Happy New Year! Everyone got their new years resolutions all squared away? Most of yall won’t admit it because you don’t want to be called out when you come up short right?
A series of articles in a popular blog style website mentioned the benefit of goal setting as a means of providing hope to those who are perhaps prone to hopelessness and despair. They say that setting goals, such as developing New Years Resolutions help to give people something to look forward to in life…or at least motivation to press on when life is difficult. They say that “dreams are what make up our optimistic feelings for the future” and so when we set goals for ourselves; we give ourselves something to hope in for the future.
That sounds good at first. But what if you never reach those goals. Sometimes those things that we hope in elude us; perhaps due to sickness, disease, an unreliable friend or family member, the loss of a job, a wayward child, or even the downward spiral of our countries economy. Sometimes we set very admirable goals, putting our hope and happiness in these things and yet for one reason or another we are unable to reach those goals.
For example, three years ago a fellow by the name of Bruce Pardo may have told you that he was living his dream. He was working at an IT firm making over 100,000. He was newly married, living in a million dollar home. He had no criminal record. By many accounts, he was a fine citizen. Often seen by the neighbors walking his dog and greeting them cheerfully. He also planned to usher at Mass on Christmas Eve.
Unfortunately for he and his wife, there were “irreconcilable differences” which could not be settled apart from divorce. Little did any one know that as the divorce proceedings wore on, he began to plan the murder of his wife, her family and his own mother for siding with her.
He purchased ammunition, guns and supplies in order to build a home-made bomb for his killing spree as early as last summer. In September he had ordered an extra large Santa Suit, claiming that it was for a party that he intended to go to and wanted it large so that he could be extra jolly. Of course he needed it larger so that he could carry his guns an ammo on the inside along with $17000 in cash which he had strapped to his body for his get away. On Christmas eve, at about 11:30, he pulled up to his former in laws home, walked to the door, shot the young girl who answered the door in the face and then opened fire on the 25 people in the home. After a while, the home-made bomb that he was carrying disguised as a present exploded too early, wounding him and burning down the rest of the home. He managed to escape severely burned, only to drive himself to his brothers home and commit suicide feeling that his plan to escape had failed.
Everyone’s story is not that extreme for sure. But it does illustrate the futility and despair brought on by false hope. Perhaps Bruce was hoping that his marriage would last, or that his job and way of living would remain secure. Whatever it may have been, the point is still the same. Putting your hope in uncertain things, is a sure recipe for failure. Popular, worldly philosophy, such as the articles that I just mentioned, will tell you that its enough just to have hope, as if hope of itself will in the end work for your good. Or else, that you can and ought to hope in the things of the world as if the things of the world, successes in life are worth hoping in. Clearly for Bruce and so many others, this is not the case. He had what the world would consider success. And yet when what he defined as success failed him; he was left with nothing but despair. I think that Dr. Ravi Zaccharias said it best when he said that despair never occurs in a moment but is usually a way of life. The lives of so many, both inside and out of the church, is filled with despair because those things in which they hope continually fail them. And they are either unable or unwilling to turn their hearts from those things to anything else.
We all ought to hope in something…I think the author of that article had that part right. Hope can bring great joy and relief as it is reflected upon when life’s circumstances are difficult. But hope in just anything will never do. Hope is really only as good as the thing which is hoped in. As believers, we know that this world and the things of this world will not get better and in fact will get worse before the end and so to hope in them would be fruitless.
What do you hope in this morning? In your life and in this New Year, what do you look forward to the most? If you are righteous, then scripture teaches that you ought to hope in and look forward to the return of Christ. We really have no other thing worth hoping in, no other thing greater to look forward to. He is our hope. His salvation is not yet complete…if it were then we’d have no reason for hope. Hope is only necessary when what is hoped for is not yet realized. But we do hope. We are commanded to hope. Peter tells us in I Peter 1:13 to “fix our hope completely on the grace to be brought to us at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” We sing “my hope is built on nothing less than…what?..Jesus blood and righteousness…” We hope in His righteousness, His acceptance before God, which has been granted to us. We have no other way of being acceptable to God. We hope in His coming righteous judgment, rule and reign. Hope in anything less…is hope in vain.
We’re going to take a closer look at that hope this morning from 2 Peter 3, in particular vs10-13.
2 Peter 3:1-9 This is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you in which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, 2 that you should remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles. 3 Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, 4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.” 5 For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, 6 through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. 7 But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. 8 But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. 9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.
2 Peter 3:10-13 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. 11 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.
2 Peter 3:14-18 14 Therefore, 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.
Introduction
By way of introduction to the book, 2 Peter was written by the Apostle Peter sometime between 64-68 A.D. Just before his death. It is most likely written to the believers to which he wrote 1 Peter, to Jews dispersed from the tremendous persecution that the first Christians suffered, see 1 Pet 1:1, and 2 Peter 3:1. This is one of the most controversial books of the New Testament; some doubting its authenticity and authorship. This is due, in part, to some stylistic differences between first and second Peter, its similarity to Jude and even Peter’s mention of Paul’s writing in 3:15. These are not major issues, though many critics would have you to believe this; if you consider, among other things, Peter’s usage of an amanuensis (who is someone who would have written the letter under Peter’s dictation) – take note of 1 Peter 5:12, the difference in themes between first and second Peter, certain unique vocabulary used only in Peter’s writings and the fact that he was living in Rome during the time which Paul’s writings would have been circulated. The authority of God’s word is always in question by those who refuse to submit to His rule over lives.
