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2PETER CHAPTER 1 KJV WEB 2Pet 1-1,2 (12j) Servant >> Bond servant >> Salutations 2Pet 1-1 (41f) Judgment >> Satan destroyed >> Be like Jesus >> Righteousness of faith >> Saved by grace through faith – We are not forgiven through the knowledge of Christ's death, but through faith. Although faith is based on knowledge, our faith comes from God. Jesus is righteous (1Jn 2-1), but we can’t say the same for ourselves, except that we have received His faith (His Spirit, 1Jn 4-13). Faith more than believes; faith is a Spirit that we have received from God (2Cor 4-13) that helps us believe in His blood sacrifice for the forgiveness of sin. No matter what we have done, God can forgive us through Jesus' blood sacrifice that the Father ordained from the foundation of the world (Rev 13-8). This is the righteousness of God given to us. True faith comes from heaven, whereas believing is man-made. Man believes a million things about God, most of which are not true, but genuine faith from God believes only the Truth. We have faith based on a covenant that He made to us, and based on a covenant that we made with Him, that we will dedicate our lives to His cause throughout this life and into eternity. (61e) Paradox >> Two implied meanings >> Jesus Christ—God and also our savior / Our God who is also our Savior (106d) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Hearing from God >> Attaining the hearing ear >> Knowing the sound of His voice >> God speaks from the Scriptures (130c) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Unity >> Being in one accord >> Having one faith – Peter is writing to those who have received a faith the same kind as his, suggesting that he wants to unite people of like faith. Peter walked with Jesus for 3 years. He knows that it is useless to talk to people who don’t believe the way he does, because they won’t listen. Peter was a firsthand witness to the sufferings of Christ along with His resurrection and ascension, meaning those with different convictions than Peter are wrong. (236j) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Invest in the kingdom >> Invest in the treasures of the kingdom >> Invest your life in God’s faith (253ec) Trinity >> Relationship between Father and Son >> Jesus is equal with the Father >> Jesus has all the internal qualities of the Father >> Jesus is God in heaven – God is our savior and His name is Jesus Christ. Peter called Jesus His God and savior, the same Thomas said to Him, “My Lord and my God” (Jn 20-28). There are cults and false religions out there by the dozens that deny the divinity of Jesus Christ; they deny that He was God in human flesh; that is, they misunderstand the meaning “Son of God”. They say that since He was the Son of God, He was not actually God. The phrase “Son of God” came from the fact that the Father imparted His seed in Mary and the result was Jesus Christ, the Son of God. This is what we need to understand about that: the seed the Father planted in Mary was the Father’s seed (Lk 1-35), so whatever is born of Him is God. Jesus didn't come into existence the moment of His conception, for Jesus is an eternal being from eternity past (Jn 8,56-58). Jesus existed with the Father before eternity began (Rev 1-8). 2Pet 1,2-11 (8d) Responsibility >> Prepare to interact with God >> Entering the realm of the Spirit – Verse 5 starts a list of prerequisites that should be followed sequentially, and verses 2-4 describe what we obtain if we do, making lavish promises about acquiring the divine nature that God had given us on the day we were born-again. It is quite appealing to anyone with a remnant of the Spirit. (80b) Thy kingdom come >> Know the word in spiritual warfare >> To deliver yourself from bondage – In the year 1436 Johannes Gutenberg used his press to furnish everyone with a Bible, but ironically it worked in Satan’s interest. Before books could be mass-produced Bibles were scarce, especially during the dark ages when Catholicism suppressed God's word along with all other forms of knowledge and science, while religious tradition prevailed. Christians nevertheless stayed on the alert, but the Church today keeps the Bible on the mantle as a display piece instead of reading it in order to come to know God better, and those who do read it develop their own beliefs, fostering as many renditions of the truth as readers. Ironically, now that the Bible has become prevalent, people have concluded that the truth is unknowable. Before Gutenberg's press, people envisioned hope that one day they would escape their ignorance, but now that they have the word of God in front of them, they have given up hope of knowing the truth, which must be the ultimate paradox. The reason the truth has gotten lost in the world is that men are blind to God; their ears are deaf to His word; their hearts are ready to trust anything but God, and their flesh leads them into sin. All these forces lead man astray with the most potent negative influence against the knowledge of God being disobedience, and for this reason Peter commanded us to keep our behavior excellent among the heathen (1Pet 2-12,13), for if they had an example of Christianity in the Church, it might be enough to lead some of them to salvation. See also: Paradox (Mystery of lawlessness); Lk 13,31-33; 2c / Satan wants to be God; he wants His throne; Eph 1,3-11; 212a (109f) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Revelation of God >> Revelation of God's word is true knowledge – Peter presents a lengthy discourse about seeking the knowledge of God as a process of growth and spiritual development as we apply what we have learned from Scripture, proving that our knowledge is true. Peter said that the faith he used to believe in God came from the Holy Spirit (v1). This means that if the Holy Spirit is not the origin of our faith, then we don’t believe the truth. The basis of Peter’s faith was the true knowledge of God. Our faith is based on knowledge, but not just any knowledge, the knowledge of the Bible. There are a myriad ideas about God, but knowledge that is true is the only knowledge the Holy Spirit will ignite in our heart, who only believes the truth (1Cor 13-6). It is impossible to know God's truth without Him, because the spirit of error is at work in the world steering man from the truth. There is a growing belief, born of New-Age philosophies that teaches: faith is not based on knowledge. Rather, a person can choose to believe whatever he wants, which becomes his personal truth, contradicting Peter's statement that true knowledge exists. They insinuate that cultivating true knowledge from the Bible through the Spirit is unnecessary. People who believe these New-Age lies don’t want to be constrained to a certain set of ideas, but want the freedom to choose what they believe, which always results in receiving the devil's lies in a