Don’t lose your stability

I recently spent a lot of time studying 2 Peter. At the end of the letter, he said: “…take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability” (2 Peter 3:17).

This was a topic that was clearly important to him. Since he had already spent an entire chapter on the subject (chapter 2), he wanted to give them one last warning.

Let’s look at his words closely. They continue to be instructive for us today.

First, he says to “take care.” This is about being proactive when it comes to your beliefs.

Second, he mentions being “carried away.” This is what happens when we become passive (instead of proactive).

Third, he warns against “lawless people.” These are the people who lead others astray. How? They are “lawless,” which means that they are promoting teachings which are contrary to God’s wisdom, laws, and instructions.

Fourth, when that happens, we lose our “stability.”

Have you ever been in a tug-of-war? I have. If several matches have happened before your turn, you need to pay careful attention to the ground. No one wants to be standing on a patch of slippery mud when the match begins!

But that’s exactly what is happening when you get carried away by the error of lawless people. Oh, an in case you think Peter is being over-zealous, remember that Jesus himself also addresses this same subject on multiple occasions (one of them is found in Matthew 7:15-27).

When it comes to forming your belief and practices, are you being carried away?

Are you paying too much attention to a teacher on social media who seems to say the right things but whose personal life is wildly inconsistent with Jesus?

Are you committed to a certain version of Jesus who never disagrees with you, and who is inconsistent with what you read in the Gospels (which you probably aren’t reading)?

Peter wants us to be stable in our faith. Let’s focus on Christ, his word, and his example of both grace and truth. “…take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability.”