Let’s evaluate the warning in scripture that no one has ever heard of…

2 Peter 3:14-18
Therefore, loved ones, while you are looking for these things, make every effort to be found in shalom, spotless and blameless before Him. ¹⁵ Bear in mind that the patience of our Lord means salvation—just as our dearly loved brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom given to him. ¹⁶ He speaks about these matters in all of his letters. Some things in them are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist (as they also do with the rest of the Scriptures)—to their own destruction.
¹⁷ Since you already know all this, loved ones, be on your guard so that you are not led astray by the error of the lawless and lose your sure footing. ¹⁸ Instead, keep growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Yeshua the Messiah. To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity! Amen.

Ok, first things first.  Are you familiar with this very serious warning from Peter the Apostle?
I was never taught this during my 33 years in the church, but I learned it when I started reading and studying the bible for myself.

Secondly…
Is this warning a big deal?
Are you kidding me?
This warning in scripture is a HUGE DEAL!!!!

Let’s take a closer look at it.
Peter begins by reminding us to be found in peace, and to be found spotless and blameless.
This ties back to what he said in verses 1 and 2
“In both I am trying to stir you up by way of a reminder to wholesome thinking— ² to remember the words previously proclaimed by the holy prophets and the commandment of our Lord and Savior through your emissaries.”

Wholesome (smart, wise, good) thinking = remembering what the prophets taught, and remembering the commandments.

Ummm, I’ve only been taught that the words of the prophets and the commandments were done away with at the cross.
Slow down and think about it.
Peter tells us these things AFTER the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Yeshua (Jesus).
Why would he tell us these things are applicable AFTER they were done away with.
Maybe he didn’t get the memo?
Or….
Maybe they were not done away with?

Are you going to believe a first century Apostle who learned directly from Yeshua, or are you going to believe your pastor, who learned his theology from a college run by men?
Who has the most authority to teach?

Matthew 28:18
And Yeshua came up to them and spoke to them, saying, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.

If Yeshua (Jesus) has ALL OF THE AUTHORITY, that means our pastors (and our Seminaries) have NONE OF THE AUTHORITY.
I’ve decided to stick with the guy who learned directly from our Messiah.  He probably knows what he is talking about.

Peter then tells us that the salvation that comes from Yeshua is what Paul wrote about — based on the wisdom given to him.
Paul had a supernatural interaction with Yeshua on the road to Damascus.
He converted from a Pharisee who was persecuting and killing the new church, to being a prominent leader of the new church.
Does scripture tell us it took time?  Did he go off and study for several years and then begin his ministry?
No.  He began right away.  He understood immediately. The ways of Yehova were imparted to him, just as Peter tells us.
This means Paul’s writings are true and can be trusted.

But then we get to the beginning of the actual warning…
“Some things in them are hard to understand…”
Oh, you don’t say???  Is it possible that the things Paul wrote might be misunderstood and improperly taught today, 2000 years later?
Well, considering Peter wrote this warning within years of the source of the truth (the teaching they received directly from Yeshua), people were getting this wrong back then.  2000 plus years did not need to pass in order for the lessons of Paul to get muddled.
If it was going on back then, how much worse could it have gotten over two millennia?? The sky is the limit, right?

Moving on in Peter’s warning, we get this:
“…which the ignorant and unstable twist (as they also do with the rest of the Scriptures)—to their own destruction.”

Ok, this is where we get to the HUGE DEAL I mentioned above.
Not heeding this warning will result in our destruction!!
Wait, what???
Did Peter say destruction?
Ummm, yes.  Destruction is not a good thing for us, is it?
Destruction is not like a sunburn or a mosquito bite. It isn’t something that is mildly irritating, only to be soon forgotten.
Nope.
Destruction is a big deal.

Matthew 10:28
And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the One who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.

Should we listen to the words of Messiah and Yehova, who can destroy both body and soul?
Or should we listen to our pastors, or the [mis-represented] words of Paul, or the words of any man, who can only kill the body?

Peter doesn’t warn that if we get this wrong, it will be ok because of abundant grace.
The man who learned directly from Messiah tells us that if we get this wrong, we will be destroyed.
This is no joke.
This is serious.
This is not something we should just skim over and forget about.

What else did Peter include in his warning?
He said that people will twist Paul’s writings, to the consequence of being destroyed.
Not only that, he said these people will also twist the scriptures (only the Old Testament scriptures existed at the time, and that is what he was referring to), to the consequence of being destroyed.

Making  this mistake is about misunderstanding and twisting Paul’s writings AS WELL AS misunderstanding and twisting the Old Testament scriptures.

Peter continues his warning with this:
“…be on your guard so that you are not led astray by the error of the lawless and lose your sure footing.”

We are to be on our guard.
We are to not be led astray.
By the error of the lawless.
So misunderstanding Paul’s writings (and the scriptures) brings about lawlessness, and will result in our destruction?

Yes.
Like I said, this is a big deal.

How does this relate to our mainstream churches?
They teach us that the law was done away with at the cross.
If you ask your pastor about this, I can pretty much guarantee he will use the writings of Paul to justify this teaching.
In fact, I challenge you to ask your pastor to prove, using scripture, that the law was done away with, and that we no longer have to do it.
Be ready to take notes on Paul’s [misunderstood and twisted] writings.

