Neal Pollard
What system do you have for remembering things? I am not sure what the connection is, but some people tie a string around their finger to remember an important date or appointment. Some people just write on their hand. Others live day a day-timer, PDA, blackberry, or iPad.
What do we do to keep from forgetting what is important to us spiritually? Peter writes in 2 Peter 1:12-13 that he was stirring them up by reminding them. Studying God's Word awakens our memory to things we may have forgotten, things we have not looked deeply into in the past, or brings something to our attention in a way it has not previously. It is noteworthy that he was reminding them of something they already knew. False teachers were trying to distract and deceive them from what they knew.
Bible study is good for us to keep from falling into the traps of false teaching. Many of us come to the Lord from religious groups that teach something different from the Bibile about salvation, worship, the end of time, leadership, or the like. Keep your Bible and your heart open to what you study, and you will keep reminding yourself of the joy and blessings of New Testament Christianity.
Later in the letter, Peter writes, "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 commandments of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior" (3:1-2). That covers everything--the Old Testament and the New Testament. It is also a reminder that if you live another 50 or 75 years, you will always need to study and remind yourself of what the Bible says on every subject.
If you have ever lost or forgotten something important that cost you in some way, you learned the value of remembering. If you have ever been to a memorial or monument, you have benefited from that reflection. If you want to grow in your faith and knowledge, be stirred up by being reminded of the important, spiritual things revealed in Scripture.
What do we do to keep from forgetting what is important to us spiritually? Peter writes in 2 Peter 1:12-13 that he was stirring them up by reminding them. Studying God's Word awakens our memory to things we may have forgotten, things we have not looked deeply into in the past, or brings something to our attention in a way it has not previously. It is noteworthy that he was reminding them of something they already knew. False teachers were trying to distract and deceive them from what they knew.
Bible study is good for us to keep from falling into the traps of false teaching. Many of us come to the Lord from religious groups that teach something different from the Bibile about salvation, worship, the end of time, leadership, or the like. Keep your Bible and your heart open to what you study, and you will keep reminding yourself of the joy and blessings of New Testament Christianity.
Later in the letter, Peter writes, "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 commandments of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior" (3:1-2). That covers everything--the Old Testament and the New Testament. It is also a reminder that if you live another 50 or 75 years, you will always need to study and remind yourself of what the Bible says on every subject.
If you have ever lost or forgotten something important that cost you in some way, you learned the value of remembering. If you have ever been to a memorial or monument, you have benefited from that reflection. If you want to grow in your faith and knowledge, be stirred up by being reminded of the important, spiritual things revealed in Scripture.
--Neal Pollard
First Corinthians commentary: Get the new First Corinthians commentary from www.abiblecommentary.com. Preview the First Corinthians commentary through Google books at http://bit.ly/dfw86d. Other Bible commentary material from www.abiblecommentary.com includes a FREE on-line Romans commentary: http://bit.ly/3MRU5I
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