Honoring a Legacy
Today’s Verse
Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance; ~2 Peter 1:13
A legacy is something valuable handed down to us from an ancestor or a predecessor. It is the passing down of a heritage, tradition, or trust. In 2 Peter 1:12-15, Peter refers to his body and life as a tabernacle. A man’s body was referred to as a tabernacle, or tent. It conveyed the idea of temporariness and sojourning. Nero was on the throne at Rome, and Peter knew that his days left in this life were few. He wanted to make sure that the legacy he left behind was not forgotten.
We see the combustion.
“Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance.” Peter said that as long as he was present with them, he wanted to stir them up by reminding them of the Lord’s priority. It is very easy for all of us to fall into a state of apathy and complacency. We need to be stirred up through preaching. We need to be stirred up through prayer. We need to be stirred up in our practices. Ask God to set your soul on fire. We honor the legacy of Peter by being stirred up.
We see the commission.
“For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.” Peter said that he did not follow a made-up story. He spoke of being an eyewitness of the majesty of our Lord. Our Lord died for our sins and rose again from the dead to give us a living and powerful message for this world. We have been given a commission to preach the gospel to all creatures. Just as Peter declared this message, we must be committed to declaring it. We honor the legacy of Peter by our commitment to the commission.
We see the compliance.
“We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts.” In honoring Peter’s legacy, we must take heed to God’s Word. We must live in obedience to the Word of God. We live in a day where there is a drift in doctrine, behavior, and practices. Our obedience to God’s Word is compared to a light that shines in a dark place. We let our light shine brightly when we live in compliance and obedience. We honor Peter’s legacy by taking heed.
We see the caution. “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.” We must be cautious of false prophets who are deceiving the hearts of ungrounded and unsuspecting people. The teaching of these false teachers is referred to as damnable heresies. Know what you believe. Contend for the faith once delivered to the saints. If it’s new, it is probably not. Be discerning and cautious.
We see the courtesy.
“Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance.” It is the highest honor to a legacy to keep what has been passed down to us. It is respectful to keep the traditions we have been given. Peter gave his all to make sure that after he departed from this life, all succeeding him would continue in the precepts, practices, and priorities of the faith. Honor our Lord and the legacy of our spiritual forefathers by keeping what we have been given in full remembrance.
Have a faith-honoring God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Joshua 5-8