Proper Etiquette

 

2Peter 1:12-15

“Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have.  I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder, since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me.  And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things.”

My first thought while reading this was that Peter’s admonishment reminded me of my mother.  Mom was always reminding her three children about proper etiquette; and it began at a very young age, do not wear a hat inside the house, be polite to all adults, and always address them respectfully with yes Ma’m  and yes Sir.  Pray before your meals and always wait for the adults to be served first.  Never ask for candy when at the store because we do not have money for that.  That is a very short list and often even as adults she would admonish us in areas of proper etiquette.  Mom would often say, “Your going to miss me when I’m not there to remind you how to act, and Mom we do miss your many good lessons, but we have also stored many of them in our minds and our hearts. Yes sir and yes ma’m.  

That is precisely what Peter is saying to the church, about who we are in Christ, and he first reminds us that we already have everything we need to live the Christian life.  When Christ enters into us we became partakers of the divine nature.  All who are in Christ have a big choice, to do as Jesus did and run to the Father for all our needs or to look to self, self is always an easy choice, and it is always the wrong choice. 

So Peter acting much like my mother, who wants only the very best for us, begins to remind us of these qualities, and before we can reply he makes it clear that he understands that we know them and are established in the truth.  But Peter knows that we may tune into the wrong channel, the one that Jesus reminds us about in John 10:10, you know the one where the enemy of our soul has come to steal, kill and destroy you and your family, that channel, the one that sounds like your voice, the one that tells you “Your getting the short end of this relationship, or that you deserve better, much better.”  We can refer to that as Channel 2, and Channel One is the Holy Spirit, and that channel never attacks your character, never tells you you’re a loser, never tells you that you deserve better.  No that channel speaks to these issues: add to your faith virtue, (being morally good, being who you are in Christ, righteous.)  And adding all kinds of knowledge to those virtues, especially in the area of the attributes of God and how to act on His promises, and to make sure that self-control and steadfastness are areas of life that you keep spending time in training yourselves to be Christ like.  Channel 1, will always reminds us to show brotherly affection with love.  What channel are you listening to?

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice