Be on your guard

Let me warn you therefore, beloved, that knowing these things beforehand, you should be on your guard, lest you be carried away by the error of lawless and wicked [persons and] fall from your own [present] firm condition [your own steadfastness of mind]. 2 Peter 3:17 AMP

Have you ever found yourself listening to someone talking about God, and then questioning what they are saying? Questioning the truth of what they are saying, wondering if they have spiritual insight from God? Or are they speaking from a position of  blissful ignorance? Peter is warning us against this. In the previous scriptures he says,

And consider that the long-suffering of our Lord [His slowness in avenging wrongs and judging the world] is salvation (that which is conducive to the soul's safety), even as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the spiritual insight given him, speaking of this as he does in all his letters. There are some things in those [epistles of Paul] that are difficult to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist and misconstrue to their own utter destruction, just as [the distort and misinterpret] the rest of the Scriptures. 2 Peter 3:15-16 AMP

We have a responsibility to 'be on guard' regarding the teaching we hear and receive into our hearts. Our primary source needs to always be God Himself, revelation via the Holy Spirit from The Bible and during times of worship and prayer. Of course listening to teaching is important. I have learnt much from many sermons and teaching, with the deliverer being an open authentic vessel for God. But ultimately God wants us to have deep and intimate knowledge of Him, and that can only come when we have regular purposeful direct contact with Him. Through these set aside times, we can grow in our understanding of God's love for us and the hope He has called us to.

[For I always pray to] the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, that He may grant you a spirit of wisdom and revelation [of insight into mysteries and secrets] in the [deep and intimate] knowledge of Him, by having the eyes of your heart flooded with light, so that you can know and understand the hope to which He has called you, and how rich is His glorious inheritance in the saints (His set-apart ones) Ephesians 1:17-18 AMP

Question for today, what teaching are you letting into your mind and heart? Are you on guard and regularly spending time with your Heavenly Father to ensure what you are hearing lines up with His truth? If not, ask God to help  you make time in your day for this alignment to take place, so you can grow in recognition and understanding of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

But grow in grace (undeserved favour, spiritual strength) and recognition and knowledge and understanding of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (the Messiah). To Him [be] glory (honour, majesty, and splendor) both now and to the day of eternity. Amen (so be it)! 2 Peter 3:18 AMP