April 11th | Forewarned is Forearmed

 A SERIES OF DEVOTIONS BASED ON PETER’S SECOND LETTER   

FOREWARNED IS FOREARMED 

2 Peter 3:17 “Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position.”  

Forewarned is forearmed. “Fore” means in advance, before something happens. The idiom or saying forewarned is forearmed means if you know about a danger before it occurs, you can better prepare for it.   

What then is the danger that Peter forewarns his readers about? Peter is forewarning them about a spiritual enemy that will attempt to sow false teaching among them. Inserting false teaching among the people of God is nothing new. The Children of Israel at Mt. Sinai bowed down and worshipped the golden calf created for them by Aaron. The Prophets of Baal successfully convinced many in Israel that Baal, not Yahweh was the true God. The Jewish leaders rejected the Savior Jesus sent by God to save them from their sins. 

How many times have I written in these devotions, “There is nothing new under the sun?” Included in this idiom or saying if the reality there is always someone or a group that is presenting a little different version of God, or Jesus His Son, or presenting an entirely new belief system. According to Wikipedia, “Scholars have estimated that NRMs (New Religious Movements) now number in the tens of thousands worldwide. Most have only a few members, some have thousands, and very few have more than a million.” What has been true historically and remains true today, people who have confessed and followed the Christian faith at one time in their life become attracted to new religious movements.  Peter, in today’s devotional verse warns, “ . . . be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position.” The truth is, “ . . . God our Savior . . . wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all people.” (1 Timothy 2:3-6)  

Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal to pray to their god to send rain to the drought plagued earth. Even though they begged, physically cut themselves, and from their bleeding bodies cried to Baal, no rain fell. Elijah built his altar, placed his offering on it, poured water all over it and into a trench around its base and Yahweh sent down fire from heaven that consumed not only the offering but the water, offering, and the stones out of which the altar was built.   

A church may feel more modern, make you feel better about yourself, promise you a better life, and have livelier music that causes your toe to tap. You have been forewarned and forearmed. “ . . . For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all people.” (1 Timothy 2) “Whoever believes in Him (Jesus) shall not perish but have (receive) everlasting life.” (John 3:16) 

Prayer: Through Your Word, Heavenly Father, You have forewarned and forearmed me to guard against the attraction of new religious movements. Keep me in the one true faith in Your Son to life everlasting. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Lord, Thee I love with all my heart;
I pray Thee, ne’er from me depart
With tender mercy cheer me.
Earth has no pleasure I would share.
Yea, heav’n itself were void and bare
If Thou, Lord, wert not near me.
And should my heart for sorrow break,
My trust in Thee can nothing shake.
Thou art the portion I have sought;
Thy precious blood my soul has bought.
Lord Jesus Christ, my God and Lord, my God and Lord,
Forsake me not! I trust Thy Word. 

Yea, Lord, ‘twas Thy rich bounty gave
My body, soul, and all I have
In this poor life of labor,
Lord, grant that I in ev’ry place
May glorify Thy lavish grace  And help and serve my neighbor.
Let no false doctrine me beguile;
Let Satan not my soul defile.
Give strength and patience unto me
To bear my cross and follow Thee.
Lord Jesus Christ, my God and Lord, my God and Lord, In death Thy comfort still afford. 

Lord, let at last Thine angels come,
To Abr’ham’s bosom bear me home,
That I may die unfearing;  And in its narrow chamber keep
My body safe in peaceful sleep
Until Thy reappearing.
And then from death awaken me,
That these mine eyes with joy may see,
O Son of God, Thy glorious face,
My Savior and my fount of grace.
Lord Jesus Christ, my prayer attend, my prayer attend,
And I will praise Thee without end.
(LSB 708)