Lesson 10 – 2 Peter Chapter 3:10-18
As we finish the book of 2 Peter, we remember that Peter has shown us that we can trust the Word of God, because the men who wrote down the words of Scripture were all inspired by the Holy Spirit, therefore the Bible is dependable, inspired, and it’s how we hear from God.
In the previous chapter, Peter gave us detailed insights as to the make up of false prophets and false teachers, that they are truly the handiwork of satan. This carried over into chapter 3, and we’ve learned that the false teachers mocked God by saying, “Everything in this world is exactly the same, you claim that Jesus is coming back, well, where is He?”
We also learned that God lives outside the constraints of time, He exists in eternity. In the past, God dealt with His creation harshly during the days of Noah, because sinful man was exceedingly wicked. God’s judgment came down on all of humanity, and His Word tells us His judgment is coming again.
As believers, we worship and love God because He first loved us. The judgment that is coming will not be directed toward His children, but toward an unbelieving, corrupt, and evil world. In the past, God has always warned of His coming judgments, we see this with Israel many times, how He warned her over and over again. Here in verse 10, Peter gives another of God’s warnings.
2 Peter 3:10:
“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.”
We’ve gone from discussing the Lord’s delay to the Lord’s day… the day of the Lord.
Remember, God’s so-called “delay” only gives more people time to come to Him with a repentant attitude.
The day of the Lord… this could be the title of a new “Block-buster” movie, or you could see it plastered on a huge billboard sign along the road… it’s a phrase that can’t help but get your attention.
The day of the Lord signifies the extraordinary, miraculous interventions of God in human history for the purpose of the judgment of sinful man on earth, and the total destruction of the present universe.
In the Old Testament, six times this is referred to as “the day of doom,” and four times, “the day of vengeance.” In the New Testament, it is called “a day of wrath,” “visitation,” and “the great day of God, the Almighty.”
All of this will come as a result of mankind’s overwhelming sinfulness!
The “day of man” began in the Garden of Eden, when God gave man the privilege and opportunity to be stewards of the earth. But, as we all know, Adam and Eve chose to listen to satan rather than obey God, introducing sin and death into the world. We could say that Adam and Eve changed our human DNA… from that time forward, we are all born with a sin nature.
Joel 2:30-31:
“I will display wonders in the sky and on the earth, blood, fire and columns of smoke. The sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.”
The phrase “day of the Lord” usually identifies the events that take place at the end of man’s history, but not God’s history. Meaning, after God’s judgment is complete, saved man will have a new history with God in heaven, and the unsaved won’t have any history to speak of, just pain and sorrow.
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief…
Because it is the day of the Lord rather than “the day of Christ” that will come as a thief in the night, the scoffer, the false teacher, and the unbelievers will be taken by surprise. Not so for the believer, the child of God, who is watching for Jesus’ return.
1 Thess. 5:4-5:
“But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness;”
This is why Christians will not be taken by surprise, they are “sons of light,” with the expectation of Christ’s return.
Like a thief means that it will be unexpected, it will come without any warning, and it will be a disaster for those who are unprepared.
Matthew 25:1-13:
“Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps. Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep. But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the prudent, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the prudent answered, ‘No, there will not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut. Later the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open up for us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’ Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.”
The overall thrust of this parable is that Jesus will return at an unknown hour and that His people must be ready. Being ready means we’re living for Christ… growing, serving, and obeying Him, while we eagerly await His coming. As seen in the fact that all the virgins were sleeping when the call came indicates that it doesn’t matter what we are doing when Christ returns. We may be working, eating, sleeping, or pursuing “time off” activities. Whatever it is, we must be doing it in such a way that we don’t have to “make things right” (get more oil) when He comes. This would apply to either the coming of Christ for His Church or for the Tribulation Saints as they await His second coming.
When will it come? Nobody knows when… because it will come as a thief in the night. Most likely it will happen when the world feels secure, then God’s judgment will fall.
