Subtitle: Growing Steadfast in a Shifting World: Lessons from Peter’s Final Words

Excerpt: Peter emphasizes spiritual growth, urging believers to cultivate virtues and avoid false teachings. He highlights Scripture’s reliability and encourages growth in grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Author: Randy DeVaul

The final words of a person often reveal what mattered most to them. They carry a weight that everyday conversations do not. When we read the book of 2 Peter, we are listening to a man who knows his time on earth is drawing to a close. Peter writes with urgency, clarity, and deep pastoral concern, reminding believers of the truths that anchor the soul when the world around them begins to shake. His message is not merely theological; it is profoundly personal. He wants the church to stand firm, to grow, and to remember what is true.

Peter begins by reminding believers that they have received a faith “as precious as ours” through the righteousness of Christ (2 Peter 1:1). Coming from a man who once saw himself as unworthy even to be near Jesus, this is a stunning statement. Peter had walked with Jesus, failed Jesus, been restored by Jesus, and ultimately was entrusted with shepherding Jesus’ people. Yet he insists that the faith of every believer, whether a first‑century fisherman or a twenty‑first‑century disciple, is equally precious and rooted in grace.

From that foundation, Peter calls believers to grow. Spiritual maturity is not accidental; it is cultivated. He urges his readers to add to their faith goodness, knowledge, self‑control, perseverance, godliness, mutual affection, and love (2 Peter 1:5–7). These virtues are not a checklist but a portrait of a life being shaped by Christ. Peter promises that if these qualities are present and increasing, believers will not be ineffective or unproductive in their knowledge of Jesus (2 Peter 1:8). Growth is not optional; it is the natural fruit of a life rooted in the gospel.

Peter also understands the danger of spiritual stagnation. Those who lack these virtues, he warns, become nearsighted and forget that they have been cleansed from past sins (2 Peter 1:9). Forgetfulness is one of the great enemies of faith. When we forget what Christ has done, we lose sight of who we are and where we are going. That is why Peter says he will “always remind” believers of these truths, even though they already know them (2 Peter 1:12). He knows that reminders are not redundant but essential.

This theme of remembrance becomes even more poignant when Peter reveals that the Lord has made it clear to him that his earthly life will soon end (2 Peter 1:14). With that awareness, he makes it his mission to ensure that believers will remember these truths long after he is gone (2 Peter 1:15). These are the words of a shepherd who loves his flock. He is not concerned with leaving behind monuments or achievements. He wants to leave behind clarity, conviction, and confidence in the gospel.

Peter then turns to the reliability of Scripture. He assures believers that the message they received is not a myth or a cleverly invented story. He speaks as an eyewitness of Christ’s majesty (2 Peter 1:16). He recalls the moment on the mountain when he saw Jesus transfigured and heard the voice of the Father (2 Peter 1:17–18). Yet even with that extraordinary experience, Peter says that believers have something “more fully confirmed”: the prophetic word of Scripture (2 Peter 1:19). Experiences fade; memories dim. But the Word of God stands firm, shining like a lamp in a dark place until the day of Christ’s return.

Peter emphasizes that Scripture did not originate in human imagination. It came as men were carried along by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21). This is why believers can trust it. This is why it remains the anchor of faith in every generation.

But Peter is also realistic about the challenges believers will face. Just as there were false prophets in Israel’s history, there will be false teachers in the church (2 Peter 2:1). These teachers promise freedom but are themselves enslaved to corruption (2 Peter 2:19). They distort the truth, deny the Master, and lead many astray. Peter does not soften his words; he exposes the danger plainly. Yet even in this warning, he offers hope: the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials (2 Peter 2:9). God’s judgment is real, but so is His protection.

Peter’s final chapter lifts our eyes to the future. Scoffers will come, questioning the promise of Christ’s return (2 Peter 3:3–4). But Peter reminds believers that God’s timing is not like ours. With the Lord, a day is like a thousand years (2 Peter 3:8). His patience is not delay; it is salvation (2 Peter 3:15). The day of the Lord will come unexpectedly, like a thief (2 Peter 3:10). In light of that reality, Peter asks a piercing question: “What kind of people ought you to be?” His answer is simple and profound: to be holy and godly and eagerly await the new heavens and new earth where righteousness dwells (2 Peter 3:11–13).

Peter closes with the exhortation that captures the heart of his message: grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18). Growth is the antidote to deception, the cure for forgetfulness, and the pathway to steadfastness.

Peter’s final words echo across the centuries with the same urgency and tenderness they carried when he first wrote them. In a world filled with shifting values, loud voices, and spiritual confusion, his call remains clear: remember what is true, trust the Word of God, guard your heart, and keep growing in grace.