Audio Access Available Above
“Scoffers, Saints And Certain
Judgment” • 9.2.18 • Calvary Christian Fellowship, Sunday Morning Service
Intro.
- Peter might never have imagined the necessity
to write this letter given the miraculous nature of the early church entry into
the world.
- On the day of Pentecost, there were tongues
of fire, mass acceptance of the gospel of Jesus Christ and miraculous signs
abounding in Jerusalem.
- Here he sits, nearly four decades later, in a
prison awaiting execution, having to write a letter about the reality of the
faith against the strong influx of false teachers!
- That was chapters one and two. Today, he
concludes his letter with a word about scoffers and certain judgment. Let's
pick it up in verse 1.
Text
• II Peter
3:1-4 : "Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of
which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), that you may be mindful of the
words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us,
the apostles of the Lord and Savior, knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days,
walking according to their own lusts, and saying, 'Where is the promise of His coming? For since the
fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of
creation.'" : Peter's goal in writing both of
his epistles has been to remind his readers, to stir up their unalloyed minds.
- He wants them to remember what they have been
taught. They had the Old Testament and the commandment of the Apostles, the
delegates of the Lord Jesus Himself!
- Peter is not ashamed to lump both sources
together as a singular, authoritative unit. The early church subsisted on a
diet of God's Word.
- Know this primarily against what it is that
you see. Scoffers will arise in the last days. The word reflects a person who
is stuck in arrested development. They play like a child.
- There will be a class of people who cannot do
anything but mock or play at the serious nature of the Lord's coming. Many will
make a career out of it!
- They don't speak against Christianity for
lack of evidence to the contrary. They speak mainly from their own desires. They
are governed by their lusts.
- Their desires are what matter to them and
they will defend them against any and all threats. This is why they answer,
"Where is the promise of His coming?" They aren't asking for a verse!
- They are mocking the premise that Christ
would come to judge their behavior, to set the world back to His righteous
standard.
- The unrighteous presume that God doesn't
exist or at the least, isn't concerned about their sin. They cling to that hope
and mock the thought that they will ever have to give an account.
- "I
thought you said that Jesus was coming soon and yet, nothing has changed since
the time of our Fathers! Everything goes on like it always has!"
- The seed of this thought has come to be known
as "Uniformitarianism," the belief that states, that the processes
that exist today have always existed exactly as they exist today."
- It's amazing that anyone can judge their own
existence, only having lived for a scant moment in time. Such incredible
arrogance is standar for such people.
- In their own minds, those who are clouded
with reasonings necessary for their desire's survival, seem to have a point.
But they are not telling themselves the whole story. Verse 5.
• II Peter
3:5-8 : "For this they willfully
forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing
out of water and in the water, by which the world that
then existed perished, being flooded with water. But
the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are
reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. But, beloved, do not forget this
one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand
years as one day." : I appreciate the ESV's take
on verse 5. These scoffers
deliberately forget this truth. They always purpose to obscure this fact in
their reasoning.
- Paul, in his letter to the Romans, tells us that God's wrath is
revealed against those that "suppress the truth in unrighteousness."
(Romans 1:18)
- The same act of suppression is noted here, in
that, these scoffers refuse to acknowledge a key historical fact regarding
God's past dealings with humanity.
- God's word, His divine fiat, brought the
Earth into being and separated the land from the water. He called the body of
water, the "sea" and the dry land, "Earth." (Genesis 1:10)
- In Peter's mind, this is a bit of an irony,
as the Lord then employed water to destroy the world that lived at that time!
Peter believed both in the Creation of the World and the global flood!
- These are conditions that forced cataclysmic
change upon the Earth! The very fact that we have a fossil record points to a
rapid catastrophe that impacted our planet!
- Only rapid compaction could create the
environment for animal remains to be preserved in the manner that archeologists
find them today all over the world!
- We mentioned last week that the presence of
archeological evidence in Sodom pointed to a localized judgment of God. The
presence of the fossil record points to a world wide judgment!
- God's Word brought the world into existence
and it ordered it right into oblivion! God power has not changed, though He is
reserving this planet for exposure to a new method of destruction.
- You'd think that humanity would have a little
more respect for the Lord. He's holding everything together right now by saying
that everything should be held together!
- But that preservation will give way to the
fire that will one day purge this planet for good! When will that fire fall?
When the day of judgment and total destruction of the ungodly comes!
- The ungodly will one day be utterly ruined,
thoroughly lost, forever damned! Peter tells them that the proof of God's power
to effect this in the future is found in our past!
- He is furnishing us with answer to the
scoffer's complaint. God is not impotent or disinterested. He is very capable
of acting and He is offended by ungodly action.
- But, you might ask, "Why has He not
dealt with them yet?" Why does He wait?
- The important thing to recall to your memory
is that the Lord dwells in relation to time in a much different way than we do.
To Him, it hasn't been that long. It's as if only a day has passed!
- This verse isn't intended to give us a hard
and fast chronology. Our view of time is much different than His. God is not
delayed from His vantage point, but the day is coming.
- When the time is right, He will act, but
never before! What is He waiting for? Verse 9.
