Praise the Lord! The Lord has been good to us during the past week. Everyone who faithfully follow Jesus Christ can boldly testify that the Lord has been faithful to them despite all the failures that happened in their life. It doesn’t matter through which seasons of life we are passing by, the Lord has been faithful to us and He will remain faithful to us for He is an unchanging God as it is mentioned in the Scripture that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever (Hebrews 13:8; also refer to Isaiah 44:6; Malachi 3:6; Revelation 1:8; 22:13). So, we can be assured that as He was good to us in the past and as He is good to us right now, He will be good to us tomorrow and He will remain good to us forever. In fact, the seasons [situations] in our life might change every now and then, but Jesus Christ never changes; so we are neither forsaken by Him nor destroyed by any given situations, as Apostle Paul stated: We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed (2 Corinthians 4:8-9). Even if we are not able to convince many, at least be assured of ourselves the fact that He is able to take care of us in every season of our life: (i) in the seasons of plenty as well as in the seasons of scarcity; (ii) in the seasons of sowing as well as in the seasons of harvest; (iii) in the seasons of good health as well as in the seasons of sickness; (iv) in the seasons of plenty of rain as well as in the seasons of drought; (v) in the seasons of many friends as well as in the seasons of no friends at all; (vi) in the seasons of peaceful atmosphere as well as in the seasons of turmoil/chaos; (vii) in the seasons of light as well as in the seasons of darkness; or in any seasons as such. Therefore, it is time for us to take the benefit of our life in every given season/situation knowing that He refines us as silver and gold for our own spiritual welfare, as prophet Malachi prophesied: He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the LORD will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness (Malachi 3:3; also refer to Psalm 66:10; Proverbs 17:3). Although, He let us go through severe hardships and trials in our life, He will bring us out as pure as gold or silver that was refined in the fire; then, He will bless our life spiritually and physically/materially. In fact, He will bless us with good gifts from heaven, as James the brother Jesus wrote: Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows (James 1:17).

From the study of the Scriptures, we can understand that the saints during the Old Testament time as well as during the New Testament time experienced the divine grace and mercy and provision immensely during their life-time itself and the promised eternal life in the age to come (Matthew 19:29; Mark 10:30; Luke 18:29-30). We can read in the New Testament that the saints, especially the apostles and other disciples of Jesus Christ, testified that they experienced God’s grace and mercy and provision in their life (Psalm 23:1; Matthew 6:33; Philippians 4:19). Similarly, the Scripture promises that everyone who follows Christ faithfully could experience the same divine grace and mercy and provision in their lives. In fact, God never forsook humanity whom He created in His own image and likeness (Genesis 1:26-27; 5:1-2; Isaiah 43:7), rather He took care of them every stage and state of their lives even in the midst of their unfaithfulness towards Him (2 Corinthians 5:18-19). We all (including the righteous and the unrighteous), in one way or other, keep on enjoying God’s unfailing love and compassion, and His presence, protection, and provision in our lives ever since we have been created. Jesus specifically stated about God’s love and care on humanity, including the righteous and the unrighteous: He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous (Matthew 5:45; also refer to Acts 14:17). All these show that God is compassionate and gracious, as God Himself declared: The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin (Exodus 34:6-7a). David, one of the most powerful kings in Israel, who experienced God’s unfailing faithfulness in his life acknowledged God’s compassion and grace, as he testified:

The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us (Psalm 103:8-12)

