If you knew you were drawing near to the end of your life—if you knew your time on this earth was short—what would you choose to say with your final breaths? Would you spend those precious moments talking about your career, your possessions, politics, or the latest headlines? I don’t think so. When eternity comes into view, the trivial things of this world have a way of fading into the background. What remains are the things that matter most. I have walked through the incredible grief of losing both of my parents and Don’s mom. Already this year, three dear elderly friends have gone home to heaven. Standing near that finish line changes your perspective. Your thoughts and conversations become different. Your priorities become clearer. Eternal things become more real. I’ve also watched friends lose loved ones unexpectedly. One of their deepest sorrows wasn’t simply the loss itself, but the realization that they never had the opportunity to hear, or to say, those final, precious words. God, in His grace, gave the Apostle Peter that opportunity. As we come to the closing verses of 2 Peter chapter one, we suddenly realize that we haven’t merely been reading another sermon or theological lesson. We’ve been reading the heartfelt testimony of a man who knew his earthly ministry was almost complete.
Years earlier, by the Sea of Galilee, Jesus had explicitly told Peter what kind of death he would die (John 21:18-19). Now, as Peter writes these words, he can feel the time drawing near. This isn't a vague, "well, we all die someday," statement. This sounds to me like an imminent reality. Perhaps he knows his execution is around the corner. Yet, he isn't panicking, complaining, or wallowing in fear. His primary concern is leaving behind a steady anchor so that after his decease, we would still remember how to stand. Rather than becoming preoccupied with himself, Peter’s greatest concern was that believers would remember the truth. Keep Remembering
Peter looks at the believers he loves so dearly and explains exactly why he refuses to stay silent:
Peter wasn't telling them something they had never heard before. In fact, he acknowledges that his readers are already doing well. They are established in the truth. Yet, he says, “I know you already know these things, but I’m going to keep reminding you anyway.” He believes it is his right and appropriate duty (“meet”) as long as he is still breathing in this physical body (“this tabernacle”) to stir them up. Why? Because even established believers need reminding of the need to continue growing; to add to our faith. We forget. The pressures of life crowd out eternal realities. This is the heartbeat of true Christian fellowship. We all experience the brutal ups and downs of life in a broken world. We get tired, we get distracted, and our vision gets cloudy. Sometimes we need someone else to point us back to Christ and remind us not to become spiritually complacent. Peter's repeated call is simple: Keep growing. Keep adding to your faith. Don't stop maturing until the Lord calls you Home. One of the most beautiful dynamics of the family of God is that when I am down and struggling, a brother or sister can step in and remind me of Who God is. And when they are weary, I can do the same for them. We bear one another's burdens by constantly putting each other in remembrance of the important stuff. We aren’t simply called to teach one another new truths; we’re called to lovingly remind one another of the old ones. Peter knew that long after his voice was silent, these inspired words would continue stirring believers to remember what matters most. Not Cunningly Devised Fables
Why was Peter so unshakeable in the face of death? Why was he willing to be imprisoned, beaten, and ultimately crucified for this message? Because he knew it wasn’t a fairy tale.
In our modern culture, people love to dismiss Christianity as a collection of nice stories or ancient myths designed to oppress people. But true Christianity doesn’t oppress. It sets us completely free and gives us the concrete hope of eternal life. Peter looks his readers in the eye and says, “We didn’t make this up.” He was there on the Mount of Transfiguration. He saw the blinding, celestial glory of Jesus with his own physical eyes. He heard the literal voice of God the Father thunder out of heaven. Peter was an eyewitness to the majesty of the Son of God, and no amount of persecution could ever talk him out of what he saw and heard. History tells us that every single apostle except John was put to death for this testimony. Men do not willingly die for a story they know they fabricated. As I read Peter’s declaration, my own heart leapt. Because the truth is, I, too, can stand up and say with confidence and sincerity: I am an eyewitness to His majesty. No, I have never seen Jesus walk into my living room in physical flesh. I wasn’t there on the holy mount. But over the course of my life, I have seen the undeniable, miraculous power of God move in this world. I saw it the night my father trusted Christ. It truly was a literal night-and-day, miraculous transformation that changed his entire life (and made God so real to me). I have seen Him answer prayers in ways that defied all human logic. I have seen broken lives completely restored and healed by His grace. And if I am being honest, I see the truth of His majesty in the darkness of our world today. The very wickedness and chaos we see unfolding in the news is exactly what God’s Word explicitly warned us would happen in the latter times. Seeing His Word being fulfilled right before our eyes gives me an unshakeable confidence and boldness. If everything He said about the present is true, then everything He has promised about our future home is absolutely, completely guaranteed. A More Sure Word
Peter closes his magnificent chapter by pointing us away from even his own incredible experiences, and directing us straight to the pages of our Bibles:
Peter had seen the glory on the mountain, but he tells us that the Scripture is an even more sure word. It is a brilliant, blazing light cutting through a dark, confusing world. It wasn’t written by the whim or imagination of mere men; holy men of God wrote it down as they were supernaturally inspired by the Holy Spirit. Peter's final reminder wasn't simply to remember facts about God. It was to remember to keep growing. To keep cultivating this precious faith. To keep adding virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and charity until the day we finally see our Saviour face to face. He wanted to remind us that our faith is real, it is true, and it is worth everything we have. We grow, we mature, and we add to our faith, not only so we will be ready to meet Our Saviour, but also so we can be a shining light to the rest of the world.
The apostle who reminded the believers of his generation has now, through the pages of Scripture, reminded ours. Now it is our turn to live so securely in the truth that we can help the lost find their way out of the darkness and into this same marvelous light of "like precious faith." Thank you for walking through this incredible chapter with me over the last two months. Let’s keep stirring one another up, keeping the memories of His goodness fresh in our hearts until the Day Star arises. I, personally, can hardly wait! Blessings, P.S. Have you witnessed His majesty at work in your own life? Take a few quiet moments this week to remember His faithfulness. Then ask yourself, What would I want my last words to be? Peter's answer was clear: Keep growing. Keep adding to your faith. Keep pointing people to Christ. May ours be the same.
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