• II Peter
3:9,10 : "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count
slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish
but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come
as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great
noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the
works that are in it will be burned up." :
The Lord is not slack. He is not delayed in His promise to judge and eliminate
the ungodly. Peter says, "Don't misunderstand." God is not like us.
- We want justice in the moment of injustice.
God wants something different from us, so He patiently waits.
- He is longsuffering, always bearing up
against the insults toward His character, in hopes of seeing all come to
repentance. God is not willing that any should perish. There is no joy in that
duty.
- God is as much love as He is just. He cannot
forego one characteristic because of the existence of the other. Both must be
given their proper course, but He will not strive with men forever.
- His unwilingness that any should perish is
not decretive. God's unwillingness to see a person perish, does not in fact,
keep any person, regardless of their circumstance, from perishing.
- The Bible does not allow for universalism,
the belief that all will eventually be saved. That is not the case. This is not
decretive, but it is instructive to us and to them.
- God is not willing that any should persish,
so He patiently awaits those that would otherwise perish if they were not given
the time.
- Aren't you glad that He didn't judge the
earth prior to your salvation? We would have been lost for eternity!
- Sadly, while it is not God's desire that any
should perish, it is equally true that there are some men who are not willing
to have life! They want a life that doesn't acknowledge Him. That isn't life!
- If it were completely in God's hands, all
would come to repent, to think differently about their life! All would re-evaluate
their positions and turn to Him for forgiveness and eternal life.
- Biblically, there are many that will regret
their decision when the "day of the Lord" comes. Notice when it will
come. "Like a thief in the night." It will be unexpected.
- The foolish idea that a person can live any
way they please and then get right with the Lord at just the right moment is
destroyed by this verse! You can't anticipate it's coming!
- Incidently, this is yet another proof of the
rapture of the church, the initiating act of the Day of the Lord.
- Aside from it being theologically,
philosphically and morally wrong for God to pour out His wrath upon believers,
it makes no sense to speak of His Second coming as the day of the Lord.
- The "day of the Lord" is a particular
season of time future to us, beginning with the unexpected rapture of the
church, leading to the very prescripted events of the Second Coming.
- The final defeat of the rebellious nations,
the white throne judgment and then comes the Millenial reign of Christ upon the
Earth, all preceding a final and thorough fireworks program!
- The universe as we know it, will cease to
exist, preceded by a loud crash, a "whirring" sound. That which glues
the universe together, the elements, will dissolve under fervent heat!
- Scientists have long wondered how it is that
positively charged protons, which should repel one another, are actually found
together in atomic structure.
-
"According to one commentator, taking two gram size protons and placing
them at opposite poles on the Earth, would require 50,000 pounds to hold them
in place!" (From Col. 1:15-29)
- Theoretical physicists call this force
"nuclear glue!" We call Him Jesus! Paul tells us that in Christ, all
things consist! (Colossians 1:17) At
some point in time, Christ will simply let go.
- Everything in the universe and on the planet
will be consumed in a supernatural fire event. -
How odd it is to think that one day, all that we know, all that we are worried
about, all that we wish we could achieve, will be obliterated in an instant!
How should that affect you? Verse 11.
• II Peter
3:11-13 : "Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner
of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 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? Nevertheless we, according to His
promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells." : When the eye of
your heart considers the fate of the universe. Because everything will be
unbound and loosed, how should you then live?
- The phrase, "What manner of
persons" seems to convey the idea of identification. "Of what country
are you?" What region do you identify with?
- Anything we identify with on this planet is
subject to obliteration! Our only affiliation should be that which will not be
subject to change!
- Consequently, Christians should be known by
actions that reveal that we are set apart for God. Our life should be marked by
piety.
- If ungodliness is a lack of conscience toward
God, then godliness is marked by a sensitive conscience toward the Lord. How
does one cultivate that? Peter's answer is timeless!
- We are to conduct ourselves as people who are
anticipating the return of our Lord! According to one commentator, the idea of
watching here speaks of stretching our necks out to the horizon!
- We are to be presently on watch, seeking to
hasten the coming of this day of the Lord!
- The idea of hastening is to urge on, to
earnestly desire this day, even though it will be a day of destruction. What
does Peter mean? Does he mean that we can hurry this day along?
- Certainly, we are to pray for His coming to
be quick and there is a biblical precedent for a certain number of Gentiles
that will be brought into the Kingdom via evangelism.
- But I wonder if this isn't a simple
concentration by each of God's people upon their duties, so as to be so busy,
that the day of the Lord would seem to have happened so quickly!
- We have something great to wait for and we
might as well be working toward it! We have the promise of a new heaven and a
new Earth! Look at it's condition.
- It will not be tainted with sin. It will not
be in a fallen condition. It will be a new solar system where righteousness
dwells!
- When you examine the word, there is a sense
of permanence. Righteousness will settle in as the standard for the entire new
order of things! Verse 14.
• II Peter
3:14,15a : "Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent
to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; and consider that the longsuffering
of our Lord is salvation—" : We are
not looking forward to these things in a way that celebrates another person's
demise!
