Steadfast Day 18: 2 Peter 3:17-18

Read 2 Peter 3:17-18.

Ponder

If you’ve ever studied another language, you’ve likely run across the word imperative. Imperative sentences or phrases include commands, requests or advice. In other words, imperatives convey what you need to do or warn you about how to do something, or what to look for or avoid. 

As Peter penned the final sentences of 2 Peter, he turned to imperatives. It’s like when your parents dropped you off at camp or college and shared a few final words of advice: Remember who you are. Have fun but not too much fun. We know there’s ice cream in the cafeteria, please don’t eat it for every meal. Don’t forget to call. 

Peter’s final words weren’t quite as flippant as some of those examples, though. As Peter closed his letter, he wanted to leave his readers with a few reminders because he knew they lived in an unbelieving culture that questioned and chafed against their call to holy living. They faced persecution and were dealing with false teachers who had infiltrated the church. If anyone needed clearcut advice about what to do and not do, it was these early Christians. 

And, if we’re being honest, us. 

Peter’s advice was simple: Be on guard. He knew his readers were living in a culture where they didn’t fit in. To live a holy life, to choose godliness and obedience rather than enjoy all the sensual pleasures of the world—would require dedication, commitment and focus. It would be easier to walk away from the faith than to persevere, to remain steadfast, to embody that “long obedience in the same direction” Eugene Peterson talked about. 

Rather than being led away by false teachers and false promises, rather than giving up when the going got tough, Peter called his readers—and us—to continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. It’s an imperative, but also an invitation to a new way of life. You can live your life ruled by your passions, desires and whims or you can pursue deeper knowledge of Christ and his character and live a life that sparkles with the beauty of eternity here and now.  

And the choice is yours. 

Ever known someone who has consistently sought to grow in faith and knowledge of Jesus? Is there someone in your life who has lived out that “long obedience in the same direction”? There’s a quiet, undeniable beauty to a steadfast faith. 

To keep obeying Jesus when the world around you says you’re out of touch or mistaken. 

To keep striving to obey, even when you don’t understand or it doesn’t seem to make sense. 

To choose the truth of God’s Word when others twist or parse it to justify ungodliness. 

To remain steadfast when it seems like God’s plans or promises are taking too long. 

To not give up when the world around you says faith is meaningless or, worse, powerless. 

Peter’s invitation is still echoing across the centuries to us today—and we still get to choose how we respond. Will you worship pleasure and glorify fleeting desires that offer temporary enjoyment or will you commit to a steadfast faith that consistently chooses to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ? 

In the steadfast journey, you’re guaranteed to stumble. You’ll fall down, you’ll make mistakes, you will sin. But the invitation is to keep coming back, to keep drawing closer to Christ, to keep “pressing on the upward way” as the old hymn puts it. 

Remain steadfast. Pursue Christ. Grow in the grace and knowledge of him and let that grace and knowledge spill over into every part of your life, fueling your obedience, strengthening your desire to live a holy life and propelling you toward godliness. In a world where values shift at a moment’s notice, choose the steadfast path that leads to your eternal home. 

Then make that choice again, every day. 

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Journal

• Who in your life has lived a steadfast faith? What did that person’s example teach you about what it means to follow Jesus? 

• Where in your life are you displaying characteristics of a steadfast life? 

• Where in your life are you displaying characteristics of a life that’s centered on the shifting values of an unbelieving world? 

• What steps will you take this week to pursue a steadfast life? What’s one simple step you can take today to begin prioritizing godly obedience and holy living?