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Connected to Christ
Remaining in Christ (by continuing to believe) refutes the false doctrine of ‘once saved always saved.’ It is our human responsibility and our God-given power of choice to either defend the faith or fall away from it. (Jude 1:3-4), "Dear friends [saved believers], although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints." The Apostle had to write and warn the saints of the need to defend the faith against those who were using God’s grace as an excuse to live immoral and sinful lives. He had to refute the idea that ‘we can do anything we want, because Jesus paid for our [future] sins.’ (4) "For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord." In the first century, false doctrine had slipped into the church, so the Apostle needed to warn us about it. False doctrine was not only seen then, but it would be worse as the end times approached. The Israelites were once saved (Jude 1:5) "Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe." Verses 6-7 then explains what happened even to angels. "And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home--these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire." Those tragic results would be an example for everyone to contend for the faith and not fall from a secure position in Christ. Freedom from Old Testament Law does not mean that a person can turn God’s grace into a license for sin, rebellion, and unbelief.. 2 Peter 2:1-2 says, "There were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them-- bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute." The people wanted to hear smooth things, so the false prophets told them that they did not have to repent to have [spiritual] life. They were turning God’s mercy and grace into a license for sin and rebellion. We live in an age when false teachers are saying that ‘after you’ve been saved, whatever you do (even if you turn away from God), it is okay. You might lose some rewards, but not your salvation.’ Their message is, ‘you can live like the devil and still inherit the kingdom.’ Jesus said (John 15:5-6), "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned." Christ is the Vine, and we are a branch of the Vine. We can remain in Him (by a continuing faith in Him), which results in spiritual fruit, or we can fall away from faith and see no fruit. If we don’t stay connected to Christ (by our faith in Him), we begin to wither spiritually, which eventually (if no repentance is forthcoming), results in being thrown into Gehenna. (2 Peter 1:1), "Simon Peter, a bondservant and Apostle of Jesus Christ: To those to whom there has been allotted the same precious faith as that which is ours..." The Apostle is speaking to believers who had ‘the same precious faith’ as all believers. They were saved (at that point) because they were all connected to Christ (by their faith in Him). The Apostle realizes the need to warn them of remaining connected to the Vine. (1)..."who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours: (2) Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. (3) His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. (4) Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires." A true believer in Christ has a true knowledge of Christ. If we really know Jesus, we would really love Him and follow Him in faith. The Greek word for knowledge is ‘epinosis.’ There are different Greek words for ‘knowledge.’ The common word used is simply ‘nosis’ (information knowledge), but when the Apostle Peter uses epi-nosis he means a deeper knowledge and greater understanding. If there is an earthquake the spot where it is most intense is called the epi-center. It is an intense knowledge of the Lord Jesus. By this deep knowledge of Christ, we will escape the corruption of the world. Another important aspect of the word epinosis is the fact that it is not used in the New Testament for non-believers. If anyone had a deep knowledge of (and a close relationship with) Christ, the Apostle uses epinosis. Believers don’t just know about Jesus, they have a close relationship with Him. 2 Peter 1:4 says, "Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires." Through this continuing faith in Christ, we can share in the divine nature and escape the corruption that the sinful nature desires. Non-believers (or unsaved people) who do not have a deep knowledge of Christ (have no personal relationship with Him), so they cannot escape the evil desires of the flesh. The only way to be saved from the corruption that is in the world today is through our faith in the cross of Christ. The entire theme of 2 Peter is summed up in verse 17, "Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position." The Apostle opens his letter with, ‘Dear friends,’ (since he is talking to believers), and he warns them to, "Beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, [&] being led away..." The only way we can be protected from deceit and false teaching today is to stay connected to Christ by a deep knowledge of Him. (Vs 18), "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen." The Apostle warns us to ‘be on our guard so that we do not fall from our secure position.’ We are secure in Christ, but there is no security in sin. We are saved by grace (when we come to Christ in genuine repentance), and we are secure in Him (through a continuing faith in Him). The human responsibility and choice we have in salvation is not working hard enough to earn the salvation (because no one is saved by works), but we are saved by our continuing faith in Christ that endures. Without faith no one will be saved. The Apostle Peter does not doubt the grace of God, but he does emphasize the responsibility we have to increase our knowledge of the Lord Jesus. He says to, "Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." Believers who came to know Christ personally (and who have a growing faith in Him) have escaped the corruption of the world that results from evil desires. (2 Peter 1:5-7), "For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to [epinosis] knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love." If we are connected to Christ, we will add to our faith and personal knowledge of Christ. The Apostle says to ‘make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge.’ We are called to a continuing faith-relationship and a growing faith in Him so we do not wither spiritually. (2 Peter 1:8) For if you possess these qualities [faith, knowledge, and perseverance] in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive (or unfruitful WEY) in [advancing] your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." We must know that a believer can become unfruitful and unproductive in faith. Jesus has called us to grow in faith, grace, and knowledge. If we possess those qualities (and add to them), we will ‘bear much fruit.’ The Apostle Peter was with the other ten apostles (Judas had left them) when Jesus talked about fruitfulness and growing in the faith. He knew that Jesus took spiritual growth seriously, so he is reminding us to take spiritual growth seriously. It could be the same fate as the fig tree that didn’t bear fruit (Matthew 12), if we don’t bear spiritual fruit. The tree withered from the root. We bear spiritual fruit when we increase our knowledge of Christ and remain connected to Him by a continuing faith in His atonement. The only way into the kingdom is to be a disciple of Christ and to follow Him in faith. (John 15:8), "This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples."
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