The apostle Peter warned his readers with these words:

“You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability” (2 Peter 3:17, ESV).

Earlier in the chapter he had been telling them about Jesus’ return. They should live expectantly and with “holiness and godliness” (verse 11).

He then warned them that people were twisting Paul’s teachings and “the other Scriptures” (verses 15-16).

That’s when he said to take care not to be carried away with the error of lawless people, meaning people who go against God’s laws. If they made this mistake, they would lose their own “stability.”

This is a good word for us today. It’s a warning.

People go against God’s laws and twist Scripture. When people neglect God’s laws in the wider world it’s not really surprising. After all, they don’t even believe in him. 

But in this passage Peter is actually warning his readers about other people who also believe in God. The issue is that they are neglecting certain aspects of God’s law—or perhaps even all of it—and “twisting” the Scriptures.

Something we can take from this is to always strive to faithfully interpret and apply the Scriptures. Just because someone you know who says they believe in God thinks such-and-such is a good idea, that doesn’t necessarily mean it is. We need to be asking questions like, Is this consistent with Scripture? Are they taking verses out of context? Are they honestly seeking to apply God’s word, or are they changing it to suit their own desires?

Whenever we ask these questions we need to have a spirit of humility. Most of us have probably made mistakes in how we have handled certain parts of Scripture. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t strive for faithfulness with each new day.

“…take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability.”

#dailydevotional #devotional #faith #bible #peter #scripture #interpretation