licentious lifestyle of selfish hedonism. God has an opinion too, and His opinion is the truth. See also: Spirit and the word; 2Pet 1,3-9; 111f / Word of God and miracles; Mat 17-18; 216a 2Pet 1,2-4 (34g) Gift of God >> God is willing to Give >> He is generous with His spiritual blessings -- These verses go with verse 11 KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 2Pet 1,3-11 (42i) Judgment >> Satan destroyed >> Transformed >> Conform to the mind of Christ (99k) Thy kingdom come >> Perseverance (Working to keep in motion) >> Persevere in doing good -- These verses go with verse 15 (139g) Temple >> Building the temple (with hands) >> We build the temple through Christ (156d) Witness >> Validity of the believer >> Evidence of salvation >> Loving your fellow man is evidence of salvation >> Love the brethren (230h) Kingdom of God >> God’s kingdom is a living organism >> Mystery of godliness >> Mystery of the trinity >> Obey the mystery of godliness like Jesus did (236f) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Invest in the kingdom >> Invest your strength into the kingdom >> Invest your ambitions 2Pet 1,3-10 (4f) Responsibility >> Advocate God’s cause >> From him who has shall much be required 2Pet 1,3-9 (111f) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Spirit and the word >> Word and the power (meaning) of God >> Word in obedience cannot evade the power of God – There are some translations that truncate the word “true” in true knowledge, but it is a mistake. Stong’s Concordance recognizes it as a legitimate New Testament word calling it real knowledge (as opposed to false knowledge), but it means more than that. Peter wrote the word of God with more than just factual truth in mind, but knowledge graced with the glory of heaven. So, his usage of the word “true” meant that the things he was presenting would grace our lives if we implemented them. The knowledge of God is not just factual, but holds promise that God will imbue us with His Holy Spirit if we believe in Him. Therefore, according to the Holy Spirit and the word of God, "true" refers to the Spirit of truth, and "knowledge" refers to the Bible. See also: Spirit and the word; 2Pet 1,8-10; 80f 2Pet 1,3-8 (118a) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Eyes of your spirit >> Seeing through the eyes of your spirit >> Making spiritual observations (128j) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Bearing fruit >> Living a fruitful life >> Living a continuous life of fruitfulness (229f) Kingdom of God >> God’s kingdom is a living organism >> Kingdom grows by itself >> God causes the growth >> God uses us to cause the growth (249h) Priorities >> God’ s preeminence >> Wealth >> True perception of wealth >> The infinite and eternal wealth of God >> Being rich in Jesus 2Pet 1,3-5 (91a) Thy kingdom come >> The called >> God’s purpose for us is to fulfill His calling >> Walk in the anointing to fulfill God’s purpose -- These verses go with verse 8 KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 2Pet 1-3,4 (37h) Judgment >> Redemption of man >> His blood delivered us from destruction (233b) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Seeking the kingdom >> Seeking the goals of the kingdom >> Seek the goal of freedom 2Pet 1-3 (34f) Gift of God >> Believer owns everything >> True knowledge belongs to us --This verse goes with verse 8. God has granted us great promises, but they also accompany a few prerequisites that we fulfill through the divine nature that God has given us, if we are willing to walk in Him. One of them is growing and increasing in things pertaining to life and godliness, but if we are stagnant, it acts as evidence that our knowledge of God is untrue. A person can introduce a more accurate knowledge of the truth and we can reject it for a life of stagnation; in fact, that is our only option after we reject the true knowledge of God. When we are offered a more accurate version of the truth, we are obligated to receive it, pitching our old doctrines and rising from an algae and seaweed pool of putrid religion, and letting the true knowledge of God lead us beside the river of life and godliness. (41k) Judgment >> Satan destroyed >> Be like Jesus >> Doctrine conforming to godliness --This verse goes with verse 6 (91j) Thy kingdom come >> The called >> God’s calling transcends the will of man >> It is etched into our spirit – God by His power gives us everything we need to walk in Him as we imbibe His Spirit of life and godliness through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His glory and excellence. However, there is another knowledge in atheism that teaches we emerged from a swamp, that according to science there is no need of a God to explain life and the universe, for everything happened on its own. Grouping atheists with the Gnostics, Paul wrote to Timothy about “what is falsely called knowledge,” indicating there are three kinds of knowledge: false knowledge, knowledge and true knowledge. We could say that the Bible is the source of all true knowledge, and that would be correct; but in a way, true knowledge is above biblical facts and information when they are revealed by the Spirit. See also: Science versus truth; 2Pet 1-8,9; 221d / Atheism (Believing a lie to spite the truth); Act 19,23-36; 183h (234c) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Seeking the glory of God >> Seeking the glory of His Spirit -- This verse goes with verses 16-19 2Pet 1-4 (16b) Sin >> Man’s nature is instinctively evil >> Man is an enemy of God (26f) Sin >> Consequences of sin >> Death is the fruit of the world – Corruption is the fruit of the world, and lust is the root of it, meaning that people are corrupt because of the lust that is in them, but those who believe in Jesus escape the world’s corruption through the divine nature. The word “Lust” bears a specific nuance of pleasure, particularly sexual pleasure. Peter is saying that Christians don’t participate in the corruption of the world, for the divine nature leads them in directions other than pursuing pleasure as a life-goal and empowers them instead to rise above such venereal aspirations. The wisdom of God teaches that pleasure is only skin deep but that the wisdom of God is part of the divine nature. He wants us to know and understand that the pursuit of pleasure brings a curse, as Jesus said in Mat 6-16, “Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.” In contrast, the one who invests his life in the Kingdom of Heaven has his reward in heaven that will never end, and what does the Scripture say? "pleasures forevermore" (Psalm 16-11). (28c) Gift of God >> God is our advocate >> God protects the Church from the world (34dd) Gift of God >> Believer owns everything >> The divine nature belongs to us (70j) Authority >> Believer’s authority >> We have been given authority over all creation >> We are the children of God >> We