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 think this describes nuclear warfare for the world.
Col 1:16:
“For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”
Perhaps when the end comes, Jesus will let go of all things.
The phrase “the elements” literally means “ones in a row,” as in the letters of the Greek alphabet… alpha, beta, gamma, delta, etc. When it’s used in reference to the physical world, it describes the basic atomic components that make up the universe… the elements will be destroyed.
With intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up…
The power of God will consume everything in the material world… that means the entire physical earth, with its civilizations, world economies, and natural resources… everything gone, “kabluie” (is that a word, I don’t think so). But here’s the amazing mind-boggling thing, in the middle of all this destruction, God will protect His children.
Right now, everything seems to be going the way of the world, satan sees billions of people separated from God, and he couldn’t be happier. One day, Jesus will return and God’s judgment will be displayed. After Jesus returns, the entire universe will cease to exist, and it will be replaced by a completely new heaven and earth, where believers will live with God forever.
2 Peter 3:11:
“Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,”
We’ve all heard the saying, you’ll never see a U-haul trailer behind a hearse, because you can’t take anything with you when you die. To take this a step further, everything left behind is going to be burned up… it’s all gonna burn!
There was an old prominent rabbi scholar and lover of the Torah. He lived in the old part of Jerusalem in a small apartment, where he only had a desk, a chair, and a bed. “Rabbi, is this your house?” asked a lady from New York who had come to visit him. “Yes,” the Rabbi replied. “Well where is your furniture?” The Rabbi looked at this wealthy American lady and said, “So, where’s your furniture?” “I didn’t bring my furniture,” she said. “I’m just traveling.” “Ah,” the Rabbi smiled. “so am I.”
A good student of the Bible knows that we are sojourners on this earth, just passing through. God can bless us with all kinds of things like cars, boats or houses, but the important thing is for us not to put a high priority on stuff, because it’s just going to burn. Our job is to keep looking at the “big picture,” and Peter is saying, “Look for the coming Day of the Lord.”
What sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness…
This is a rhetorical question for us, and Peter’s not expecting a response. What sort of people… this translates to, “how astonishingly excellent you ought to be.” In other words, as believers we are to live with the constant “hope of Christ” in our hearts, walking in obedience, and waiting for His return. It’s kind of a no-brainer, that is unless that person has gotten all wrapped up in the things of the world. Peter is gently reminding us who we are in Christ.
Phil. 3:20:
“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;”
2 Peter 3:12 [verse 12 holds for us, the day of God and the day of the Lord]
“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!”
Paul tells us in Titus 2:13, that we’re…
“Looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus,”
Looking for… conveys an attitude of expectancy, meaning as believers, we have the confidence that God keeps His Word, that we should always be waiting and watching for the appearance of Jesus.
Hastening… means to desire earnestly.
The funny thing is, as Christians, we don’t fear the coming destruction of the world, but we’re looking forward to it, knowing that God loves us and has an incredible plan for us.
1 John 4;18:
“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.”
The coming… is a term that emphasizes the personal, bodily arrival of Jesus Christ. (This is so much better than talking about false teachers!)
The day of God… Some commentators equate the day of God with “the day of the Lord,” but remarkably, they are not synonymous expressions. The day of God refers to the eternal state when God will have permanently subdued all of His enemies.
1 Cor. 15:28:
“Then, when all things are under His authority, the Son will put Himself under God’s authority, so that God, who gave His Son authority over all things, will be utterly supreme over everything everywhere.” (NLT)
Phil. 2:10:
“So that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
This day is coming, when no human or angel will be able to say there is no God… this is the day of God.
However, the “day of the Lord,” refers to the final, explosive events accompanying the last judgment of unbelievers. While believers are eager for the approaching day of God, their attitude toward the turmoil that precedes it is more sobering to say the least.
