How Not To Stumble

For if these things are yours and abound,

you will be neither barren nor unfruitful

in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

For he who lacks these things is shortsighted,

even to blindness, and has forgotten

that he was cleansed from his old sins.

Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent

to make your call and election sure,

for if you do these things you will

never stumble.

2Peter 1:8–10

            What is Peter referring to that we should not forget? Peter writing to the elect, (1Peter (1:2), tells that Grace and Peace is granted to a person by the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ (2Peter 1:2). God’s elect have His divine power. Now, many are misusing that statement to say that they have supernatural power to heal, to raise the dead, etc., as does the Bethel Church in Redding, CA., and many other Pentecostal and Assemble of God churches so often teach. This is not what the divine power is for: “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” (2Peter 1:3). Our call by God and this is for us to be fruitful. How accomplished? “But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self–control, to self–control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love” (2Peter 1:5–7). By these things we then make our call and election sure, oh, some would point out that then we could lose our salvation if we don’t make it “sure.” No, the Greek does not allow for that interpretation. The Greek word: ”πταίσηέ” has a meaning of “to cause to stumble, to stumble, stagger, fall, to make a false step, to err, offend, transgress, to fail of an object as is used in (2Peter 1:10). The places the word: ‘οΰ” that means not; for then it is best translated that you are not to stagger, not to fail, not to make a false step, not to err, not to offend, and how is this possible, the above quoted Scriptures tells what this means. You have been cleansed from our old sins, and yet the old original sin we have inherited from Adam is still with us in this life and we can and do often fail, sin. It is then we who are making our election sure realize how we have failed our God and Savior and not relied on His promises: “by which have 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” (2Peter 1:4). For those of you who will not believe in predestination and election: read you Bible, for the word for election is used 23 times and the word for predestined used 6 times and with the word for election as in Romans 8: 28–29. God has given to His children His Holy Spirit and by the Holy Spirit living in us we have the helper to give to us aid in this lustful and sinful world. W can live and not sin, at least not willingly and deliberately sin: that is if we allow the Holy Spirit to lead us and how can this happen: knowledge does not save, but knowledge is brought to mind by the Holy Spirit in times of temptation. To often we are so independent that we do not allow the Holy Spirit to guide us, and this is so often by not praying, and reading, studying His word. We are, as in this example (as poor as it may be, HA!), in a car, a fast sport car that has all the power, and we do not turn on the motor. We turn the steering wheel, we push on the accelerator pedal, we dream of the power and speed that this care can provide, a thrill, excitement runs through our being; but we are not going anywhere, we are not using the power that is at hand. This is far too often the life of a Christian, and even by this lack of prayer, study, and reading of His word, associating with other brothers and sisters in Christ, we not only do not use the power and the promise of God, we begin to slide backwards even to the point of not being sure of our salvation. Our election is no longer a sure thing. For a moment let me be like Peter in quoting his inspired words: “For this reason, I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know and are established in the present truth. Yes, I think it is right, as long as I am in this ten, to stir you up by reminding you,” (2Peter 1:12–13.

            I will return next week to continue my series on the Trinity so that those who would come to you to attempt to draw you away from the truth by giving aid to make your election sure and to be able to give a defense of you faith (1Peter 3:15). Let us be as those in the early church who faced much dissension at times and heresies: “For we did not follow cunningly devised fables, when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, by were eyewitnesses of Hi majesty” (2Peter 1:16). We too, today, are faced with heresies and false teachings, those things that are drawing people away from the truth of God making them believe that they are worshipping our God and Savior properly when in fact they are not believing in the God of the Bible. Return to God, read His word, study His word, think, think, think: for God did not give us fables. God gave us His word: “And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do will to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in you hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2Peter 1:19–21).

You therefore, beloved, since

            You know this beforehand,

Beware lest you also fall from your own

            Steadfastness, being led away with

The error of he wicked; but grow in the grace

And knowledge of our Lord and Savior

            Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory

Both now and forever. Amen.

                                    2Peter 3:17–18

Prepare now for the Sabbath

Richard L. Crumb