Generally speaking, the two major themes of 2 Peter could be summed up as his reminder to believers to grow in righteousness – which is in accord with the knowledge of God – while guarding against godlessness as you wait for the coming of Christ. Grow in righteousness and guard against godlessness. There are false teachers who have crept into the church and who have caused certain people to fall away from their faith and trust in the return of Christ. Christ has not yet returned but shall and so Peter seeks to encourage the believers to persist in this hope.
He cautions them in 2 Pet 3:17-18 to “be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness but [to] grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” The primary error of these unprincipled and godless men is disbelief. Disbelief in the word of a Holy God who is willing and capable of judging sin.
If a god does exist for them, he is certainly not holy, because he is most likely made in their image. They recognize that their own image is less than perfect and therefore their god is
certainly not willing to judge them for their own imperfections. Or else he is simply not powerful enough or knowledgeable enough to adequately judge sin. He doesn’t have the
strength, he doesn’t know how or doesn’t know enough about what man will do in order to thwart his plans.
Disbelief in the coming judgment of a God who has revealed Himself as Holy and Righteous inevitably leads to perverse living. Their disbelief and consequent perversity ultimately forms the basis for their judgment. Unbelievers often scoff at faith in God and Christ; supposing that their scoffing ought to be admirable or virtuous. They suppose that their skepticism ought to be praised because it appears that they are right. God has not yet returned and they seem to enjoy unending pleasure without the thought of consequence. Their hope then is in the enjoyment of the sinful pleasures that their mocking and supposed wisdom affords them.
God calls their mockery foolishness and will judge them for their pride. Psalm 14:1 “The fool has said in his heart, ‘there is no God.’” God hates the wicked for their wickedness. Thats not a popular thing to say nowadays but is no less true. Psalm 5:4 says “the boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all who do iniquity.” Peter’s exhortation to us is a reminder that our hope is a Holy hope. It is a pure and righteous hope based on the righteousness of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and not our own supposed wisdom or belief. And so, while Christ may tarry from our perspective in His return, we ought to persist in righteousness until that righteous hope is realized.
Again, our passage is 2 Peter 3:10-13. In v 10, Peter states his fundamental assertion, namely that the Day of the Lord will come. Christ will return, He will judge and He will gather His elect. Vs 11-13 give two reasonable assumptions based on the certainty of God’s promised coming. First in v 11-12 we’ll see Peter’s expectation that the return of Christ in judgment ought to motivate us to live today in accordance with God’s righteousness. And second in vs 13, we’ll see that, the return of Christ in judgment ought to motivate us to look forward to His coming Kingdom, which is the place in which God’s righteousness makes its home.
Peter’s fundamental assertion – the Coming Day of the Lord
Look again at verse 10. This verse serves as the underlying basis for all that he says in this passage. He says, “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.”
Now there are four things that we can learn from this description of the coming Day of the Lord. I’m just going to rattle these off for you now and explain them afterward. Number one, it is going to be a day in which God’s will shall prevail, thus its called the day of the Lord. Two it is a fixed day, Peter says that it will come with certainty. Three, it will be a day that comes suddenly, which is why he says that it will come life a thief. And four, it will be a day characterized by judgment, thus the picture of judgment that he paints for us in the description.
First, its is going to be a day in which God’s will shall prevail. Peter refers to this as “the Day of the Lord.” The term “the Day of the Lord” finds its roots in the Old Testament. It is a term that referred to a future time that Israel looks forward to when God would judge the nations and bring blessing to His people. Any Jewish person reading this from Peter, would have automatically understood what he meant.
Many prophecies of the Old Testament concerning the Messiah and the end times have a near and far reference. The prophet would see and communicate the whole prophecy without indication of any time that might elapse in between its near and far reference. People often explain it in terms of standing on the peak of one mountain, looking off into the distance at two or more other mountains and only seeing their peaks. From your perspective the mountains may appear to be right beside each other. But upon closer inspection, there may be a valley in between. That valley would represent time that was not revealed to the prophet.
The Day of the Lord then was often revealed in prophecy as both judgment and blessing. So when the Messiah was to come, due to these prophecies, the people expected both judgment of the nations which were oppressing them and the fulfillment of God’s blessing to His people immediately. In their mind, Jesus if He were the Messiah, would have brought both judgment of the nations, Rome in particular, and blessing upon God’s people. They did not expect for there to be a time in between His suffering and His glory. They didn’t expect for Him to die, be risen from the dead, ascend to Heaven and to come again a second time. And for that reason, they missed Him. Of course, we know now that this was all in accord with God’s plan in salvation. It was a mystery to them, but revelation and salvation to us Gentiles. Consider I Peter 1:10-12 and Ephesians 3:1-12
1 Peter 1:10-12 10 As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries, 11 seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven– things into which angels long to look.
Salvation was prophecied by the prophets and they sought to know who the Christ was and when he’d suffer and be glorified. But it was not revealed to them. Jesus did not even reveal it to the disciples when He ascended to Heaven in Acts 1. All that was revealed to them was that they were not serving themselves but those who would come after them and believe through their word.
