Peter is quite right that the “fall from your own steadfastness” is abetted by bad theology, “the error of wicked men.” Most of these men are not straight-up “wicked,” but the germ of error in their theology is; a ship that begins off course by 1 degree will be many miles wide of the mark by the end.
What is the “error”? It is a slightly skewed view of grace that encourages passivity and discourages a striving for greater faith, since all striving—or any muscular “steadfastness”—is suspected of being works righteousness. Never mind that God says to “grow in grace” (2 Peter 3:18).
There is a “holding on” that must be part of the Christian’s everyday life (Hebrews 3:6,14). “Steadfastness” is not the staunch maintaining of a theological position but something much more personal and difficult: It is fighting for your very life, using every weapon listed in Ephesians 6. These articles of armor were not meant to be admired on a shelf but scuffed up in battle.
I wish I could say the battles involved noble campaigns against Gnosticism and Liberalism, but they are more typically wrestlings with coveting your neighbor’s talents or his new car.
Andree Seu
