Be “On Guard”…..

How many Christians that you know live “on guard”? Peter talks about this in his second letter (chapter 3). When we allow ourselves to get caught up in the “busyness of the day” we can easily “lose our footing”. Our spiritual insight can get “muddied up” in our daily routine of “nonchalant”. We lose sight of God’s purpose for our lives and that leads to lots of undesirable results. We can be easily deceived, turn our thoughts onto ourselves, which leads to anxiety and depression with unmet expectations, and give less effort to pointing others to God. Instead (as Peter exhorts us to do), we are to grow in grace and knowledge of Jesus, i.e. actively participate in the sanctification process. And that means serving the purpose in which God designed us to serve, to become more like Jesus. To live “on guard” is to be connected to Jesus, to be aware of current events, and to relate the Gospel to each human being (in every situation) in search of meaning in their life. Stagnation reverses the sanctification process, eroding the progress we’ve already made. God grants us time, to be saved, as well as saving others by our witness. Being “on guard” ensures our eyes are open, ready to meet whatever it may bring head-on with the response (answer) the world needs to hear, Jesus, the answer to sin’s devastation. Be “on guard“.

And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in His sight.15 And remember, the Lord’s patience gives people time to be saved. This is what our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom God gave him–16 speaking of these things in all of his letters. Some of his comments are hard to understand, and those who are ignorant and unstable have twisted his letters to mean something quite different, just as they do with other parts of Scripture. And this will result in their destruction. Peter’s Final Words 17 I am warning you ahead of time, dear friends. Be on guard so that you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing. 18 Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen. 2 Peter 3:14-18