The Family Bible Journey Podcast

John wrote his gospel and epistles as an elderly man, who likely had read the letters and accounts of the other apostles. Maybe this is why his gospel and epistles are so different from the others. He wrote as an old man, filling in the blanks for us, and anchoring our hope in the eternal love of God revealed clearly in Christ Jesus.

So much striving and conflict in the world is futile! The only side that ever wins is the side that God is on. This passage encourages us to look at the world as God does. Follow where He leads. Fight the good fight of faith, knowing that His side will be victorious.

Here we hear a prophetic vision of the fall of satan! Few are the passages that tell us much about him. All we need to know is that he is the father pride, sin, lies and death. He was cast out of heaven for his abominable pride. May we not go his way.

Peter looks forward to the coming judgment, because he knows that in Christ, he will receive life and a crown of glory. Sadly, those who stubbornly refuse God's love, and persist in unrighteousness, will die forever. Aware of this judgment, let us find ourselves in Christ, and receive in Him the life and love Peter looked forward to and longed for.

Tyre was rich! They had everything anyone could ever want. Sadly, they put their trust in riches. They prospered in pride. Their demise is a warning to all who are tempted to think they have all they need in this life, because God will cast down the pompous pride of the rich in the end.

While prophesying the fall of Jerusalem, Ezekiel's wife died. But God commands his prophet to not show any grief or publicly mourn her passing. Why? Because this prophetic pantomine showed how God felt about the fall of Jerusalem. The people accused God of not caring, when the reality was that their demise grieved His heart. The prophet lived this out. Sometimes actions do speak louder than words.

Many false teachers had already arisen in the Church before Peter died, so he warned his readers of this sad inevitability. "The woodpeckers in the ark were a greater danger than the storm outside." This is true of the Church. Sadly, great damage is done to ministry when imposters arise in her.

The unfortunate demise of God's people played out like a true crime drama. They trusted all the wrong sorts of people and were killed by those they had pursued in love. The tragedy? They gave up a pure and true love for love that led to their demise.

God's people were so enamoured with evil that they were consumed by it. In graphic terms, God describes the lewd behavior of His people. Their idolatry manifest itself as adultery in a variety of forms, and they would suffer physically and spiritually for their sin.

Peter knows he will die soon, so he writes this letter to keep his sons and daughters in the faith true to their Lord and Savior. The foundation of our faith is Christ and His Word. Peter begins by building them up in God's holy promises and the words of the prophets. He then encourages his readers to put these holy words into practice.