I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth you have. (2 Peter 3:12)
This is the final devotional of twenty-four reflections on Christian Discipleship from 2 Peter 1:3-12.
When we come to the end of a study we tend to think to ourselves, “Alright! I learned that! Time to move on! What’s next?”
But when we hit the end of this short passage Peter says, “I intend always to remind you of these truths and this process.”
What!? Why!?
So we end with a simple truth that works like a reset button: discipleship involves many reminders. (And, related, discipling involves a lot of reminding.)
This is frustrating, isn’t it? We don’t like reminders. They quickly feel like nagging, like alerts highlighting our inadequacies—We get the point already! And we don’t like reminding. This feels like us nagging, patronizing—Surely they got the point already, right?
What we prefer is progress—onward and forward! On to the next! On to the new! Variety, stimulation, motion, a sense of becoming. We love progress so much. But, can I remind you of something? (See what I did there?) Discipleship involves reminders.
There’s a church I have preached at a few times and every single time I preach one of the sainted congregants comes up to me afterward and says, “Thank you for that. That was such a good reminder.”
I don’t want to “remind”! I want to transport people with behind the scenes footage of hidden gems of Jesus! I want to carry them into never before accessed recesses of spiritual light and joy! I want to be novel! I want to be surprising! I want a fluttering cape swinging off my neck while I pose—“Oh, superman!”
But that ol’ saint’s gratitude was the kindest thing that could be said of a faithfully preached text: it reminded. “I intend always to remind you,” the apostle Peter said. So it’s “good reminders” that ought to be the thing we look for in preaching, in writing, in songs. Discipleship involves reminders and reminding.
Reject novelty. Embrace review. Give reminders. Seek reminders.
Practically, this means talking over and over about the Gospel and Discipleship.
Why? Because when the Gospel is appreciated, discipleship gets discussed. And when we're trying to make disciples, we talk about the Gospel. When the Gospel is under-valued, then discipleship gets side-lined. When discipleship is smothered, the Gospel goes with it. “Let’s talk about something else!” Other than our need for Jesus? Other than the ways He wants to get involved in our lives? “Let’s talk about The End Times or The Flood or The Culture or The Law or The Issues!”
But when we value the Gospel and making disciples, then our conversations live in a Mobius-strip of grace and discipleship. We talk about Jesus. Jesus and family. Jesus and money. Jesus and culture. Jesus and politics. Jesus and health. Jesus and eschatology. Jesus and gender. We talk about Jesus invading our lives and worlds.
That’s what the “therefore” at the beginning of verse 12 means. Because of the Gospel, because of the importance of Jesus in our lives, therefore we circle back, over and over. And every pass around the Mobius-loop takes us deeper into the glory of Jesus.
“I intend,” Peter says. This is similar to Paul saying to the Corinthians, “I decided to know nothing among you but Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” (1 Cor 2:2) And it takes intention, it takes a decision, doesn’t it? Our bent towards novelty (and away from Jesus!) means that we must be purposeful in keeping on Christ and the progress of discipleship.
In the Old Testament, whenever God would do something totally awesome, He'd have the Israelites stack up a pile of rocks. Just, pile 'em up. For what purpose? To remind them. So that as they walk back and forth across the land, they are regularly reminded of who God is and what He has done. Because progress in discipleship involves circling back to key truths. Reminders. Now, they didn't need piles of rocks to keep them oriented physically, but to keep them "not-lost" spiritually. It's easy to get lost spiritually, especially as life takes us to ever-new places. Reminders keep us "not-lost."
Here's another reason "reminders" are valuable. Have you ever wondered, “How do I talk about the faith!? I don’t know what to say!” Peter would say, “always remind them of Jesus and of their discipleship.” Not always easy. Maybe a little uncomfortable. But simple. Intend to remind. Embrace review.
“Always,” Peter says. Always. When we’ve been with the Father for ten thousand years, shining as bright as the sun itself, it’s Jesus we’ll be praising, still. So in a year, in a decade, let it be Jesus we’re praising, Jesus we’re getting to know better, Jesus we’re explaining, Jesus every relationship circles back to, Jesus everything ends up being about.
Because everything is about Jesus.
Discipleship is the code-word for how we discover this, together, in every part of our lives, through the changing seasons of life, through sufferings and trials. Amen.
Everything is about Jesus. There’s gold in them-there-hills. Hike on, friend. Enjoy.
To Consider and Discuss:
What in your life isn’t about Jesus?
What role do positive reminders have in your life?
How could you strengthen remembering in your spiritual journey?
(Who could you remind about Jesus' grace today?)
Photo by Filip Toroński on Unsplash
