Established in God's Word
Therefore, dear friends, since you know this in advance, be on your guard, so that you are not led away by the error of lawless people and fall from your own stable position. 2 Peter 3:17 CSB
We are now coming to a close in Peter’s second letter. Wrapping up his extensive, detailed account of the false teachers, what they do, and what is at stake if you fall for their tricks, Peter expects his readers to be fully equipped “know[ing] this in advance” and should be on a “stable position.” Essentially, Peter is advising his friends here that, “Hey, since you know all this information that I warned you about, it is now up to you, your responsibility, to stand firm in the Word of God when you identify these people.” I would also like to take the time to clarify the phrase “fall from your secure position.” This is not in reference to salvation, as in, you cannot lose your salvation. Jesus declares this truth in John 10:28 saying, “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.” What Peter is referring to is the reader’s confidence in the truth of the scriptures. Possessing eternal life should provide us comfort that though Satan’s attacks seemed to be insurmountable, we have our Lord who intercedes for us so we will not give in to Satan’s deceptions. “Christ Jesus is the one who died, but even more, has been raised; he also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us. Who can separate us from the love of Christ?” (Romans 8:34-35). This is why we need to be vigilant as we face false teachers and put on the whole armor of God. “Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11). False teachers would plant seeds of doubt to confuse interpretation of scripture, which would cause you to become unstable. “Therefore, be on your guard.” We need to shun those who are propagating false teachings. Indeed, guarding ourselves and have God’s Word strengthen us so that we can strengthen others as well. Peter finds it necessary to always go back to this matter of false teachers for he knows how grave the consequences are if we ignore God’s command. We need to be established in the truth of God’s Word. “I will always remind you about these things, even though you know them and are established in the truth you now have” (2 Peter 1:12). The Christian stability comes from his grasp of God’s Word and faith that is nourished by His Word. This stability is shown on how Christians apply God’s Word in the practical decisions of life.
Blessings,
Isaac De Guzman
