“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding” (Proverbs 9:10). Today, we desperately need wisdom to discern what is true, right, and lasting. To start growing in wisdom, we must fear the Lord. Romans 3:18 well describes this generation: “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” However, as Christians we stand apart with different values, fearing God and seeking to be more like Him as we are fitted for our eternal home. This can be challenging, but the good news is God has completely outfitted us for this, “according as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (2 Peter 1:3-4). The Bible shows us when we are wrong, how to be right, and fully instructs us in living a righteous life, a life which pleases God and leads us to heaven (2 Timothy 3:15-17).

We must not trust ourselves nor follow our hearts as the world counsels us. Proverbs 14:12 says, “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” When the prophet Jeremiah envisioned the disaster which God revealed would come upon Judah for their sins, he prayed, “O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps” (Jeremiah 10:23). Instead of walking in our own way, we must shape our thinking into God’s way. We should trust that He knows better than we how to live (Proverbs 3:5-6). We must not allow the world to conform us into its mold, but instead be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2).

As we enter this battle for our minds, we take up the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:17). We ingest God’s word to grow spiritually as a baby ingest milk to grow physically (1 Peter 2:2). We must move on to solid food, the meat of the word, and have our senses exercised to discern between good and evil (Hebrews 5:12-14). We should keep our hearts with all diligence, for out of the heart proceeds all the issues of life (Proverbs 4:23). We must think on that which good, virtuous, and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8). The fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance—will then be produced in our lives as evidence of this spiritual growth (Galatians 5:22, 23).

A wise life involves following the word of God and growing in the way just described. How sad it is to see individuals foolishly go through life wasting their energies on that which is fleeting (Proverbs 1:22). How sad to see people who claim to be Christian remain spiritually immature babies instead of growing to be more like God (1 Corinthians 3:1-3; Hebrews 5:11, 12). Seek God’s word (Psalm 119:1-3). Keep it close to your heart (Psalm 119:11). It will help in the battle of life. “For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints” (Proverbs 2:6-8).

The apostle Peter wrote, “For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty” (2 Pet. 1:16). False teachers can be cunning. Some have vivid imaginations. They can fabricate elaborate tales. Peter warned of false prophets who lead their followers to destruction by their imaginative heresies (2 Pet. 2:1-3). However, the imaginations of men are not the source of the account of the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Honest men, such as Peter, witnessed these events.

Later in this passage, Peter noted the divine origin of the Scriptures: “And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Pet. 1:19-21).

The prophecy of the Old Testament was made more sure by the miraculous confirmations God performed when the salvation of Christ was inaugurated. God’s voice was heard from heaven confirming that Jesus was the fulfillment of the Old Testament. Peter said, “For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’ And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain” (2 Pet. 1:17, 18). Remember Matthew 17:1-7 records how Peter was there as Jesus was transfigured on the mountain. He saw Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus. Peter’s suggestion to make three tabernacles, one for each of them, was met with the Father’s response, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” (Mt. 17:5). Thus, Jesus has fulfilled and superseded the Old Testament law (Moses) and prophets (Elijah). These two men represented the law and the prophets, a frequently used designation of the Old Testament (Mt. 7:12; 11:13; 22:40; Lk. 16:16; Jn. 1:45; Acts 13:15; 24:14; Rom. 3:21). Jesus is the fulfillment, Who gives us understanding of the law and the prophets (Lk. 24:44-46). In his first epistle, Peter mentioned how the prophets of old spoke of the grace that would come through the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow (1 Pet. 1:10-12).

Peter himself was writing his epistles by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Jesus promised the apostles the Holy Spirit would guide them into all truth (Jn. 16:13). Peter received the same divine guidance as did the inspired men of old (2 Pet. 1:20-21). Over the course of 1,600 years, God used over forty individuals from different cultures, with vastly different circumstances, speaking different languages to write one unified message. God is really the one author behind the Bible. We should pay attention to the Bible as we would take notice of a bright light shining in the dark (2 Pet. 1:19).

