2 Peter 3 10-18 As You Look Forward to the Day of God
Good morning, everyone! I started this series of messages in Ukraine 2 years ago, and by God’s grace we will finally finish the books of 1 and 2 Peter today. As you know, two weeks ago many in America celebrated July fourth with fireworks. [Pic 1] Fireworks, which comes from God, are also mentioned in this passage, but not in a good way. Because these heavenly fireworks will be the end of the universe as we know. But the good news is that afterwards a new heaven and a new earth, much better than the originals, will be established by God for His precious children. This is the great anticipation all believers should long for. Peter calls this day, “the day of God.” The more we long for this “day of God” the more it affects our outlook on life and the way we think and live. Also, we become more holy and live godly lives that are pleasing to God. Let’s see today, from Peter’s letter what that “day of God” looks like.
AS YOU LOOK FORWARD TO THE DAY OF GOD
2 Peter 3:10-18
Key Verses:11-12:
“11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.[b] That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.”
Look at verse 10. “10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.[a]“ Right from the start, we must make a distinction between “the day of the Lord” in verse 10, with “the day of God” in verse 12. “The day of the Lord” refers to a future event, when God will come and bring judgment on the world for its extreme wickedness. In some sense, now is the “day of man,” when evil men and rulers of the world seem to yield their power at a whim. Recently, the city of Kyiv was hit by missiles that destroyed a children’s hospital for cancer patients. [Pic 2] The most helpless and vulnerable in society were targeted by wicked men. But the “day of man” will not last forever. “The day of the Lord” will come and God will appear and it will be a day of reckoning. There will be no more pretending that man is the ultimate power. God will show Himself to be sovereign over all. According to verse 10, this event will come like a thief at night because many will not be expecting it. Last week, Maria, I, and our neighbors were awakened at 2am because Hanah Rarik’s car alarm was blaring in the parking lot. When she came to turn it off, she said someone had tried to open her car door. But the “day of the Lord” will be louder and more powerful than a car alarm. Everyone in the world will hear it and see it. However, God had been giving warnings about this day a long time ago. This day was prophesied in the Old Testament in many places. One of them is from Isaiah 13:9-11: “See, the day of the Lord is coming—a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger—to make the land desolate and destroy the sinners within it.10 The stars of heaven and their constellations will not show their light. The rising sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light.11 I will punish the world for its evil, the wicked for their sins. I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty and will humble the pride of the ruthless.” This was Peter’s dire warning for the ungodly, evil, wicked, and unrepentant sinners. Those who have been committing evil on the innocent will have to pay a terrible price for their wickedness. No one should be able to get away with the evil deeds they have done to others. This is why I believe that our God is the God of justice, who will judge each person accordingly for the evil they have done. Then Peter turns his attention to believers and how they should live while waiting for “the day of God.”
Look at verses 11-12. “11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.[b] That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.” As we have read, God just doesn’t destroy the universe at random, but because He is judging sinners for their evil ways. Therefore, for believers we should avoid in participating in evil practices that displeases God and brings about His wrath. Rather, as Peter wrote we “ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God.” If you may remember, in earlier verses Peter described the lifestyles of false teachers as “reveling,” “full of adultery,” “insatiable for sin,” “hearts trained for greed,” and “slaves of corruption.” These are people who really want to avoid “the day of the Lord” and not even think about it. These are people who wish that there will be no hell or no judgment in the future. This is because they want to enjoy their sinful lifestyles freely, with no constraints, or commit crimes without any consequences. But believers seek to live differently as holy children of God because we know He will return someday. It doesn’t necessarily mean we have to live in convents or in an Amish community with not electricity or cars. We can live godly and holy lives so that we are testimony for God to our neighbors, classmates, colleagues at work, or anywhere God has put us in. Our dear friend, Sara Mina, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. [Pic 3] When the doctors told her about her condition, they were surprised that she didn’t begin to cry or complain how life is so unfair. Instead, she accepted it as God’s sovereignty, smiled because she knew she would meet her Lord and Savior, Jesus, sooner than expected. Her peace and joy is also a witness for us that whatever happens, our hope in “the day of God” will never be shaken.
