“Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance” (2 Peter 1:15).
TEXT — 2 Peter 1:5-16
Message
What people say just before they die matters a lot. It reflects their dreams and what they lived for. The famous Bible scholar, Matthew Henry (1662-1714) was reported to have said on his dying bed, “You have been used to take notice of the sayings of dying men. This is mine: that a life spent in the service of God, and communion with Him, is the most comfortable and pleasant life that anyone can live in this world.” It is no wonder that today, long after his demise, Mathew Henry’s Bible Commentary is still a significant reference book for Bible students worldwide.
Apostle Peter wants us to remember the cardinal teachings of Scripture even when He is gone to glory. Peter admonishes believers to remember some things three times in the passage we read today. First, they should remember to grow and add spiritual values to their lives. Second, he would want them to make their calling and election sure as believers. The third thing is to remember that the grace of God was able to keep them to the end as God had promised. He wanted them to remember these truths even when he was gone.
Believers must seek to grow spiritually. It is evidence of our continuous and healthy relationship with the Lord. We must possess faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and charity. As we grow, we must also remember to leave a good legacy behind. Peter was aware of the nearness of his life’s end and desired that believers who outlive him to keep the pattern of focused spiritual growth to the end.
We are in the end-time, and the coming of the Lord is near. No one should take anything for granted as we await the trumpet call anytime. Our daily toil and labour demand that we look to Jesus as our Example in all things and then organise our lives in agreement with His plan so that, like Matthew Henry, we will live a “life spent in the service of God and communion with Him.” That is how to end well.
Thought for the day
Should you leave this world today, for what will you be remembered?
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
1 comment
Amen..
May the Lord of grace continue keeping us holy each day untill we make it ….
Amen..
May the Lord of grace continue keeping us holy each day untill we make it ….