Advance and Grow
2 Peter 3.11-18
In view of the fact that heavens and earth, as we have them now, are destined to be burned up, we ought to be ready for the coming of the Lord. We should be prepared for it by following a holy conduct and living in godliness, because we have no doubt that it will take place at any time. We are not to sit in judgment of one another, but to each watch our own step.
Differently from the men and women of the world, who are carrying on in their sin without thought of God, as in the times of Noah, we are waiting expectantly and longing for the Day of God (the Day of the Lord of verse 10) during which the polluted heavens we have now will be dissolved and the elements will be melted. We know that they will be replaced with new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
Righteousness does not dwell in this earth today. It is not at home in this earth, in any of the capitals of the world, or where we live. But righteousness will dwell in the new earth and in the new heavens, and we certainly can look forward to that.
Justice and peace will then be restored on earth. This was the purpose of redemption, that the kingdom of God might come and that the works of the devil be undone for ever (1 John 3.8), and that the triumph of the "Seed of the woman" might be complete.
The kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14.17). As heirs and subjects of this kingdom, these virtues are to be seen in our daily lives. We know that the earth and all its works will be burned up, we therefore realise how important a life of godliness is here and now. We are to live a life separated unto God. Our target in life is not to attain pleasure and happiness for ourselves and our dear ones, but to live for God. He will provide all the pleasure and happiness we need.
We are to be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless. This is a very high standard towards which we are to aim, worthy of a subject of the kingdom of God. We are to be in peace with Him and with one another, which means living in communion.
Without spot means absolutely clean and unstained. If we do not watch ourselves, our character is liable to be blemished by such things as lying, bad language, quarrelsome attitudes and malice.
Blameless means innocent of any offence, and it can only be attained by being righteous, honest, sincere and pure in our social and commercial relationships. Absolute integrity is the hallmark of the son of God, and that is what He would like to see in us always.
His great patience in delaying His return in judgment is providing an opportunity for men to be saved. We do not need to be alarmed when we see that things are far from right in the world, and appear to be getting worse all the time: He is going to make them right someday. This is the message of the New Testament, and Peter now reminds us that Paul also wrote of this.
Peter calls him "our beloved brother Paul", and says he also wrote about these things in all his epistles, according to the wisdom which was given to him, implying that it was given by God. Paul's epistles are here acknowledged by Peter to be part of the Scriptures, the Word of God, inspired and eternal.
Like all Scriptures, Peter warns, there are things which are difficult to understand in Paul's writings: they require intellectual and spiritual perception to arrive at the truth which is being conveyed. For this reason they are picked upon by malicious deceivers in order to twist their real meaning and obtain some pretended biblical basis for their false teaching. They are called here "untaught" and "unstable" or "ill-established", and the twisting they do is for their own destruction.
We know that the Thessalonians persisted in misrepresenting Paul on this very subject of the second coming as Hymenaeus and Philetus did about the resurrection (2 Timothy 2.17) and it appears that Paul's teaching about grace was twisted to mean moral laxity (Galatians 3:10; Romans 3:20, 28; 5:20).
Peter does not say that he himself failed to understand Paul's writings. Like the other apostles, Paul wrote inspired by the Holy Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5.27; Colossians 4.16) just as the prophets of old did (2 Peter 1:20); these were also misused (Matthew 5:21-44; 15:3-6; 19:3-10).
We are told beforehand of these things in order that we may be fully aware of them and to leave us no excuse for misunderstanding Peter or Paul on this subject, if we are carried away by error.
This is something that we are to know. There is a grave danger in being a lazy Christian, not learning the Word of God. There is no little gimmick, no little course we can take in a week, no little programme that we can go through that will change and revolutionise our life and provide us with all we need against false teachers.
Many trust entirely their clergy, ministers and pastors to be true to the Word of God and to prevent them from straying into false teaching. Experience through history proves that this is not so, and it only takes one charismatic leader to lead the whole flock into error, disarray, and division.
There is no easy way. We are to seriously study the entire Word of God, not just a few little verses of Scripture that we throw about and kick around like a football because they are popular. Peter says, "You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked". If we have a comprehensive knowledge of Scripture and apply it to our own life, we shall be a steadfast Christian. As we saw at the beginning of this epistle, Peter's characteristic word is "knowledge".
It has been made quite clear to us, in this letter, that in the last days - that is, today - there will be false teachers within the churches, leading dissolute lives and teaching subversive doctrines. There will also be scoffers denying the second coming of Christ. We must keep our eyes open and our hearts firm. The "wicked" (verse 17) do not wish to be subordinate to the Word nor to obey the Lord, nor to live the life suited to a Christian. We are warned and let us beware of such insubordinate persons, remaining firm and true.
Returning to the thought contained in the first chapter, Peter exhorts us to make progress in our Christian life. When moving forward we do not risk falling back. We are to grow all the time, in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. We must get to know Him more and more and when we follow Him we shall not be tempted to follow the false shepherds, who dishonour and deny Him.
True knowledge is not some esoteric information concerning a form or formula, a rite or ritual; nor is it some secret order or password, as the Gnostics claimed. It is to know Jesus Christ as He is revealed to man in the Word of God. This is the secret of life and of Christian living (see John 17:3).
Notice how Peter uses the name: "our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." How precious the Lord Jesus had become to this rough, old fisherman! As J. Niebor has well said, "He obeyed Him as Lord, he loved Him as Saviour, he adored Him as the greatest human, Jesus, he worshipped Him as the mighty anointed Son of God, Christ."
Peter concludes his last message to us with the praise contained in these short words: "To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen." Only He is to be glorified, here in this life and for eternity. Oh, that we might have a very deep knowledge of Jesus Christ! Only as we spend time with Him, as He is revealed in His Word, can we grow in our knowledge of Him.
R David Jones
11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons 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 dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?
13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
14 Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless;
15 and consider that the long-suffering of our Lord is salvation - as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you,
16 as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.
17 You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked;
18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.