The Word This Week
2 Peter 1:1...
Since the first letter was written by Peter, much has happened, and Peter’s concern for the welfare of the church has only been heightened.
Nero has gone stark raving mad, and a massive persecution of the church and its leadership has broken out in an attempt to blame Christians for setting the fire that almost destroyed Rome. (After all, Christians had been known to say, “It’s all going to burn.”) It almost did. Nero required a scapegoat to save his political skin, and he found one in the fledgling Church and its leaders, particularly Paul and Peter.
The environment of potential danger to the Church had progressed from probable to white hot.
You might think this would be the time for Church leaders to begin to advise about weapons of warfare, battle tactics, and means of physical defense for those who are true followers of Christ.
Peter does exactly that, but on Spiritual terms not physical. In a sense, his second epistle is a defense manual – but as Paul had said earlier, the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but spiritual.
And so the means of standing strong in the face of an overwhelming force brought by the spirit of Antichrist is Spiritual growth.
Here, Peter notes a logical Spiritual progression toward maturity in the lives of all believers in Christ. These are notable and measurable growth markers the Holy Spirit will produce in the life of every believer who permits Him to do so. To your saving faith, the Holy Spirit will add virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love.
THESE are the weapons of warfare the Lord desires to arm every Christian with by His power. All the Christian must do is allow it to be so.
Pastor Bill
Since the first letter was written by Peter, much has happened, and Peter’s concern for the welfare of the church has only been heightened.
Nero has gone stark raving mad, and a massive persecution of the church and its leadership has broken out in an attempt to blame Christians for setting the fire that almost destroyed Rome. (After all, Christians had been known to say, “It’s all going to burn.”) It almost did. Nero required a scapegoat to save his political skin, and he found one in the fledgling Church and its leaders, particularly Paul and Peter.
The environment of potential danger to the Church had progressed from probable to white hot.
You might think this would be the time for Church leaders to begin to advise about weapons of warfare, battle tactics, and means of physical defense for those who are true followers of Christ.
Peter does exactly that, but on Spiritual terms not physical. In a sense, his second epistle is a defense manual – but as Paul had said earlier, the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but spiritual.
And so the means of standing strong in the face of an overwhelming force brought by the spirit of Antichrist is Spiritual growth.
Here, Peter notes a logical Spiritual progression toward maturity in the lives of all believers in Christ. These are notable and measurable growth markers the Holy Spirit will produce in the life of every believer who permits Him to do so. To your saving faith, the Holy Spirit will add virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love.
THESE are the weapons of warfare the Lord desires to arm every Christian with by His power. All the Christian must do is allow it to be so.
Pastor Bill