This is the Lord God Almighty who left His glory in heaven and came down to this lowly earth and was incarnated as a human being (Philippians 2:6-8), whom the Father, the Lord God Almighty, named Jesus (Matthew 1:21, 25b; Luke 1:31; 2:21). He was/is/will also be called Immanuel [which means God with us] (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23), Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6), Christ the Lord (Luke 2:11), the Lamb of God (John 1:29), the Lord and Savior of mankind (John 3:16; Acts 4:12; 16:31; Romans 10:13), and so on. He was born in a cattle shed in Bethlehem ([Micah 5:2]; Matthew 2:1, Luke 2:4-7, 12); after His birth His mother laid Him in a manger (Luke 2:7,12); He was presented before the Lord and dedicated His life for the glory of God (Luke 2:22); He was reared by human parents (Luke 2:41-52); He was grown up with siblings, and other relatives, and friends (Psalm 41:9; Matthew 12:46-47; 13:55; Mark 6:3; Luke 4:22; John 2:12; 6:42; 7:5; Acts 1:14; Galatians 1:19); He spend His years on earth to fulfill His Father’s Will in and through His life (Matthew 5:17; Luke 22:42; John 4:34; 5:30; 1 Peter 2:21); He preached the gospel of God’s grace and taught about the uniqueness of the Kingdom of God (Matthew 4:17; Mark 1:14-15; John 10:16; [Psalm 100:3]); He surrendered and submitted His life to do the Will of God in and through His life ([Isaiah 53:10]; Matthew 26:39, 42; Mark 14:36; Luke 22:42); He imparted the vision and Mission of God to His apostles (Matthew 5:1-7:28; Mark 3:13-19; Luke 6:12-16; John 6:1-13); He was accused and arrested (Matthew 26:50, 57); He faced religious as well as civil trials (Matthew 26:57, 59; 27:1-2, 11-26); He was sentenced to be crucified (Matthew 27:32-44); He was dead for the transgression of the people (Isaiah 53:5; Matthew 20:28; 27:45-56; John 1:29; Romans 8:32; Galatians 1:4); He was buried (Matthew 27:57-60; Mark 15:43-46; Luke 23:50-56; John 19:38-42); He was raised from the dead (Matthew 28:6; Mark 16:6; Luke 24:5-6; John 20:1-9; Acts 2:24; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; 1 Peter 1:3; Revelation 1:18);  He chose, taught, trained, prayed and blessed, and commissioned His apostles/disciples to continue the Mission of God that He came to fulfill (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:47; John 17:6-19; 20:21; Acts 1:8); He promised to send the Holy Spirit to be with His faithful followers as their comforter and advocate/counselor (John 14:15-17, 26; 15:26; Acts 1:8); He assured His presence to be with His devoted followers until the end of the age (Matthew 28:20; also refer to Exodus 33:14; Deuteronomy 31:6, 8); He promised to return to take His faithful followers to be with Him where He is for ever and ever ([Daniel 7:13-14]; Matthew 24:30; 26:64; Mark 13:26; Luke 21:27; Acts 1:11; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; Revelation 1:7); He promised His faithful followers eternal life (John 3:16; 5:24; 10:28; Romans 6:23; 1 John 2:25; 5:11).

Knowing that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, the Son of the living God (Matthew 16:16; Mark 8:29; Luke 9:20; John 1:41, 49), the apostles and other disciples and early church devoted themselves to His service. Apostle Peter and other apostles testified about this Jesus saying The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead—whom you killed by hanging him on a cross. God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins. We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him (Acts 5:30-32). Ever since, generation after generation, upon Jesus’ command, His faithful followers and the church at large is preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of God, which will continue until His return, in order to prepare the world for His return. These are some of the reasons, Apostle Peter wrote to the early Christian believers that they did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty (2 Peter 1:16). Apostle John, the disciple whom Jesus loved (John 13:23; 19:26; 20:2; 1:7), also testified about this Jesus to the early Christians as well as the church at large that:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it (John 1:1-5)

John continued testifying that:

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ … This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you … (1 John 1:1-5)