How do we know this is a “wrong” teaching.
Well, would direct quotes of your Messiah help sort it out?

John 14:15
If you love me, you will keep My commandments.

John 14:21
He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me.

John 14:24
He who does not love Me does not keep My words. And the word you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me.

John 15:9-10
“Just as the Father has loved Me, I also have loved you. Abide in My love! ¹⁰ If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.

Matthew 5:17
“Do not think that I came to abolish the Torah or the Prophets! I did not come to abolish, but to fully teach.

Matthew 5:18
Amen, I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or serif shall ever pass away from the Torah until all things come to pass.

Matthew 5:19
Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever keeps and teaches them, this one shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 7:21-23
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. ²² Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in Your name, and drive out demons in Your name, and perform many miracles in Your name?’ ²³ Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Get away from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’”

Revelation 22:14
“Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.”

Revelation 22:15
“But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.”

If our Messiah tells us over and over again to keep the commandments, but our churches use the writings of Paul to say we are not to follow the Torah Instructions (the law), then what has happened?
It would seem our churches have failed to heed the warning given by Peter.
And here is the really awful part…
The consequence of failing to heed this warning is destruction.

Am I saying that everyone, millions upon millions of people throughout many generations will be destroyed?
No, I am not saying that.
Scripture is saying it.
Peter said it.
Your Messiah is saying it.

If the mainstream church misinterprets Paul’s writings and teaches a lie because of it, everyone who believes that lie will be destroyed?

Messiah Himself says so. Yes.
Again, from Revelation 22:15
“whoever loves and practices a lie” will not have access to the tree of life.

Now do you see why I said this is really awful?
Nobody wants to hear this.  It is a terrible, terrible premise.

Am I sure about this?
Well, in Yeshua’s Revelation, He tells us who the remnant of the church is in Chapter 12 Verse 17
“And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”

Again in Yeshua’s Revelation, He tells us who the Saints are (14:12)
“Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Yeshua.”

Are you seeing a consistent theme in the words of our Messiah? Direct quotes of the man and deity who died for you?  Will you believe Him?

He says to keep the commandments.
Not some generic commandments.
He says to keep the commandments of God.  Where do we find those? They are given to us in the Torah, commonly referred to as the law.

If none of this matches what you’ve been taught your whole life, please study it and pray about it.
The consequence of not understanding Peter’s warning about Paul’s writings (and the rest of scriptures) is our destruction.
It is worth taking some time to study.

But still, am I sure about this?
Look at these verses in scripture:
John 3:36
He who trusts in the Son has eternal life. He who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

1John 2:3-4
Now we know that we have come to know Him by this—if we keep His commandments. ⁴ The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

1John 2:5-6
 But whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God is truly made perfect. We know that we are in Him by this— ⁶ whoever claims to abide in Him must walk just as He walked.  (How did Yeshua walk? In accordance with the Torah law).

1John 3:4
Everyone practicing sin also practices lawlessness—indeed, sin is lawlessness.

1John 3:7-8
Children, let no one mislead you! The one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as Yeshua is righteous. ⁸ The one who practices sin is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning.

1John 3:24
The one who keeps His commandments abides in God, and God in him.

1John 5:2-3
We know that we love God’s children by this—when we love God and obey His commandments. ³ For this is the love of God—that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.

1John 5:18-19
We know that anyone born of God does not keep on sinning; rather, the One born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot touch him. ¹⁹ We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.

2John 1:4
I was overjoyed to find some of your children walking in truth, just as we received as a commandment from the Father. (commands of the Father = truth)

2John 1:6
Now this is love: that we walk according to His commands. This is the commandment—just as you heard from the beginning—that you walk in love. (refer back to John 14:15 to find out what love for Messiah is)

Hebrews 10:26-31
For if we keep on sinning willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, ²⁷ but only a terrifying expectation of judgment and a fury of fire about to devour the enemies of God. ²⁸ Anyone who rejected the Torah of Moses dies without compassion on the word of two or three witnesses. ²⁹ How much more severe do you think the punishment will be for the one who has trampled Ben-Elohim underfoot, and has regarded as unholy the blood of the covenant by which he was made holy, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? ³⁰ For we know the One who said, “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay,” and again, “Adonai will judge His people.”  ³¹ It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Are you starting to see a different picture in scripture?
A different picture than the one our churches show us, [mis]using the writings of Paul?

Do you see why the warning given to us by Peter is so very important?
Please pray about these things…

Do I believe that Yehova (God) told us to keep His commandments?
Yes, I do.
Do I believe that the prophets told us to keep His commandments?
Yes, I do.
Do I believe that Yeshua (Jesus) told us to keep His commandments?
Yes, I do.
Do I believe that the Apostles taught us to keep His commandments?
Yes, I do.

Do I believe we keep the His commandments to earn salvation?
ABSOLUTELY NOT!
Salvation is a gift that comes through faith, so that no man should boast.

I believe we keep the commandments because that is how Yeshua says to love Him and love our neighbor.
Just like Messiah told us:
If you love me, keep My commandments.

We keep the commandments because we love our Savior.