It Woud Have Been Better

To build a meaningful relationship with God only to return to the pollutions of the world is worse than never knowing Him.  Imagine going from being near Him to being without Him.  Imagine going from being near Him in time to being away from Him for all of eternity.

Draw near to God an continuing drawing until Jesus comes.

2 Peter 2:12-22; NKJV

12 But these, like natural brute beasts made to be caught and destroyed, speak evil of the things they do not understand, and will utterly perish in their own corruption, 

13 and will receive the wages of unrighteousness, as those who count it pleasure to carouse in the daytime. They are spots and blemishes, carousing in their own deceptions while they feast with you, 

14 having eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin, enticing unstable souls. They have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children. 

15 They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; 

16 but he was rebuked for his iniquity: a dumb donkey speaking with a man's voice restrained the madness of the prophet.

17 These are wells without water, clouds carried by a tempest, for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever. 

18 For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error. 

19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage. 

20 For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. 

21 For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. 

22 But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: "A dog returns to his own vomit," and, "a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire."

False Teachers Among You

Not everybody wants to build a meaningful relationship with God.  There will be those who oppose God and seek to keep us from Him.  Be encouraged that the Lord knows how to deliver those who would be with Him from those who do not!

2 Peter 2:1-11; NKJV

1 But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. 

2 And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. 

3 By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.

4 For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; 

5 and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly; 

6 and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly; 

7 and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked 

8 (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds) —  

9 then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment, 

10 and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. They are presumptuous, self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries, 

11 whereas angels, who are greater in power and might, do not bring a reviling accusation against them before the Lord.

The Holy Spirit and the Scripture

The Holy Spirit moved holy men of God to speak and to write the word of God.  When we read the Scripture, we are reading the mind of God revealed.  Listen to the Holy Spirit; read His word.  

2 Peter 1:16-21; NKJV

16 For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. 

17 For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory:"This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." 

18 And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.

19 And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; 

20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation,   

21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

Arise and Add

Throughout the year we have considered our part and His part.  2 Peter 1:5-11 presents our part.  A failure on our part to do our part jeopardizes our entrance into His kingdom...

1 Peter 1:5-11; NKJV

5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 

6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 

7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 

8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.

10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; 

11 for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Partakers of the Divine Nature

Consider this as you consider building a more meaningful relationship with Jehovah God...

The desire of Jehovah is not just that we would know Him and have a relationship with Him...

He desires that we partake (koinonos - a sharer) of His divine nature (phusis - one's essential characteristics and qualities).

2 Peter 1:1-4; NKJV

1 Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:

2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 

3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 

4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

Hidden in My Heart

"Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." (James 4:8; NKJV)

The Devil and the God of All Grace

1.  The Devil can be resisted.

2.  The God of All Grace will perfect, establish, strengthen and settle.

3.  Resist the Devil and Glorify God!

1 Peter 5:8-11; NKJV

8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 

9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. 

10 But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.  

11 To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.