The apostles and other disciples of Jesus Christ and the early church had no difficulty in believing the gospel of grace preached to them because most of them have had, one way or other, direct or indirect association with Jesus Christ and they did not have any trouble in believing that He is the Son of the Living God. However, some people in the church, perhaps some of the new believers, had difficulty in believing the gospel preached to them or accepting Christ Jesus as the Son of the Living God. Such confusion happened among the believers as well as among those who were about to accept the truth of the gospel due to the false doctrine about Christ and His teachings propagated by the false teachers and the enemies of the gospel. As a result, some of the new and naive believers, without knowing the truth, opposed the preachers of the gospel or raised questions (definitely out of ignorance of the truth) about the authenticity of the gospel of Christ preached to them by the apostles and other ministers of the gospel. In such a context, Apostle Peter wanted to let his readers/hearers know that the gospel of Jesus Christ he and other apostles and the other ministers of the gospel preaching was not based on any made-up stories but they are real and trustworthy teachings because the apostles (without a doubt) and untold number of disciples were the eyewitnesses of the majesty of the Lord Jesus Christ and the beneficiaries of His teachings. Apostle Peter very clearly states that they neither preach any wrong gospel nor follow any cleverly devised stories (2 Peter 1:16) but they are testifying about that which they have seen with their own eyes, which they have looked at and their hands have touched (1 John 1:1), and proclaiming to everyone the eternal life based on what they have seen and heard from Jesus (2 Peter 1:18; 1 John 1:3). The apostles themselves have seen Jesus Christ and heard from Him and believed in Him. The apostles have testified about Jesus based on what they seen in Him and heard from Him. Following Scripture passages (John 1:1-5; 2 Peter 1:16-18; 1 John 1:1-3) authenticate the apostles’ faith in Jesus Christ and the trustworthiness of their testimony about Jesus Christ based on what the apostles have seen in Him and what they have heard/learned from Him. Let us analyze these Scripture passages and try to understand what it means to all the followers of Jesus Christ:

2 Peter 1:16-18

• • The apostles boldly stated that did not follow cleverly devised stories (1:16a)
  • The apostles believed the promise about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power (1:16b)
  • The apostles proclaimed about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power (1:16c)
  • The apostles were the eyewitnesses of the majesty of Lord Jesus Christ (1:16d)
  • The apostles witnessed that Jesus Christ received honor and glory from God the Father (1:17a)
  • The apostles heard when God the Father spoke with Jesus Christ on the sacred mountain  (1:17b)
  • The apostles heard the voice from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” (1:17c)
  • The apostles themselves heard the voice that came from heaven when they were with Jesus Christ on the sacred mountain (1:18)

John 1:1-5

• • The apostles heard and believed that the Word existed from the beginning (1:1a)
  • The apostles heard and believed that the Word was with God (1:1b)
  • The apostles believed and realized that the Word was God (1:1c)
  • The apostles heard and believed and realized that the Word that incarnated as Jesus Christ was with God in the beginning (1:2)
  • The apostles believed that through Jesus Christ all things were made (1:3a)
  • The apostles believed that without Jesus Christ nothing was made that has been made (1:3b)
  • The apostles believed that in Jesus Christ was life (1:4a)
  • The apostles believed that in Jesus Christ was life and that life was the light of all mankind (1:4b)
  • The apostles saw that the light shines in the darkness (1:5a)
  • The apostles saw that the darkness has not overcome the light (1:5b)

1 John 1:1-3

• • The apostles knew who Jesus is (1:1a)
  • The apostles knew that Jesus existed from the beginning (1:1b)
  • The apostles themselves have heard from Jesus Christ (1:1c)
  • The apostles themselves have seen Jesus Christ with their eyes (1:1d)
  • The apostles themselves have looked at Jesus Christ (1:1e)
  • The apostles’ hands have touched Jesus Christ (1:1f)
  • The apostles have proclaimed concerning Jesus Christ – the Word of life (1:1g)
  • The apostles knew in the spirit that the life appeared (1:2a)
  • The apostles have seen the life appeared (1:2b)
  • The apostles testify about what they have seen and heard (1:2c)
  • The apostles proclaimed to everyone about the eternal life that is possible through Jesus Christ (1:2d)
  • The apostles proclaimed to everyone Jesus Christ who was with the Father and has appeared to us (1:2e)
  • The apostles proclaimed to everyone what they have seen and heard for everyone’s benefit (1:3a)
  • The apostles’ fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ (1:3b)
  • The apostles proclaimed to everyone what they have seen and heard so that they also may have fellowship with the apostles, Jesus Christ, and God the Father (1:3c)

