Look forward to the Day of the Lord! (2 Peter 3) *

2 Peter 3:1-18

Key Verse – 2 Peter 3:11-12a “Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.”

Introduction:

In the concluding chapter of his two letters (1 and 2 Peter), Peter taught believers what they should do in the present in order to welcome the coming of the day of the Lord in the future. For believers, this meeting would be full of praise, glory, honor, joy, and thanksgiving (1 Peter 1:7; 4:13). Peter had the best experience and authority to speak of Jesus’ glory. He had tasted a glimpse of such glory for the first time when he saw a large number of fish caught in his net after one word from Jesus; he knelt down before Jesus and said, “I am a sinful man go away from me. Lord!” From that time on, Peter, as well as the other disciples, had lived with Jesus while he was on the earth. Jesus was like any other men on earth, in that he was accessible to all who would come to him. Even lepers, adulterers, and even the most critical Pharisees could come to and talk with him freely. However, near the end of his ministry, Jesus said this to three of his disciples, Peter, James, and John:

“And he said to them, "Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power."” (Mark 9:1).

Six days later, Peter went with Jesus to a mountain and there saw him in his glory, talking with Moses and Elijah. Mark notes this particular detail:

“His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them.” (Mark 9:3 NIV).

For Peter, this was an indelible memory of Jesus in his full glory. He never saw Jesus that way again, not even after his resurrection or at his ascension. It was so good, that Peter said this:

“Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters-- one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah."” (Mark 9:5).

Peter remembered this and felt that all believers should also experience Christ in the glory that he vividly remembered (2 Peter 1:16). Likewise, Peter intimately KNEW the GLORY and JOY found in Jesus’ glory. For him, all believers must see Christ in his glory and experience this HOPE for all men. Thus, all of Christ’s promises and blessing are directed toward one goal - to empower believers to participate in his divine nature. Toward this goal, Peter had preached about all the blessings that God gave us through Christ Jesus; He has given us knowledge, power, and grace. If anything additional is needed, what would that be? He warns them against seriously doubting the Lord’s coming.

A.     To stimulate you to wholesome thinking

As the final remark in his second letter, Peter made one last attempt to implant ‘the glory of the Lord Jesus’ in their minds. He says this:

“Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking.” (2 Peter 3:1).

These two letters were both written for one purpose: to stimulate his readers to wholesome thinking (eilikrines: εἰλικρινής). After all, having ‘wholesome thinking’ is considered a key to believers successfully receiving a great welcome on the day of the Lord. This word is sometimes translated as “pure mind” (NET), or as “sincere mind” (ASV). The original word is a combination of two words, according to Strong’s Greek dictionary: one, elios (ἥλιος), meaning “warmth or light of the sun,” and the other, krino (κρίνω), meaning ‘judge’. The full sense of this definition is “tested by the light of the sun,” or “completely pure,” “spotless.” This clearly gives us an insight on how believers are to be prepared for the day of the Lord.

When can we say that we are very pure, or perfectly pure? If each of us judges ourselves, then no one’s judgment is the same as any one else’s. This is because we are all different in our assessments and in what we consider to be completely pure. In order for them to understand what he meant by telling them to be pure, Peter told them to recall two things:

“I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles.” (2 Peter 3:2).

What these believers needed to do in order to have wholesome thinking was first to recall the words spoken by the prophets and second to remember the word and commands given by Jesus. If we simplify this, we can say that both the prophets’ words in the Old Testament and what Jesus commanded in the New Testament speak to what it means to be genuinely pure and to possess the kind of quality that endures under the heat of the sun. As we know from Scripture, the prophets received God’s message and then communicated it to the people. Jesus is God’s Word and, when he spoke, he spoke the mind and will of God the Father. So, both of these sources were from God the Father. God Himself is the barometer to measure who or what is really pure. Jesus said this in his prayer to his Father:

 “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.” (John 17:17).

The Old Testament prophecies and Jesus’ words are all from God and His word purifies the believer to be pure, holy, and acceptable to Him in His holiness.

“I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. Do not make yourselves unclean by any creature that moves along the ground. I am the LORD, who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy. (Leviticus 11:44-45).

As the relationship between God, as Israel’s God, and the Israelite people, as His people, was solidified, God demanded them to be holy because He is holy. Peter noted that purpose in his first letter.

“for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." (1 Peter 1:16).