have the divine nature (78i) Thy kingdom come >> Renewing your mind by the word >> Spirit renews as the flesh decays (164g) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> The world system >> Satan’s system of authority >> His elementary principles of the world (167d) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> Carnality/Secularism (mindset of the world) >> The carnal mind is set on the flesh >> Bound to the earth (183g) Works of the devil >> The origin of lawlessness >> Spirit of Error (Anti-Christ / Anti-Semitism) >> Spirit of the broad road >> Spirit of the world (205b) Salvation >> Salvation is based on God’s promises >> According to promise >> Promise of His rest (230d) Kingdom of God >> God’s kingdom is a living organism >> Partaking >> Partaking of the power of God >> Partaking of the ministry of the Holy Spirit (238a) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> The kingdom is transferred to the Church >> Born again >> Born of the Spirit by the will of God >> Born again by the will of the Father KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 2Pet 1,5-11 (5a) Responsibility >> Advocate God’s cause >> Disciples chasten themselves (29j) Gift of God >> God is on our side >> God identifies with us >> He is our advocate (44i) Judgment >> Transformed >> Fulfill your ministry >> Calling from God >> Complete it (88a) Thy kingdom come >> Faith produces works >> Relationship between faith and works >> Works establish your faith – This is a list of prerequisites that we should see as layers of character-building discipline, yet n one of them need be complete before God can use us; in fact, they come closer to completion as we use them, though we will never be fully complete in this life. Peter is not asking us to be complete; he only needs us to be increasing. This is an assignment that will take our entire life to achieve, and in the end we will have perfected love to an acceptable level, based on our perseverance. In contrast, James wanted us to be “perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (Jm 1-4). Those are big words, but he is talking about something a little different. Peter is requiring the system be in place and the process running. God is happy just that our love, knowledge and self-control be steadily and consistently increasing. He can use us so long as we are growing, but if we become stagnant, the process decomposes. (92c) Thy kingdom come >> The narrow way >> Trail of good works >> Practice walking a straight line (103h) Thy kingdom come >> Purifying process >> Cleanse yourself (117c) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Rest in Jesus (Sabbath) >> Rest in His yoke by faith (232k) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Seeking the kingdom >> Seek the essence of his kingdom >> Seeking the righteousness of His kingdom 2Pet 1,5-10 (244i) Kingdom of God >> Spirit realm imposed on the natural realm >> Literal manifestations >> Literal manifestation of God’s word >> Manifesting the righteousness of His kingdom 2Pet 1,5-8 (5n) Responsibility >> Jesus’ yoke of obedience >> Our obligation to believe God (129k) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Unity >> Being in one accord >> Single minded >> Determination (193l) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Turn from sin to God >> Run to God >> Run to God in your freedom to choose righteousness (250h) Priorities >> God’s prerequisites >> Sequence of priorities >> The first is a precondition for what comes after it (Cause and effect) (250l) Priorities >> God’s prerequisites >> Lists >> Terms of graduating to the next level >> List of prerequisites – Through true knowledge (the Bible revealed to us by the Holy Spirit) God grants us His precious and magnificent promises, so that we may become partakers of a new car – what? No, His promises are for the divine nature. His promises are not for what we want, but for what He wants for us. True knowledge is for faith; faith is for moral excellence, and moral excellence defends our faith from the world, the flesh and the devil for the purpose of gaining further knowledge. We have just completed a smaller cycle within a larger process of maturity. This suggests that without moral excellence we cannot develop our knowledge of God. We can have faith to remove mountains, but without moral excellence, we are open to the forces of darkness that will rob us of everything we possess from God. Why is that so? If our goal were to get a new car or to live in a better house, materialism doesn’t care about moral excellence, but since our goal is to realize the divine nature that God has given us at our second birth, moral excellence is necessary because God is morally excellent. Without moral excellence true knowledge is impossible. True knowledge is the raw material for our faith, and moral excellence is the mediator between faith and knowledge. That is, moral excellence allows our faith to grow. Our accumulation of knowledge is for the purpose of self-control, but self-control that fails is not self-control. This is why we add perseverance. Together, unfailing self-control produces godliness. A person can act godly on and off, but that is not godliness; that’s acting godly. Godliness is a way of life, which perfects brotherly kindness in love. We start with faith and finish with love as our ultimate goal, though faith and love are essentially the same, love being the manifestation of faith. Peter is saying love is a process, so that if one piece is missing, the entire process halts, stunting our growth. There must be consistency to ratify these qualities as genuine. 2Pet 1-6 (41k) Judgment >> Satan destroyed >> Be like Jesus >> Doctrine conforming to godliness --This verse goes with verse 3 KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 2Pet 1-7 (127a) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Kindness >> Be kind like God >> Practice the kindness of God (129h) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Unity >> love perfects unity >> Genuine love 2Pet 1,8-10 (80f) Thy kingdom come >> Know the word to learn the ways of God >> Understanding His will – It is impossible to know the truth if we do not walk in it, in that if we are not doing what we know, then we don’t know what we are doing. If we do what we know, God will teach us about His word in a steady, upward process of spiritual maturity. Peter was talking about the Holy Spirit revealing the word of God in our heart as we obey what we know, empowering us to work His grace into our lives. If we work His grace into our heart by walking in the truth, He will continue to reveal Himself, leading to higher realms of God’s wisdom and knowledge that we will use to fulfill our ministry. See also: Spirit and the word; 2Pet 1,16-19; 34f (197g) Denying Christ >> Man exercises his will against God >> Man withers when he is in control >> Distracted from a fruitful life – God has given us true knowledge for the purpose of granting us everything pertaining to life and godliness (V3). The reason there are so many false doctrines in the Church today is that people are using the Bible to achieve goals other than godliness. Instead, they distort the knowledge of God to legitimize their worldliness, causing feelings of insecurity from not believing what the Bible teaches, so they must be all the more dogmatic to hide their doubts. If we become confident in the faith, we could take criticism and weigh our views with the Scriptures, and replace our old ideas with doctrines that better summarize the Scriptures, but heresies persist in the Church because people are unwilling to humble their pride and admit to their egotistical dogmatism they use to replace the truth. (201c) Denying Christ >> Whoever is not with Jesus is against him >> You are against Christ when your unbelief materializes >> If your heart is not with Him your deeds are against Him 2Pet 1-8,9 (221d) Kingdom of God >> The elusive Kingdom of Heaven >> Kingdom hidden behind the veil from the world >> God hides from the mind of man >> He hides behind man’s intellect – Man’s knowledge is based on facts, which is different from truth. Scientists bend over backwards trying to prove their theories, using facts they had previously ratified, and when they finally get their proof, they include the new theories into a growing body of facts that have accumulated over the centuries regarding God’s creation, yet never does man’s knowledge ever rise above facts. In contrast, God’s word is truth, the highest level of knowledge. Scientists deny all knowledge in religion, because it cannot be proven, except of course for the witness of the creation, which is the object of their own studies. Scientists often replace their theories with more accurate theories, proving that previous theories were not true, especially not in relation to the definition of truth: knowledge that never changes and remains forever true. How will their new theories stand the test of time? Astrophysicists may one-day start from scratch with a brand-new theory about the mechanism of the sun and how fusion works, and if they do, they will have to pitch all their current theories about the universe. Meanwhile, God never changes, and His truth never changes. There may be theologians out there who replace one doctrine for another, but God’s truth never changes. Nothing is absolutely certain in man’s knowledge, and for this reason, man’s knowledge is scarcely factual, much less true. So when we append the word “true” to the knowledge of God, true knowledge becomes that much more certain. See also: Science versus truth; 2Pet 1-3; 91j 2Pet 1-8 (34f) Gift of God >> Believer owns everything >> True knowledge belongs to us -- This verse goes with verses 16-19 (91a) Thy kingdom come >> The called >> God’s purpose for us is to fulfill His calling >> Walk in the anointing to fulfill God’s purpose -- This verse goes with verses 3-5 KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 2Pet 1-9,10 (51c) Judgment >> Judging the Church along with the world >> Warning of wrath >> God warns the Church (157d) Witness >> Validity of the believer >> Evidence of being hell-bound >> Being displeasing to God >> Leading a fruitless lifestyle (169f) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> The world is blind to God >> Willful blindness (178g) Works of the devil >> The religion of witchcraft >> Hypocrisy >> Hypocrisy of the Church is rebuked >> The Church is rebuked for disobedience (180j) Works of the devil >> Practicing witchcraft >> Rebellion >> Rebelling against God’s narrow way >> Rebelling against the ways of God – What if today we are increasing, but tomorrow we are decreasing? What did John the Baptist say about it? "He must increase, but I must decrease" (Jn 3-30). He would say the reason we are spiritually decreasing is that we are giving attention to our flesh, making our perseverance incomplete. The work of God within us must increase to achieve consistency, or our waywardness will knock down the structures of obedience we have built. We will always be sinners so long as we are in the body; that will not change, but the relevant question is in what direction we are headed? Are we increasing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ? Then, we are headed in a direction that God can use, otherwise we’re useless to Him and to others (Tit 1-16). (185l) Works of the devil >> The result of lawlessness >> Blasphemy >> Unwilling to obey the revelation from heaven >> Unwilling to walk in God’s freedom (196a) Denying Christ >> Man exercises his will against God >> Idolatry >> Lord, Lord >> Pretending to be a disciple – The person who lacks the qualities that Peter mentioned here is pinning his hope on a certain day when his spirit was moved, but he never spiritually matured afterward, and that day was decades ago? To the one who hasn't committed his heart to the grace of God Peter would say that he "has forgotten his purification from his former sins." He lives licentiously with the attitude: ‘The grace of God covers me; my eternal future is secure; I said the sinner’s prayer.’ This is very common in churches across America and throughout the world, people who believe they are going to heaven because they had a spiritual moment or said the sinner’s prayer. They may have meant it and even gotten saved, but they never matured after that. Peter says they are blind and shortsighted. Aren’t Christians supposed to fulfill their calling from God, or is that an option in today’s evil and perverse generation? They think they can choose whether to be obedient, because the grace of God covers them, but that is the voice of licentiousness speaking. (197c) Denying Christ >> Man exercises his will against God >> Spiritual laziness >> Rebelling against where God wants you to go >> Refuse to walk in freedom (197f) Denying Christ >> Man exercises his will against God >> Man withers when he is in control >> Fruitlessness >> Neutral is unfruitful (198c) Denying Christ >> Man exercises his will against God >> Man withers when he is in control >> Ungrateful (204c) Denying Christ >> Man chooses his own destiny apart from God >> Back-slider >> Practicing sin >> Withdrawing from a righteous standard (221k) Kingdom of God >> The elusive Kingdom of Heaven >> Kingdom hidden behind the veil from the world >> God hides from sin >> He hides behind unbelief (223i) Kingdom of God >> The elusive Kingdom of Heaven >> Miss God >> Missing the mark >> Miss heaven 2Pet 1-9 (176b) Works of the devil >> The religion of witchcraft >> Ignorance >> Lacking experience with God – Falling under bondage to the same sins from which we were once delivered is “shortsighted”. We can see the details immediately in front of us well enough, but we can’t see the big picture, how God intended to use us after He washed us