Therefore, I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them, and have been established in the truth which is present with you, (1:12).
As I read, and re-read, this first chapter of Peter’s second letter, I was sure that if I stood up I would be reduced to a staggering puddle, gasping for breath as though I had held my mouth wide open before a gushing fire hydrant, fiercely intent on not missing one single drop. Completely impossible I know.
And then I kind of chuckled, thinking on how in the days when he walked with Jesus, Peter’s mouth had often gushed forth with his impulsive thoughts. But now, a transformed born-again believer, he was an empowered vessel, called to strengthen the minds of these new believers with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit’s Inspired Truth. I love Peter! Such an encouraging reminder of how the Lord makes all things new!
Both of Peter’s letters were written to strengthen the Jewish believers who were living as aliens throughout much of Asia Minor.
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen, (1 Peter 1:1).
From NIV Study Bible:
In his first letter Peter feeds Christ’s sheep by instructing them how to deal with persecution from outside the church (see 1 Pe 4:12); in this second letter he teaches them how to deal with false teachers and evildoers who have come into the church…
False teachers had crept in. So not only did these believers need perseverance to stand strong against the persecution from without, but they also needed discernment to withstand the deception from within.
But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves, (2 Peter 2:1).
And things certainly haven’t changed over the last 2,000 years. And we could probably spend hours compiling lists of heretical teachings that have crept into the church in America. But it is ever so much more rewarding and constructive to dig into the Truth that changes lives.
It’s been said that all truth is God’s Truth, for God is the Source of all truth, and if something is true it is because God has decreed it so. But Peter is not referring to all truth when he reminds these believers of what they already know. Peter is calling each of us to recognize that we are firmly secure in the faith we have received, for He Has Established Us in the Truth.
Therefore, I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them, and have been established in the truth which is present with you, (1:12).
Scholars speculate that one of the heresies purported by these false teachers was Gnosticism, which in part, held to the belief that only the spirit is good and all matter is evil. Since the body is matter, it is evil, therefore, “salvation is the escape from the body, achieved not by faith in Christ but by special knowledge (the Greek word for knowledge is gnosis, hence Gnosticism,” NIV Study Bible.
And while this first chapter of his second letter has much to say about the believers’ call to take an active part in spiritual growth, the foundation of Peter’s reminder is that true spiritual growth is the work of Him Who Has Established Us in the Truth.
Establish: 4741. στηρίζω stērízō; fut. steríxō, from hístemi (2476), to stand. To set fast, to fix firmly, Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance.
Everything we need for this life and for godliness has been granted to us because He Has Established Us in the Truth of Who He Is.
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me,” (John 14:6).
For as we place our faith in Jesus, we are unashamedly relying on His power for salvation to Establish Us in the Truth.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek, (Romans 1:16).
We do not establish ourselves. He Establishes Us in the Truth as we receive by faith what He alone has done for us.
…To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ, (1:1).
Faith: 4102. πίστις pístis; gen. písteōs, fem. noun from peíthō (3982), to win over, persuade. Faith. Subjectively meaning firm persuasion, conviction, belief in the truth… Objectively meaning that which is believed, doctrine, the received articles of faith.
And because our faith is Established in the Truth of Who He Is and not in ourselves, and in His power and not our own, we can be assured that we have been set fast and firmly fixed to stand in the Truth.
seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence, (1:3).
Consider Him Who Has Established Us in the Truth
- He Has Established Us in the Truth of His Precious and Magnificent Promises.
- For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises…(1:4).
- He Has Established Us in the Truth of His Divine Nature that sets us free from corruption and lust.
- …so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust, (1:4).
- He Has Established Us in the Truth of His Power, Honor, Glory, and Majesty.
- For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. 17 For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, “This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased”— 18 and we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain, (1:16-18).
- He Has Established Us in the Truth of the Fulfillment of His Prophetic Word
- So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts, (1:19).
- He Has Established Us in the Truth of His Holy Scriptures inspired by His Holy Spirit.
- But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, 21 for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God, (1:20-21).
How do we respond to Him Who Has Established Us in the Truth?
We all have days when our faith is frail and falters. But we must never forget He is the One Who Has Established Us in the Truth. It is not the strength of our faith that saves and sustains, it is faith in the strength of Him Who Has Established Us in the Truth that supports us throughout all of life.
“It is not the strength of your faith but the object of your faith that actually saves you. Strong faith in a weak branch is fatally inferior to weak faith in a strong branch.” The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism, by Timothy Keller
And being Established in the Truth crosses the bounds of time, for it is His Saving work in the past, and His Sanctifying Work in the present and future.
The first thing we all must do is come by faith to Him Who Is the Truth, that we would be saved and Established in the Truth.
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me,” (John 14:6).
But it certainly does not stop there. As Peter points out, we must continue to grow in our knowledge of the Truth. Jesus told us that in order to grow in the knowledge of the Truth we must be in His Word, continually. And as we are, we will not only prove ourselves His followers, but He will continue His Work of sanctifying and Establishing Us in the Truth. It is this continual knowledge of the Truth that will make us free from “the corruption that is in the world by lust,” (1:4).
So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free,” (John 8:31-32).
It is through our intentional time with Him in His Word that our minds our renewed. And as He renews our minds, He will continually transform and Establish Us in the Truth of His perfect will.
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect, (Romans 12:2).
Peter admonished his readers to be “neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1:8). In the Greek there are several words used for Knowledge, with two primary distinctions. We might say it is the difference between knowing about a subject matter as opposed to hands-on experiential knowledge of that topic.
This True Knowledge Peter described was the experience of knowing Him, of encountering His glory and excellence so as to be changed and transformed, firmly fixed and Established in the Truth.
seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence, (1:3).
But Jesus spoke of another kind of knowledge, the kind that is more concerned with gathering facts than in seeing Truth; the kind of knowledge that gets stuck in the head and never takes root in the heart.
“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; 40 and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life,” (John 5:39-40).
True Knowledge will always change us as His Word takes root in our hearts and Establishes Us in His Ways. But even when roots are established, they still need care, especially when we find ourselves thrust into the midst of persecution and bombarded with false teachings against the Truth. While we may not be undergoing extreme persecution, we do live in a time that is intent on destroying the Truth. Yes, He Has Established Us in the Truth, but we must be diligent to nurture our faith.
In closing, let us pray that we would answer the call to nurture our faith so as to grow in moral and righteous living. Oh, that we would intentionally make the study of His Word a priority that our minds would be renewed and empowered in self-control, that we would be enabled to persevere in following Jesus in godly living and loving.
Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, 6 and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, 7 and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, (1:5-8).
Lord, please empower us to be diligent in nurturing our faith that we would be enabled to persevere in standing strong against persecution from without, and discerning to withstand deception from within. But oh Lord, how we thank You that even when our faith is frail, You are the Faithful One Who will sustain us to the end, for You Have Established Us in the Truth.
He will sustain you to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ, (1 Corinthians 1:8).