Ephesians 3:1-12 NAU Ephesians 3:1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles– 2 if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace which was given to me for you; 3 that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief. 4 By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; 6 to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, 7 of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God’s grace which was given to me according to the working of His power. 8 To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, 9 and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things; 10 so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him.
Paul refers here to the “mystery” that God had made known to him. This mystery was a mystery to those prophets before. The mystery is the valley between the two mountains. It is the lapse in time between the first coming of the Messiah and the second. This is the time of the church.
Christ brought blessing to the people in His first advent. He brought spiritual blessing. He brought spiritual salvation. He has ascended into heaven and there waits until the completion of the church age, the rapture of the church and the time of tribulation which God will bring upon the world. Then in His second advent He will bring complete salvation for the people of God. A salvation both physical and spiritual for the remnant of Israel who will be saved. God’s plan for Israel will be accomplished. And He will rule over the nations. That time from the tribulation and on through His millennial rule is called the Day of the Lord. The Millennial reign of Christ and the eternal state are also referred to as the “New Heavens and New Earth,” which we will get to at the end of this text. Now, the previous time is called the “day of the Lord” because it is the “Day” when God will pour out His wrath upon the world for its rejection of His rule, bringing an end to mankind’s rebellion and sin; finally fulfilling His promise to Israel and when Christ will establish God’s rule over all people and nations. It is the Day that Jesus told the Jews to pray for in Matthew 6:10 that “your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” It is truly the day in which God’s will shall prevail.
Listen to a couple of OT passages concerning the Day of the Lord:
READ THIS VERSE: (Isa 2, 12)
Isaiah 2:10-22 10 Enter the rock and hide in the dust From the terror of the LORD and from the splendor of His majesty. 11 The proud look of man will be abased And the loftiness of man will be humbled, And the LORD alone will be exalted in that day. 12 For the LORD of hosts will have a day of reckoning Against everyone who is proud and lofty And against everyone who is lifted up, That he may be abased. 13 And it will be against all the cedars of Lebanon that are lofty and lifted up, Against all the oaks of Bashan, 14 Against all the lofty mountains, Against all the hills that are lifted up, 15 Against every high tower, Against every fortified wall, 16 Against all the ships of Tarshish And against all the beautiful craft. 17 The pride of man will be humbled And the loftiness of men will be abased; And the LORD alone will be exalted in that day, 18 But the idols will completely vanish. 19 Men will go into caves of the rocks And into holes of the ground Before the terror of the LORD And the splendor of His majesty, When He arises to make the earth tremble. 20 In that day men will cast away to the moles and the bats Their idols of silver and their idols of gold, Which they made for themselves to worship, 21 In order to go into the caverns of the rocks and the clefts of the cliffs Before the terror of the LORD and the splendor of His majesty, When He arises to make the earth tremble. 22 Stop regarding man, whose breath of life is in his nostrils; For why should he be esteemed?
Isaiah 12:1-6 Then you will say on that day, “I will give thanks to You, O LORD; For although You were angry with me, Your anger is turned away, And You comfort me. 2 “Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; For the LORD GOD is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation.” 3 Therefore you will joyously draw water From the springs of salvation. 4 And in that day you will say, “Give thanks to the LORD, call on His name. Make known His deeds among the peoples; Make them remember that His name is exalted.” 5 Praise the LORD in song, for He has done excellent things; Let this be known throughout the earth. 6 Cry aloud and shout for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, For great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.
There is judgment and there is blessing. There are many other passages that we could visit, but the point is the same. In the context of our passage, the focus is on the coming judgment which the mockers of v 3 deny.
His point is this, men mock today. Men have their way today. Men revel in their wickedness today. Men shine and exalt their name and their pride today. But God will have His day. And that day is coming. Every lofty heart, every lofty tongue that has ever set itself to speak evil against the Lord and His anointed will be brought low in that day. Every cross word or thought that has ever been imagined will be abolished. God will prevail. Amen! This is the warning given to the Kings of Psalm 2, and it is a warning that we’d all show wisdom in heeding, “show discernment and take warning kings and judges of the earth; worship the Lord with reverence…kiss the Son, that He not become angry and you perish in the way. For His wrath may soon be kindled…”
_______________________________________________________
Note also Isaiah 11, 12, 13:6-22; Joel 2:1-2, 3:14; Eze 13:5; Obadiah 1:15; Zech 14,
Second, it is a fixed day. He says “but the day of the Lord will come.” It is going to happen. The “but” at the beginning of the sentence tells you that he is making reference back to something previously said. In context, he is refuting what the “scoffers” say in v 3-4 of this chapter “where is the promise of His coming?” “All things continue as they were from the beginning.” This view is call uniformitarianism, which states that “all natural phenomenon have operated uniformly since the beginning of earth.” They doubt His coming judgment because they don’t believe that He judged the world to begin with. This is ultimately a lack of faith in God’s word.
Listen to Peter’s response to them in vs 5-7. He says first of all, that the world certainly has not continued the same as it did in the beginning. I like what he says there “it escapes their notice” that first of all God created the world by His word. Second, He judged and destroyed that previous world by water, according to His word. And third, God has reserved this present world for judgment and destruction by fire, by that same word.
Over and over, he stresses the importance of the Word of God. God’s word is true. He is not like man to be found lacking in faithfulness. If He said it, you can count on it. The one who created heaven and earth and who has already judged the world has already demonstrated that He has the ability and will to destroy the world because of its wickedness; so they have no right reason to doubt.
