The individual and corporate implications of the message of II Peter are of utmost importance. The instructions of this epistle are necessary for a sustainable church and the assurance of salvation. The value of these truths is illustrated well in the personal note of context provided by the author in 1:13-15. These are his carefully chosen last words to his closest of family members. These words are underscored with objective qualification (16-21). They carry the apostolic and Spirit-breathed stamp of authenticity. They carry a a sense of urgency (1:13, 3:1-2). These words of legacy are meant as a stirring reminder. How intently would you listen to the last words of a beloved dying family member? This illustration ought to inform our attentiveness to the Word of God.