Lesson 7, 2 Peter 3:11-18, A Concluding Challenge

By Pastor Rich Paradis

2 Peter 3:11-18

 

Peter now brings the letter to a conclusion and an application, offering a motivation and a challenge to all of us.

 

I.                 Look Forward    2 Peter 3:11-13

a.      Continuing the thoughts from our previous verses about the coming Day of the Lord, Peter will offer a question that was not only contemporary with the 1^st century reader but the reader of our day as well. According to verse 10, this coming Day of the Lord will come like a “thief”, that is suddenly, unexpectedly, and catastrophically. Those things that we hold on so dearly to, our place and our works will be destroyed by intense, judgmental heat.

b.     Verse 11 continues that line of thinking with the word “since”. “In light of the facts just shared” is the idea here. So Peter asks an operative question for all readers going forward. That question is this, “In light of the coming Day of the Lord and its full realization, what sort of people ought God’s people be as that day approaches?”

c.      The question is somewhat detailed and specific in that the question even offers the areas of conduct that should be under examination while answering the question. Those areas are holy conduct and godliness.

                                                    i.     Holy Conduct – This is our sanctification, or set-apartness, from the world and its ways. Christians are to be different, not odd. To be different is to be distinct, which attracts. To be odd is to be strange, which repels.

                                                  ii.     Godliness – This is our dedication to God. The idea here is piety and worship. Christians are to worship God and God alone.

d.     Moving along to Verse 12, Peter continues his thoughts by considering the holy conduct and godliness being lived out as we “look for and hasten the coming of the day of God”. First of all, the Christian is to have a “looking forward to” attitude toward the Day of God. So what is the Day of God? And is it different from the Day of the Lord? While admittedly my End Time theology is still much under construction, I do think that there is a distinction here that helps to uncover some of the truth in this passage. Here are a couple of brief definitions that I hope will help us as we continue thinking through this paragraph of Scripture:

                                                    i.     The Day of the Lord – This is the time of judgment that will come at the time of the second coming of Christ. While everyone seems to have their thoughts on the timeline, etc. it would be more than the text offers us here to speculate on that timeline.

                                                  ii.     The Day of God – This is the commencement of eternity that will follow the Day of the Lord.

e.      So with those brief definitions in mind, the passage seems to be saying that somehow believers can “hasten” the coming day of God, again keeping in mind that the current heavens and earth will be destroyed by fire as a part of this entire process. So how can we as believers “hasten” this day?  There are two common errors in our thinking about our role in the unfolding world:

                                                    i.     We are locked into God’s plan in such a way that nothing we do makes any difference.

                                                  ii.     God cannot get anything done unless we do it.

f.       Both miss something of what’s being said here. The prayers of His people and their faithful witness and preaching of the gospel will bring others to repentance and salvation, thus hastening the plan of God to return, judge the ungodly, and usher in eternity. Verse 13 tells us that this “new heaven and new earth” was promised (Isaiah 65:17 and 66:22) and will be the dwelling place of righteousness personified in both the saints of the ages and the Righteous One Himself.

 

II.               Be Diligent    2 Peter 3:14-16

a.      Peter continues his discussion in Verses 14-15 with a word that is used 4 times in 2 Peter 3. That word is “beloved” or “dear friends”. Those places are Verses 1,8,14, and 17. Even as he unfolds this important information for them going forward, he never forgets to remind them that he loves them. He is not just telling them what to do. He is instructing them in the way that leads to godliness and joy. He cares for them, so he tells them the truth. This is different from the false teacher who only has his motivations in mind.

b.     Peter’s assumption here is that the one who desires to follow Christ with his or her life will be looking with anticipation toward His coming there is a challenge to consider. That challenge is the same challenge that was offered in 2 Peter 1:5 and 10. The call is to diligence in Christian living. We are not working for our salvation; we are being diligent because of our salvation. We are to be found by Him at His second coming:

                                                    i.     In Peace – This peace only comes in relationship with Him. Romans 5:1 tells us of the acquisition of this peace and encourages us to live in that acquired peace through sanctified living.

                                                  ii.     Spotless and Blameless – Unlike the false teacher’s exposure as “stains and blemishes”, Christians are to be spotless and blameless. They are not able to be perfect, but they are to demonstrate the cleansing work of salvation on their lives.

                                                iii.     Regarding His Patience As Salvation – This is a reminder of Verse 9. God is not slack in His duties; He is patient and long-suffering desiring all to come to Him in repentance.

c.      And interesting connection is made in Verse 16 to the Apostle Paul. This is the same Apostle Paul that confronted Peter in Galatians 3:11. Paul is being brought out here as a “true teacher”. His teaching was not only true; it was according to wisdom given by God Himself. Even though some of the concepts of Paul’s writing were difficult for the human mind to comprehend and understand, it was authoritative being compared and included in the “Scriptures”.

d.     The “untaught and unstable”, on the other hand, distort and twist Scripture to their own advantage and motivations because of the teaching and leading of the false teachers of chapter 2. What will be the results of their activities? Their own destruction!

 

III.             Guard and Grow    2 Peter 3:17-18

a.      Peter concludes this letter with a warning and a challenge to his readers going forward. He first of all warns his beloved readers in Verse 17 to “be on guard”. Against what? Against the error of the false teacher and his devious agenda. This false teacher is “unprincipled” and “lawless”. He is rogue and is to be avoided so that those who are weak do not “fall from steadfastness”. This does not mean that they will lose their salvation; only their effectiveness and security in Him.

b.     Peter now offers again the challenge that has saturated this letter in Verse 18. That challenge is to grow. To grow in what? To grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ! The best defense against the false teacher is knowing and following the True Teacher!!

c.      And it is to that True Teacher that a final doxology is given. It is to Him that all glory, both now and forever, belongs. AMEN!!

 

IV.            An Application For All Of Us

a.      The Second Coming of Christ is a reality.

b.     The Second Coming of Christ should prompt anticipation and diligence in those that follow Him.

c.      The false teacher will continue his devious work until his ultimate day of judgment and destruction.

d.     The believer is to both guard his or her mind from this false teacher.

e.      The believer is to continue growing in Christ to fend off the attacks of this enemy.