Listen to these passages:
Psalm 9:7-8 7 But the LORD abides forever; He has established His throne for judgment, 8 And He will judge the world in righteousness; He will execute judgment for the peoples with equity.
Psalm 96:1-13 NAU Psalm 96:1 Sing to the LORD a new song; Sing to the LORD, all the earth. 2 Sing to the LORD, bless His name; Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day. 3 Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples. 4 For great is the LORD and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods. 5 For all the gods of the peoples are idols, But the LORD made the heavens. 6 Splendor and majesty are before Him, Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary. 7 Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, Ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. 8 Ascribe to the LORD the glory of His name; Bring an offering and come into His courts. 9 Worship the LORD in holy attire; Tremble before Him, all the earth. 10 Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns; Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved; He will judge the peoples with equity.” 11 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; Let the sea roar, and all it contains; 12 Let the field exult, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy 13 Before the LORD, for He is coming, For He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness And the peoples in His faithfulness.
Psalm 98:9 9 Before the LORD, for He is coming to judge the earth; He will judge the world with righteousness And the peoples with equity.
Acts 17:24-31 24 “The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; 25 nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; 26 and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, 27 that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; 28 for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children.’ 29 “Being then the children of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man.
30 “Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, 31 because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.”
Listen, you don’t really have to believe it. Its going to happen. God is going to judge this world and destroy it by fire. Thats what He said. If you are sitting under the sound of my voice this morning…or whenever you happen to listen to this message and you don’t believe that God created the world, destroyed it once by water and has fixed a day to destroy it by fire; then in the words of Chuck Swindoll, just close your bible, turn off this recording and leave. But mark my words, you don’t have to believe in fire for it to burn you. God created the world by His word. He already destroyed the world once and has fixed a day when He will do it again, and He will not relent. Today, He is calling for all men everywhere to repent in accordance with the righteous standard of His Son, whom He authenticated by raising from the dead. People say there is no proof of God, there is no proof of Christ’s deity…here is your proof. His resurrection. He is only man in history who has ever escaped death. And that is so because God has given His approval of Him. Will you believe God’s word? His day is coming.
It is a day in which God will prevail, it is a fixed day and third, it is a day that will come suddenly…
Notice again 2 Peter 3:10, “But the day of the Lord will come, like a thief…”
The point here is pretty clear. A thief creeps in to a persons home under the cover of darkness and at a time that is unexpected. It is sudden and it takes you off guard. So comes the day of the Lord. It will come just like a thief in the night. Paul also used this terminology in I Thess 5:1-3:
Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you. 2 For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. 3 While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape.
People will be going about life as if nothing is wrong. They will be going about their business as if nothing is the matter. People will be working just as hard, studying just as hard, building their castles/homes just as elaborately, laboring for more money, spending more money, sending their kids off to the best Colleges and Universities, working, eating, smoking, drinking, yelling, smiling, fornicating, retiring, vacationing and BOOM!!!!! the day of the Lord will come. Just like that. It could happen in the next 5 minutes. It could happen in the next 50 years. But when it does happen, it will be unexpected…by some. Peter and Paul both write to believers who “know” that the Day will come like a thief. But, as Paul elaborates, “they” – those who don’t know – will be saying “peace and safety” and destruction will overtake them like labor pains upon a woman with child.
You ladies who have had children, you know what thats like. Wouldn’t it be nice to know ahead of time when contractions were coming. If you had some sort of signal, like one of those little buttons that pop out of the turkey when its done cooking. Then you’d know that the contractions were about to begin, you’d be able to make preparations in your mind, maybe start your breathing early, do some stretching, etc. But you don’t get that. It just happens.
That is how it is going to be in His day, except for “them” the result will not be the joyous celebration of new life. But it is the painful anguish of a first and eventually a second death. The warning is, don’t let the day overtake you like a thief.
Fourth, it is going to be a day of judgment. For he says “the Day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat and the earth and its works will be burned up.”
Some commentators mentioned that they believed Peter’s description here, was of judgment but not meant to be taken literally. They say that it is language that Peter is using to express “signs” that will accompany the coming of the Lord. Such as the moon turning to darkness and the sun turning to blood. In fact, one commentator says “in no case does it mean that the Lord is coming to destroy the earth.” Now, I have a hard time with that statement. If Peter doesn’t mean here, a deliberate and definitive destruction of the present heaven and earth; then his whole argument from chapter 2 until now falls to pieces.
Peter has been arguing from chapter 2 that God can and will judge the unrighteous and bring blessing to the righteous. He says that false prophets will come in v 1 of ch 2, they will follow their lusts, and lead many astray; but God will not spare them just as He did not spare the angels who sinned. He didn’t spare the angels, He didn’t spare the ancient world but rescued Noah, He condemned Sodom and Gomorrah but rescued Lot; and then he says in 9 that if this is true “then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment.” And remember in 3:6-7 that Peter reasons that because God had destroyed the ancient world by water, that certainly He has reserved this present world for fire.
He doesn’t say that God is going to destroy the world with something like fire, or that He is going to destroy it as if by fire. He said that God has reserved this present world for destruction by fire. That is how its going to happen. 3:10, he says that the heavens will “pass away” with a roar! It will be totally done away with. By the way the word for “pass away” is the same root word found in 2 Corinthians 5:17 “therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are…what?…passed away; behold all things become new.”
