2 Peter 1:15 KJV [15] “Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance.”      Peter was not a self-promoting preacher. He was not concerned about believers remembering him, but rather remembering the truths he had taught. This verse shows us how far we have come in today’s world of Christendom. Many men are focused on themselves and work hard to be remembered when they are gone. They strive to build legacies that will outlast them. We are not called as preachers to build anything for ourselves, but we are …

2 Peter 1:14 KJV [14] “knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me.”      Peter tells us two things in this verse concerning his own death. The first is that it will not be long before he departs from this life. Peter knew that his life was coming to a close. Here in this verse, he reminds me of the Apostle Paul, who said, “that the time of his departure was at hand.”      We know that sometimes believers are taken out of this world swiftly without warning. Nobody …

2 Peter 1:13 KJV [13] “Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance;”      Peter reminds his listeners of the ultimate goal in writing to them. He is not trying to introduce a new doctrine or method but is reminding them of the things they have already been taught. He wants to faithfully pass on the truths that have been given to him and reinforce to these believers what they know to be true.      This is the responsibility of every preacher, teacher, and believer. As …

2 Peter 1:12 KJV [12] “Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth.”      The word Peter uses for negligent is “ameleo”. It means to be careless or to make light of a certain thing. There are several ways to make light of things, but one is by not emphasizing something very important. Peter is not telling believers things they do not know, but reminding them of the truths that have already been established. Whenever I read this verse, it reminds me …

2 Peter 1:11 KJV [11] “for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”       If we are diligent in adding to our faith, then there will be no occasion for stumbling. On the contrary, an entrance will be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom. This verse may suggest the possibility that not everyone in the coming kingdom will have an abundant entry. We know that the ground is level at the foot of the Cross, and salvation is for all who put their faith and …

2 Peter 1:10 KJV [10] “Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:”      The word “diligent” conveys the idea of zeal and haste. It means that we must exert ourselves and make an effort. This verse alone disproves Calvinism in regard to election. You see, if election includes no exercise of human intellect, emotions, and will, then why did Peter tell the brethren to give diligence to make your calling and election sure? We are not robots in which God works in and through …

2 Peter 1:9 KJV [9] “But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.”      What does it mean to be legally blind? It is a term used to describe a level of vision impairment where a person’s visual acuity or field of vision is significantly reduced, even with corrective lenses. Legal blindness is not total blackness, but extremely poor vision. These people struggle and suffer in other areas of their lives due to their poor eyesight. Being legally blind can cause fear and anxiety. …

2 Peter 1:8 KJV [8] “For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”      We have just seen in the last three verses a list of things that Peter has given to believers to add to their faith. He now reveals to us the results of these things abounding in the believer’s life. Peter had experienced them in his own life and is now passing them on to other believers. I think this sums up the fruitful Christian life. We …

(Part Three) 2 Peter 1:7 KJV [7] “and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.”      The phrase “brotherly kindness” means to help. We should be helpful by showing brotherly kindness to others, especially fellow believers. When Jesus was on earth, He showed kindness to all of those who were around Him. This means that Christ was approachable by all. Mothers would bring their children to Him for help. Lepers could approach Him for healing. Even the dying thief on the cross felt that he could ask the Lord to remember him in eternity. In the Bible, anyone …

(Part Two) 2 Peter 1:6 KJV [6] “and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;”      In this verse, Peter continues to encourage the saints to add to their faith. He instructs them to begin adding to their faith by having moral excellence and spiritual knowledge. Now he is emphasizing the word “temperance,” which means self-control. We must use the spiritual knowledge that the Lord gives us to help control our hearts, our minds, and our bodies. We live in a world that is out of control, so one of the greatest ways to shine our …