Be on Your Guard - Crosswalk the Devotional - June 30

Truths observed at the intersection of faith and life by Crosswalk.com editors [View this email in your browser]( [Crosswalk.com Home]( Be on Your Guard - Crosswalk the Devotional - June 30 [Crosswalk the Devotional]( Be on Your Guard by Laura MacCorkle Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. [2 Peter 3:17]( NIV Who of us doesn’t remember a film, television show, book or play with some swordsman in chainmail declaring, “On guard!” before engaging in a duel with someone else? In that type of adversarial situation, the warning is said to alert the other party that “I’m armed, so prepare to defend yourself.” And in light of the current belief battles going on today within evangelical Christianity, that meaning has been front and center in my head and heart—especially after reading through today’s verse in 2 Peter. I did a little further study and found what I read in the New Testament portion of The Bible Knowledge Commentary to be quite helpful in understanding this passage: If [Peter’s] readers were not careful, they could be carried away by the error of lawless men … The verb “carried away” emphasizes a group or corporate movement. False teachers are not satisfied with ambushing one or two, now and then, here and there; they want to sweep large groups of people away from the correct doctrine of Christ. Those who keep company with such people are in danger of being led astray. I don’t need or want to name prominent names or cite recent book titles or the like within the Christian bubble, as I’m sure that one or many have already come to your mind by this point in today’s devotional. Sadly, false teaching is everywhere these days and only seems to be gaining momentum as we head further into the twenty-first century. It’s alarming, for sure, to hear those who are in pastoral, shepherding or leadership positions mishandle God’s Word or imply that there is suddenly a new “change” in the meaning of scriptural doctrines that trained theologians and Bible scholars have agreed upon for centuries prior. [Finish Reading Your Devotional Online >>]( [Share]( [Tweet]( [+1]( [Forward]( [Get Inspired >]( [Send an e-Card >]( [Watch Online >]( [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER --------------------------------------------------------------- This newsletter is never sent unsolicited. You received this email because your email address, {EMAIL}, is signed up to receive email from a Salem Web Network website. We respect and value your time and are committed to protecting your privacy. Use the links below to update your profile and subscriptions, unsubscribe from this email, or find out more about Salem Web Network (SWN). [Manage my Subscriptions]( | [Unsubscribe from this List]( | [Read about SWN]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Salem Web Network | Copyright 2018. All rights reserved. | 111 Virginia St., Suite 500, Richmond, VA 23219 [Link](