July 17, 2014 (Thursday)
Second Peter is different from First Peter. The first letter was written to encourage suffering Christians, at the same time urging them to be careful to avoid sin. The Second Letter picks up on the “avoidance of sin” theme, and emphasizes it along with stern warnings about false doctrine that is making its way into the church. He says the old prophets were speaking the word of God, but there were some bad ones back then, too. He urges them to use discretion in evaluating new doctrines and to reject false doctrine. The Day of the Lord will bring swift judgment. First Peter emphasized the encouragement and comfort of faith in Christ. Second Peter emphasizes warnings against false doctrine. Each presents the message that is needed most in a changing world.
Second Peter – a devotional thought
You never see a storage battery with only one post; there are always two: positive and negative. It takes both to provide power. The same is true with our doctrine. When evil deeds and beliefs are trying to subvert the gospel, it’s time to make sure we have a good connection to both posts on our “spiritual battery”: Positive (accept truth) and Negative (reject falsehood).
(While we are on the subject, is your spiritual battery in need of a charge?)