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2 Peter 3:14-18 -Growing in Grace

Read 2 Peter 3:14-18

I really like the Peter character as he’s being portrayed in the television series, “The Chosen.” Angel Studios has done a marvelous job of casting and creating historically possible back-stories to draw us in and touch our lives. I can relate to Peter, so as I read his closing today, I couldn’t help but picture that character. Sometimes having a visual can be helpful, especially if you’re a visual learner like me!

I get the feeling that Peter could go on and on about the dangers we’ll face as followers of Christ. He would have had personal knowledge of what it was like. But he lived in the world immediately after Jesus’ death and resurrection. There are a lot of similarities still present today. Thankfully, we can apply Peter’s wisdom to what we see happening in the world around us.

1 Peter 5:8-9 – You Are Not Alone

Read 1 Peter 5:8-9

Too often we let ourselves be blinded to the work of the enemy among us. We stop being vigilant. In these final words of Peter, he is talking about that “elephant in the room” we all try to ignore. Evil. The more we ignore the evil one or look the other way, the more he takes a grip on our lives.

“Stay alert!” is Peter’s cry. I’ve been amazed at how when watching a television program or movie produced within the last couple years how many things I see as contradictory to the Christian life and God’s word. Decades ago, people were upset when swearing became commonplace in these entertainment mediums. Today, we can become immune to hearing that kind of language. That’s only a small fraction of what we should be appalled by. Peter told us to “stay alert,” to not forget about God’s desire for us.

Hebrews 5:11-6:12 – Going Deeper

Read Hebrews 5:11-6:12

These Christians had so much to learn, even though they had “been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others.” However, it seems they were stuck in the basics. They knew what it meant to be Jews, but to be followers of Christ changed their faith journey dramatically. Here we see the Preacher rebuking them. “You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food.” It was time for them to stop being lazy Christians, and the Preacher uses a bit of “shock and awe” in this reading.

When people first come to faith in Jesus, we need to be careful not to overwhelm them with knowledge they aren’t ready for. Just like you wouldn’t give a newborn a piece of steak. However, the Preacher warns that it’s too easy to stay with “milk” and not move on to a deeper faith and understanding of what it means to be a Christ follower. I’ve seen many churches struggle with this very thing, and as a result, the congregation never goes deeper than the what the “newbies” can handle.