YOU HAVE BEEN FOREWARNED

PROCLAMATION

“Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position.  But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  To Him be glory both now and forever!  Amen.”  2 Peter 3:17-18 (NIV)

 

EXPLANATION

These words were written by the apostle Peter, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, to the scattered believers after the crucifixion of Christ. (1 Peter 1:1-2)  This is the third and final chapter in his second letter to them.  He begins by stating that he is writing this letter to them to serve as a reminder of previously spoken words and to stimulate wholesome thinking among them. (2 Peter 3:1-2)  He tells them that non-believers will come to them and attempt to discourage them. (2 Peter 3:3-7)  Then he reminds that The Lord’s way of measuring time is much different than their way.  A day to Him is like a thousand years to man. (2 Peter 3:8)  He tells them that the Day of The Lord will come, earth will be destroyed by fire, and that there will be a new heaven and a new earth. (Isaiah 65:17, 2 Peter 3:10-13, and Revelation 21:1)  He ends by telling them that since they have been forewarned, they should be on their guard, and that they should grow in grace and in knowledge of The Lord.

 

APPLICATION

As believers, we know that we have already been guaranteed the victory through our Lord and Savior, Jesus, The Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:57)  Therefore, we should hold on to our belief in Christ and do our best to follow His teachings.  We should learn as much as we can about The Lord God and His Holy Word, and we should do our best to live by it.  The Day of The Lord is coming and we have been forewarned.  

OUR LIFE SHOULD REFLECT OUR CONNECTION TO CHRIST

PROCLAMATION

“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.”  Colossians 2:6-7 (NIV)

 

EXPLANATION

These words were written by the apostle Paul, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, to the believers in the church at Colossae.  Paul began this second chapter by telling them that he wanted to encourage them so that they may have complete understanding.  He did not want them to be deceived and misled by the eloquent and convincing arguments of false teachers. (Colossians 2:4)  He wanted them to live their lives for Christ, to be grounded and strengthened in Him, and to be full of thanksgiving.  He ended this chapter by advising them not to be concerned if the world judged them by what they ate or drank, or their lack of attendance at Jewish festivals, or not following Jewish traditions.  They were free from the rules of the world and were tied to Christ. (Colossians 2:16-23)

 

APPLICATION

Our salvation is not determined by our works, it is a gift of God because of our belief in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:9-10)  Our Christian walk is an outward demonstration of our inward conviction and the indwelling of The Holy Spirit.  Christ is our foundation, and our life should be built upon Him.  Our speech and our behavior in this world should be based upon our faith in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:7)  It is not possible for us to grow in knowledge of Him without being rooted in Him.  Apart from Him we can do nothing. (John 15:5)  As we grow in Him, we are strengthened by Him.  We should be grateful and thankful that we have been blessed by Him.

 

READ AND STUDY THE WORD OF GOD AND GROW

Proclamation:

“Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position.  But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  To Him be glory both now and forever!  Amen.”  2 Peter 3:17-18 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written by the apostle Peter, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, to the scattered believers after the crucifixion of Christ. (1 Peter 1:1-2)  This is the third and final chapter in his second letter to them.  He begins by stating that he is writing this letter to them to serve as a reminder of previously spoken words and to stimulate wholesome thinking among them. (2 Peter 3:1-2)  He tells them that non-believers will come to them and attempt to discourage them. (2 Peter 3:3-7)  Then he reminds that The Lord’s way of measuring time is much different than their way, and that a day to Him is like a thousand years to man. (2 Peter 3:8)  He tells them that the Day of The Lord will come, earth will be destroyed by fire, and that there will be a new heaven and a new earth. (Isaiah 65:17, 2 Peter 3:10-13, and Revelation 21:1)  He ends by telling them that since they have been forewarned, they should be on their guard, and that they should grow in The Lord.

Application:

As believers, we know that we have already been guaranteed the victory through our Lord and Savior, Jesus, The Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:57)  Therefore, we should hold on to our belief in Christ and do our best to follow His teachings.  We should learn as much as we can about The Lord God and His Holy Word, and we should do our best to live by it.  The Day of The Lord is coming.  To God be the glory!!!

