they knew so well.
He is aiming at reminding them that knowledge of
truth demands actions. He is telling them,
“You solid in doctrine, you
are well established in the truth; you are well aware of the things that I have
been teaching you; but I know myself too well that to know is not enough – yes!
you have to put it at the center of your mind, but if this knowledge any will
be of value to you, then some action must be aroused to confirm that you
actually know what you profess to know!”
The
intended action is based upon certain principles that have been grasped well
enough. The Christians living is informed by very basic Christian principles
that lead to a specific family ethic, particular work ethic, clear social ethics,
financial ethic etc. their lives are guided by the Christian culture – not the
contemporary philosophy, not the demands of the society nor is it guided by
what people want... yes it is not guided by democracy. The Christian culture is
basically a life under the lordship of Christ in His word. A Christian’s first
ambition is to please the Lord. A Christian lives to glorify the Lord. A
Christian is more concerned about what God will say than what men will say –
because he/she fears the Lord not men.
The
word translated ‘stir’ is literally to arouse or wake up. The mind of any human
mind is very quick to take rest, to relax and live for today – here and now.
All sinners are in stupor, their minds are calloused they need to be given a
new life. Their consciences are seared, the Spirit has to work. Christians on
the other hand are prone to laziness, to inertia. How many times do we relax
upon the comfort of past achievements? When we achieve something little, we are
quickly lulled to the slumber of I did this… forgetting:
1) it is God who is at work
in us both to will and to do
2) the spiritual warfare
with our enemies is ever ranging
3) we are still pilgrims on
earth
4) we are yet to receive
our inheritance
When
we are reminded of this and come to our senses to realize what is needed of us,
we must move into action. The action must be to do with achieving the end for
which the Lord created us – to bring glory to His name, to build His kingdom,
to edify the church. We are to know God in His Son and make Him known. We are
to worship the Lord in all we do and say. If you have been made alive by
Christ, then how can you live a life of inactivity?
We
are to live a godly life waiting for the time of putting away of our mortality,
our tent, our transient in exchange for the permanent.
3.
To prepare you for the eminent death
People
rarely talk about death because they fear it. They fear death because they are
not ready for it. Do you think about death? Do you know how you can prepare a
person for death? Death is the most welcome thing when we are ready for it. I
have spoken to many elderly Christians and by the grace of the Lord I have
drawn so much comfort from them. In this passage, Apostle Peter opens up the
subject of death in the manner he was ready for it. He said that all he was
doing was in light of death that he was anticipating. He knew that the Lord had
taken away the sting of death:
Death is swallowed up in victory…thanks be to God who
gives us the victory through Jesus Christ. (1Cor. 15:54b, 57)
It
is only in the Bible where there is a clear and deliberate preparation for
death- to the Muslims death is terrifying because they have no hope. It is only
a believer in Christ who has a definite assurance from the Creator of the
universe that all shall be well for them in death. The only answer to death is
to be found in the gospel.
DM Lloyd-Jones rightly observes that,
The gospel has very
special pronouncements to make with respect to this life itself. It tells us of
the greatness and glory of life [something we must never forget]. The world
today, outside of the church and outside the Gospel, has very poor and low view
of life. New kind of cynicism and despair are spreading through the minds of
the people [he was speaking shortly after the World War II]
Do
you think this despair has ceased with the World War II? People are afraid and
scared of death. Do you fear death? Look at the way Peter writes about death:
“… since I know that the
putting off of my body will be soon, as
our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me.”(v.14). Peter was not afraid of death – he was looking
forward to it. But he knew that for as long as he was in the body, he was
supposed to make every effort so that after his departure we may be able to
recall these things at any time as we are doing right now! Like Paul, he knew
that to be while present in the body (and so absent from the Lord) we make it
our ambition to please the Lord (2Cor. 5:9). And how do we please the Lord? The
love of the Lord ought to constrain us so that we do not live for ourselves but
for Him who for the sake of sinners died and was raised. We take up seriously
the ministry of reconciliation that we have received from our Master. We are to
be His ambassadors now and here. Yes, we are to live in such a way that Christ is honored in our bodies whether in
life or in death, so that to live is Christ and death is gain. If I am to live
in the flesh, that means fruitful labour for me (Phil. 1:20-22). This is
the whole purpose of life for a Christian. He who lives like this is guaranteed
that there is a glorious crowning day coming, there is a final exodus from the
troubles of this world. There is something definite to look forward to – the
glorious exit from this transient life into a more glorious and permanent one –
with God!
This
constant reminder that you hear from God’s Word and from preachers are meant to
prepare you for the either the coming of Christ or death of which both are
eminent. Are you ready? Peter is ready enough to say that the putting off of
his body is soon – believing the prediction of the Lord in John 21:18-19. He
believed that his death will glorify God just as the Lord had said – it was to
be a drastic end… it was to be sudden, even violently as it was by crucifixion.
What do you think could be your state if you learnt that your death will be a violent
one? It would lead to trauma and distress. But this was not the case for Peter.
He was even making plans and provisions for it. He was adjusting his life to
accommodate the will of the Lord!
Notice
that his concern and commitment was to make those who will be left behind,
after his death, comfortable, in terms of having truth to refer to constantly.
Christians do not fear death. Christians prepare for death, because wise people
plan for death, foolish people plan for this life. Why does God call the rich
man in Luke 12:16-21? While God expects men to plan for their exit from this
hard life of sin, this rich man was planning to draw comfort from it. There is
no comfort in this life.
There
is nothing in this life that should make us love it so much that we give it all
we have or our best. Instead we must be like the Apostle of the Lord who
prepared for death, while in this body knowing that death is only an exodus
from a creation that is groaning waiting
with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was
subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in
hope that the creation itself will be set from the bondage to corruption and obtain
the freedom of the glory of children of God (Rom. 8:19-21). Is this true of
you?
Applications
v We must never be tired
of being reminded of the truths of Scripture
v We should take the
reminders from God’s Word very seriously
v We should all devote
ourselves to reminding others of both Christian principles and conduct
v We should live a life
that has a definite eternal perspective
v We should prepare for
death that even after our departure others will profit from our lives.
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