Growing from a Solid Foundation of Faith
“You’re preaching to the choir” may feel like a response to an unnecessary instruction, but Peter tells us that we all need to be reminded of the basics from time to time. As soon as he finishes writing about a believer’s entrance into our eternal kingdom, Peter mentions that he understands his readers already know all the things he has just previously said. Still, he feels there is great importance in reminding those who know. You see, there is no point in which we know everything perfectly. There is no point in this life when we will have passed every test and aced our faithfulness challenge. The fundamentals are fundamental for a reason: they give structure and stability to our faith.
Still, while it is vitally important to remember the steadfast foundational parts of our faith, it is also vitally important to move past them in our maturity. In 1 Corinthians 3:2-3, Paul wrote, “I fed you with milk, not solid food; for you were not ready for it; and even yet you are not ready, for you are still of the flesh.” In Hebrews 5:12-14, we also find, “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of God’s word. You need milk, not solid food; for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their faculties trained by practice to distinguish good from evil.”
This concept of milk verses solid food is one that Peter will bring up again in Chapter 2. While we will discuss it more then, it is important for us to understand that while we strive to achieve a more sophisticated palette (so to speak) when it comes to spiritual knowledge and practice, we must continue to base that diet on the milk of the gospel. No, we do not want to remain as spiritual infants, but neither do we want to deny ourselves the pure nourishment of the basic and unpolluted message of God’s redemption. There must be a balance. As we mature in our faith and our knowledge of godly principles and scripture deepens, we would do well to take the time to reread the basics. Theology is wonderful to study, but it means nothing without the gospel.
In today’s reading, Peter expresses something he is very passionate about. If all else fades away and is forgotten, Peter wanted people to remember the fundamental truth of his faith. Our life is filled with an uncountable number of words. If every one of them is forgotten except the ones that tell of the cross, our life – and our words – would have mattered. There was far more to Peter’s teachings than the basics, and yet it was those simple words of salvation that mattered the most to him as he approached the end of his life. Flowery words can deceive us if our foundation is not strong and well cared for. That is the warning of 2 Peter, and that is a message we all need to understand. There are some very talented manipulators in this world. Jesus warned us of their intentions when he said, “For false Christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.” (Matthew 24:24) When our foundation is neglected, Satan will build adjacent to the truth and convince us build our lives on top of his lies. As we mature and our knowledge grows, let us be sure to constantly tie that new knowledge into our firm foundation. If the edges don’t match up, our knowledge is corrupted. By going back to the basics, we prevent ourselves from being fooled by the crafty corruptors of our faith.
(Written by Keegan Harkins.)
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