The opening chapters of the New Testament record both John the Baptist and Jesus in their public ministries preaching the kingdom of heaven was near (Mt. 3:2; 4:17). Jesus said it would come in the lifetimes of some who heard Him speak, “Assuredly, I say to you that there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with power” (Mk. 9:1). The kingdom would result in Heaven’s will being done on earth (Mt. 6:10). The phrase “kingdom of heaven” is used in Matthew, perhaps, because the Jewish audience was accustomed to having a substituted word for “God.” It was God’s kingdom that Jesus preached was near (Mk. 1:14, 15). God is in heaven, and we are on earth (Ecc. 5:2; Mt. 6:9).

The kingdom would come to earth, but it would not be an earthly, political type of kingdom (Jn. 18:36). The kingdom is a spiritual realm into which the saved are transferred (Col. 1:13). It is a spiritual kingdom in which Christ reigns in the hearts of those who submit to His will (Lk. 17:20-21). Jesus taught many parables of the kingdom in which He likened it to earthly episodes for illustrative purposes (Mt. 13; 20:1-16; 22:1-14; 25). We do not easily grasp spiritual truths. Those who heard Jesus often misunderstood Him because they had earthly/physical preconceptions about the kingdom or took His language too literally. In His preaching, Jesus was preparing people for the impending kingdom.

A dream king Nebuchadnezzar had centuries before revealed God’s kingdom would be set up in the days of the Roman kings (Dan. 2). The Roman Caesars were in power when Jesus lived as a human on the earth, died, and rose again to sit on His throne as King of Kings (Lk. 3:1; 20:25; 23:2; Jn. 19:12-15; Acts 2:30-36; 1 Tim. 6:15; Rev. 17:9-14). Jesus promised to build His church and told Peter about the “keys of the kingdom” in the same brief statement (Mt. 16:17-19). The church and the kingdom are often used interchangeably. Power that Jesus said would accompany His kingdom came on Pentecost day following the resurrection of Jesus from the dead (Acts 2:1-4). Those who responded positively to the preaching of the apostles—particularly the inspired instructions of Peter recorded in the biblical text—through repentance and baptism were added to the church (Acts 2:38, 41, 47). The kingdom came with power. Peter, with the keys of the kingdom, opened the door for people to access this kingdom when he said, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized for the remission of sins…” (Acts 2:38).

Those in the church are in the kingdom. The saints and faithful brethren in Christ at Colossae (Col. 1:2) had been delivered from the power of darkness and conveyed into the kingdom of God’s Son (Col. 1:13). When John wrote to persecuted Christians in the seven churches of Asia Minor, he referred to himself as their brother in the kingdom of Jesus Christ (Rev. 1:9). Christians are fellow citizens (Eph. 2:19) of this holy nation (1 Pet. 2:9).

The proper response to hearing the kingdom of God preached is to be baptized (Acts 8:12). When one is baptized into Christ, a new birth occurs. In John 3:5-7, Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’” This is the way to enter the kingdom of God—the church.

Christ’s kingdom has come. It was established on earth nearly two thousand years ago. It is the church of Christ. John prepared the way for its reception. Jesus preached about it, then died, and rose again to establish it. Are you in the kingdom?

Often people see the drastic wars and changes taking place around the world and think these events portend the end of times. They may mistakenly apply passages about the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem in AD 70 that ended the Jewish system to the end of the world (Mt. 24:6; Mk. 13:7; Lk. 21:10-24). However, let us remember the final coming of Christ will be unannounced. Just after mentioning that heaven and earth will pass away (Mt. 24:35), Jesus went on to say, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only” (Mt. 24:36). There were signs leading up to the destruction of Jerusalem (Mt. 24:33), but not so with the end of the world.

The apostle Paul wrote, “For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape” (1 Thess. 5:2-3). The unexpected timing of the event is compared to a thief in the night, the same way it is described in 2 Peter 3:10. Notice also, people will be saying, “Peace and safety!” not “doom and gloom!” as they often do presently regarding world events. Some will be eating and drinking and celebrating marriages when He comes (Mt. 24:38). The final coming of Christ will surprise people, and catch them off guard; thus, we always must stay ready (Mt. 24:42-44).