THE LIFE WE LIVE SHOULD REFLECT OUR CONNECTION TO CHRIST

Proclamation:

“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.”  Colossians 2:6-7 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written by the apostle Paul, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, to the believers in the church at Colossae.  Paul began this second chapter by telling them that he wanted to encourage them so that they may have complete understanding.  He did not want them to be deceived and misled by the eloquent arguments of false teachers. (Colossians 2:4)  He wanted them to live their lives for Christ, to be grounded and strengthened in Him, and to be full of thanksgiving.  He ended this chapter by advising them not to be concerned if the world judged them by what they ate or drank, or their lack of attendance at Jewish festivals, or not following Jewish traditions.  They were free from the rules of the world and were tied to Christ. (Colossians 2:16-23)

Application:

Our salvation is not determined by our works, it is a gift of God because of our belief in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:9-10)  Our Christian walk is an outward demonstration of our inward conviction and the indwelling of The Holy Spirit.  Christ is our foundation and our life is built upon Him.  Our behavior in this world is to be based upon our faith in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:7)  It is not possible for us to grow in knowledge of Him without being rooted in Him.  Apart from Him we can do nothing. (John 15:5)  As we grow in Him we are strengthened by Him, and we should be grateful and thankful that we have been blessed by Him.

GAIN UNDERSTANDING FROM THE WORD OF GOD

Proclamation:

“How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!  I gain understanding from Your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path.”  Psalm 119:103-104 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by King David.  This is the thirteenth part, Mem, of this twenty-two part psalm.  Here David states that he meditates on The Word of God because he loved it and then he loved it more because he meditated on it.  He gained wisdom, insight, and understanding by meditating on God’s Holy Word. (Psalm 119:98-100)  David actually enjoyed reading and reflecting on The Word of God, stating that to him it was sweeter than honey. (Psalm 119:103)

                                           

Application:

A good man carries The Word of God with him, if not in his hand, it is always in his head and in his heart.  That which we love, we think about often.  The more we meditate on God’s Holy Word, the more we gain an understanding of it and the less likely we are to think about sinful things.  “The fear of The Lord is the beginning of wisdom; and knowledge of The Holy is understanding.” (Proverbs 9:10)  “Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding.” (Proverbs 3:13)  If we truly love The Word of God, it will be reflected in our behavior and in our conversation.  Out of our mouths comes that which is in our hearts. (Matthew 12:34 and 15:18)

A LONG AND PRODUCTIVE LIVE FOR THE LORD

Proclamation:

“The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of The Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God.  They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, ‘The Lord is upright; He is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in Him.’”  Psalm 92:12-15 (NIV)

Explanation:

Although there is some debate about it, the words of this psalm appear to have been written by King David under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  Here the righteous are compared to a tree, firm and strong, not like the grass which is weak, bendable, and easily cut down, to which the wicked are compared. (Psalm 92:7 and Psalm 37:1-2)  The righteous will flourish in God’s garden and be rooted in Christ.  They will be productive servants for The Lord even in their old age.  The palm tree is symbolic of victory and the cedar tree is symbolic of strength and seriousness.

Application:

Believers who follow The Word of God and maintain a close relationship with The Lord God will grow strong and their efforts will be productive, and they will continue to bear fruit even into their old age. (Psalm 1:3 and Psalm 92:12-14)  Those who walk in fellowship with The Lord will be powerful men and women of God.  Their lives will be an example to others as they let their light shine.  They will be a blessing to others and they themselves will also be blessed. (Proverbs 11:25)  By their good works The Lord God will be glorified.

STILL BABES IN CHRIST

Proclamation:

“Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by The Spirit but as people who are still worldly, mere infants in Christ.  I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it.  Indeed, you are still not ready.  You are still worldly.”  1 Corinthians 3:1-3 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written by the Apostle Paul under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God to the believers in Corinth.  Paul told them that they had not grown since they accepted Christ as their Savior.  He told them that they were still babes in Christ.  He said that he could not address them about spiritual issues because they were still concerned about worldly issues.  Their conversations and arguments reveal that they have not grown spiritually.

Application:

When it comes to The Word of God, are you ready for more meat, or are you still drinking milk?  Have you grown in your knowledge and understanding of Christ and The Word of God, or are you still a babe in Christ?  Just because we have been in church, or physically attending church services, for a number of years, does not mean that we have matured spiritually.  It does not matter how old we are chronologically, we can still be a babe in Christ.  Paul makes it clear that sometimes preachers have to preach and teach the people in church like they are the lost folk of the world. (1 Corinthians 3:1)  They had heard The Word of God and believed it, but they had not grown in their understanding of it.  That is why he called them babes in Christ.  The same point is made in The Bible Book of Hebrews.  Some people had been exposed to The Word of God often enough that they should be able to teach it to someone else, but they were still babes in Christ themselves. (Hebrews 5:12-13)  Some of us are still just listening to The Word of God every Sunday and not making any effort to dig any deeper and to learn and understand more about it.  After all of our years in church, we are still babes in Christ.  We need to read and study The Word of God and live it in order to correctly explain it and to grow spiritually. (2 Timothy 2:15)