A Christian man had just died and was on his way to heaven. When he got to the gates of heaven he met an angel. The angel asked him what God's name was.
"Oh, that's easy," the man replied, "His name is Andy."
"What makes you think His name is Andy?" the angel asked incredulously.
"Well, you see at church we used to sing this song, 'Andy walks with me, Andy talks with me, Andy tells me I am His own.'" (ahajokes.com)
You heard it here first! A little repetition goes a long way with the memory. Though it might help to understand what the actual words are! Still, this little joke points out the importance of repeating for the sake of remembering.
Paul told the Philippian believers, "Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you" (Phil. 3:1). Paul understood how the mind works. That is why he had no trouble repeating again the most important doctrines that they needed to be sure to remember.
Peter also understood how the mind works, so he likewise, did not have a problem repeating the most important doctrines to help his readers remember them. Note how he begins here: "For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things" (v. 12a).
Throughout the Bible, God uses repetition to help us with both understanding and memory. In fact, God makes a habit of repeating things in Scripture. The gospel story is repeated by all four evangelists—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—as well as in other passages of Scripture.
That is why the Lord told Israel, "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates" (Deut. 6:4-9). Again, constant repetition is how you learn, as well as how you remember.
There is a certain urgency to the writing of this second letter. Peter momentarily leaves the topic of salvation to drop in a statement about the importance of reminding us of essential truth. With the passion of a pastor, Peter says, "For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things" (v. 12a).
"For thias reason" (v. 12a) refers to what Peter has been saying so far. It refers first to the greatness of our salvation spoken of in 2 Peter 1:1-4. It is a reminder that we are "partakers of the divine nature" (v. 4b) and we have received many "exceedingly great and precious promises" (v. 4a). It also reminds us that we have received from God "all things that pertain to life and godliness" (v. 3).
"For this reason" (v. 12a) also refers to the blessed assurance of our salvation spoken of in 2 Peter 1:5-11. Salvation, and the assurance of salvation, are themes so crucial they must never be forgotten. Peter wanted his readers to never forget that they were "cleansed from (their) old sins" (v. 9b), and always remember that they were saved by God's grace. He wanted his readers to never forget the blessings of their salvation, and always remember that, if they abound in the things of God, they "will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ" (v. 8b).
"I will not be negligent," or "I will always be ready" (NASB), is in the future tense, indicating that he will remind his readers of truth at every opportunity, beginning with the writing of this letter to believers scattered across Asia Minor because of the heavy persecution from Rome. Even today, all who read this letter will be reminded of the many essential truths of Scripture.
To the surprise of many, there is no new spiritual truth. No new revelation is available from the Lord. What has been made available is a better and deeper understanding of the truths already found in God's Word. "The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever" (Isa. 40:8). "For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished" (Matt. 5:18).
The problem is that people don't know the Word of God. Many who think they know the Word, don't always have true and accurate interpretations of it. Problem is, they have been taught wrong and misled. As a result, some people think certain truth is new—and it is to them. But there is no new revelation from God.
Jude wrote, "Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 3). It was delivered "once for all!" There is no new revelation being delivered. All who preach and teach the Word remind us often of what God has said. In fact, they remind us so constantly, that between God's repetition in the Word and their repetition in their preaching, truth sticks. When we hear truth repeatedly, eventually we remember it.
Those who have heard and been taught the truth, those who already know the truth, are reminded of it "so that they are seized by it and awakened!" (Martin Luther, Commentary on Peter and Jude, edited by John Nichols Lenker, [Database © 2008 WORDsearch Corp.], 242). You are reminded of the truth often, with the sole purpose that you not only remember it, but that it would take hold of you (seize you) and wake you up to the truth, and as a result, you would go forward in your walk with Christ and grow stronger in your faith.
Peter continues, "Though you know and are established in the present truth" (v. 12b). You already know the truth. You have been taught the Scriptures and you are well established in the truth. So much so, that the truth is present with you. People can see it in your life. Still, as Peter said, "I will always be ready to remind you of these things" (v. 12a, NASB). We always need to be reminded of the essential truths of Scripture and of the essential doctrines of the faith. We need to be in the Word daily.
Peter was kind and sensitive as he spoke of these believers as established in the truth (v. 12b). He recognized the fact that they displayed in their lives the virtues of Christ. He acknowledged their devotion to Christ. So he encouraged them, even while he was pointing out their need to be reminded of the great truths of the faith.
The verb "established" (stērizō), which means "to firmly establish" or "to strengthen," is a perfect passive participle in the original Greek, indicating a settled condition (John MacArthur, Jr., The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: 2 Peter & Jude, [Moody Publishers, Chicago Illinois, 2005], 49). They lived their faith. There was evidence by their faithfulness that the true gospel of Christ was strongly present with them. It was evident that Jesus had great influence in their lives. Peter had no doubt as to their faith, and he treated them as genuine, maturing believers.
Paul wrote of the Colossian believers, "You heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, which has come to you, as it has also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth" (Col. 1:5b-6). The same was true of Peter's readers, the saints scattered across Asia Minor. The truth abides in all who come to Christ.
Still, it was imperative that these saints be reminded of the essential doctrines of the faith, because they faced a great threat from the false teachers who had crept in among them, as we shall see in chapter two of 2 Peter. It was crucial that they be shaken again by the truth, to spur them on to continue growing in faith. We too must be shaken by the truth, to spur us on to continue growing in our faith. Amen.
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