Living in Light of the End

Every one of us, live our lives in light of a certain eschatological view. That is, we all live today based on what we believe will happen in the end! That word eschatology (which means study of the end times), is actually a lot more influential than most people realise!

I’ve a friend and he believes that when he dies he will decompose in the ground and that will be that! When his physical body dies, he dies and is no more. And it greatly impacts his day to day life! He lives with no regard for the end, he lives to get the maximum amount of personal happiness out of each day, he follows his desires, he seeks his own pleasures, he takes what he wants!

I’ve another friend, he believes that when we die we go to heaven or hell. The good go to heaven, the really bad to hell! And his view greatly impacts his life! He lives largely with the same goals as my other friend. He follows his desires, he seek his own pleasures, if he wants something he does it. There’s more restraint, he won’t want to hurt others, he won’t want to break the law or do anything really bad! But in general his life is shaped by a false assurance that heaven awaits, and his life now has little consequence!

Think about what we’re seeing and hearing all around us just now, people gripped with fear, people talking like this is the end with the coronavirus. But isn’t it interesting then how it’s causing some to live, stock up on toilet roll (i’m not sure why it’s such a focus), and other items. Make sure you have enough regardless of others! Because this life is all there is, so we need to above all protect it even at the expensive of others!

What do you believe about the end, and how does it impact your today? Let me ask it another way, if you were watched for a few weeks, what would your lifestyle reveal about what you believed about the end?

This morning we are starting into what will be my last sermon series before stepping down in September. And as I thought and prayed 2 Peter just seemed right! Peter knows what he believes regarding the end, and he knows that for him, death is close (1:14). So he writes to believers in Asia Minor (Modern day Turkey), who are facing the poison of false teaching, and he reminds them of the end! And the reason he reminds them of the end, and the coming of Jesus Christ, is because he wants them to live in light of that truth today!

So let’s begin this morning by reading just the first 2 verses together…v.1-2...

In these 2 verses it is just wonderful how central Jesus Christ is! We find our purpose in Christ, we gain our right standing in Christ, we grow in grace and peace through Christ!

We Find our Purpose in Christ

Let me give you an example....what you believe about the

Peter is such an interesting person as we read through the N.T. And in many ways, the fact that he is the author of this letter in itself is reason to stop and reflect! Peter was a fisherman, involved in the family business on the sea of Galilee. We’re in told in that he was a common, uneducated man, we see time and time again in the gospels that he was impulsive! Often acting without thinking first! He is involved in arguing about who was the greatest among the disciples, he is rebuked by Jesus for misunderstanding the nature of His Messiah-ship, he doesn’t know what he’s saying on the mount of transfiguration as he offers to set up tents for Moses and Elijah, he falls asleep in the garden when he’s meant to be watching and praying, he is quick to physically intervene when Jesus is being arrested and cut off the ear of Malchus, he boosts of his commitment to Jesus only to then deny Him 3 times!!

We all have our beliefs about the furture, and they

As you read the gospels Peter is not exactly the model pupil! And yet, he is not defined by his failings! In many ways he actually is the model pupil, when it’s in a school of grace!! Some of the most wonderful verses in Scripture are found in “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”

Peter was marked by who He was in Christ, Jesus had a purpose for Him, and that purpose wasn’t altered by his failings. Rather, his failings were used by God to refine him so he could fulfill that purpose, and we see him do that in the book of Acts!

And we also see him doing that here as he writes to his brothers, to strengthen them!

Look how he describes himself, Simeon Peter (the Hebrew translation of his name), a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ. Peter has experienced a lot as he nears the end of his life! After the rocky start recorded in the gospels, he goes on to become one of the main leaders in the early church, thought of as a pillar! He preaches to thousands and sees God save, he has visions and dreams and miraculous encounters, breaking new ground for the gospel among the gentiles. He is empowered to heal, he is miraculously freed from prison! And as he most likely sits imprisoned and awaiting death in Rome, the way he sees himself is simply a servant! A slave! ... Peter is One who is owned by another, one who is under the authority of another! And it’s not the authority of Rome, and the Emperor Nero, it’s the authority of Jesus Christ! The One Peter walked with, the One He followed, the One He sat at the feet of to learn from, the One that was crucified, but then rose and ascended on high!

But he’s not simply a servant or slave, he’s also an apostle. Now apostle means messenger or sent one, and Peter certainly was that. But as he uses the word here he is using it more in regards to the title apostle, one of those whom Jesus appointed into that role, one of the 12. Peter had apostolic authority, he was a spokesperson for the risen Lord! So as he writes this letter he does so with the humility of a servant, but the authority of a divine representative!

Imagine if President of the U.S went to downtown Washington, and whilst there chose a homeless person to go and deliver a message for him that would be announced to the whole nation. He was given that stamp or seal of authenticity by the President and he goes and passed on the message. He’s a lowly servant, but at the same time he is one who speaks with an authority that must be respected!

Peter is that lowly servant, but he speaks with authority as he writes. That’s going to be hugely important as we go through, because there are those who are also speaking, claiming authority, but leading the people into falsehood! Peter’s life is not defined by what he’s got wrong, or what he’s got right, it’s not defined by his failings or his success! It’s defined by who he is in Christ! He finds his purpose in Christ! He is a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ.