with His blood. We have forgotten that God has forgiven us. We were sinners and God reversed the direction of our lives and changed our eternal destiny so we could live with Him in glory, making us sons and daughters of His kingdom, our eyes opened but then clouded again by sin. Peter gave a list of prerequisites to we who are born of God that we should participate in the process of maturity that he outlined in verses 3-7, but we seem to have lost sight of purification from our former sins. We can’t remember that God has saved us “from the wrath of God through Him” (Rom 5-9). We were once headed for the lake of fire to be tormented forever in hell, but God saved us from this terrible fate, only to return to our old ways. We forgot about this gifted ability to believe in Jesus for the forgiveness of sin and the hope of eternal life, and we have since returned to our sins like a dog returns to its vomit, and like a pig after being washed returns to the mud hole (2Pet 2-22). It is a travesty that this has happened to so many people in the Church today, who have fallen away from the faith, and they seem not to be concerned about it, who give the appearance of being completely devoid of regret and remorse or concern about their own salvation, and it is most likely due to the doctrines they believed that gave them permission to disobey the Lord. KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 2Pet 1-10,11 (122e) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Confidence in yourself as you die to sin >> Confident in your salvation – If these things sound foreign us, Peter says it is time to make certain about His calling and choosing us. We need to go back to the beginning of our salvation and question whether we really know Him. James said, “We all stumble in many ways [into sin]” (Jm 3-2), yet Peter promises that if we practice these things, we will never stumble. Note also that Peter furnished us with the key verse to the subject of Predestination in 1Pet 1-1,2, yet he tells us in this passage to ensure His calling and choosing of us. Predestination assumes that He has chosen us, whereas Peter tells us here to take the initiative and examine our hearts objectively to see if the Holy Spirit truly dwells in us (2Cor 13-5). 2Pet 1-10 (42c) Judgment >> Satan destroyed >> Be like Jesus >> Overcoming sin (86g) Thy kingdom come >> Obedience >> Be doers of the word >> Clothe yourself with the word of God >> Practice the truth (91i) Thy kingdom come >> The called >> God’s calling transcends the will of man >> We are called by God through His choice of us (108k) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Revelation of Jesus Christ >> Revelation of the glory of God (182b) Works of the devil >> The origin of lawlessness >> Deception >> Self deception >> Believing you know God when you don’t (219g) Sovereignty >> God overrides the will of man >> The elect >> God chooses us as we choose ourselves >> God chooses us as we fulfill His calling 2Pet 1-11 (34g) Gift of God >> God is willing to Give >> He is generous with His spiritual blessings –This verse goes with verses 2-4 (231i) Kingdom of God >> God’s kingdom is a living organism >> Body of Christ is the organism of God’s kingdom >> Jesus is the head of His body’s kingdom >> To be in Christ is to be in the great city (237j) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Transferring the kingdom >> The Church is transferred to the kingdom >> Citizens of heaven – When we come to the end of our lives, having grown and increased according to the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, the minute we slip from our body and enter eternity, all our sacrifices we invested into the Kingdom of God will suddenly become relevant. We will see the gates of heaven opened wide, and there won’t be any questions asked or frowning faces. Perhaps an angel will take us by the hand and personally lead us through the gates of heaven into the great city, and there we will suddenly realize that we have been friends with him for years without fully knowing it. The Kingdom of Heaven is open to those who practice these things. KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 2Pet 1,12-15 (8a) Responsibility >> Use time efficiently >> Use wisely what time you have (98b) Thy kingdom come >> Endurance (Thorn in the flesh) >> Rooted deeply >> Plant the word deeply in your heart – Peter clearly shows the influence of some things Jesus said to him. He looked forward to Jesus' words coming to pass, though it pertained to his death as a martyr (Jn 21-18,19). Even death is a blessing to the believer, especially when it is a fulfillment of prophecy. We live for the things God speaks to our innermost being; His words change us; we watch for their fulfillment. His word increases and establishes our faith, and confirms everything we believe about Him. (238j) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Pursuing the knowledge of the kingdom >> Teachers >> Teachers "remind" their students >> Teaching by rote – Peter was an advocate of teaching by rote, which was Peter’s way and the Lord’s way and the way of the old covenant. When we read the Old Testament, it reiterates important things many times, and it works to emphasize things that are essential. When we read a Bible passage that says something that is never mentioned again, we know not to prioritize it. For example, we read in Genesis 6-4 and again in Numbers 16-33 about the Nephilim, in those two places and nowhere else, yet entire books have been written about this subject. It may be interesting, but God didn't emphasized it and neither should we. Based on its lack of emphasis we know this subject is not as important as the subjects that are repeated many times, such as the cross of Christ. The fact that the cross is reiterated so many times in the New Testament proves its significance, so that if anybody misses the point, it is his fault, for he can’t say it wasn’t emphasized enough. The purpose of rote learning is developing the ability to bring God’s word to mind. Some people are extremely intelligent and can read a book and take a test and get an A, while others must study for hours to get a lesser grade, but it is often the case that A students forget most of what they learned, whereas the person who had to work for his knowledge retains it longer. So if we want to remember the word of God, learn it by rote, i.e. through memorization of Scripture. It is one of the most effective ways of bringing to mind the word of God, and quoting it verbatim is one of the most blessed ways to convey the word. See also: Teaching by rote; 2Pet 1,17-21; 111e 2Pet 1-12 (81f) Thy kingdom come >> Pray without ceasing >> Obedience through continuous prayer 2Pet 1-13,14 (134d) Temple >> Your body is the temple of God >> Composition of our bodies is from the earth >> We are physically subject to this natural realm (170g) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> Outward appearance >> Temporary >> This life is temporary 2Pet 1-13 (238g) Teachers (Key verse) 2Pet 1-14 (106h) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Hearing from God >> Means of hearing from God >> Through His Son – Peter was referring to the statement Jesus made to him in Jn 21-18, “When you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go.” He made it clear to Peter that he would one day become a martyr. Peter wrote his second epistle shortly before he died, and so it was easy to hear from God on this topic. Every day that elapsed was a day closer to his death, and now that he had become old, the prophecy was about to be fulfilled. It is interesting that this letter made it into the cannon. How many letters did Peter write in his life… just two? Peter was fully matured before his words entered the cannon of authoritative writings, in that some of his first letters may have been a little childish in his understanding of God, but over a lifetime of walking with Him, his maturity level grew, until his letters were valuable enough to keep, so we can read them and be encouraged. Now he was truly speaking the word of God. This is the case with all the apostles, even Paul; the letters that made it into the cannon Paul wrote when he was older. It took many years before Paul became mature enough in the faith to write letters that were worthy to be called the word of God. Peter didn’t write these things with great sadness but with joy and anticipation of reuniting with his Lord. He had been looking forward His whole life to die for his faith in Jesus; this is the very thing he was trying to do when he denied Him three times. Now at the end of his life he was ready to render his life to God as a martyr. (118e) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Seeing through the eyes of your spirit >> Eyes of your soul (190f) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Separation from the old man >> Circumcision >> Undressing >> Dismantling the outer tabernacle (214i) Sovereignty >> God controls time >> God’s timing >> God’s time is soon >> Evidently soon – Peter was recalling the conversation he had with the Lord (recorded in Jn 21,13-19), who implicated the kind of death that Peter would glorify God, indicating that Peter would not see the return of Jesus Christ. This is in contrast to John, who lived a long and fruitful life of service and died of natural causes. It is possible that the disciples at that time thought Peter would be the only one of the the disciples to be martyred, but as it turned-out John was the only disciple who wasn’t martyred for his faith. We could probably say that John endured more persecution than the rest of the disciples because he lived longer. The way Peter talked, he was proud of the privilege of dying for his faith in Christ. 2Pet 1-15 (99k) Thy kingdom come >> Perseverance (Working to keep in motion) >> Persevere in doing good -- This verse goes with verses 3-11 2Pet 1,16-21 (66d) Authority >> Lordship of Christ >> Jesus is Lord of heaven (152i) Witness >> Validity of the Father >> Witnesses of the father >> Prophets >> The Church holds the position of a prophet >> Church operates under a prophetic anointing >> Receiving a prophetic word from God KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 2Pet 1,16-19 (34f) Gift of God >> Believer owns everything >> True knowledge belongs to us -- These verses go with verse 3. We possess the word of God on many levels. For example, we are in possession of Christ (Phi 3-12) in that we have His Spirit abiding in us. We possess the promise of eternal life; we will inherit the earth in the Millennium, and when God creates the new heavens and the new earth, we will inherit that too. We do not just possess many things; we possess all things according to His word (1Cor 3,21-23). We think about the Scriptures when we mention the word of God, and that is certainly part of it, but hearing a word from the Holy Spirit is the true meaning of God's word, for in this way we possess His word, and by that we come into possession of that which He has spoken to us. Anybody can read the Bible yet still not possess it if he has not perceived the Scriptures by the Spirit, indicating that he has yet to develop a relationship with Christ through the Spirit who promises to dwell in those who obey Him. Making Jesus our Lord and Master is where it all begins, determining in our mind that we will worship Him in everything He says. See also: Spirit and the word; 107c (86m) Thy kingdom come >> Obedience >> Be doers of the word from the heart >> Internalize the word of God (107c) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Hearing from God >> Word of God creates faith – Peter was talking about the Transfiguration, saying that this experience with the Lord on top of the holy mountain helped him understand the gospel. When he heard the voice that was speaking with Him, he didn’t understand what was happening at the time, but later he put the pieces together to realize the significance of God’s word spoken from heaven. Peter heard the word of God as Abraham did; it was an audible voice. God had great expectations for them, and after this experience Peter understood the significance of God’s word, not just penned on paper but the Spirit etched into his innermost being. Nobody knows the dynamic affect that day had on those three men; they didn’t descend from the mountain the same people but were permanently changed, just as Abraham was permanently changed after hearing God’s voice. We have heard people’s voices on a megaphone and it never changed anybody, but there is something about the voice of God that is a perfect fit to our souls. We were made in the image of God, so when we hear His voice, we are hearing the very purpose of our existence, and we were born to do whatever He says. What did the Father say to the three disciples? He who created the heavens and the earth, galaxies thousands of light-years across and hundreds of millions of light-years away said, “This is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to Him” (Lk 9-35). He gave the disciples further conviction that Jesus Christ was the Son of God. They already knew this, but this mountaintop experience put them to rest on the subject. We know that if Peter, James or John decided not to believe in this experience, but just blew it off like a bit of porridge stuck in the craw, it would have been blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, the most egregious sin imaginable, so the stakes were high. Once they experienced the events that transpired on the holy mountain, they were required to acknowledge them and put the highest priority on them. They were expected to form their lives around the words they heard, even as Abraham formed his life around the heavenly words he heard. See also: Spirit and the word; 2Pet 