So the journey of faith must end in holiness. Peter laid out eight steps for this journey (1 Peter 1:5-7). It is to be effort-driven, powered by faith, and spurred on by hope. The final goal was not an abstract idea, but for them to have the kind of love (Agape) that Jesus demonstrated for sinners on the cross. Only then, will he or she have certainty of his or her election and receive a rich welcome into the kingdom of God (1 Peter 1:11-12).

This was not a vague wish, but rather a tangible goal for every believer to reach, so that they may be welcomed into God’s kingdom. Nevertheless, many have been frustrated in their efforts to make progress in their life of faith. This gives us a keen realization that, from now until we reach the kingdom of God, there is and will always be a long and hard journey in which we must make every effort to succeed. As the days are getting more evil and ungodly, ‘the arduous walk in truth’ seems unattractive, and may be considered unsustainable or a very untenable idea. Such thoughts are ubiquitous and pose a great danger to our walk with Christ. What is the substance of this challenge? How can we believers cope with such opposition?

Peter adds one more commendation, in addition to what he already said. It is about ideas that raise serious doubts concerning the Lord’s coming. This is the most offensive and powerful challenge to the concept of ‘wholesome thinking’!

B.      The challenge in the last days 

Here, Peter mentions the challenge that shall come, which every believer must face. (2 Peter 3:3-4).

““Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, "Where is this 'coming' he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation."” (2 Peter 3:3-4).

Though such scornful words are seldom uttered explicitly, well-packaged products, such as pragmatism, materialism, and humanism, invariably contain such scoffing as their essential element. Unknowingly, we too not only use these products but also entertain such words of doubt in our hearts as another possible or living truth.

Next, the Pharisees raised a question about Jesus’ coming. As we know, nowadays, hope for the Lord’s coming is rarely mentioned or taught and is often considered irrelevant to our current ‘Christian’ life. It is more than likely that such an idea as this scoffer is had is already at work among believers.

Behind this is an idea that raises another serious question; why do we, as believers, have to suffer so much for so long, while there is still plenty of room for enjoyment and an easy life? This is an annoying question, which will pop up again and again as we take the narrow road towards the kingdom of God. As my retirement date was announced, many asked me what I wanted to do. The most common question was if I and my wife wanted to travel. One couple even wanted us to join them on a trip to the Caribbean islands. However, my time was already filled with campus ministries and had little room for any travel. Isn’t it time for a break? Is there room for me to take it easy? The ultimate answer for what I was going to do was to consider where or on what I had placed my hope and vision.

The plausible reasons of this world and its offers are so attractive and appealing to my inner desires. Jesus hasn’t come in over two thousand years! Take it easy! How one answers this question to himself or herself will determine their future mindset, as well as the course of his or her life from that point on. So I want you to give a very positive and decisive answer to yourself today and then the many detours and distractions of life will be reduced as you continue on your course towards the day of the Lord.

This question raises two serious doubts. Though the prophets, as well as Jesus, promised the coming of the day of the Lord since the time of the Patriarchs (2000BC – Abraham’s day), it had not yet come. So its coming has become very doubtful. Second, even if it comes, it may not be relevant for us now, because it is likely that it may not come in our days, since it has not happened for so long. These scoffers spoke the minds of many. Practically, all men live by or suffer from this line of thinking at some point in their walk with the Lord. When people do not see or have the hope of the glorious day of the Lord, life here on earth is just an endless repetition of birth, suffering or pleasure, and death. Many great men saw these ‘repetitions of life’ and tried hard to find meaning and purpose in them. Did they find the answer? No! So the scoffer’s words ring true for many hearts. It even rings in our hearts as we go through many difficulties in following our Lord Jesus. Therefore, if we put off finding a clear answer to this question, that idea will haunt us until our death. So it must be answered and answered very well.

C.      The certainty of the coming of the day of the Lord

Peter answers these two questions (2 Peter 3:5-7)

First, ‘will the day of the Lord come?’

God created the earth and water by His word and also destroyed the world with that same water during Noah’s time. This is a clear precedent  communicates God’s will to us - to do away with ungodly people. Also, His same word that created the earth and water confirmed the coming day of earth’s judgment by fire. He had the power and will to create the earth and water, as well as to judge the earth with fire. Likewise, the God who created the earth and water will surely bring judgment on those who do evil in His eyes. Thus, God’s word stands tall. Yes, as He prophesied, through the prophets and through Jesus, the day of the Lord will surely come to judge the world!

Second, ‘when will the day of the Lord come’? (2 Peter 3:8-10)

This is a troubling question as well, because we are constantly driven by the desire to escape our current suffering, either by putting off anything that causes suffering now or by suffering’s end at his coming. However, Peter gives this word:  

“But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.” (2 Peter 3:8).

