Thoughts on 2 Peter 1

Today’s reading: Isaiah 22; 2 Peter 1

Peter has no love for the kind of nominal Christianity that is so prevalent in the church in the West.

I can’t speak for the rest of the world, but at least in America, it is incredibly common for Christians to want God to impact their lives as little as possible. They want the perks of being a Christian (getting to go to Heaven when they die), but they otherwise want to be able to live as though God doesn’t exist. Many of these so-called Christians don’t even know the Bible’s teaching on salvation by faith alone through Christ and think that as long as they are going to church enough, and generally not being too terrible of people, that’s what God is looking for. And to be honest, I think a lot of churches encourage this kind of thinking/behavior, even if unintentionally. Sure, there are churches that are more scam than anything else, just looking to get people in the door to help line the pastor’s pockets, but many others are genuinely well-meaning. Thinking it is better to have people present at all, pastors and leaders focus on how many people are showing up, and won’t push people too hard or call for change in their lives so they don’t drive them away. The result though is not a stronger church or a stronger community because people are present on Sunday morning, but is a watered down version of Christianity that says what God really cares about is where you spend an hour or so of your time on Sunday morning, with the rest being really up to you.

This is not Peter’s view of Christianity. Peter is not primarily concerned with church attendance, nor is he primarily concerned with making the largest number of converts. Peter’s primary concern is making disciples. Jesus, before He ascended to the Father, did not call His disciples to go forth and make converts of all nations, but to make disciples of all nations, teaching them to observe all that Jesus commanded them. This is why Peter, in 2 Peter 1, says of the qualities that we, as Christians, should be pursuing, “For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind.”

It’s worth noting too that Peter doesn’t even say, “Whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, but at least he knows the Lord and will be in Heaven with us one day.” No, it is to the person who is actively pursuing the growth and development of these qualities that Peter says, “For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Peter tells the supposed Christian who is uninterested in pursuing these qualities, first that they are blind, and second, by implication, that they may not even have their entrance into Heaven.

Are we settling for something less than real Christianity? Are we, in our own lives, in the lives of our spouses, children, or friends, or in our broader church communities, content with conversion, calling that “good enough,” or are we standing on God’s truth and calling people, not to conversion, but to discipleship?

Peter pulls no punches here, and, like Jesus, is not afraid to see people walk away who don’t really want to follow the Lord.

One disciple who is willing to let their life be transformed in obedience to the Lord is better than a thousand converts who want to go to Heaven without having to let God touch their lives here on this earth.  This was how Jesus operated, this was how the Apostles operated, and Christianity as a whole would be so much better off if our churches would start operating this way as well.