1,17-21; 111e / Abraham formed his life around the words he heard; 1Jn 2-24; 106f (118h) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Eyes of your spirit >> Giving God your attention >> Resolutely focus on the glory of God >> Focus on Jesus (148h) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Works of the Church bear witness to Jesus >> Evangelism >> Natural advantage of being with Jesus (234c) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Seeking the glory of God >> Seeking the glory of His Spirit -- These verses go with verse 3 (245n) Kingdom of God >> Spirit realm imposed on the natural realm >> Literal manifestations >> Spirit realm superimposed upon the natural realm >> The spiritual manifesting into the natural 2Pet 1,16-18 (253f) Trinity >> Relationship between Father and Son >> Father and Son glorify each other >> Holy Spirit honors the Son through the Father >> Father honors the Son who honors the Father 2Pet 1-16,17 (114ha) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Working the grace of God >> Jesus does God’s work >> All his works are done through the father >> Jesus gives voice to His Father 2Pet 1-16 (66l) Authority >> Lordship of Christ >> Jesus’ authority >> The authority of His second coming – Peter was talking about His first coming, but we could say the same about His second coming. One day we will be eyewitnesses of His majesty, but for now we bear witness of Him by the Spirit that He has given us. We have come to know Him, and He has revealed to us His will and has made various prophecies in His word that we can read and believe. We know He will return one day, sooner today than yesterday. We don’t follow cleverly devised tales when we warn people of His return but command them to remain on the alert, because we do not know the day or the hour of His appearance, but we do know the man of lawlessness must come first, the antichrist. He will set up his kingdom, and God will give him first chance at bat, and he will do everything in His power to accomplish of his will, and for a while he will succeed, but ultimately he will fail. When he does, Christ will usher in His kingdom, the Millennium, and it will last a thousand years, and it will be the beginning of a kingdom that will never end. See also: Antichrist; 144c / Antichrist (Pope); Mat 24-11; 161e (144c) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Witnesses of Jesus >> The Church bears witness of Jesus >> Having fellowship with Him – This particular verse is under fire by a lot of antichrists who say they quit believing in Santa Claus a long time ago. They believe the word of God is nothing more than cleverly devised tales, yet Peter is an eyewitness of the man who performed thousands of miracles, and after being murdered for claiming to be the Son of God rose from the dead to confirm His identity, and to confirm His lordship over sin and death, but that is still not good enough for those who choose not to believe. Nothing is sufficient for them, whose hearts are trained by Satan, who are incapable of believing the truth. See also: Antichrist; 182e (159m) Works of the devil >> Essential characteristics >> Counterfeit >> Counterfeit God >> Counterfeit truth (177d) Works of the devil >> The religion of witchcraft >> False doctrine >> Doctrines of the precepts of men (182e) Works of the devil >> The origin of lawlessness >> Deception >> Three causes of interpreting Scripture falsely >> Because they have no regard for God’s word – There are many antichrists in the world, who have invented cleverly devised tales and many false religions that claim the New Testament is a cleverly devised tale. Any false religion would naturally deny Jesus Christ as God and deny He came in the flesh to die for our sins (1Jn 4-2,3). Liars, deceivers and false prophets would tell us these things, but the one who believes the truth understands that Jesus Christ is God and was human as we are human, and He died for our sins, so anyone who would believe in Him may have eternal life. This is the true gospel, but antichrists reject it out-a-hand, and they put their fabricated ideas in its place, but God will judge them for believing their own lies and for teaching them to others, and their judgment will be extremely severe. “It is inevitable that stumbling blocks come,” Jesus said, “but woe to him through whom they come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea, than that he would cause one of these little ones to stumble” (Lk 17-1,2). See also: Antichrist; 66l KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 2Pet 1,17-21 (111e) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Spirit and the word >> Father and the Son – Peter said that the truth “is present with you” (v12). We have the Logos (the written word), and we have the Rhema (the word of the Spirit) present with us and in us (Jn 14-17). The Truth was present with Peter when Jesus stood next to him, who is the embodiment of Truth, and on the holy mountain Peter also heard the Father's voice present with Jesus, the Spirit bearing witness to the Word of God, making the truth more sure to the disciples regarding the message of His grace given to the world. When we recognize how often the subject of the Spirit and the word (109g) is mentioned in the New Testament, we understand that God is teaching us by rote, emphasizing its significance. Now we know these things are important to the gospel. See also: Teaching by rote; 2Pet 1,12-15; 238j / Spirit and the word; 2Pet 1,17-19; 92b 2Pet 1,17-19 (92b) Thy kingdom come >> The narrow way >> Trail of good works >> Ray of light leading to the face of Christ – Whenever we hear the voice of God in our heart, we must pay attention to it, forming our lives around it as though gathering around a lamp. We are to pay attention to the luminescent flame that flickers against the shadows in the room, until the earth's light rises from the East. Comparing our lamp to the sun is like our current understanding of God compared to standing in His presence in heaven. The word of God doesn’t always give us commandments and directives; rather, His expectation of us is to focus on Him, not to be distracted but to keep His word at the center of our lives, making all else take a distant second place. We worship the word of God that we understand by the Spirit and focus on Him until all aspects of our lives take on the attributes of light and the day dawns in our heart. Like the parable of the Ten Virgins, the idea of having a lamp is to have enough oil to last a long night, so the sunrise replaces our lamps with a light that will enable us to see the whole world. We have a tiny flame that represents the day that is coming, and we protect the flame, because we don’t have any matches. God is very interested in initiating the flame in our lamp, but if the flame goes out, he is not interested in relighting it. See also: Spirit and the word; 2Pet 