God’s timing is measured in reference to eternity, while our’s is measured in reference to our life span - about a hundred and twenty years. For Him, a hundred years may be like a second and two thousand years is almost as long as eternity from our perspective. We must understand and accept that God’s plan spans from the beginning of creation to now and from now to the time of His recreation. A couple of thousand years is not enough time to judge if God has forgotten His promises. He envisioned saving man from the time of his fall (Genesis 3). Since then, it took more than 4,000 years before He sent Jesus to fulfill His purpose of salvation. Since He offered salvation to all men through Jesus, two thousand years have gone by.

When Peter was writing this letter (ca. AD 60’s), the Roman emperor, Nero’s, intense persecution of believers was just beginning. Some of his readers had been stressed out for over 20 or 30 years of their life of faith because of so many hardships. We can fully understand some of their attempts to realign their hearts in such stressful times. In this frame of mind, God’s word seemed like a remote possibility to them, but this was rooted in their own evil desires (v3).

But Peter attuned their minds to the sphere of God’s presence as well as His eternal word.  The world and anything in it will fade away, but God’s word endures forever! Since Jesus came, 2017 years have gone by. Yet, the day of the Lord has not come, but is still in our future. The passing of 30 or 2017 years without any signs of God fulfilling His promise cannot and shall not detract from the reliability of His word. Is there anything erroneous that occurs in His word if He brings judgment again in 2000 years? Our personal predicaments should not alter our view of God’s word; instead, we need to seek the meaning and purpose of what God has laid upon our lives. No matter what that may be, they are for God’s purpose and act as a means for His blessing. Peter gave us this reason:

“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9).

God gives such us a long time because He wants all men to come to Him with a changed mind, instead of perishing. Isaiah spoke about God’s mind on this issue (Isaiah 65:2) and Paul understood this well (Romans 10:21).

““But concerning Israel he says, "All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people."” (Romans 10:21).  

God would not compromise His demand for us to become as holy as He is. However, He is gracious in waiting for us to be like Him in all aspects of our being. He has equipped us with the truth, power, and with all means to reach to this goal. Now He is waiting and waiting for even the weakest one to be able to reach Him, so that no one will fail to meet His expectations. It is His hope and patience for all of us; no one must dare to take this grace as a sign of His weakness or as license to abuse His patience.

So we have certainty in these two questions; God will surely come in His glory and the day of the Lord is coming according to His plan.

But as it approaches, what will His coming be like?

“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.” (2 Peter 3:10).

His coming will be sudden and unexpected. It will happen with sweeping speed and thoroughness. His coming is to put away all that stands between God and those living on the earth. His first task is to put away or remove the heavens. Then the elements, i.e. the heavenly bodies, will be melted away until there is nothing dividing God from mankind. The earth will be laid bare to His glory. It will be very horrifying to those whose security of life is found in the sun, the blue sky with its rain in season, and all the beautiful things on the earth. There will be nothing left standing between them and God - no sun, no sky; literally, all will be laid bare before His glory! Suddenly, they will face God as He is, in all His glory.

“Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.” (1Corithians 4:5 NIV).

“Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” (Hebrews 4:13).

Our entire being will be exposed to His penetrating eye. There will be no place to hide; no one can hide anything from His eyes. Our inner being, whatever it is, will be exposed to the Lord and shall be measured against and judged according to His holiness. Once Jesus said this to his disciples:

"Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny. "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. (Matthew 5:25-29 NIV).

At this time, no one can make any excuses - no but’s, no maybe’s, no wait-a-moment’s. There will be a sweeping implementation of God’s judgement on everyone! This will be the final accounting of what we have done. We will have no more chances or delays! In this aspect, His coming and judgment will be swift and thorough.

Fortunately, this is yet a future for us.

“Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.” (2 Peter 3:11-12).

Nothing or no one can withstand the fire, except the one who is wholesome. The answer is clear; we ought to live holy and godly lives! There is no other alternative! In order to make ourselves clear on this, we need to keep two things in mind:

“That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.” (2 Peter 3:12b – 13).  

From our perspective, there is a clear understanding that all will melt away, including the heavens and the heavenly bodies. The whole world will be in a panic, because the canopy of their lives will one day be totally removed and melted away. In such a situation, we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth!

D.     Make every effort

If this is to be the perspective of our lives, what are we to do now?

“So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.” (2 Peter 3:14).