Old things pass away and new things will come. That seems pretty clear to me, its going to be destruction. Continuing, he says that “the elements will be destroyed with intense heat!” That word for elements is the greek word “stoichea” which could give reference to a set of fundamental principles, some spiritual beings or else simply the elements which make up a thing. It seems that the latter is what is in view in the context. In other words, the very elements that make up the Earth will be burned up. Every atom, every proton, neutron, every amino acid, every trace of carbon will be disintegrated before the power of God Almighty in that Day!
And if that wasn’t clear enough, he concludes by saying finally that “the earth and its works will be burned up!” The word translated there “burned up” in the Nasb could also mean “laid bare or uncovered,” which is how some translations have it. However, because of the proliferation of words referring to heat and things being dissolved and burned with intense heat; I take it to mean “burned up.” I don’t think there is any reason to take it otherwise. The Earth itself and all of the works that are in the earth will be burned up. Every home, every car, every continent, country, state, and city; every world government, every world currency, every invention that has ever come from the earth, every form of worship contrary to God and His Christ; will be utterly destroyed before the fire which God will reign upon His creation! If Peter were intending to merely paint a picture of signs that the coming was near, certainly he could have used other language to describe it. But he didn’t. Under the direction of the Holy Spirit, Peter spoke in definitive and specific terms. The earth and its works will be burned up.
Now, I’ve spent a lot of time talking about this one verse. And some of you may say enough already, lets get on with it. But what you have to realize is that the rest of the passage will mean absolutely nothing if this first premise is not understood. If you don’t believe that God is going to destroy the world then telling you to live righteously and not to cling to the things of this world, will mean nothing to you.
All that you are living for today is totally and completely for nothing, if it is not lived according to God’s standard. In an obvious attempt at mockery, someone once define Christian Fundamentalism as this:
“The doctrine that there is an absolutely powerful, infinitely knowledgeable, universe spanning entity that is deeply and personally concerned about my sex life.”
Yes, God is concerned with your sex life. He is concerned with every aspect of this life that He has given you. And He will not accept your life, if it is lived in accordance with this world’s principles. The ways of this world have produced nothing but autonomy – self rule – the rejection of God and His law. And God will not suffer that rebellion for long. He will have His day. He has fixed the day of judgment and it will come suddenly. While everyone is going about their own business as if God doesn’t matter, that Day will overtake them like a thief. Will you believe it?
And will you turn your heart from the passing pleasures of this world to the eternal glories of
Heaven?
I used to work with a college kid who came in and told me about an astronomy class that he had once where the Prof told him that eventually (of course in the scientific world this wouldn’t happen for billions of years) the Sun would implode and totally engulf the whole solar system. And this apparently frightened him, he didn’t know what to do with that.
I reminded him that according to their science that probably wouldn’t happen in his lifetime. That still didn’t seem to comfort him. Seeing an opportunity to witness, I shared that that he really didn’t have to worry because God had already said that He would destroy the world by His own fire someday soon. Strangely that didn’t seem to comfort him either. He didn’t have
anything to say about that.
You see, for the unbeliever the impending doom of this world is depressing. Thats why they choose not to believe God’s word is true. They’ve got all their eggs in this basket. They’ve got their hope in this world. They’ve got nothing else. They look forward to us solving all of the worlds hunger issues, and ceasing all of the world’s war and creating peace among the nations. Others without such grandeous imaginations at least hope that things will be better for their children. So they work harder and labor more so that their children will have the best. We’ll I have good news and I have bad news. The bad news is that the world is not going to get better, its going to get worse. But the good news is, at least its good for us who love the Lord; that sometime around when it gets worse (which could be any day now) God is going to destroy the world and everything in it!
For believers, the coming day of the Lord is good news. We can and should look forward to this day as the day of God’s vindication. Holy indignation is a holy anger that burns against so many blasphemies that are uttered from the lips of mockers. It is holy anger that burns against the name of God being spoken out of turn. It is anger that burns against those who would mock and persecute us for faith and submission to our creator. And it is anger that will be vindicated in that day. Amen?!
However, God is not going to merely destroy the world and have nothing to show for His creative endeavors. He created this world for a purpose, to display His glory in a creation that worships Him. And thats going to happen.
Isaiah 45:21-24
And there is no other God besides Me, A righteous God and a Savior; There is none except Me. 22 “Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; For I am God, and there is no other. 23 “I have sworn by Myself, The word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness And will not turn back, That to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance. 24 “They will say of Me, ‘Only in the LORD are righteousness and strength.’ Men will come to Him, And all who were angry at Him will be put to shame.
All shall worship the Lord, all shall honor the Lord, His will shall be done on earth as it is in heaven. Though it is not that way today, there is coming a day when Righteousness will dwell in the land which God has made.
Well, for those who do believe it, Peter then gives two reasonable assumptions. In other words, it is reasonable to assume that these two things will be true of those who believe that God’s judgment is coming according to His word. First, the coming destruction should motivate us to live godly lives in the present and second the coming destruction should motivate us to look forward to the day when righteousness dwells in the land.
Peter’s first reasonable assumption is that this day should motivate us to live godly lives in the present. He says in v 11-12 “since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed with burning and the elements with intense heat”
First, in these verses Peter reiterates the fact of the coming judgment. Again for those who think that he is merely painting a picture of signs of the Lord’s coming; he mentions again that there will be “destruction, burning and intense heat.” Clearly referring to a literal destruction of the world. This is what God has promised.