It is interesting that in verse 12, Peter writes “and speed its coming.” Another translation for the word “speed” is “hasten.” Can we really speed God’s arrival? Can we say, “C’mon God put the pedal to the metal and hurry up already”? That would be presumptuous of us. But there is at least some connection between our work for Him in the world and His return. Matthew 24:14 reads, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” [Pic 4] So, we should be preaching the gospel to reach the goal of proclaiming it throughout the world. It is amazing now how we can reach people from anywhere in the world with technology like Zoom Bible studies or meetings. Maria was recently on the phone with an ex-Muslim in Europe who wants to accept Jesus as his Savior and be baptized. And not only sharing the gospel, but we should be praying for His return. At the same time, the word “hasten” in Greek can also have the meaning of “eagerly expect” and “look forward to.” Actually, we “look forward to” “the day of God,” because we want to see and live in the new heaven and the new earth.
Look at verse 13. “13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.” This will be the final stage after the world has gone through many tribulations. We also learn that everything in the world we see is temporary. Your job is temporary. Money and your bank account are temporary. The most prized possession you own will not last. Even our own lives and the lives of our love ones. When we realize how temporary this world and our lives are, we are encouraged to live godly and holy lives while we can. Not only will this spiritual way of living keep us happy and healthy, but God is saving the best for last. Revelation 21:1,4 reads, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more…He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” [Pic 5] When we read these verses we are greatly encouraged and hopeful for our eternal future. These days because of wars and violence on the streets of many cities we are pained in our hearts. Even yesterday, one of our presidential candidates suffered an injury due to an assassination attempt upon his life. One bystander at his rally was shot dead and 2 critically injured. We want to cry because of the violence, suffering and death around us. But God promises in the new heaven and the new earth there will no more tears, mourning, pain, or death. Sara Mina will have no cancer in her new resurrection body and Maria will not have any knee pains anymore and will dance like a ballerina. Dr. Ben will have a full head of hair. The world we are in now is corrupt, polluted by sin to its very core. The new one created by God will be perfect, pure, and holy, forever untarnished by sin. All the bad and evil things will have been defeated and conquered through Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. This reminds us of this quote by JRR Tolkien, “The birth, death and resurrection of Jesus means that one day everything sad will come untrue.” [Pic 6] When we believe this and have this as our ultimate hope then we can live in the world with a clear focus. Again, Peter emphasizes that this kind of future hope changes our way of life and character while living in this world.
Look at verse 14. “14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.” What we are looking forward to affects our present life. For example, some couples looking forward to their marriage may take a year or some time more to prepare a wedding plan. They will start saving money, looking for a venue for their wedding ceremony, who to invite, and many other details. Or if we have a family vacation is coming up, a family also plans by saving money, buying plane tickets, passports for our children, places to stay, etc. This summer are the Olympics in Paris. These athletes didn’t decide just a few weeks before the Olympics to start training. They have been training for many years, every day, because they are looking forward in winning a medal in their respective event. These are just practical things that we need to do for future events. Looking forward to “the day of God” also affects our practical life and relationship with others. We start with allowing the Holy Spirit to begin to change our personal lives at first. 2 Corinthians 7:1 reads, “Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.” This means we must be diligent in our character building. We should be growing in sanctification on a daily basis. When we become more and more like Jesus in our Christian walk, then we can live in peace with others. Hebrews 12:14 reads, “Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.” More than that, we will begin to see the Lord’s work in our lives, in the lives of others, and in the world. We will begin to share God’s vision and hope for ourselves, for others, and for the world. We will learn God’s patience and have the right attitude towards His word.
Look at verses 15-16. “15 Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. 16 He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.” As we grow in holiness and Christ-likeness, we realize why God is patient to judge the world at this moment in history. God wants to save more people and bring them into His kingdom. This is God’s wisdom that not only Peter wants to share with us, but the Apostle Paul as well. Paul also wrote about God’s patience so that sinners may repent and come to God. Romans 2:4 reads, “Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance.” Peter was also defending the letters of Paul as canon, even though they contained some difficult passages to understand. Some people have criticized the writings of Paul as intolerant, bigoted, or even sexists. Briefly, I would say that Paul’s heart as he wrote in Romans 2:4, was to sincerely help those who were sinning against God to repent and receive salvation from God. Last of all, if you have been following the series of 1 and 2 Peter, he was addressing the problem of false teachers infiltrating the church in his letters. So, in his final verses he wanted to give believers one last warning.
