Stable?

I spent a week one summer doing mission work in a jungle village in Ecuador. Little creeks ran through the village, and the "bridges" we used to cross over them consisted of either a single, long plank or a narrow log. All the villagers, from toddlers to old ladies, crossed over all the time without trouble. I came to one of those log bridges one night on the way to supper. It had been a long work day in the jungle mud; now I had cleaned up, put on dry clothes, and was eager to eat with the group. I had crossed this particular bridge several times already, and thought little of it when I stepped onto it in the dark. Halfway across, the log bounced. I shifted my weight. It rolled. I desperately curled my feet around the log. It was no use. I fell into the knee-deep muddy water.

Peter knows how quickly we can lose our spiritual stability; that's his concern for this church. At the moment, they are quite steady. After all, they have "obtained," or received, the gift of saving faith from God (1:1). When they heard the message about Jesus, they believed it. Others around them heard the same message and yawned, or took offense, or made excuses about responding later. But these readers personally received the message for themselves. Peter also underscores the quality of that faith: it is "of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ (1:1)." Peter is one of the great apostles of the New Testament, a founder of the church whose name will be on the foundation stones of the New Jerusalem (Rev 21:14)! Yet the faith of these simple Christians is "of equal standing with ours!" They have the same status before God as an apostle, because saving faith brings sinful people into the righteousness of Jesus.

These readers not only had a strong beginning to their Christian lives; to this day, they demonstrate their "sincere minds." They are obviously committed to Jesus and serious about following him. There is nothing hypocritical or half-hearted about them. They also enjoy the advantage of a wise and experienced guide. Peter himself has been their pastor--teaching, reminding, encouraging, stirring up (3:1). They appear very stable.

Yet it is possible to have a) genuine, saving faith, b) a sincere mind about following Jesus, and c) a great pastor and strong biblical teaching--and still lose your footing. That's why Peter writes this letter: to warn us of destabilizing forces up ahead.

False guides can mislead stable Christians (ch 2). Impressive, charismatic people who sound legitimate can in fact "twist the Scriptures" and steer us into "destructive heresies." The false teachers Peter is concerned about reject Jesus' call to repentance and life-transformation. They preach an appealing message of freedom, that in the end only enslaves people to their sin, and "entices unsteady souls."

Scoffers can destabilize us (3:3). Peter is thinking of unbelievers who belittle the Christian faith and ridicule Jesus' promise to return. Constant sneering and shaming can grind down a once-stable faith! The loss of a faithful leader we have relied upon can also knock us off our balance. Peter knows he won't be around much longer (1:12-15). That's why his letter carries a note of urgency: he wants to make sure these "beloved" believers will have a stable faith, a steady walk, after he's gone, all the way into Jesus' eternal kingdom. But the first step is recognizing how easily your current stability can be lost. Do you?

FOR THE NEXT INSTALLMENT, SEE:

Article by Eric Smith
Senior Pastor, Sharon Baptist Church