The Beauty Of Second Peter-Chapter 3 Continued

In the last article, we left off at verse 9 in 2 Peter chapter 3. We will begin this time on verse 12. I want to discuss a key phrase found in this verse-”the day of God”.

One of the things that I love so much about scripture is that the bible is it's own dictionary and commentary, the bible is all you need. The bible defines itself again in verse 10 regarding “the day of God”. We read, “the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens will pass away with a great noise”. This is really powerful, do you see it? This is the day He returns. The day in which the glorious victory will finally be complete. A day that all will witness, none will miss it. When God says there will be a great noise, I believe that none will keep from hearing it.

But, we are commanded to hasten to that day. Does that mean to continue in sin that God might come sooner? No, not really, what God is telling us is to be ready. Ready as if it were going to happen today. It means to be blameless and full of the Spirit (v.11) through Christ. In other words, present your bodies a living sacrifice (Romans 12), the old man is dead (Eph 4), and claim the new life in Christ Jesus, letting HIM rule the day. We can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens us, just give up to the flesh.

Moving on to verse 13, we find another verse that has caused more than one believer to stumble. The concept of new heavens and a new earth have generated entirely new sects, or cults. However, according to Revelation 21:27, this is a place that nothing that can defile it can enter. It is a place where true Christians will experience a great deal more of the wisdom, power and goodness of our God and Savior and these will be more clearly discerned than we now see. The fact is that man vainly corrupts the creation that surrounds him through sin. The new heavens and the new earth are not capable to be corrupted and polluted by sin, only the righteous can enter. The stumbling block for some is that it is believed that this new heaven and new earth will be created for man to live in sort of utopia state. In some sense this might be true, but it is deeper than that in that only the righteous can enter and the old shall not be remembered (Isaiah 65:17), and it will not be removed, nor I in it. “Those only who are clothed with the righteousness of Christ, and sanctified by the Holy Ghost, shall be admitted to dwell in this Holy place.” God, what a feeling!

Therefore, “look to such things” (v14), be vigilant about your faith. I am to live each day as if I were prepared to meet the Lord at this very moment. Do not lose your own steadfastness (v17). Wait a minute, can I lose my salvation? No sir, you cannot. If God has the power to save me, He has the power to KEEP me. However, the argument is being made that we can be lured away by the “lust of the flesh”, or by the vanity of man from a diligent, conscious decision on my part to let the Holy Spirit produce fruit in my life. I, nor you, cannot lose my salvation, but I can lose my ministry or any positive effect I might have on others. Most importantly, I can lose the effect I have in my own family as a believer if I give in to the cares of this world and the words of men and drawn astray by the error of the wicked. The question then would be, what effect or credibility as a Christian would I then have? The answer is, quite simply, none.

I will finish this series with verse 18, “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever, amen.” Nothing more needs to be said, thank you for joining me on this journey.