1-17,18; 144g (97e) Thy kingdom come >> Attention >> Facing in the direction of the Lord >> Focusing your attention on the word of God (106g) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Hearing from God >> Attaining the hearing ear >> Hearing His voice – The believer doesn’t believe because he saw miracles; He believes because he heard the word of God and knows who was speaking with him. The miracles of Christ confirmed that He was the Son of God, but His words transformed His disciples into apostles, only after Jesus ascended to the Father and sent the Holy Spirit in His place. Miracles get people’s attention, but they don’t have the power to change their lives like God's word does. (228h) Kingdom of God >> God’s kingdom is a living organism >> God working in you >> God works in you to keep you in His will 2Pet 1-17,18 (144g) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Witnesses of Jesus >> Trinity bears witness of Jesus >> Father bears witness of His Son – Jesus took them to the top of the mountain and was transfigured before them, and He took the same three with Him in the garden of Gethsemane on the night that he was betrayed. So Peter was not just an eyewitness, he was one of Jesus’ three closest disciples. The transfiguration made the word of God more sure to us all. About the white light that surrounded the Lord, Moses and Elijah who visited them, combined with the word of God that thundered in the clouds he said “We have the prophetic word made more sure,” through the Spirit and the word. See also: Spirit and the word; 2Pet 1-20,21; 75c 2Pet 1-17 (30h) Gift of God >> God is our Father >> God favors you by His grace >> He favors you through His son 2Pet 1-18 (133l) Temple >> Your body is the temple of God >> Holiness >> Having an awareness of God’s holiness >> The presence of God makes us aware of His holiness KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 2Pet 1-19 (74k) Thy kingdom come >> Heart of man is sinful >> The heart determines which light is in you (112e) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Light >> Jesus light in us overcomes darkness >> The light of His truth – According to this passage, we start with God's word, and end with light, showing the oneness between them. We hear the word of God in the dark, but if we believe it, the day eventually will dawn, and the sun will rise in our heart. That is God's promise. We may not be promised another day, but He promises the Son will rise again, and if our life in the flesh has ended, He will raise us with Him in glory as the sun rises in the east. (115j) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Working the grace of God >> Through obedience of faith >> Through determination >> Determined to obey Christ (117g) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Eyes of your spirit >> Vision >> Real-eyes God’s purpose for the Church >> Understand Jesus' vision of the Church (132e) Temple >> Your body is the temple of God >> Holy Spirit is in God’s people >> God gives his spirit as a pledge >> Spirit pledges the presence of God (184e) Works of the devil >> The origin of lawlessness >> Darkness >> God controls darkness >> Darkness is the absence of light (229a) Kingdom of God >> God’s kingdom is a living organism >> Kingdom grows by itself >> Growing In Numbers Corresponds With Spiritual Growth >> Kingdom slowly spreads and overtakes darkness 2Pet 1-20,21 (75c) Thy kingdom come >> Motives of the heart >> Being motivated to do the will of God – There must be a hundred different ways people have predicted the end of days, and it is questionable if any of them are right. For those who have constructed these endtime scenarios, most never bothered to seek God through the Bible, prayer and obedience. Jesus was the physical embodiment of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, to obey the Holy Spirit is to obey Jesus Christ. Our faith will increase while our ear becomes attuned to His voice. To hear the Holy Spirit is to properly interpret the Scriptures, and to obey Him is our purpose in life. If we hear the voice of God speaking in our heart, His mother says to us, "Whatever He says to you, do it" (Jn 2-5), but if we hear His voice and don’t do what He says, we will stagnate until we do what He said. See also: Spirit and the word; 85d (85d) Thy kingdom come >> Words that are spoken in faith >> Powerful when spoken by the Spirit >> The spoken word of God – If prophesying is not a matter of one’s own interpretation, then neither is reading Bible prophecy a matter of one’s own interpretation. Nevertheless, we often hear of people taking prophecy out of context and interpreting it according to some belief system they have adopted, instead of looking at prophecy through an overall view of the Scriptures. The proper way of interpreting Scripture is to become students of the word and disciples of prayer, and then interpret prophecy through the Scriptures themselves, according to the direction of the Holy Spirit. All prophecy is spoken by God moving over a person and invoking His word in the prophet by the Holy Spirit. If the prophet spoke from God according to the voice he heard in his heart, then we are to read the Bible the same way. See also: Spirit and the word; 110e (110e) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Spirit and the word >> Spirit speaks through you >> God chooses men to speak through – There is always interpretation in reading and understanding prophecy. We have to synchronize our minds with the prophecy and come into agreement with the Spirit of that prophecy in order to properly understand it. Whenever we think about prophecy of Scripture, our mind immediately goes to future events, but actually the entire word of God is prophetic in the sense that it was divulged to mankind through the Spirit. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the Bible through that same Spirit who spoke to the prophets; otherwise we will not understand the Bible the way it was written. Without the voice of God resounding in our heart leading us into all the truth, even if we properly interpret Scripture, we still wouldn't understand the message. For example, we can read Jn 3-16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life,” but if the Spirit doesn't reveal this verse to us, we can’t be saved, and He is the Spirit of prophecy. See also: Spirit and the word; 2Pet 1,2-11; 109f (217c) Sovereignty >> God overrides the will of man >> God’s will over man >> God Is Independent Of His Creation >> No one can walk in His glory without His consent (248j) Priorities >> God’ s preeminence >> Values >> The Highest Values >> Top Priority KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 2Pet 1-21 (150i) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Works of the Church bear witness of Jesus >> Speak the word of the Spirit >> Speaking the words that God has spoken to you See next page