- Rather, we are on the lookout, we are
standing watch with the knowledge that this is what is going to come to pass. If
we know that to be true, then our lives need to reflect that belief.
- Therefore, work hard, exert yourself to
present yourself before Him in peace. Certainly, the word reflects a right
relationship with the Lord and with man. Listen to this 5th definition.
˚ "The
tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so
fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot, of whatsoever sort
that is."
BLB
- When the Lord returns, this is what He wants
to see from us! We aren't afraid of what will come and we won't complain about
what we do or do not have! We are content to have Him!
- Peter tells them to be at peace and to be
spotless and blameless. We are to be free from vice and far from blame!
- He should not catch us involving ourselves in
activities that would compromise His Name or cause others to wonder whether we
are related to Him by faith!
- Nobody should have a genuine, truthful reason
to point their finger at us for something that we have done amiss. May the Lord
give us wisdom to see our lives from that vantage point!
- Along the way, Peter tells us to consider
this period of time in which God endures the insults and blaspemies of men, as
a seaon for salvation.
- For the unbeliever, every new day that God
allows you to wake up, is a new invitation for you to receive the truth of the
gospel message. It is a day to confront the reality.
- Christ would not have died if there was
another way to be saved! His death means that a single way has been created and
you are invited to take that path!
- For the believer, this is a new day to repent
from your sins, to lay down those practices that hold your heart and mind in
captivity,
- It is a day for you to fully invest yourself
in the principles and practices of the Kingdom of God, for the glory of God!
Live your life for that which will endure!
- The longer God endures this creation, thank
Him that He has given you the opportunity to experience the salvation that He
offers freely! This isn't just Peter's view. It's Paul's as well! Verse 15.
• II Peter
3:15b,16 : "—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given
to him, has written to you, 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." : Listen to Peter's affirmation of Paul's ministry. He counts
Paul as a beloved brother. Peter had an eyewitness view to Paul's early
pre-conversion years.
- He watched as Saul began his insane murder
spree against the church that Peter saw the Holy Spirit gather on the day of
Pentecost.
- Later, about three years after Saul had been
saved, he visited Peter in Jerusalem and spent a little over two weeks with
him, according to Galatians 1:18.
- Can you imagine what that meeting was like?
What a joy it must have been to Peter to see the Lord Jesus conquer such a
harrowing foe.
- Little did Peter know that this man would
actually be instrumental in teaching him something about grace. Paul records an
interesting story in Galatians 2.
Turn there if you will.
- God's grace had broken out in Antioch, the
place where followers of Jesus first became known as Christians. Barnabas and
Paul were co-teachers and Peter came to visit.
•
Galatians 2:11-16 : "Now when Peter had come to Antioch,
I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; for before certain men came from
James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and
separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. And the rest of the Jews also
played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with
their hypocrisy. But
when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I
said to Peter before them all, 'If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of
Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews? We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, knowing that a man is not justified by the works
of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus,
that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law;
for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified." : This might have been an incredibly ackward exchange, but Peter
was soon to offer his corroborative testimony alongside of Paul at the council
of Jerusalem in Acts 15.
-
Here he is, decades removed, and he looks at this man as a beloved brother!
That's what the Lord can do with humble servants dedicated to His cause!
-
Notice that he also recognizes the wisdom that had been given to Paul. What
Paul wrote didn't emanate from his own mind. God had endowed Paul with the
wisdom to serve His church!
-
It was such wisdom that Peter says was in some places, difficult to understand!
-
This coming from the man that wrote First and Second Peter! The theological pot
is calling the kettle black!
-
Peter reserves his best compliment for last in that he equates Paul's writings
with scripture!
-
They might have been difficult to understand, but they were also being used by
people for purposes that he clearly did not intend by unlearned and unstable
men.
-
These men were not dumb in terms of life. They were untaught, ignorant with
regard to their proper use. They are using a pair of channel locks to pound in
a nail!
-
Unfortunately, they are not simply
unskilled. They are also unstable. They don't have the stability theologically
to handle the words of scripture.
-
They continue to vascillate, thereby twisting the scriptures to their own
destruction.
-
"Twisting" refers to turning something repeatedly. The same word was
used to describe the torture rack, where a human being would be twisted and
contorted out of shape.
˚
"I may just add that the verb
(twist), which the apostle uses here, signifies to distort, to put to the rack,
to torture, to overstretch, and dislocate the limbs; and hence the persons here
intended are those who proceed according to no fair plan of interpretation, but
force unnatural and sophistical meanings on the word of God." Adam
Clarke, quoted by David Guzik
-
The idea represents perversion, taking something which means one thing and
turning it about until it means something else and that something else cannot
save them!
-
They take Paul's writings as well as all the other scriptures and they turn
them into something foreign. It makes a waste of their life! Verse 17.
•
II Peter 3:17,18 : "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; but grow in the grace and knowledge
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen." : Don't fall from your fixed position in Him.
-
Don't let anyone lead away in their their error! How can we safeguard
ourselves? By continually growing in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus
Christ!
-
He deserves all of our praise and adoration now and forever!
Conclusion
Let's pray!