Living Today In light of the Future: 2 Peter 3:13-18
“4 Commands Guide us to Meantime living”
784. ἄσπιλος áspilos; gen. aspílou, masc.–fem., neut. áspilon, adj. from the priv. a (1), without, and spílos (4696), spot. Without blemish or spot, free from spot, unblemished, pure. Spoken of Christ in 1 Pet. 1:19; of doctrine in 1 Tim. 6:14; of moral conduct in James 1:27; 2 Pet. 3:14.
In 1 Pet. 1:19, the Lord Jesus is referred to as the lamb that is ámōmon (299), without any internal blemish or sin for He was sinless in Himself, and áspilos in that He did not have any external spot or sin, for having no sin in Himself, He never sinned in relation to others. In 2 Pet. 3:14 the apostle commands that we should be diligent that we may be found without spot (áspiloi), without external sin, and amṓmētoi (298), not allowing ourselves to become sinful through evil internal attitudes and iniquity. Ámemptos (273), means one against whom there can be no blame or reproach. Although
298. ἀμώμητος amṓmētos; gen. amōmḗtou, masc.–fem., neut. amṓmēton, adj. from a (1), without, and mōmáomai (3469), to censure, blame. Irreproachable, one who cannot be blamed because he is ámōmos (299), without blame (Phil. 2:15; 2 Pet. 3:14).
(VII) Characteristic of the NT is the view of peace as the present possession of the believer. In a single case it is used by Paul of that future blessedness which is to be expected by the righteous and the Parousía or Second Coming (Rom. 2:10), but in general it denotes the state of the Christian in this present life. It is so used by Jesus in His farewell promise, “My peace I give unto you” (John 14:27). It is thus represented by Paul (Rom. 5:1; 8:6; 15:13; 2 Thess. 3:16; Col. 3:15), in which case peace acquires the technical meaning of the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, fearing nothing from God and consequently content with its earthly lot, whatever it is. This is the direct result of redemption by Christ (Eph. 2:15, 17) and consists primarily of a state of conscious reconciliation with God (Rom. 5:1), although it is often used in a broader sense to denote all the blessings which accompany and flow from that reconciliation (Rom. 1:7; 1 Cor. 1:3; 2 Thess. 3:16).
3062. λοιπός loipós; fem. loipḗ, neut. loipón (3063), adj. from leípō (3007), to leave, lack. Something remaining, in the pl., the remaining ones (Matt. 25:11; Acts 2:37; Rom. 1:13; 2 Cor. 12:13; 2 Pet. 3:16). Used in an absolute sense with the def. art., hoi loipoí, the rest, the others (Matt. 22:6; Mark 16:13; Luke 18:9; Rom. 11:7; Rev. 2:24; Sept.: Josh. 13:27; 17:2). In the neut. pl. acc. with the art., tá loipá (Mark 4:19; 1 Cor. 11:34; Sept.: 2 Kgs. 1:18).
6 So he made ready his chariot and took his army with him, 7 and took six hundred chosen chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them.
837. αὐξάνω auxánō; fut. auxḗsō, aor. ēúxēsa, aor. pass. ēuxḗthēn. To grow, increase, to augment (1 Cor. 3:7; Eph. 2:21; Col. 2:19). Used both trans. and intrans. To grow, increase, add to something.
Grow (auxanō) means “to advance, or increase in the sphere of.” We are to grow in grace through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
We are to grow in grace through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
To grow in … grace is not subjective, based merely on experience and emotional happenings. It is objectively related to Peter’s key word knowledge (cf. 1:2–3, 5–6, 8, 20 [“understand”]; 2:20–21 [twice in v. 21]; 3:3). This is not just any knowledge; it is knowledge about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (cf. 1:1–2, 11; 2:20). The verb “grow” is a present imperative, which could be rendered “be continually growing.” Believers are to grow “in grace,” that is, in the sphere of God’s unmerited favor, and in the exercise of spiritual graces which Peter spoke of in 1:5–7. This process of spiritual growth begins by knowing Christ initially in regeneration (cf. John 17:3) and it continues in one’s deepening relationship with Him (Eph. 4:15; Phil. 3:10; 1 Peter 2:2). Both are necessary. Without the initial knowledge there is no opportunity for growth. But if there is only that initial knowledge, the struggling new believer forgets “that he has been cleansed from his past sins” (2 Peter 1:9).
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.