We see this with apostle John in Revelation 10:9-10:
“So I went to the angel, telling him to give me the little book. And he said to me, Take it and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey. I took the little book out of the angel’s hand and ate it, and in my mouth it was sweet as honey; and when I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter.”
The little book represents the judgment that is coming… it’s sweet to the believer because of the day of God, but bitter because of the “day of the Lord.”
2 Peter 3:13:
“But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.”
As believers, we hold on to all of God’s promises, and He has promised a new heavens and a new earth are coming.
Some of us get to travel around the world, seeing different places, taking in the beauty of the world. Many of us see the beauty of God’s creation through pictures and videos. There’s no doubt that there are numerous breathtaking places to behold… but by reading God’s Word, we know that we live in a fallen and cursed world. What this tells us is that God is going to make everything brand new, and even more beautiful than our eyes have ever seen before.
In which righteousness dwells… it means to settle down and be at home. This is where righteousness dwells permanently. Why? Because the Righteous One will be there, and we will be at home with Him.
2 Peter 3:14:
“Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless,”
Peter uses the word beloved once again, showing his affection for those in his charge, also with the assumption they are believers.
Since you look for these things… what are we looking for? The day of God, the new heavens and earth, the eternal state (being with God in our glorified bodies), and looking forward to God’s everlasting kingdom.
We know Jesus is coming back, but unfortunately, there are those who don’t have a peace about His coming because they’re not in a good place…
They are not seen as spotless and blameless.
Be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless…
Be diligent…
2 Tim. 2:22:
“Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.”
Paul is talking about someone being diligent… in their pursuit of righteousness, love, and peace.
Diligence, or steady perseverance in a person’s effort, results in careful, energetic, and persistent work. Diligent people get the job done. They don’t quit until they have given it their all. The Bible uses the word diligence in several ways, and it is always in a positive sense. Being diligent does involve an effort on our part. How can we do anything less when Jesus suffered for our freedom?
The opposite of diligence is laziness.
1 Thess 5:14:
“Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone.” (NLT)|
Spotless and blameless…
Remember all the way back to First Peter…
1 Peter 1:15-16:
“But like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, “you shall be holy, for I am Holy.”
If we are walking in obedience with this command, we will easily fall into the category of being spotless and blameless. Yep, it takes an effort to get there. For believers then, the promise of Christ’s return serves as a powerful incentive for holy living.
2 Peter 3:15:
“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,”
“And remember, our Lord’s patience gives people time to be saved. This is what our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom God gave him.” (NLT)
The first part of this verse takes us back to verse 9, talking about God’s patience. Peter says, regard… which means to consider, or to think, regard the patience of our Lord, think about the patience of our Lord. Where would any of us be today without God’s patience?
God should have given up on me long ago, because I tested His patience to the extreme, but He is patient with me, just as He is with all of you. God’s “grace” also goes hand-in-hand with His patience. With this in mind, we should never take either one for granted.
As we saw in verse 9, God’s patience is still in place. The mockers tried to use this against God, by saying He was slow. But His patience means there is still time for the unbelievers to come to Him in repentance.
Some people think that life is just a game, where they can live as they please no matter how sinful or evil their actions may be, then they will miraculously change their heart and come to God. It really doesn’t work that way, that’s playing Russian roulette with your soul.
While it is still today, anyone with a true heart of repentance can come to God.
2 Cor. 6:2:
“For God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.” Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.” (NLT)
God’s patience is as amazing as His grace. In the richness of His patience, God gives people more than enough time to repent.
Genesis 6:3a:
“Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh;”
Again, while there is still time, those who have not yet repented need to come to the Lord seeking forgiveness.
Just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you…
Peter and Paul had an interesting relationship. More than twenty years earlier, Paul confronted Peter and rebuked him for refusing to eat with the Gentile Christians. I imagine Peter was embarrassed, but he understood this admonition was from the Spirit and not from Paul… his respect for Paul was in no way weakened.