The key issue here is how we can be found right in God’s eyes. How can we bear His Holiness and Glory? We are far from perfect. Even to our minds, it seems that we have a long ways to go before we are holy, even with the best of our efforts! How can a sinful man like me withstand God’s glory? Do not worry! He has provided us with enough time, knowledge, and power for us to do this!

First, we have enough time, but we must also have patience.

“Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.” (2 Peter 3:15-16).

The Lord is being patient with each of us. Though He could judge anyone at any time, God is patient with us for one reason: allowing us to become holy and acceptable to Him, for when He takes us home with Him. This is God’s perspective, regarding the approaching time for Him to take us to be with Him for eternity. The eschatological “day of the Lord” may be far away, perhaps another hundred or even a thousand years from now, but, for each of us, the day of the Lord is when God will take our lives. It may be tomorrow, next month, or next year. What does this mean? God is giving us enough time for each of us to become mature like Him, being full of His life-giving love. In between now and then, He is patience! In some sense, patience is the hallmark of genuine faith and godliness. Suffering and demands for patience are believers’ least favorite topic. Since we follow the Lord’s way, we all feel that our lives should be better off than those who walk in ungodliness and evil. This is where God’s goodness is questioned and doubted. So many ‘ignorant’ and ‘unstable’ people distort the truth. These are the people that do not have a full understanding of life’s truth and seek ‘endless joy and happiness’, without pain or sorrow (i.e. welfare theology). For them, their wellbeing is now their main hope and theme, and anything that does not fit this purpose will be considered wrong. However, Jesus took the way of suffering. Paul, as well as Peter, stood by this truth. Next, we will look at three passages where Paul talked about patience:

“Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.” (Romans 2:4-5).

As we walk with Christ, even a short time of intense suffering is too much and we tend to give in to all kinds of worldly desires instead. However, our impatience is a form of contempt for God’s grace and mercy for us!

“What if God, although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath-- prepared for destruction? What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory?” (Romans 9:22-23).

God demands our patience, so that we, as objects of His wrath, may reflect His glory. That is, out of the mortal body, which is an object of wrath, God’s grace to man will become evident. His patience and our patience in His grace carry His glory.

“being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.” (Colossians 1:11-12).

God forces us to be patient so that we may surely attain a thankful heart and be qualified to share in Christ’s heavenly inheritance. A thankful heart opens wide to the Lord. If there was any barrier, it is removed by thanksgiving through which God’s glory is fully upheld. There will be nothing but thankful hearts when Jesus comes in his glory. This enables us to have peace with the Lord now. If so, then even if He comes like a thief, we will not feel violated! Rather, our hearts will be filled with true joy in His glory. All these passages have to do with how we see hardships, sufferings, and pain, while we do good works! We need patience and endurance.

Second, we have enough knowledge:

“Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position.” (2 Peter 3:17).

In addition to God’s word, as found in the Old Testament as well as in Jesus’ teaching, this warning completes all the knowledge that they had. They knew what they have and what is happening in the world. There was nothing to fear or be uncertain about! They took all of these into consideration, so that, with this knowledge, they could handle and win against all hardships. The world is searching endlessly, because nothing is certain for them; they have never found the true answer or solution for life. However, our way is clear; it is in and through Jesus. We know the power we have in Christ and what challenges are waiting for us. We have all figured out their falsity, and have confidence in what we know and have!

Thirdly, we have enough power:

“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.” (2 Peter 3:18).

As was noted in 1:3,

“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” (2Peter 1:3 NIV).

The grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus is the channel through which we can tap into God’s power. In His grace and through our knowledge of Him, we have God’s great power in us. So if you need power, look up to Him, know Him, and find God’s rich grace for you in Him.

This is our confidence; God has given us enough time to grow and become holy. We also have enough knowledge and power in and through Jesus’ grace. We have begun our journey by faith and will carry on in order to have the love that Jesus possessed. Until then, we must dare to make every effort, accepting pain and suffering with patience, endurance, and joy. Peter saw Jesus’ glory on the mountain of transfiguration. He captured the essence of that glory in one phrase - the wholesome thinking or eilikrinos ( εἰλικρινής). Let no one succumb to the stress, hardships, trials of life, or any vicious attack from this world’s cunning schemes. In all of these hardships, we must stride in joy, peace, and confidence. We have peace with Him, now. We all must live with wholesome thinking. If we do, we will surely keep this peace with him through all enduring times of life until the day of the Lord come!

May God richly bless you all!