Live As Though it Matters

Based on the study, Come Lord Jesus, Come – by Love God Greatly / w1d3 / Image by LGG

Scripture:2 Peter 3:1-13 (SOAP:3-4 )

 Dear friends, this is already the second letter I have written you, in which I am trying to stir up your pure mind by way of reminder: ² I want you to recall both the predictions foretold by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles. ³ Above all, understand this: In the last days blatant scoffers will come, being propelled by their own evil urges ⁴ and saying, “Where is his promised return? For ever since our ancestors died, all things have continued as they were from the beginning of creation.” ⁵ For they deliberately suppress this fact, that by the word of God heavens existed long ago and an earth was formed out of water and by means of water. ⁶ Through these things the world existing at that time was destroyed when it was deluged with water. ⁷ But by the same word the present heavens and earth have been reserved for fire, by being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.

⁸ Now, dear friends, do not let this one thing escape your notice, that a single day is like a thousand years with the Lord and a thousand years are like a single day. ⁹ The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some regard slowness, but is being patient toward you, because he does not wish for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. ¹⁰ But the day of the Lord will come like a thief; when it comes, the heavens will disappear with a horrific noise, and the celestial bodies will melt away in a blaze and the earth and every deed done on it will be laid bare. ¹¹ Since all these things are to melt away in this manner, what sort of people must you be, conducting your lives in holiness and godliness, ¹² while waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God? Because of this day, the heavens will be burned up and dissolve, and the celestial bodies will melt away in a blaze! ¹³ But, according to his promise, we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness truly resides.

2 Peter 3:1-13

I love the attitude of Peter here, the urgency, and perhaps a bit of frustration, in his tone in verse one speaks volumes of his passion for the people and his conviction for the ministry and message of Christ that the disciples were called to carry out. He was basically pleading with them to focus and remember what they had previously been taught – specifically the Old Testament prophecies and the teachings of Jesus and the apostles.

The question then remains, why the urgency and/or frustration? Peter zeroes in on this answer starting in verse three with these reminders:

1. The last days (the days before the return of Christ) would bring challenges and they needed to be prepared, specifically that they not be led away by the teachings of false prophets.
   • Peter wasn’t the only one to warn about this, as noted in the commentary by bibleref.com – “The New Testament is consistent in describing our era as the last days or end times before Christ returns and is revealed as Lord.”
2. The truth about false teachers
   • they would be scoffers, those who mocked the return of Christ
   • they would follow, and be fueled by, their own evil desires – which, as Peter had already warned his readers in chapter two of this letter, would lead them to openly participate in immorality and urge the followers of Christ to join in with them.
3. They will raise doubt in the mind of the believers, questioning the promised return of Christ. This may not sound like a big threat but it is and we need to be aware of the dangers it presents and be prepared with answers – which Peter covers in the remainder of our passage in today’s journey, you won’t want to skim over any of the verses.

Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, Looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames.

2 Peter 3:11. NLT

Verses three and four are the study’s suggested focal point and demand our immediate and serious attention. However my heart and mind were both drawn to and convicted by verses nine through eleven. These verses are beautiful reminders of God’s passion and patience, wanting no one to perish but all to repent and be saved. Yet, we must not miss that it is also a call for believers to remember the importance of living holy and godly lives in order to hurry along the day of Jesus’ return. We may not know when the Lord will return but we do know that He will and we must continue the job of Peter and the others before us who sounded the alarm and faithfully lived out and shared the message of the Gospel – a message that says – “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved…. for everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved … because God doesn’t want anyone to parish but all to come to repentance.”

Friends… God doesn’t want any to perish but all to be saved – and we must live as though His desires and the eternity of the lost matters to us. In other words, we are to have a heart after God’s own heart, wanting all to be saved and no one to perish.

What are some practical steps you can take to live this out?