In Peter’s last recorded letter, he emphasizes his passion and conviction to always be reminding believers of the Gospel. It is, in some ways, a pastoral “mission statement” for all leaders to constantly be reminding those in their lives of the important Gospel truths that keep us walking with Jesus daily. We, as believers, can easily become near sighted, losing sight of the bigger, eternal picture. But, as John Owen reminds us, "So much as we see the love of God, so much shall we delight in Him, and no more." And to know God, we must know His Word. We must pray. And we must join in these things with His people.
God’s design for the local church is to gather His people regularly for daily life in Christ, to be built up, healed, equipped, and matured so that we can go out and spread the aroma of Christ and make disciples of all nations. Until that desired end and goal, we have the challenges of sin, failures, pride, pain, death, laziness, stubbornness, and a litany of other roadblocks. While the church is not perfect, nor is it easy, Jesus models how we are to enter into that messy, difficult, imperfectness, to bring healing and help. And so we submit and ask the Spirit to work through us to do the same, here and now, in our local churches.