In verses 15 and 16, Peter is indorsing Paul and his teachings. Our takeaway from this is, sometimes we have to get up in each other’s grill so to speak, but we should always do it prayerfully and respectfully. If we receive a godly rebuke from a brother or sister, have enough grace to accept it.
2 Peter 3:16:
“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.”
As also in all his letters… Peter knew the letters he and Paul wrote were reaching the same people, so Peter is citing Paul’s work here. Peter was called to minister to the Jews and Paul was to reach out to the Gentiles. Peter and Paul both give warnings about false teachers.
In which are some things hard to understand…
Have you ever said to yourself after reading a particular verse, “I just don’t get it.” Peter acknowledged there are some things that are hard to understand. Things such as the Rapture of the church, the coming man of sin (antichrist), the return of Christ in judgment, and the glories of heaven.
Hard to understand… this phrase carries the idea of “difficult to interpret,” but Peter doesn’t want us to get the idea that Paul’s teachings are impossible to understand, it’s just that he realizes that some things are more complex than others.
Which the untaught and unstable distort… this is referring to those who are ignorant and unstable, and have twisted Paul’s letters to mean something quite different. The false teachers had a hand in this.
The word distort… speaks of wrenching someone’s body on a torture rack. You probably just got a graphic picture in your mind, but this vividly depicts how the false teachers twisted certain prophetic issues, with the intention of manipulating, confusing, and deceiving the immature believers.
As they do also the rest of the Scriptures…
This was the false teachers M.O. (Modus operandi), their way of operating in the shadows. They not only did it with prophecy, but also distorted the rest of the Scriptures. This distortion continues today, only on a grander scale.
Also by Peter using the phrase the rest of the Scriptures, this clearly points out that all that Paul wrote was the inspired Word of God.
By distorting the Scriptures, the false teachers were simultaneously driving a nail in their own coffin, securing their own destruction.
Deut. 4:2:
“You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.”
The warning not to add or take away from God’s Word applies to the entire Bible. We see a similar warning in the book of Revelation…
Rev. 22:18:
“I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.”
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You don’t mess with God’s Word, otherwise you suffer the consequences… (their own destruction).
2 Peter 3:17:
“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,”
“I am warning you ahead of time, dear friends. Be on guard so that you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing.” (NLT)
Peter uses the word “beloved” for the last time as he closes out his letter, knowing that there is a real closeness between him and his readers. We get another warning from Peter, and these warnings serve as important reminders of what to look out for in our everyday Christian walk.
Be on your guard… against the error of such unprincipled men…
Paul just puts it out there for us in Phil 3:1-2:
“Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you. Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision;”
These unprincipled men were just dogs… animals. Through Peter’s writings, we’ve been amply educated about the deceivers in this world, so, even though we know about them, we need to always be alert, never putting our guard down, so we are never carried away by their deceptions.
2 Peter 3:18:
“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.”
Let’s take this last verse as a command… But grow! This is our mission, this is our life-long quest, to always be growing in Christ. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ…
Eph. 1:7:
“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.”
Because of His grace, God forgives the sins of His children. They (we) in turn feed on His Word, which turns into communion and adoration. This is your eternity, all based on God’s grace!
Growing in our knowledge of God, is something that will never come to completion, because there is no limit to God. I submit to you that you will even be growing in Christ throughout eternity.
Eph. 4:13:
“This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.” (NLT)
Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ…
One commentary writes: “It is crucial to note that Peter designated Jesus both as Lord and Savior. Pursuing a deeper understanding of the fullness of Christ’s person, both in His saving work and His lordship, will provide believers with doctrinal stability they need to avoid being misled.”
To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen…
This affirms Jesus’ deity and equality with God. Then, divine glory belongs only to God.
Isaiah 42:8:
“I am the Lord, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, nor My praise to graven images.”
The only possible conclusion we can come to is, Jesus is worthy of the Father’s glory, because He Himself is God.
We’ll close with a word from Paul,
Col. 3:1-4:
“Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.”
Amen.