This week,
we have been looking at a section of a letter in the Bible called the book of 2
Peter, where we have discovered the timeless truth that we need to be reminded
of the reality of Jesus return. In 2 Peter 3:1-18, we see Peter reveal for us
three different reasons why we need to be reminded of Jesus return. So far this
week, we have discovered that we need to be reminded of the reality of Jesus
return because there will be those who ridicule our belief in His return. We
have also discovered that we need to be reminded of the reality of Jesus return
because of how God views time. Today, we will see Peter reveal a third reason
why we need to be reminded of Jesus return in 2 Peter 3:11-18:
Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people
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
destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! 13
But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in
which righteousness dwells. 14Therefore, beloved, since you look for
these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, 15
and regard the patience of our Lord as
salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the
wisdom given him, wrote to you, 16 as also in all his letters, speaking in them of
these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught
and unstable distort, as they do also
the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. 17 You
therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are
not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own
steadfastness, 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the
glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
In verses 11-12 we see Peter ask a rhetorical question to
the readers of his letter and followers of Jesus throughout history. Now the
reason why this question is rhetorical is due to the fact that the answer to
this question should be obvious for anyone to see. Peter’s rhetorical question,
if communicated in the language we use in our culture today, would have sounded
something like this:
“If the
selfishness and rebellion of humanity that has corrupted the earth will be
destroyed as a result of the burning judgment of God upon Jesus return, then
how should we live out our lives here on earth? Should we not live our lives in
a way that is dedicated and set apart to God and that is obedient to God so as
to look more like Jesus in our character and conduct? Should we not live our
lives in a way that our perspective is informed by the reality of Jesus return?
Should we not live out our lives in a way that exerts a special effort to
engage in God’s kingdom mission here on earth so as to be used by God to bring
as many people as possible to Jesus before He returns? Because when Jesus
returns, His return will result in the dissolving of the universe and the
destruction of the elements of the universe as He brings God’s right and just
response to the selfishness and rebellion of humanity that has corrupted
humanity and the universe."
However, as Peter points out in verse 13, followers of
Jesus will experience the fullness of God’s promise of being a part of God’s
kingdom community as a result of Jesus ushering in the kingdom of Heaven upon
His return by bringing forth a new heavens and a new earth that is free from
selfishness, sin, and death. Upon Jesus return, Jesus will usher in the kingdom
of Heaven in its fullest sense; a kingdom in which followers of Jesus will
dwell with Jesus in the fullness of the right relationship with God that we
were created for.
And because of the reality of God’s promise of Jesus
return, in verse 14 Peter commands followers of Jesus throughout history to be diligent
to be found by Him in peace, spotless, and blameless. In other words, Peter is
commanding followers of Jesus throughout history to be eager to live their lives in such a way that, when
Jesus returns, He will judge their lives to have been lived in a state of well being with God that is untainted in character and blameless
in behavior.
In addition, Peter commanded followers of Jesus
throughout history to regard the patience of our Lord as salvation. But what does that mean? Peter’s point here is
that followers of Jesus are to consider Jesus ability to bear up under the provocation
of our selfishness and rebellion as providing us the opportunity to experience
God’s favor so as to be rescued from our selfishness and rebellion.
Think of it this way: I became a follower of Jesus in
1991. But what if Jesus had returned in 1990? If Jesus had returned in 1990, I
would have been eternally separated from God as a result of my selfishness and
rebellion. However, it was Jesus
willingness to endure my rebellion that provided me the opportunity to be
rescued from my rebellion. Peter’s point is that, as followers of Jesus, when
we become frustrated that Jesus has not returned yet, we should keep in mind
that every day that Jesus does not return is a day that provides an opportunity
for someone to be rescued and experience a relationship with Jesus.
And it is here that we see Peter reveal for us the third reason why we need to
be reminded of Jesus return in that we need to be reminded of the reality of
Jesus return because His future return should influence how we live in the
present. As followers of Jesus, Jesus return should influence us to live in a
way that is set apart to God and that is obedient to God. As followers of
Jesus, Jesus return should influence us to live in a way that reveals and
reflects Jesus to others. As followers of Jesus, Jesus return should influence
us to live with a perspective that produces special effort toward the mission
we have been given by Jesus. This perspective recognizes that this earthly
existence is temporary. And this perspective recognizes an eternal home where
rightness resides.
And as
followers of Jesus, Jesus return should influence us to live in a way that
meets His right standards. Living in a way that meets Jesus high standards will
result in a state of well being with God. Living in a way that meets Jesus high
standards will result in an untainted character. Living in a way that meets
Jesus high standards will result in us being blameless before God. And living
in a way that meets Jesus high standards will result in us trusting in His
promise in a way that provides us salvation.
We see Peter
point to this reality in the second half of verse 15 by pointing the readers of
his letter and followers of Jesus to the Apostle Paul. Peter explained to
followers of Jesus throughout history, that this salvation was exactly what
Paul also wrote about according to the wisdom given Him by God. However, what I
find especially encouraging is what Peter says in verse 16: “as also in all his letters,
speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand,”
You see, I find this encouraging because if Peter found some of the things that
Paul wrote hard to understand, then it is okay for us to find some of what Paul
wrote hard to understand.
However, Peter warns the readers of his letter throughout
history that those who are ignorant of God or who are unstable when it comes to
a relationship with God will distort and twist Paul’s words to meet their own
selfish desires. But did you notice how Peter referred to Paul’s letters here?
Peter referred to Paul’s letters as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.
When Peter here refers to the Scripture, this word was used to describe the
letters that make up the Old Testament of our Bibles today.
You see, Paul’s letters carried equal weight and
authority with the Old Testament in Peter’s eyes. In addition, unlike what many
like to say about how the letters that make up the New Testament were preserved
and collected, Peter here reveals for us the reality that many of the letters
that make up what we know to be the New Testament were being copied and
circulated and bound together as having the same weight and authority as the
Old Testament. By the middle of the second century, the vast majority of the
letters that make up what we know as the New Testament were viewed as being
inspired by God and were being kept together in collections. The
Council of Carthage, which occurred in 397, merely approved what was already an
accomplished fact generally accepted by the early church for a long period of
time.
And because of that reality, in
verse 17-18, Peter commanded followers of Jesus throughout history to be careful to not be carried away by the twisted truth of
false teachers. Peter commanded followers of Jesus throughout history to be
careful not to be carried away from our commitment to the truth by false
teachers. Instead, Peter commanded followers of Jesus throughout history to
grow in grace and knowledge of Jesus, so that God would receive the honor and
prestige that He is worthy of for all eternity.
Because, as
we have discovered this week, we need to be reminded of the reality of Jesus
return. We need to be reminded of the reality of Jesus return because there
will be those who ridicule our belief in His return. We need to be reminded of the reality of
Jesus return because of how God views time. And we need to be reminded of the
reality of Jesus return because His future return should influence how we live
in the present.
So here is a question for us to consider:
How are you responding to the reality of Jesus return? How are you responding
to those who ridicule your belief in Jesus return? How is Jesus future return
influencing how you are living out your day to day life as a follower of Jesus
in the present?
Because the timeless reality is that we need to be
reminded of the reality of Jesus return...
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