Where do you find your purpose today? What is it that defines you? Is it that mistake you made in past, is it that success you had yesterday? Do you see your reason for living as being found in Jesus Christ! We live in a world that is lost for meaning, identity, purpose! People searching for something, anything to live for, to understand their existence! But for those of us who are Christians, it’s clear! There’s no question, no ambiguity! We exist for Him, we are His servants, His slaves, His messengers! And what an honor that is! He is no cruel Master, but the best, the kindest, the fairest, the most gracious! He said Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (). We find our purpose in Christ.

We Gain our Right Standing by Christ

Peter is a significant figure in the church, and yet, those he writes to are no less significant! Their faith is of equal standing with Peter’s, John’s, James’, and all the apostles! There’s no hierarchy, there’s no favorites! There may be differing roles and responsibilities within the body of Christ, but we’re all equal! And the reason we’re equal is twofold, firstly it’s a faith we have obtained or literally ‘received by lot’. We don’t work for it, we haven’t earned it, we’ll never deserve it! It’s been given, not just by random chance, but through the choice of the giver!

And because it’s a gift that we receive, there’s no reason for us to boost! Peter can’t look at those he rights to and feel superior, because he was dead, bind, helpless just like they were, until God granted Him life as a gift!! ...

And so for all of us we share a faith of equal standing. Peter sees the level ground of grace, that’s why he’s happy to be a servant, he’s happy to use what he has to strengthen others!

But look also at the means of this right standing, it’s not just something we receive, but it’s something that is enabled only through Christ, it’s by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ. This is one of the clearest affirmations in the Scriptures of Christ’s deity! He was not just a prophet, a good teacher, a holy man! He was not just the Messiah, He was, He is God Almighty! And it’s by His righteousness that we all share in this faith!

We have no righteousness (right standing before God) of our own, Paul tells us in ...None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”

It’s not like some have a little righteousness and just need a top up, some aren’t that bad and just need a wee tweak! No we all start at the same point, empty, dead, lost, without hope! We’re born in sin and shaped in iniquity, that’s our default position! And that’s a problem because God is holy! He hates Sin, sin by it’s very nature is rebellion against Him!

Think of the past week, those times our hearts have been fixated on something else, like a person, or a computer game, or a future plan, or a hobby, we’ve rebelled against His His law that we should have no other gods before Him! When we’ve grumbled about our work load, our pay packet, our cancelled plans, we rebel against Him, failing to give thanks in every circumstance! We’re guilty! We don’t have righteousness ourselves!

But then God acts, and we receive a righteousness that is not our own, but is the righteousness of Christ! And we’re all on level ground! When we trust in Him for salvation our lives are hidden in Him, His righteousness is our righteousness!

Peter, just like those he writes to, just like everyone of us, stands only in the faith that is freely given and enabled in Jesus Christ!

If you’re a believer this morning, do you see yourself rightly?! You stand on the shoulders of giants in the faith, and yet, in Christ we are all the same! Chosen by Him of His own grace, and made righteous in Him and Him alone! It’s so easy to feel inferior, it’s so easy to look at others and compare ourselves and feel less significant! Or the opposite, look at others and feel in some way superior! Yet here Peter makes clear we are who we are only because of Christ! It’s in Him and Him alone that we gain our right standing!

Maybe you’re here and you haven’t trusted in Christ yet...

We Grow in Grace through Christ

The last part of Peter’s greeting here is a blessing that he speaks over his readers. Grace and peace be multiplied to you, or continue to increase, grow and grow! Peter wants his readers in the midst of opposition and trial to grow in their experience of God’s undeserved goodness, and the peace that then flows from this. And what an amazing thing it is to know that no matter what our circumstances, no matter what we face in our lives, we can experience God’s grace and peace! You’ve seen that even in recent days in the midst of this coronavirus pandemic!

On CBN a Christian news site, it had reports of how in the midst of the outbreak in Wuhan City China, it was the Church of Jesus Christ that were taking to the streets, giving out face masks, telling people about Jesus! Even though they faced the not only the virus, but persecution from the authorities! Yet they lived in the midst of these threats with the grace and peace of God resting on them!

It is often an amazing witness, when people who don’t know Christ, watch believers go through awful trials with real grace and peace! It is so supernatural! But look at how Peter tells us this grace and peace does multiply…in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

It’s in knowing Him, that these gifts increase! Knowing Him in saving faith, and growing in our knowledge of Him day by day! And that makes sense doesn’t it?! The more we grow in knowing what God is like, and trusting in who He is, the more we experience the reality of His undeserved goodness, and as we experience that, the peace that we enjoys then grows!

Think again with me, as we grow in the knowledge that Jesus Christ has all authority in heaven and earth, and we believe that, we trust that. Then we grow in our knowledge that He is righteous and good, His ways are perfect and just, and we believe that, we trust in that. Then as we’re faced with various trials, whether it be coronavirus or whatever the case may be. We can know peace even when all around us is in chaos!

Do you know the grace and peace of God increasing as you grow older in you faith? As circumstances change, as pressures squeeze, as trials come, are you growing in your knowledge of Him, and therefore remaining steadfast no matter what comes down the line. It’s the only solid ground there is, knowing Christ as Saviour and growing in our knowledge of Him! He is the only constant, the only One who doesn’t change! Everything else does, everything will, but Jesus never changes, He has no need to, He is perfect in every way!

We find our purpose in Him, we gain our right standing by Him, and we grow in grace through Him!