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What Sort of Persons Ought You to Be?
“Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, what sort of persons ought you to be in leading lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set ablaze and dissolved, and the elements will melt with fire? But, in accordance with his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home. Therefore, beloved, while you are waiting for these things, strive to be found by him at peace, without spot or blemish; and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation. So also our beloved brother Paul wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, speaking of this as he does in all his letters. There are some things in them hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other scriptures. You therefore, beloved, since you are forewarned, beware that you are not carried away with the error of the lawless and lose your own stability. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen."
2 Peter 3:11-18
Peter asks us today, “What sort of persons ought you to be in leading lives of holiness and godliness?” He gives us the answer, which is not a novel new thing. We are to grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord. Peter also acknowledges the truth that it is difficult to wait.
Looking back to Peter’s words about where “righteousness is at home,” we see that in the new heaven and earth is where all that is meet, right, and good will exist. Clearly, as we all know from living here in this broken world, lawlessness and unrighteousness exist, even thrive. We are called to be stable and growing in grace and knowledge. This encouragement seems to be for each of us as individuals in our walks, but what if we read it more expansively?
What if Peter here is calling us to be stable, pursuing grace and knowledge of God for, yes, ourselves, but also for those around us who have been carried away in error? Can we as a church provide a home full of grace and welcome those who need stability? I believe yes, we are so called.
This day, as we all continue in our own journeys of pursing a deeper and stronger relationship with God, let us pray that we, as a church, grow deeper and stronger as well. May God bless His People that we may be a place of grace and stability in a broken and unstable world.
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