Second, he says that knowing that things will be destroyed “in this way” ought to motivate believers to live holy and godly lives. Why? Is he saying that we will too be destroyed “in this way” if we don’t live holy and godly lives? No. Believers are “saved” from the coming judgment. The key to understanding this exhortation is remembering another key theme in Peter’s writings, namely that we are not of this world. We are of a different world. God has not destined us for wrath but for blessing which is our hope; and so we should not participate in the deeds of those who will be destroyed. It would be fruitless and inconsistent with our new nature.
Listen to how he says it in another place:
Listen to 1 Peter 1:13-19
13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, 15 but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; 16 because it is written, “YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.” 17 If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth; 18 knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, 19 but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.
This passage gives us four truths about holy conduct, by the people of God, as we are looking forward to the coming of Christ. I’m going to fly through these four points.
First, it says that we are to fix our hope on the grace to be given to us at the revelation of Jesus Christ. The revelation of Jesus Christ is with reference to His coming in judgment. We’ve been given an amazing hope; not previously shared with the people of God. When Christ returns, we know that we – who have trusted in Him – will be recipients of His grace. It will be lavished on us for all eternity according to Eph 2:7. Others will be judged and sentenced to an eternity of torment. Our gratitude for His grace, then, ought to motivate us to holiness.
Second, we have been made the children of God in Christ. As children of God, we are called to obedience to Him and not to our former lusts. Those things we did in ignorance; but now we know God’s standard. We know that He is the Holy One and because He has called us, we ought to live in holiness.
Third, God judges impartially. He has no respect of persons. We know Him as Father, and there is no father who will allow His children to continue to go astray. A good Father disciplines his children for their good, for their holiness before a Holy God. When I discipline my children I do so not because it makes me feel in control as a parent or because I don’t want them to be unruly in public; but I discipline them so that they will understand the nature of consequences in God’s creation. He judges, He punishes disobedience and so should I. Because we know that God will judge everyone according to His works, we ought to live in holiness.
Fourth, he says that we have been redeemed with the precious blood of an unblemished and spotless lamb. Christ’s blood was pure and holy. There was no deceit, no hint of sin or wickedness, not a spot nor a blemish at all in His life. He lived in perfect obedience and died in perfect obedience. And it was His blood that redeemed our lives. It is His blood that is the basis for our new life before God. We live to God because He lives to God. Because our Savior has redeemed us with holy blood, we ought to live in holiness.
As we fix our hope on the return of Christ, we ought to live in holiness because He is Holy and has made us so. He expects obedience and as a loving Father, the implication is that He will discipline us for our disobedience. We are to live for His glory and not our own.
The unrighteous live according to their every want and pleasure, with reckless abandon because this is their home. They were born of it, fallen and wretched as it is and have no hope apart from it. They don’t believe that God is angry with sin and intends to punish this world and so see no reason to invest in things of a spiritual nature. If you have been made Holy in Christ; then you ought to be concerned with things pertaining to holiness and godliness, and not the passing pleasures of this world.
Back in v 3:12, he says that we should be “looking for and hastening the coming day of God.” He says that there should be a sense of expectation and longing with regard to that coming day. What does that longing look like exactly? Some people say, based on the word for “hastening” that we can usher in Christ’s return, as if to say that there are certain things that if the Church would do then Christ would return. Thats a fine view, and is possible, but not necessary. Especially because Peter just said that the day would come like a thief. No one knows when it will come. And if there is xyz that we can do in order to bring it on; then it is less like a thief and more like an appointment. Furthermore it seems like the overall exhortation of the passage is that we should be looking forward to the coming of Christ and not growing dull to it or disbelieving as do the scoffers. So the question becomes, beloved, have you grown dull to His coming? Do you desire spiritual things?
Well, what do you do with yourself? Whats most important to you? Here are a few questions for you to consider in order to gauge where your heart is in this matter. This is not an exhaustive list, nor is it inspired. And it certainly will not tell you if you are a believer or not. Its just meant to help you think.
Do you pray? Do you pray when no one is around? Do you pray without ceasing? Do you pray when you are anxious only or do you also pray so that you do not become anxious at some later date? See, most people are all about God when things go wrong, but don’t have the
slightest desire to seek him when things are going well.
Do you know where your Bible is during the week? Maybe you do, do you read it? When you
read it, do you believe it and obey it? Are you involved in some regular Bible Study, at home
or at small group? Do you go to church and are you involved in fellowship regularly?
Are you serving in the Church? Are you using the gifts which God has given you for the
benefit of the body of Christ or are you selfishly keeping them to yourself? Are you giving
to the church? Are you preaching the gospel and witnessing to those around you? If you truly
see Christ’s return as your only hope; then you shouldn’t stop until others have heard of that same hope. Do you even think that any of those things are important?
Do you drink or smoke, or otherwise compromise around friends when you are not around your Christian brothers and sisters so that your friends don’t look at you differently? Do you engage in sexual activity outside of marriage? And I’m not just talking about sex. I’m talking about everything that may lead up to sex that you wouldn’t do if you were sitting right here in Church. Do you do those things and suppose that others won’t see or find out? By the way…God is watching…God is always watching.
