Conference Notes

Peter was writing to Christian who were scattered far from one another. Yet they could share a common precious faith, as Peter wrote in his second letter (2 Peter 1:1).

The activity of the whole Godhead--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (v.2)--provide focus and preparation for this living.

Also, appreciating that kingdom does not mean we want no one else to come in. It does not make us self-centered. We are to be witnesses of that kingdom to others.

These believers were experiencing difficult trials (v. 6). We all will have trials in this world as true Christians. The goal of Peter's letter was to encourage them to have faith that would be exemplary during their lives as well as in the future when Christ comes in glory (v. 7).

Despite the trials, joy is frequently mentioned in Peter's writing. All trials do come to an end, but nothing can change the joy of having an inheritance that does not fade away (v. 4).

We have now what the prophets and angels have wondered about (vv. 10, 12). This is a unique and incomparable blessing! It should prepare us for action to live as obedient children (vv. 13-14).

The Lord prayed that we would be sanctified, set apart, while living in this world. He also sanctified Himself--He was completely apart from sin--as a means to sanctifying us through the truth (John 17:17-19).

"Conduct yourselves ... in fear" (v. 17). Compare references in the book of Proverbs, such as a wise man fearing and therefore departing from evil (Proverbs 14:16). Fear is a way of living that causes a departure from wickedness and the pursuit of clean living.

An early focus of this second letter is that Christians have the knowledge of God (v. 3). He is the infinite God, yet we can know His thoughts!

The world is impressed by knowledge and power. False teachers and false prophets are attractive because they offer these. But God has true knowledge and also true power, first to keep us (1 Peter 1:5) and then to equip us for Christian living (v. 3 here).

If He has given us all things, He will have answer to our questions about suffering, trials, and anything else regarding His will. We might not know all the answers right away, but we can be assured He does have them.

The promises are not listed here. We have to search them out; it takes spiritual exercise. First, they are all connected with Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20). Then, there is the promise of eternal life (Titus 1:2), the promise of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:33), and others.

The Father, the Lord Jesus, and the Holy Spirit all have a part in producing fruit in the Christian's life. Yet there is another who has a part: each one of us. We should be diligent to add these features to our faith and to acknowledge any feature that is lacking.

Honeybees add seven substances to nectar in order to produce honey. If just one is lacking, we would never have honey all our lives! In the same way, these fruits of the Christian life must all be present. Galatians 5:22-23 present the nine-fold fruit of the Spirit, and if one of them is lacking it is not the fruit of the Spirit any longer.

Peter is strengthening his brethren, just as the Lord said he should do (Luke 22:32). And since the Lord said Peter should do this after he would be restored from failure, we see full proof that God has recovered him from even so great a failure as denying the Lord three times.

The enemy of our souls will use any means to attack us. The first attack here is against the Lord's own promise and the validity of the Scriptures, such as John 14:3 and Revelation 22:7, 12, 20. The scoffers were questioning why the Christians were still waiting for the Lord to come back for them (v. 4)!

Those who talk this way ignore the evidence of God's judgment. We have that evidence all around, including the world's numerous languages, which were God's judgment on man's pride in Genesis 11. The evidence given by Peter here is that of the Flood in Noah's time (Genesis 6).

Notice that the scriptures are sufficient to answer these mockings. At issue was the Lord's return, but the answer comes from God's interruption of human history in the Flood. The God who stepped into time in the past can certainly step into time again, which is what Jesus promised.

The assurance of coming judgment gives us confidence in His justice. It should also motivate our activity in announcing the time of His patience.

God often waits and waits and waits before He acts. But when He acts, it is swift, decisive, and final. Compare the experience of Joseph, who endured 13 years of injustice after his dreams. Then in one day God made him second-in-command over all of Egypt.

Since God's judgment will be final on everything in this life (not only possessions, but on everything that might even remotely be our legacy), what should we do? There are some things that are eternal, and we can spend our days connecting our lives with them.