Focal Passage: 2 Peter 1:1-21
More than 50 years ago Francis Schaeffer argued that the change in the concept of the way we come to knowledge and truth is the most crucial problem facing Christianity. The issue of truth is still important today. The cultural war on truth has a multifaceted and colored history.
Like all cultural conversation, the dispute over truth has effects on each one of us, sometimes causing doubt, sometimes causing us to feel inadequate in our understanding of the faith.
The apostle is clear in 2 Peter 1:12-15 that it is good to be reminded of the truth, even if one is already firmly established in the faith. The presence of false teachers is something the church has always dealt with.
The anchor of truth that holds believers from cultural sway often needs strengthening in the rough waters of this life.
So Peter reminds us of the truth of the gospel. He starts by arguing that our standing before God was accomplished by the righteousness of our Savior Jesus Christ.
God’s grace in Jesus provides us with all the blessings pertaining to life and death. In response to the beauty of God’s grace on our behalf, giving us a transformed heart, he pleads with us to make every effort to live a life that honors God through the power of the Spirit.
See, the truth of the gospel is something we never move beyond. The truth of the gospel is something that we need to be reminded of often. Only the good news of Jesus Christ has the power to stir Christians to holiness. Therefore, let us be a people who prayerfully return to the Word of God, in reliance on the Spirit of God, to live as the people of God. The truth of the gospel will stand alone eternally, long after the smoke of our cultural wars have cleared.