“Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior.” (2 Peter 3:1-2 NKJV)
The human mind is one of the great marvels of God’s creation. From the early stages of our life and continuing on throughout our earthly days, our minds are like sponges that absorb a tremendous amount of information. And living in the age of technology as we do, there is a mind-boggling amount of available knowledge, both good and beneficial, as well as bad and detrimental.
As enlightened children of God, we know and understand that it is the divine truths revealed in Holy Scripture, in both the Old and New Testaments, that are of the highest spiritual and eternal good. The more we are able to acquire the knowledge of God’s precious teachings, the more we are blessed by God.
The central truth made known in the prophetical writings and the apostolic letters is that the promised Christ, the Lord Jesus, would make and has made it possible for us to be redeemed children of God and heirs of heaven through His work of salvation.
One of the dangerous realities of this sin-cursed world is that our threefold enemies of the devil, the unbelieving world, and our own sinful nature are ever striving to get us to lose sight of, forget, and finally to reject the saving truths of God. Because of this spiritual onslaught, the Christians to whom the Apostle Peter originally wrote his second letter were faced with the threat of not being prepared for the “Parousia,” that is, Jesus’ second coming on the great and final day of this world.
On account of this grave danger, the apostle wrote this letter to stress the great importance of ever being mindful of the redemptive teachings of God in Christ Jesus. By focusing their attention on the priceless truths of our Savior God, the Holy Spirit would be faithful to preserve them in the faith so that they would be found prepared for Jesus’ unannounced return to take them to heaven.
Concerning this crucial matter of being mindful of the Word of God, permit me to share with you a family experience. When this writer’s grandmother was a catechism student, her pastor gave his students the assignment of memorizing not only all the enchiridion and all the Bible passages in the catechism, but also all the questions and answers found in this Christian book of instruction. Upon hearing this, there are most likely those who would say that this requirement is over-the-top and unnecessary.
But then, move ahead in time to the latter days of this grandmother’s life. Due to the wear and tear of life, her failing eyesight prevented her from reading the Bible. Also, with her hearing giving out, she couldn’t hear very well the Bible devotions her pastor came to share with her. What was she left with to minister to her soul for the preservation of her faith? It was her memory of the many precious teachings of God’s Word that served to nourish and sustain her faith to the very end of her life.
How very important it is for all of us to ever be mindful of the saving truths of God throughout our earthly pilgrimage, and especially so in the final days of our lives!
By focusing their attention on the priceless truths of our Savior God, the Holy Spirit would be faithful to preserve them in the faith
is retired from the pastoral ministry. He lives in Sunnyvale, California.