Look at verses 17-18. “17 Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.” Peter had been concerned that false teachers would lead God’s people astray in their faith. He had highlighted the evil lifestyle and coming doom of all false teachers. One of the important things we learn from Peter in his letter is to guard our faith in God and in His word. We must always remember that the fall of mankind began in Genesis 3, when man and woman ignored God’s truth and followed the false teachings of the devil. The devil himself came to tempt Jesus at the beginning of his earthly ministry. But Jesus answered all the devil’s temptations with God’s word saying, “It is written.” We must study God’s word diligently, so that we will become more and more stable in our faith, being strengthened even more against false teachings. We must keep God’s word as the guide for our life as the Psalmist wrote in Psalm 119:105, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.”
As we keep God’s word in our hearts, then we can “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” The more we know about God, the more we realize how gracious and kind He is. There is God’s common grace to all mankind. The blessing to live and enjoy His world. He gives the sunshine, rain, food, and beautiful nature for all mankind to enjoy. He gives the blessings of family, children, and love to mankind. All these and many more God graciously give to mankind whether they recognize Him as God or not. Then there is God’s saving grace upon His elect—His chosen ones from out of the world. We have done nothing to deserve God’s saving grace, which entails forgiveness of our sins and eternal life with Him in the kingdom of God. It is God’s one-sided grace upon sinners. Ephesians 2:8-10 reads, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
Last of all, when we live godly and holy lives, we can glorify God. Peter ends his letter with these words in verse 18b. “To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.” Living godly and holy lives also requires action in our part. We must pray and find ways that we can glorify God with the gifts and talents that He has given each of us. In this way, we can complete our purpose of life. Paul even wrote in 1 Corinthians 10:31, “31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” That’s the true attitude a believer must have while he or she strives to live a holy and godly life in this world. In whatever important decision they make they should ask first, “will this glorify God or not?”
Today we will dedicate the daughter of Ramon and Sarah because we want her to live under God’s blessing and protection. Also, we pray that her life will glorify God. Have we dedicated our lives to glorify God? If you have in the past, but haven’t been living the life God has called you to live. Perhaps, today you also can rededicate your life to live for God’s glory. In the past, when I was younger, I had followed by human desires to be a famous football player. I dreamed and looked forward to become a NFL player like the great Walter Payton. So, I trained my body hard for many years and acquired many trophies. I was also a champion basketball coach. [Pic 6] But after a knee injury my human hope was ruined and I despaired of life. Then as a freshman at UIC I was invited to Bible study. Through Bible study new hopes and visions arose in my heart. In the past, I looked forward only to a temporary human hope that would not lead me to heaven. Now, I look forward to the new heavens and the new earth. So, I have dedicated my life to live for God’s glory to the end of my earthly life. May God help each of us to look forward to “the day of God” and lives for His glory while we can in this world. Amen.
In this passage, we learned that “the day of the Lord” is God’s judgment on all the wicked, but “the day of God” is the coming of the new heavens and the new earth. Which day are you waiting for? Let’s read the key verses:11-12 and then I will pray: “11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.[b] That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.”
Bible Study Questions
1.Read 2 Peter 3:10. What is the “day of the Lord?” What will it be like? What will happen to the heavenly bodies? What are “all these things” which are going to be dissolved?
2. Read 2 Peter 3:11-12. How does knowing that the earth is temporary affect how we live in it today? What should you do while you are waiting for these things to happen? Is there anything you can actually do to “hasten” the coming of the day of God? What do you think the end of verse 12 means? Will the universe itself be destroyed?
3. Read 2 Peter 3:13. What will the new heaven and earth be like? Why is a new heaven and earth necessary? (Read Isaiah 65:17 and Revelation 21:1)
4. Read 2 Peter 3:14. What does this mean for you? How should this knowledge affect how you live? (Read Hebrews 12:14 and 2 Corinthians 7:1) Are you looking forward to Jesus’ return? Can you honestly say that you would hope He returns today
5. Read 2 Peter 3:15-16. How is the patience of the Lord salvation (verse 15)? How does Peter view Paul? How does Peter view Paul’s writings? Why is this important? If a Bible passage is hard to understand, what should you do?
6. Read 2 Peter 3:17-18. How might a person lose his stability? Does this happen all at once or gradually? What are some of the gradual steps that this may take? What key point can we get from Peter’s conclusion in verse 18?
The Day of the Lord (NIV)
10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.[a]
11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.[b] That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.
14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. 15 Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. 16 He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.
17 Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.
Footnotes
a. 2 Peter 3:10 Some manuscripts be burned up
b. 2 Peter 3:12 Or as you wait eagerly for the day of God to come
c. Message based on https://studyandobey.com/inductive-bible-study/2-peter-bible-studies/2-peter-3-10-18/