How about your heart? Do you lust after men or women who are not your husband or wife – this could be from people you see in your everyday life to people you see in movies or on the internet? Do you covet other peoples property or possessions? Are you always discontent with your circumstances, complaining or else always worried about whats going to happen next; and if it will be good for you or not?
We are aliens and strangers in this world and so should not live like the people of this world. We should love the things of God. We should have a peculiar drive toward things pertaining to the Kingdom of God, especially knowing that it is only these things which will last. Loving the ways of this world is harmful for believers.
And so Peter encourages believers in 1 Peter 2:11 11 Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul.
Abstain from fleshly, worldly lusts, and cling to that which is in accordance with godliness and eternity.
When I went to Turkey a few years ago, I experienced something that I did not expect. The first couple of weeks things were okay. I got some strange looks from folks, probably for a number of different reasons. I was probably one of the only black people that many of those folks would have seen and I had twists in my hair at the time. For those who don’t know twists are like dred locks except are not completely locked together. Anyway, I got stared at all the time. That kind of thing starts to get a little annoying after a while. Round about week 6, I was ready to go home. I hadn’t been home in a while, I missed the comforts of home, I missed being around others who were like me; certainly there was sweet fellowship with the other believers with whom I travelled; but it just wasn’t the same as being home.
That is how we ought to be beloved. Though we have not experienced “home” with God in its fullness; we know the sweet fellowship that we enjoy in the Spirit of God and with one another. And it is to this hope that we cling. That the joy and refreshment of communion with God will be one day soon fully realized. Our hope ought not to be in the passing pleasures of this world.
Let me ask you something, if God gave you the choice right now, today to go or stay; which would you choose. What is the first response of your heart? Do you think of all the things that you’d like to do first? Do you think of all the people you’d like to meet? All that you’d leave behind? Or do you think of running headlong into the arms of the Almighty God your Creator and Savior? That will tell you a little about yourself.
God, of course, doesn’t give us the choice. And He won’t. We have to wait until He decides to take us and until then we ought to get busy living for His honor and glory. Some people have used the phrase, being “too heavenly minded to be any earthly good.” This text teaches us that in order to be any earthly good for God; you must be heavenly minded. You must have your mind set on the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God; or else you will have no right reason to live “righteously and godly” in this present day. And in fact, loving the things of this world will be a hindrance to your ability to serve Him. We know that He is coming; that judgment will fall upon those who live unrighteously and that it is only those things that are done for Christ that will last when He comes; and therefore have no other reasonable pursuit than holiness and godly conduct.
Finally, and quickly, Peter’s second reasonable assumption is that we look forward to the day because it will be a day in which righteousness will dwell.
V 13 says “According to His promise, we are looking for a new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.”
By now, it should be clear that hope in this world is both foolish and fruitless because God is going to destroy it all. But God has promised us – who believe in His world – something much better.
Peter uses the phrase, “new heavens and new earth.” He says that it is this that we look forward to according to the promise of God. This is another term which any Hebrew reading the letter would have been familiar with. The New heavens and New earth that Peter is envisioning was first seen by Isaiah in Isaiah 65. I read this passage earlier.
Isaiah 65:17-25
17 “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former things will not be remembered or come to mind. 18 “But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; For behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing And her people for gladness. 19 “I will also rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in My people; And there will no longer be heard in her The voice of weeping and the sound of crying. 20 “No longer will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, Or an old man who does not live out his days; For the youth will die at the age of one hundred And the one who does not reach the age of one hundred Will be thought accursed. 21 “They will build houses and inhabit them; They will also plant vineyards and eat their fruit. 22 “They will not build and another inhabit, They will not plant and another eat; For as the lifetime of a tree, so will be the days of My people, And My chosen ones will wear out the work of their hands. 23 “They will not labor in vain, Or bear children for calamity; For they are the offspring of those blessed by the LORD, And their descendants with them. 24 “It will also come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear. 25 “The wolf and the lamb will graze together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox; and dust will be the serpent’s food. They will do no evil or harm in all My holy mountain,” says the LORD.
I won’t read it again, but there Isaiah’s prophecy makes mention of the millennial reign of Christ, when He will literally rule on the throne of David over the nations. He will rule over the people with righteousness and equity, as it says in Psalm 9. It will be a time of peace, prosperity and righteousness, listen to a brief description again “no longer will there be an infant in it that lives only a few days…they will not build and another inhabit, they will not labor in vain nor bear children for calamity…before they call, I will answer them..The wolf and the lamb will graze together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox; and dust will be the serpent’s food. They will do no evil or harm in all My holy mountain,..”
Remember, God is not finished with Israel. He has a plan for them and the land which He had promised to them. And so in that Day, He will bring His promise to pass. His promise is peace and prosperity, true prosperity for His people.
The Apostle John also envisioned this day at the end of Revelation. This is the second passage that I read earlier. Rev 21:1-5
Revelation 21:1-5 AU Revelation 21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, 4 and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” 5 And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.”
