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Beyond Cleverness

Beyond Cleverness

Words of Faith 3-6-2020

Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2020

Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com

Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL

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2 Peter 1

    [16] We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. [17] For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." [18] We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.

 

       A Christian's faith does not rest on clever stories or entertaining messages.  This was the pattern of the false teachers that Peter attacked in the next chapter.  Instead, true faith is founded on historical facts, which eyewitnesses corroborated and then recorded in the Word of God by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.  Peter was a great testimony of that truth.

       A marvelous example is in the doctrine of the Second Coming of Jesus.  Peter defended that teaching based on his eyewitness experience on the Mount of Transfiguration, at which time he truly saw Christ's majesty.  Obviously, Peter considered this doctrine of great importance, and his readers should always keep in mind.

       And how does the transfiguration argue that the Lord will come again with power? The transfiguration was designed to show the three apostles, Peter, James, and John, what Christ would be like in His glory, to give them a foretaste of His Kingdom (Matt 16:28-17:2). This was a glorious demonstration they could never forget.  It made steadfast their trust in the things that He said about His return, and it gave a glimpse into the nature of His return.

       Peter's firsthand experience gave him the unique ability and desire to communicate the true majesty of the Savior.  As a member of the inner band of disciples, he was privileged to see the power of Christ's true nature. Peter wanted his readers to look beyond Christ's first coming to the time when He will return with that same honor and glory demonstrated on the mountain.

       A careful look reveals that in Peter's preaching during the days of the early church, he was firmly committed to the doctrine of the Second Coming (Acts 2:32-33, 36; 3:16, 20-21).  Interestingly, Peter was more profoundly impressed by what he heard than what he saw on that sacred mountain. The voice that came from heaven, the voice of God the Father, called the Majestic Glory and spoke confirmation of the Son.  This is something you can count on.

       We need to realize that many will entertain in the name of Jesus with clever stories.  This is not where we need to be.  There is no anchor there.  We need to be rooted in the Word of God.  We also need to have our eye set upon the coming hope of glory, the glorious return of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

       Father God, draw me into Your Word.  Draw me into the Word made flesh, Jesus the Christ.  Draw me into the Word inspired, the written Word of God.  Help me focus my life as a testament of Your love.  In Jesus' Name.

 

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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, and our website, and our church app, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2010 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.  

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