February 18, 2024
Morning Service

In Peter’s final letter, each chapter has its own theme.  Chapter one encouraged the young church to grow by giving diligence to adding to their faith virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and finally love.  Chapter two warned us of the false teachers that are here among us inside the church teaching things that do not line up with the Word, denying even the deity of Jesus.  We must stay in tune with God through the Holy Spirit to avoid being deceived.  In this final chapter, Peter reveals to us things that will happen in the last days and reveals to us why those days seem to be slow in the coming. He begins this chapter by showing us the reason behind this letter he has written to us

2Pe 3:1-2 Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), (2) that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior,

            Peter points out that we are a forgetful people and reminds us to stay in the Word and “be mindful of the words spoken” to us there.  Bible study should be a routine in our lives as it provides for us a map that keeps us on track to follow Jesus.  This map shows us the way to our eternal home and warns us of the dangers that await us along the way. Peter now begins revealing to us what things will happen in the last days before the return of Christ.

 

2Pe 3:3-7 knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, (4) and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation."  (5)  For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, (6) by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water.  (7)  But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

            Even in the time of Peter, there were those who were “scoffers” mocking Jesus’ promise to return.  Today, I don’t see many who openly speak like these scoffers, but their lives certainly reflect it.  They live like they are in control of their own lives planning and doing what they want to do without being mindful of the things of God at all.  Living lives that reflect their unbelief, scoffing at God through their actions.  Notice Peter tells us that these scoffers “willfully forget” how God has always been true to His Word.  They choose to ignore God and His promises going about their lives as if He does not exist.  Peter refutes these scoffers by reminding them that God has always since the beginning of time been faithful to fulfil His promises.  He is the Creator who spoke this world into existence separating the land from the water with only His Word.  It was by His Word that He then fulfilled His promise and flooded the entire earth at the time of Noah because of man’s every thought was evil.  He has now promised in the future that the “heavens and earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.”  That day approaches and will come to the surprise of the scoffers and to the delight of all Jesus followers.  Peter continues his explanation and reveals to us a wonderful truth about our Lord:

2Pe 3:8-9 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.  (9)  The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

            God is not bound by time as we are.  He lives outside the realm of time and is within the eternal realm.  There are no seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, or years that God walks in.  He walks in the eternal realm as Psalms 90 explains very well comparing yesterday to a thousand years.  Peter tells us that it is not time that holds back the Lord from returning, but His longsuffering as He gives opportunity for all to be saved.  Notice what we see about the heart of God here in verse 9:  He is “not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”  It is within God’s heart that every single person would come to a point of realization that they are sinners and need a Savior.  As Jesus said in John 3:17: “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”  Think about that for a minute.  God is on your side.  He is rooting for you to accept Jesus into your life accepting His gift of eternal life.  If God is for you, who can be against you? (Rom. 8:31) He loves you, He values you, He is pursuing you and He desires a relationship with you.  It is up to you to accept or reject Him; He is waiting patiently but time grows short.

 

2Pe 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.  

            Time is growing short and Jesus will return for His church “as a thief in the night.”  This will ignite the “Great Tribulation” period where God’s wrath is poured out upon the earth as the Book of Revelations explains.  Jesus will then return to bound Satan for a thousand years and reign with us here on this earth for that “Millennial reign.”  At the end of that thousand years, Satan will be released for a short time until he will be sent to the lake of fire that was created for him and his demons (Rev. 19&20).  It is at that time as Peter describes to us that this earth will “pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.”  This destruction certainly sounds like what we see with a nuclear bomb.  The energy that is released by the splitting of atoms is enormous and God will do away with this world in that manner from the smallest atom to the earth itself.  All that we know and have invested into this world will be destroyed.  How should knowing this is going to happen change how we think and act?  Peter tell us beginning the next verse with “therefore:”

 

  2Pe 3:11-13 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, (12) looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?  (13)  Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

            When we truly come to grips that this world will one day be done away with, it should shift our focus to what really is eternal; what really matters in the big picture. All the material things we have strived and worked for will be gone.  Our job status and position will no longer matter.  This should change our perception of “what manner of person I ought to be” in my conduct changing it from being worldly focused to Godly focused.  We should be “looking for and hastening the coming day of God.”  As a Jesus follower the best is yet to come.  We should lay hold of what our future is and anticipate it with great joy.  It is not a time to fear, but a time to place your full hope in knowing that Jesus “makes all things new!”  We shall one day live as Adam and Eve did in perfect relationship with our Savior in a perfect world, not a fallen one!  Sam spoke on this a couple of weeks ago from Revelations 21; the new heaven and new earth.  God will walk among us and we will never again cry a tear, mourn a loss of a loved one at a funeral, or feel the dull ache of pain in our bodies.  Do you long for that day?  Let that hope drive you closer to your Savior walking in His ways and always looking for that day to come quickly.  Don’t choose to “willfully forget” what God has done for you or what He has planned for you.  Let Jesus be the Light in your life and the things of this world become shadows to His presence. Peter now summarizes this letter with a challenge for all of us.  This is the “doing” part of hearing the Word that so often talk about.

 

2Pe 3:14-18 Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless;  (15)  and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you,  (16)  as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.  (17)  You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; (18) but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.

            Because we know what happens in the end, Peter encourages us to “look forward” to these things.  Don’t walk in fear of them, anticipate them with great joy!  Be diligent to follow Jesus in peace without spot or blemish bringing glory to Him through your life removing sin from your life and walking faithfully in obedience.  Consider always that God’s will is for all to be saved including you; He chose you.  With this knowledge we have now, he also warns us to “beware lest you fall from you own steadfastness.”  Don’t take your eyes off of Jesus!  Stay awake and aware that our enemy seeks to deceive us and we must be on guard at all times.  Do this by pursing God and growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Never be satisfied, but be hungering for more of that wonderful spiritual food that is there for us to partake of.