The communities that Peter is addressing in this letter had fallen prey to bad teachers who were confusing and deceiving the people. They were teaching that 1) This is all made up, and 2) Jesus is not coming back so you can do whatever you want morally and sexually. Peter wrote this letter to restore confidence and order to these church communities.

Since there was “poison in the pew”, the outline of 2 Peter is:

Ch.1- Cultivating Christian character (Holiness)

Ch.2- Condemning false teachers (Heresy)

Ch.3- Confidence of Christ’s return (Hope)

In Ch.1:3, Peter shows us that we can’t pull off a godly life by ourselves. We must remember what Jesus did, and through His knowledge, we can step into something uncertain with certainty. Knowledge comes from the word “gnosis”, but this word is “epignosis”, which means “knowledge with experience.

Ch. 1:4 speaks of the Promises of God. We must meditate on God’s promises and know them because they give us hope. In the “divine nature”, the Holy Spirit has moved into you. We don’t become God, but are image-bearers of Him. We must remember that we have been delivered from the corruption of sin, and there is something different in us now because we have the power of the Holy Spirit in us. He is moving us forward!

In Ch. 1:5-7, Peter gives us a list of “fruit” that comes from us choosing to live differently. We must “make every effort to supplement (supply in generous measure) these spiritual disciplines. All of these attributes work together, and we are challenged to do more than is necessary to live these out.

The Result (Ch. 1:8-10):

1. You will have a fruitful life. (v8)

2. It is confirmation of your calling. (v9)

3. You will never fall. (v10) – You will make it to the finish line!