I remember today that the goal of our faith isn't knowledge, knowledge is just the start. Our knowledge should push us to action, and our action to love god and love others. Thus, memory of what God has done reminds us that God is gracious towards us and loves us. We are to remember [and not forget] the incredible love that our father in heaven has lavished us with.
I'm thankful for this morning scripture in Peter. I'm thankful for the people that gave their lives to keep the story alive and in front of me. I thankful for the ancient saints who consider their lives not as important as they did making sure that Christ was shared and told to others. I'm thankful for the authors, professors, mentors and leaders in my life who considered it important to use their time and talents to keep the story alive. I'm thankful for all the people who showed me loving-kindness, and by doing so witnessed to me that Christ was real, gracious, gentle, and wonderful.
This morning the text I got to read was 2 Peter 1: 1-21 (You should think about reading it too). Sandwiched between two powerful and weighty chucks of scripture, the first being vv 3-11 and the second being vv. 16-21, lies verses 12-15:
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I'm thankful for this morning scripture in Peter. I'm thankful for the people that gave their lives to keep the story alive and in front of me. I thankful for the ancient saints who consider their lives not as important as they did making sure that Christ was shared and told to others. I'm thankful for the authors, professors, mentors and leaders in my life who considered it important to use their time and talents to keep the story alive. I'm thankful for all the people who showed me loving-kindness, and by doing so witnessed to me that Christ was real, gracious, gentle, and wonderful.
This morning the text I got to read was 2 Peter 1: 1-21 (You should think about reading it too). Sandwiched between two powerful and weighty chucks of scripture, the first being vv 3-11 and the second being vv. 16-21, lies verses 12-15:
Reminder of the Christian life
12 So I’ll keep reminding you about these things, although you already know them and stand secure in the truth you have. 13 I think it’s right that I keep stirring up your memory, as long as I’m alive. 14 After all, our Lord Jesus Christ has shown me that I am about to depart from this life. 15 I’m eager for you always to remember these things after my death.
This is key!!! This seemingly, "un-weighty" chunk of text is important in telling us the main point of chapter one, and quite possibly, the rest of 2 Peter. The following verses, 16-21, are a retelling of the story that the people, to whom Peter is writing, should already know and be remembering, keeping alive and the the forefront of why they do what they do.
The story of our faith is important to remember. It's not important to remember because "good christians" should know it for "goodness sake," but remembering that God loves his children, that our heavenly father gave us Jesus, that Christ dies for us, that we have the Holy Spirit, that God breathes new life into us, that God desires to establish his will on earth as it is in heaven. There is so much remember and it is this "remembered past" that ignites Peter to do what he does. This "remembered past" is what propelled the Desert Fathers, the saints, my professors, authors, and all the people in my life to do what they do (or did).
Our faith isn't just something to know. It's a story; it's a story to be remembered. Our faith is something to be remembered, retold, past on, kept alive; both in story form and in substance through each and every one of us.
I'm thankful that Peter gave his time ad life to this story; to keep the story alive.
May you remember the story of how god saved us and you [too], and may that ignite within you and passion to keep the story alive and take effect in lives and in the world around you.
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