In the light of the fact that the enemies of the gospel and false teachers are arising in our midst increasingly in these days, as in the case of the past, let us prepare to defend ourselves and others from falling away from the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people (Jude 1:3b). As we continue to explore the Scripture, we can understand that even during the Old Testament time, the Spirit of God warned against the false prophets and others who mislead the people of God (Jeremiah 14:14; 23:16; Ezekiel 13:6-9; 22:28; Lamentations 2:14; Micah 3:11; Zechariah 10:2). During the New Testament time, Jesus and His apostles, including Peter, John, Paul, and so on, warned about the rise of false teachers in the days ahead (Matthew 7:15; 24:3-8, 11, 24; Acts 20:28-30; Romans 16:17-18; 2 Corinthians 11:13-15; 2 Timothy 3:5, 13; 4:3-4; 2 Peter 2:1-3, 12-14; 1 John 4:1-6; Jude 1:4). In fact, during the apostles’ lifetime itself the false teachers began to infiltrate the churches and mislead the believers, especially those who were not strong in their faith in Jesus Christ. While the enemies of the gospel were trying to put an end to the expansion of the church from outside, the false teachers and the ministers with wrong motives were trying to cause disorder in the church from inside the church. In the light of such situations, Apostle Peter along with other apostles encouraged the believers to be well-rooted in the Word of God and stay strong in their faith in Jesus Christ:

• • The apostles advised the believers to strengthen one another in faith and unite together in the Lord to keep away from such false teachers and their teachings.
  • The apostles urged the believers to grow in their faith in Jesus Christ so that they can identify the false teachings and defend their faith against all the wide-spread apostasy.
  • The apostles encouraged the believers to help one another to grow spiritually and oppose any false doctrines that arise against the expansion of the true gospel.
  • The apostles strongly recommended the believers to rely on the truthfulness of the Word of God and return to the Lord Jesus in order to attain spiritual maturity.

When we read and study and meditate the Scripture passage (2 Peter 1:16-18) that we chose for our meditation in the light of its original context, we can understand that Apostle Peter perceived in his spirit the danger that was coming up against the proper functioning of the church in Jerusalem as well as the church at large because of the false doctrines that were spreading by the false ministers of the gospel within the church (an internal crisis) as well as the enemies of the gospel who are working from outside of the church towards destroying the church (an external crisis). Apostle Peter warned the believers against the rise of the false teachers from within the church in the similar way the false prophets rose from among God’s people and mislead many of them during the Old Testament time (2 Peter 2:1-3). However, Apostle Peter gave them some spiritual guidelines to defend their faith in Jesus Christ, which include:

1. 1. 1. He instructed them to refresh their memories so that they can remember the teachings of Christ and the apostles and stay steadfast in their faith in Christ (2 Peter 1:13);
      2. He urged them to stimulate their thinking to stay aligned with Christian doctrines (2 Peter 3:1-2);
      3. He advised them to keep the apostolic teachings, particularly what they heard from him through preaching of the gospel and teaching the doctrines (2 Peter 1:15);
      4. He pleaded with them to attain spiritual maturity and spiritual qualities in order to be productive in their walk with Jesus (2 Peter 1:5-8);
      5. He instructed them to make every effort to confirm their calling and election (2 Peter 1:10);
      6. He urged them to stay strong in their faith in order to withstand the false teachers and their teachings (2 Peter 1:12);
      7. He urged them to live a holy life as the return of Christ is fast approaching (2 Peter 3:14);
      8. As the end is nearing, he encouraged them to grow in the grace and knowledge of their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18).

Dear friends in the Lord, as we mediate the Word of God, let us draw closer to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ more than ever before and stay close to the throne of Grace. The time is closing its gap for His return and the end of everything we see, hear, and know is very near. As Apostle Peter encouraged the first century Christians through God’s Word, let us also be encouraged through his writing: let us make every effort to add to [our] your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love (2 Peter 1:5-7). In addition, dear brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm [our] your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:10-11). Apostle Peter urged the believers everywhere to make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation (2 Peter 3:14b-15a). In the light of all the encouragements, let us continue to read, study, meditate, and grow in the Lord as days are approaching for our redemption. It’s time for us to rededicate our life once again for the ministry we are called to carry out, so that we can prepare ourselves and others for the great day of His return. May the Lord God Almighty bless us all! Amen!