Yesterday, Pastor Byron concluded our series on 2 Peter. Where the previous week’s chapter was full of warning about false teachers, yesterday’s message was about encouraging the people of God to continue living righteous lives, because it matters. So today, I’d like to reflect on some of the things Peter wrote in the third chapter of his second letter.
Scoffers See God’s Patience with Sin as Either Absence or Impotence
Peter was very clear that those who follow their sinful desires do not want to be subject to God. They have deluded themselves into thinking what they do will not be judged by God, because they haven’t been judged while living yet, and neither has many for generations. Because of the lack of immediate retribution, they have begun to believe either God is absent and doesn’t care about morality or He is impotent to do anything about it. So when they interact with believers striving to live a holy life, they scoff at them, throwing accusations that God isn’t going to judge them because he either can’t or is indifferent. They look at the lack of immediate punishment as impotence and not what it really is, God’ patience. This is similar to what Paul mentions in Romans 2:4 “God’s kindness leads you to repentance.” God is kind and patient, willing to give all of humanity the opportunity for salvation. Sadly, the scoffers are trying to take advantage of it to live for their sinful desires. So Peter’s words in chapter three are words to encourage those who are ridiculed by the scoffers to give them a reminder that God is alive and active, operating in a mode of love and compassion beyond our comprehension. His patience is driven by love, yet it is not without limit for the unrepentant.
God is alive and active, operating in a mode of love and compassion beyond our comprehension [tweetquote]
The Lord’s Patience with Sin Will Not Last Forever
Peter reminds his audience that God does act against wickedness. When it reaches a level of fullness, He acts without hesitation. Peter references the Flood as a reminder to God’s actions against prolonged sinful activity. Even during Noah’s time, it took a long time for Him to act. Long enough for Noah to get the command to build the boat, plus an additional 120 years to complete it. That is longer than most of people’s life spans today. So why wouldn’t someone bent on self think God wasn’t going to address their rebellion.
However, what the unrepentant view as slowness or inaction is in reality patience. The Lord doesn’t want anyone to come under judgment. That is why He sent Jesus to die for humanity. Yes the path to salvation is specifically difficult and narrow. Yes, there is only one option for salvation. And…Everyone is invited to follow it. God made a way for salvation. When we reject that, it is on us. The effects of that rejection are not immediate, much like many things in God’s timing. However, as one of my seminary professors was fond of quoting, “The millstone of God’s judgement turns slowly but surely.” We have lived about fifty generations since the advent of the Gospels to mankind. In that time, God’s judgment has been held off. It would be easy to think that He is either inactive, impotent, or non-existent for someone bent on acting out their every impulse. It is easy for them to deride followers of Christ for their “archaic” morality and ardent faithfulness to an invisible authority figure.
This is why Peter is adamant to remind his readers that God has acted in the past. He has spoken to his people through prophets and apostles. He will do so again. He will act again. When He does, it won’t be water that brings down humanity but fiery destruction. Some Christians believe this is a literal fiery judgement. Others believe it is a spiritual or metaphorical fiery judgment. Either way, what we see of fire in Scripture is that it is an element for judgement and purification. The fire burns off the sinful and its effects, giving way for new life in its purest and holiest sense. God has been extremely patient throughout history. But a day is coming when that patience will be removed-not in an uncontrolled rage, but in a very precise and calculated aim at every misdeed, every indulgence of the flesh, every cause of negative effects on the vulnerable. It may take centuries for that millstone to roll. But once it has momentum, it will not be stopped. Peter is not purporting revenge fantasy with this language, he is bringing out the reality of justice. Either we are cleansed in blood and pursue holy living and repentance, or we will experience the fullness of God’s divine “Justice.” It sounds scary. However, in the words of D. A. Carson, professor of New Testament Studies at TEDS, “No one will come away from judgment day saying, ‘That’s not fair.’” True and undiluted justice will be the end for all.
“No one will come away from Judgment Day saying, ‘That’s not fair.’” True and undiluted justice will be the end for all. [tweetquote]
The Lord’s Patience Is Him Giving Humanity Every Attempt To Be Saved
Before we get to this “Day of the Lord” that experts have profited from exploiting, there will continue to be long stretches of time where God’s movements will not be seen by the unrepentant. They will remain willfully blind to his actions and efforts to bring salvation. Those long stretches are not His indifference, it is His patience. He is calling every individual in humanity to receive the life He offers. He is very long-suffering in man’s actions, even when they affect other negatively. He offers healing to the oppressed and salvation for the oppressors. It isn’t anything we would ever do, given our human perspective. Yet it is the reason any of us are offered salvation in the first place. It is because of His love for us that He offers to make us holy like himself. It is not because of our good or bad deeds. That love is extended equally to all humans. He will patiently continue to urge us to repentance until the wickedness of humanity increases to the point of mandated action…Then all the perfect justice will be unleashed on everything infected by wicked actions: humans, oceans, cities, farmlands, everything. His justice will be comprehensive and nothing will stop it. So we are encouraged to continue living holy, because that is the good and right thing. It is also the thing that keeps us in right relationship with God and with others. And so, Peter ends his message on a note of encouragement to a church that has been infiltrated with false teachers and are facing ridicule for striving to live holy before the Lord. It will be tough going for a long time, but God is still for us and He is preparing his actions with perfect justice. At the same time, He is still calling the wicked to repentance because of His great love.
Peter ends his message on a note of encouragement to a church that has been infiltrated with false teachers and are facing ridicule for striving to live holy before the Lord [tweetquote]
So that concludes our series on 2 Peter. I hope today’s post was encouraging and empowering for your walk. And I hope it helped you better experience our Lord’s