2 Peter 3:1-18
The Day of the LORD
1 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 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.
3 Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 4 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.” 5 But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. 6 By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. 7 By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.
8 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. 9 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.
10 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.
11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.
14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. 15 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. 16 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.
17 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. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.
There is a tension between God's justice and His patient, loving desire that "everyone come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9)....Today I have a deep concern over the "false teachers" and unloving leaders who prey on the poor is shared by God, as their actions are the very opposite of the Kingdom principles Peter discusses...There is a great challenge of love being and spreading universally...
Peter says the heavens and earth will be destroyed by fire —gets to the heart of Biblical eschatology (the study of the end times)...When Peter speaks of the present world being "reserved for fire" (2 Peter 3:7) and later states the "elements will be destroyed by fire" (2 Peter 3:10), this language is generally understood by theologians not as absolute annihilation (turning everything into nothingness), but as a radical purification and renewal...
The parallel Peter draws is between the destruction by water in Noah's time and the future destruction by fire...The Flood did not annihilate the matter of the earth; it cleansed and reorganized the surface of the world, judging the wickedness upon it...Similarly, the coming fire is seen as a cosmic refining agent...The Greek word often translated as "destruction" can also mean "dissolution" or "unmaking."...This fire will burn away the corruption, the effects of sin, and everything "done in it" that is impure, preparing it for the promise of 2 Peter 3:13: "a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells."...
Therefore, this event is not purely symbolism, but an expression of a literal, physical, yet transformative event... The new earth will be the Absolute Reality of the Kingdom you desire—a refashioned creation that is permanent, pristine, and perfectly suited to host God's Presence and His righteous people...What is left is the purified substance of creation, reborn and free from the stain of sin, much like metal refined in a fire retains its essence but loses its dross...
How can we get everyone on board with love as Jesus teaches?...This is the greatest challenge of the Gospel because it touches on free will...We know God desires this, as Peter affirms that God is "not wanting anyone to perish" (2 Peter 3:9)...However, God respects the dignity of the choice He gave humanity; He will not force His LOVE, kindness, or repentance upon anyone...Forced Agape LOVE is not love...
The solution to "getting everyone on board" starts not with a global mandate, but with a radical, individual witness...Peter's answer is a direct charge to the believer: Since everything will be destroyed in this way, "what kind of people ought you to be?" (2 Peter 3:11)...
The call is to embody the love, patience, and forgiveness Jesus follower's want to see in the world, especially when dealing with those who are difficult, unloving, or even enemies...When you choose to treat others as Christ has treated you, you are not just practicing good morals; you are demonstrating the active, invading presence of the Kingdom of God to a watching world...The greatest evangelistic tool is the consistent, joyful, and selfless love of the believer...
We cannot change the entire world at once, but we can change the world for one person at a time through patient love and unwavering commitment...We live out God's Kingdom by living His Kingdom, allowing our own growth "in the grace and knowledge of our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18) to be the ultimate message that draws others to the Father's heart...Let us keep focusing our energy and velocity on growing in that knowledge and God's Grace...
Peter's instruction for believers to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18) is the starting point to getting love all around the world and in everybody...One can’t distribute a love one does not possess...The natural human heart (the source of the "evil, meanness, and wickedness") is incapable of consistently producing the unconditional love required by the Kingdom...Therefore, the essential first step to getting love everywhere is allowing God’s Spirit to continually refine our own hearts...This means actively pursuing the knowledge of Jesus, which changes how we think (our "wholesome thinking") and gives us the grace to forgive when we'd rather seek revenge and persecution and continued insulting of others...This process is about setting aside our velocity in worldly pursuits to gain velocity in Christ, allowing His selfless nature to take root deep within us...
Once love begins to overflow from the changed heart, it must be demonstrated publicly to become "everywhere."...Peter specifically says that because of God's promises of renewal, believers must strive to be "found spotless and blameless, living holy and godly lives" (2 Peter 3:11,14)...This conduct is the most powerful method for getting love everywhere...It directly counters the darkness one sees in unloving leaders and false teachers...Where they are after the poor and needy, the believer demonstrates love by defending, assisting, and generously giving, echoing Christ who was moved with compassion for the helpless crowd...Furthermore, while the ungodly are consumed by revenge, the believer responds with forgiveness and kindness, even to their enemies...This radical, counter-cultural love is what exposes the false teachers for what they are and draws others to question the source of our strength and peace...We can't force the world to love, but we can embody a love so clear, so patient (like the LORD's patience in 2 Peter 3:9), and so powerful that it becomes impossible to ignore...