2 Peter 3:1-14
This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: 2 That ye 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 Saviour: 3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after 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 the creation. 5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: 6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: 7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. 8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. 14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.
Last week, we were introduced to the promise that Jesus gave to His followers that He was gone away to prepare a place for them in His Father’s house, heaven. His promise was that He would come again and receive them to Himself so that they could go there and forever be with Him. This is the next event on God’s prophetic calendar. Jesus is coming back for His people, the world will experience wrath and judgment during a Tribulation period, and then believers will return with Jesus to reign for 1000 years on earth.
As we look for His coming, what can we expect? More importantly, as we look for His coming, how should we live? The Apostle Peter wrote many years ago to Christians who faced many challenges that Christians today face including deception and persecution. Peter wrote 2 Peter to warn the church of false teachers that would seek to lead many astray. He wrote, in this passage, about those who would ridicule Christians for believing in the return of their Savior to take them to be with Him.
Frances Schaeffer, a Christian apologist, wrote his work How Should We Then Live in the 1970s and he addressed the erosion and demise of Western Civilization as society moved away from biblical truth to humanistic truth. The call in his work is for Christians to remain firm upon the truth as they face a society that will largely look down upon them for clinging to what is absolute.
Jesus could come at any moment. How should believers live as we stand ready for the coming of our Lord? Peter tells us three ways that we should live in this time period known as “the last days.” This period began at the ascension of Christ and the birth of the church at Pentecost. Peter acknowledged that believers were in the last days at Pentecost quoting from Joel 2:28-32 in Acts 2:17 , “And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh.” Therefore, we have been in the last days for about 2000 years. That means that this time period is our time period.
First, he tells believers to live soberly. To live soberly means to live with a sound mind. This does not just mean thinking clearly, but here refers to thinking biblically. Peter tells the church to use their “pure minds” that are given to them through the sanctifying presence of God’s Spirit in them and to “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 Saviour.” “The words” of the “holy prophets” and “commandments of us the apostles” are the words contained in the pages of the Bible in the Old and New Testaments. As we prepare for the return of Jesus, we must learn to think biblically and weigh everything by the truth of God’s Word.
Second, he tells believers to live patiently. Peter warns that “scoffers” would mock Jesus’ coming. He reminds them how Noah and his family would have been mocked preparing for rain and building an ark in his day, but eventually the flood waters came and those mockers were swept away in the flood. He reminds us that Jesus will return for His church and the lost world that is left behind will undergo the wrath and judgment of God during the Tribulation period. This period will end with the Second Coming of Christ and the establishment of His kingdom on earth that will last 1000 years before a final judgment at the Great White Throne and the ushering in of a new heavens and earth (Revelation 20:1-21:8). Peter tells us that God’s delay is not from “slackness” or him failing to bring to pass His plan in any way. Instead, it is because He is gracious and patient with the lost world wanting them to come to repentance and salvation. Believers are to thus be patient for His return as God is being patient with the lost world.
Third, he tells believers to live expectantly. One thing that you find in the New Testament is that Christians lived as if Jesus could return at any moment. This is the doctrine of immanency. It means He could come any time. Believers were to thus always be prepared for His return. One day, when these events are ushered in, the world that now is will be purged by fire and there will be a new heavens and earth. God will dwell with His people. We must, therefore, make ourselves ready. We do so by being “diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.”
We are closer to the Lord’s return than any people in history. If Peter called believers to be ready 2000 years ago, then how much more urgent is it for us that we be ready? We must ask the question that Peter asked all those years ago to those he wrote to, “what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness?” How should we then live?