John sees the newly made heavens and earth at the end of this age; after God has completely destroyed all who opposed Him, and when He will once and for all make His creation a place in which righteousness dwells, because He will be there. Listen again to a brief description here, He says “the tabernacle of God is with men and He will dwell among them…and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away…”
The joy and blessing of the New Heavens and the New Earth is righteousness. And not just righteousness; but righteousness abiding in God’s creation. Consider that beloved. Peter says that this is a place in which righteousness shall dwell, take up its abode, remain. What a contrast from the world in which we live now. Unrighteousness and wickedness rule today. Sin and the curse rule the day. Death, disease, war and turmoil rule the day. In that day, the peace of God shall rule. Every lame leg shall be made straight. Every dim eye shall see. Every disease ridden body will be purified. There will be no more remembrance of a bad day, a back ache, a head ache, floods, children abducted from their homes, Christmas Eve massacres or wars. It will all be abolished. In that Day, the Righteousness of God shall rule. And we know that this Righteousness is a person and its is none other than God Himself.
Those who are righteous long for the return of Christ; because the return of Christ means the abolishment of sin and sinner alike. It is the abolishment of every thought and creation that has ever exalted itself against the Lord of Heaven. It is the day in which every promise of God for His name’s sake and for His people will be finally vindicated. His word shall come to pass. Those who have doubted Him will be put to shame. And His people will be lifted up; not for anything that they have done; but because of His righteousness.
Are you content with this world? Are you hoping in this world. Again, if God gave you the choice to go now or to stay which would you choose? Furthermore, if God gave you the option of a heaven just like what you see here, or a heaven whose center and character is the character of God Himself…a place of righteousness and holiness and truth; which would you choose?
Salvation is about rescue; it is a rescue from the penalty, power and ultimately from the presence of sin. It is the rescue from the presence of sin that is our ultimate hope. If you do not have that hope in your heart for the place of righteousness; then perhaps you need to reconsider whether or not you are in the faith. This world and everything about it will soon be destroyed. Will you cling to it? Or will you cling to the God in whose arms He has promised, you will never be ashamed?
In closing, I have some new years resolutions for you. These are not inspired…though they are intended to encourage you to think through what a life looks like that has a Righteous Kingdom as its hope.
Its actually two sets of resolutions. The first set is for those who have placed their trust in the unfailing promise of God that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. And the second is for those of you who know that you have not trusted in Christ’s righteousness, nor in God’s ownership of you as your creator, and perhaps as one who has even mocked God’s word or people in the past.
Resolution #1: I resolve, as one who is made righteous in Christ, as to lay aside every thought or purpose that is not ultimately for the Kingdom of God. I resolve to live with all of my might in holiness and righteousness; forsaking the passing pleasures of this dying world and wholeheartedly looking forward to the eternal pleasures found in God and His Kingdom.
I have three sub resolutions under this banner:
A. First sub resolution to that end, I resolve to work to the best of my ability in my place of work; so that God is glorified at the coming of Christ by those who do not know Him as they see my hard work and dedication, my timeliness and my good attitudes. I resolve to do this, not for recognition of anything of my own name; but to the end that He is honored by those who would otherwise scorn His truth and His name.
B. Second sub resolution, to that end, I resolve to serve my family to the best of my ability. I resolve to put aside selfish thoughts and attitudes. I resolve to look for opportunities to serve them, even when I am tired from work or school; and even when they don’t deserve it. I resolve to do this so that they may give glory to God at the coming of Christ, so that those who do not know Him in my family may have no reason to scorn the truth of scripture or the work of the Holy Spirit in my life.
For the men, I resolve to lead my family spiritually, in word and example. As a husband, I
resolve to love my wife as Christ loved the Church, sacrificially and purposefully to the end that
she comes to know the love of God through me.
For the women, I resolve to serve my family and to submit to my husband as to the Lord for His glory and honor; even when I feel that he doesn’t deserve it.
For the youth, I resolve to obey my parents for the glory of God, to the end that those who do not know the Lord may come to know His saving power through my humble attitudes. Also as a youth, I resolve to follow the ways of wisdom and not the ways and attitudes of my peers to the end that they would also come to know the truth of God’s word through my holy behavior.
C. Third sub resolution, to that end, I resolve as a single to seek to serve the Lord with all of my time and ability. I resolve to wait for the Lord’s timing with regards to marriage. I resolve to look at my time as a single as an opportunity to serve the Lord and to grow in my devotion to Him; and not as merely a time that I have to wait for marriage. I further resolve to remain holy in dress and in practice; not giving of my heart or my body before I have committed myself to someone in marriage, according to the Lord’s time and design.
D. Finally to that end, I resolve to serve the church to the best of my ability. I resolve to give of my time, my resources and of the gifts which God has given me because God is currently at work in the Church. I resolve to serve the church because God has gifted me for that purpose and at His coming I do not want to be ashamed for squandering His gifts. I resolve to consistently and faithfully get together with my brothers and sisters in Christ so that God may use us together in each others lives for the building up of the whole body of Christ. I resolve to love my brothers and sisters also so that the unbelieving and unrighteous world may understand God’s love through our example.
Resolution #2: As one who does not believe God, I resolve to consider that His patience has an end, and that the end of His patience is His wrath of which I will become a partaker if I do not turn from my sins, rejection of His rule and mockery of His word, to the only Salvation whom God has provided.
You really have nothing else to look forward to in life. Apart from God, you can do nothing of value in life. Apart from Christ, your life will be as empty and desparate as Bruce Pardo. Perhaps you may not get to the point that he reached. Perhaps you’ll continue struggling along, jumping from moment to moment hoping that hope will be your friend in the end. However if you want true hope; then you must turn to Christ. His life is the only life that ever pleased God, and God authenticated His life by raising Him from the dead and granting life to all who believe through His name.
