by Dr. Lewis Gregory

THE WORD IS: “You therefore, beloved, seeing you know these things before, beware lest you also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness.  But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  To Him be glory both now and for ever.  Amen.” 2 Peter 3:17-18

THE POINT IS: Warning signs are everywhere. We need to know what the danger is, where it is, and how to avoid it. The Apostle Peter wrote 2 letters to prepare Christians for living in troubled times. He concluded his second letter by summarizing the main points. Peter gave a caution and a cure. The caution, beware! The cure, keep on growing in the Lord! The caution: beware of deceitful workers, false prophets, and false teaching. Don’t follow the bad leadership of the wicked—those lawless people who live an unbridled life, contrary to the nature and character of God. Such people are more attuned to the word of earthly leaders than to the Word of God. Therefore, they adhere to the doctrines and traditions of men, often using Scripture as a proof text. But such practices are not in accordance with the character of God, much less in keeping with the whole counsel of the Word of God. This does not honor God nor benefit humanity, regardless of how morally upright or religiously precise it appears to be.  

THE APPLICATION IS: Thanks to God you’ve been duly warned, not only by the Apostle Peter, but also by the Apostle Paul, and even by the Lord Jesus Himself. The warning is clear: beware and keep on growing! It’s much like riding a bicycle. You must keep moving forward or you’ll fall down. The same thing is true in your Christian walk. Just as your physical muscles must be continually exercised by proper use, your spiritual senses must be exercised. Otherwise, you will become easily shaken, tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine (false teaching). 

The antidote to this kind of deception is spiritual perception. As you grow spiritually, your spiritual senses will be kept sharp and alert. Then you will be spiritually perceptive: able to discern between good and evil. Therefore, you must continue to grow spiritually by growing in the grace and knowledge of your Lord Jesus Christ. Spiritual growth has two components: you must grow in the grace of the Lord and in the knowledge of the Lord. True spiritual growth is only possible by the grace of God, which means God must do the work! He will work in you and through you by enlightening you, enabling you, and empowering you in your daily life. But in order to grow in the Lord, you must also know the Lord. It is not enough to know about the Lord Jesus Christ, you must know Him—personally, intimately, and experientially in the practical details of everyday life. As you begin to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord, then God will be glorified in your life!
 
THE PRAYER: “Oh Lord, there is so much false information and everyone has an opinion. I feel like I am being pulled in many directions. But You, Lord Jesus, are the Truth. Your warning is clear: beware of falsehood. Cause me to grow in grace and the knowledge of You, so that I can know the difference between truth and error. Then, I will be able to remain steadfast in the truth.”

Courtesy of https://www.sourceministries.net/