Spiritual Protection

Be on your guard, so that you are not led away by the error of lawless people and fall from your own stable position. —2 Peter 3:17

Throughout 2 Peter 1, the apostle has challenged believers to be intentional in growing our faith. But why is this necessary? Isn’t just having faith enough?

One reason is so we will be protected from false teaching that takes place within the church. Peter says that false teaching in turn leads to ungodly living, which will cause many who profess Christ as Savior to be led astray.

If you are intentionally adding to your faith, you will be kept from doctrinal error and sinful lifestyles. That’s why Peter cautions believers to not be swept away in the stream of unbiblical thinking. Instead, we should go against the flow and “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (v. 18).

Here’s the choice: If you’re not growing spiritually, you will be carried away with wrong teaching and wrong living. You will lose your own spiritual stability. You cannot stand still spiritually; you must add to your faith.