2 Peter 3

This is the 2nd letter Peter has written to this group (vs 1) He refers to them as “beloved”.  He is reminding them of all he’s taught them in the two letters.  In this volume, he has taught them —they’ve been born again to a living hope; they are called to be holy; they have a duty to submit to authority; how to live in marriage;  how to administer God’s grace;  to be prepared for suffering in Christ’s name; how to shepherd the church of God; how to live as one called by God; how to live out the calling to which He specifically called you; how to discern between real and false prophets and teachers; and finally how to live in the waiting.  Twice, Peter discusses the Word of God brought by men through the moving of the Holy Spirit.  In chapter 1 vs 16-21 and in chapter 3 vs 14-18.  This strengthens the case for Christ.  ❤️

Peter is challenging them by reminding them to continue to live in the sincere faith that first won them over.  (“The heart cannot love what the mind does not know”.—Jen Wilkin). Peter starts by telling them to remember that they will be made fun of for their faith, as has been warned by prophets and by Jesus Himself.  The mocking is less about your faith, and more about following their own sinful desires.  They will undermine the truth of God’s Word (just as their father, the devil, did in the beginning in the garden of Eden and every day since) by saying “I thought Jesus was changing the world? Instead everything is continuing on like it always has!” They know the truth, but they twist it on purpose.  Long ago, God created the heavens, and by His Word the earth and water were formed.  The very water He created was then used to destroy the sinful people.  But by the same trustworthy Word, God has a plan set in place for judgement again.  This time the destruction will come from fire, stored up for the judgement and destruction of the ungodly.  

All this to say, God is not constrained by time as we know it.  The mockers deliberately overlook this fact, but Peter is reminding us we should not.  God doesn’t go by any man-made clock or calendar when it comes to His promises; He is driven only by His patient, long-suffering, loving characteristics, in which He LONGS for everyone to draw to Him in repentance and Live.  ❤️. 

But since we do know that all of this has an expiration date, how should we live? (The original language means “what country are you from?”) We should live as people whose hope is not in the earth under our feet or the sky above our heads.  We know, by Peter’s words, the prophets, and Jesus Himself, that we are waiting for a new heaven and a new earth, where sin will have no place.  🤗

This chapter changes me in the last verses. We are in the same boat as these people from 2,000 years ago—we are in the waiting.  We are in the time between the cross and the crown.  We should be so constant in our allegiance to Christ Jesus that the timing doesn’t matter.  We should be both ready and at peace.  There are some things hard to understand, and that can lead to fear.  I heard a quote a few days ago, and I saved it in my phone, wondering when I could use it to encourage someone as it encouraged me.  Here we go—“If you can worry, you can meditate.” We can worry as we wait, or we can meditate as we wait.  Lots of worrisome things happening around us; and as someone who struggles with anxiety over things that aren’t even true, it’s a battle.  But Peter is pushing us to choose to meditate on God’s Word, so we aren’t blown by every wind that comes across our path, causing us to stumble or fall.  We need to grow in the favor of God and in the knowledge of Christ Jesus, who is both the Master of our life and the Redeemer of our souls.  To Him alone be glory now and forever.  Amen.