Notes of Faith January 20, 2026
Pastor’s Pen Pulpit
May 21, 2000
“REMINDERS THAT COUNT”
II Peter 1:1-15
2 Peter 1:1-15
1 Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: 2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; 3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. 4 For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. 5 Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, 6 and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, 7 and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. 10 Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; 11 for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.
12 Therefore, I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them, and have been established in the truth which is present with you. 13 I consider it right, as long as I am in this earthly dwelling, to stir you up by way of reminder, 14 knowing that the laying aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent, as also our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. 15 And I will also be diligent that at any time after my departure you will be able to call these things to mind.
Daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, reminders play an important role in all of our lives. The reason is: we forget. What do we forget? We forget birthdays, anniversaries, important dates or occasions. Therefore, we have to be reminded. The Scriptures stress the importance of being reminded in the things of God. Note the features of II Peter 1:1-15. Let’s analyze this passage with a series of questions.
1. Do we need to be reminded (vs. 12, 13, 15; 3:1)?
Note the repetitions in these verses. No less than five times Peter stresses that reminders are important - even crucial.
2. What do we need to be reminded of (vs. 1-11)?
• Privileges - (vs. 1-4). Privileges of faith, knowledge of God, Divine power, precious promises, partakers of the Divine nature. Beloved, do we take these blessings for granted? We have a tendency to, I’m afraid. Read through this section again. Think through these privileges carefully.
• Responsibilities (vs. 5-11). The main responsibility listed here is that of pursuing spiritual growth (vs. 5-7). We don’t just float into growth. There are some things that we have to take action on. If not, then life is marked by fruitlessness. Let’s not take our Christian responsibilities lightly.
3. Who needs to be reminded (v. 12)?
New believers need to be informed. Believers who have knowledge and are doctrinally stable need to be reminded. The Greek word for “know” in verse 12 means fullness of knowledge. It also was used to speak of someone traveling with a full load. These believers were in a settled state or condition. We in the Grace Brethren Church are extremely well taught. Better than most! Therefore, we need to be on the alert. The enemy of our souls is out to undo that if he can.
4. Why do we need to be reminded (vv. 13; 3:1)?
The truth is immovable. We are not. The only way a Christian can maintain a healthy, stable, fruitful life is to be in constant contact with the only thing that is stable: The Truth of God!
5. How often do we need to be reminded (vs. 13, 15)?
It is incumbent upon every communicator of the Word of God to be consistent and repetitious in their presentation of truth. It is necessary for all believers to take care that they are careful listeners to the truth.
Closing Thoughts - We cannot take Christian privileges and responsibilities for granted. Review and keep on reviewing. These believers evidently had not been reviewing what they had been taught. Beloved, let’s not make that same mistake.
Love to you all,
Charles Covington
Eph 4:11-16
He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. 14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; 15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.
Our privileges and responsibilities come from God and the gifts that He gives those who believe and obey His commands. The church is the body of Christ and like unto our bodies having many parts, uses, and abilities. We need everyone in the body of Christ to function as a healthy church, each doing their part well to the benefit of the whole body. We need to be reminded regularly that every part of the body is important to function properly, to grow toward maturity in Christ, to be an effective witness for Christ in the community that He has place us. Let us remember and consider often the privilege of being called a child of God and also remember the responsibilities that go with the privilege. Let us pursue maturity in Christ, THAT WE MIGHT KNOW GOD, and SERVE HIM in all that we do and say through the interactions with those around us.
Let us be careful to REMEMBER…
Pastor Dale