Jesus clearly taught there will be a “last day” (Jn. 6:39, 40, 44, 54; 12:48). In these statements, the Lord refers to resurrection and judgment occurring then. He is referring to the final “day of judgment,” a single event at the end in which all will be judged (Mt. 11:22, 24). All will stand before the judgment seat of Christ (2 Cor. 5:10; Acts 17:30-31).

While there will be a “last day” in the history of the world, let us not confuse it with the term “last days” in the Bible. Peter taught that the last days were inaugurated at Pentecost following the resurrection of Jesus when the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy of God pouring out His Spirit began (Acts 2:14-17). The writer of Hebrews refers to “these last days” (Heb. 1:2). “These” instead of “the” indicates the writer was living in them. Similarly, Peter referred to “these last times” (1 Pet. 1:20). Thus, the “last days” is the last age of time, the Christian age in which we live, before the end. The “last days” does not mean the last few years, months, or days before the return of Christ, but an entire period of history. The last days have already nearly spanned two thousand years. We in the twenty-first century are living in the “last days” just as Peter was in the first century.

Instead of being glued to the never-ending news cycle, trying to figure out what it all might mean, let us take time to focus on God’s word and be ready whenever the final judgment may come. If we are children of the day, walking in the light, that final day will not overtake us as a thief (1 Thess. 5:4-8). We can have confidence that whenever the Lord comes, we are walking in His light and are ready to live with Him forever.

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service” (Rom. 12:1). In view of God’s mercies to all people, Paul urged Christians to present their bodies as living sacrifices to God. The sacrifice of Jesus in becoming human, dying on the cross, and being raised from the dead gives Christians the foundation to live their lives as sacrifices to God.

Earlier in the epistle to the Romans, Paul commanded, “And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God” (Rom. 6:13). If our lives are to be sacrifices well-pleasing to God, then we must live in holiness and righteousness. Romans 12:2 explains this two-fold endeavor by which we present our bodies as living sacrifices: “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Notice both the negative and positive of this verse. Negatively: do not be conformed to this world. Positively: be transformed by the renewing of your mind. If we have been born again to new life in Christ, then we must not conform ourselves to the former lusts that characterize worldly ignorance of spiritual truth, but instead be holy as our Father in heaven is holy (1 Pet. 1:14-16).

Our citizenship is in heaven (Phil. 3:20); thus, we should be heavenly-minded instead of earthly-minded (Col. 3:2). This present age is evil (Gal. 1:4). The lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life are transient; whoever loves and pursues them does not love God (1 Jn. 2:15-17). Are we becoming conformed to the world in what we promote, in how we dress and speak, in our entertainment selections, and in how we operate in the church? Are you pursuing the lusts of this world or the will of God? The church is beset by members who think and live like the world. Let us be on guard against the pride of life, lest we become conceited and engage in political maneuvering in the church instead of humbly serving God (Rom. 12:3). We must be cautious of merely claiming to love others, but not genuinely, only hypocritically (Rom. 12:9). The worldly mindset is subtle enough to make all our apparent “goodness” actually rotten at its core if deep down we are selfish and proud.

Instead of allowing the world to squeeze us into its mold, our thinking must be transformed to the mindset of Christ. The New Testament reveals to us the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, and looking intently into it can bring about transformation (2 Cor. 3:18). The revelation of Christ is the perfect law of liberty (Jas. 1:25); however, we must not merely look into it and forget, but rather reflect and make necessary changes (Jas. 1:21-24). Our lives can reflect the divine light to the world (Mt. 5:14; Jn. 8:12; 9:5).

We can find out and follow the will of God and thus show its genuineness. This is what is meant by “prove” in the last part of Romans 12:2, “that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Notice God’s will is described as good, acceptable, and perfect. God’s will is beneficial when we put it into practice. Christianity is more than attending church service fairly often and doing a few good things for others from time to time. It is presenting oneself as a sacrifice to God every day with a serious devotion to holiness and righteousness in keeping God’s will.