Guaranteed By God's Word

You’ve heard it said that His promise is only as good as his word. So, we can assume that an honest, forthright individual, when they make a promise, it will be made good. However, someone who keeps changing their criteria, shifting thoughts around based upon the latest popular thoughts, or simply only doing what is comfortable for them and is to their benefit, we would most likely not trust any of their promises.

In today’s message, Peter is focused on one truth that unites all true believers and followers of Jesus Christ—Jesus is coming again! Peter wanted his readers to remember the promises throughout the Bible of Jesus’ glorious return. Especially, in view of the sad reality that the false teachers and many others were planting seeds of doubt and disbelief among God’s people. Some of those people who claimed to be saved, but weren’t, were suggesting that teachings about Jesus coming again was a total fabrication.

I believe that in the times in which we are living today, we need that same reminder that Jesus is coming again. It can be disheartening when we observe so many who completely reject the need for Jesus Christ and who live as if this life and existence is all that there is. We can be certain that God’s promise of salvation for those who accept Jesus Christ’s offer, as well as His promise of judgment to those who reject His offer of eternal life is guaranteed.

We can be assured that God keeps His promises.

A Need to Consider - 3:1-4

Just this last week, I was sharing my concern that my immediate family, as well as any Christian, might become so used to hearing God’s Word that it becomes like white noise. It’s almost like when you start to hear a strange noise in your engine, but you just kind of ignore, until you get used to it. Then suddenly we’re surprised when the engine seizes up. We had absent-mindedly forgotten to check the oil and coolant on a regular basis, because we were just used to things going on as usual. This was most likely Peter’s concern for the early church, in that God’s Word was becoming white noise to them.

2 Peter 3:1–4 NASB95

This is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you in which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, that you should remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles. Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.”

Repetition and reminders and reviews and rehearsals, are foundational to keeping at the forefront of our minds, information which you may have learned some time back. Thus Peter uses the phrase, I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder. As Christians, it is easy to become complacent or lazy in our spiritual walk, as well as our understanding of the many wonderful spiritual truths we have learned over the years from God’s Word.

We are so incredibly blessed to have the Bible right at our fingertips just about any time we want to read it or study it. So, we need to take the contents of it quite seriously. After all, it is God’s truth. That’s why it’s so important, as we discovered last time, that new Christians need to be well grounded and established in the teachings of the Bible. More mature Christians need to come alongside them and encourage them in their growth.

But it cannot stop there. Those who are more mature in their Christian walk, or who have simply heard the message many times must be careful to not let it become that white noise. We need to be reminded regularly of the many truths in God’s Word. Especially, the reality of all those teachings that point to the return of Jesus Christ. For if we truly understand this area of God’s promises, it will motivate us to live lives which reflect who we are in Christ, as well as to be extra diligent in our proclaiming Jesus as the only Way to salvation to those who are not yet saved.

As Peter deals with the day of the Lord, it’s helpful to understand this as he unfolds the information. Peter is not making up this idea. He is reminding them that the prophets spoke of this; Jesus spoke of this; and the apostles spoke of this. In other words, this is not new information. It is found throughout the Bible, which we’ve already established is God’s Word, so it is truth. So, in verses 3 and following, when Peter speaks about those who mock and scoff at the teachings regarding the coming of Jesus, they were speaking against God Himself; Who spoke this through His prophets, Who taught it while walking this earth, Who inspired the apostles to write about it.

My thanks to Warren Wiersbe’s commentary in helping to simplify the different days talked about in the Bible which relate to the end times. The day of the Lord refers to the day of God’s judgment that climaxes with the return of Christ to the earth; his 2nd coming. The day of God, which we’ll read about in 2 Peter 3:12, is that glorious day when all of God’s people enjoy in peace the new heavens and the new earth, after all evil has been judged. The day of Christ is speaking to the rapture, or when Christ comes to take His church to be with Him. Obviously, this should affect how we live our lives, to remind us, or to stir us up, that what the Bible teaches is very real and will be fulfilled.

The sad part of all this is that the false teachers and many others scoff at all this and mock those who believe it. The reason would seem to be what Peter pointed out earlier in that they want to keep on living as sinful people. We wonder how they actually think they can do this? Well, their thinking was and is that this has never happened before, so the odds of it finally happening just didn’t seem to make any sense. Yet, count on this truth; just because many seemingly intelligent people refuse to believe the truth that Jesus is coming again, that will not stop God from judging this world and those who have rejected Him. It will not stop Jesus from returning.

A Need to Compute - 3:5-7

Sometimes a look into the past, seeing how something continually takes place in a predictable pattern, helps to cause people to realize that with all the past proof, it’s probably going to happen just as was predicted. But for the scoffers, this didn’t seem to compute.

2 Peter 3:5–7 NASB95

For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.

Ravi Zacharias stated: A man rejects God neither because of intellectual demands nor because of the scarcity of evidence. A man rejects God because of a moral resistance that refuses to admit his need for God.

Peter points out two events that everyone recognized to be factual; creation and the flood during Noah’s time. If we look first of all at creation, we see that creation took place at God’s spoken Word. Colossians reminds us that not only did God create the world, but He also sustains this world, by His Word. Since God made this universe and He continues to hold it together by His Word, I believe, along with Peter, that He can step in and do whatever He wants, however He wants, whenever He wants.

This is further proven with the worldwide cataclysmic flood. Based upon the logic and rationale of the scoffers and mockers during Noah’s time, the flood should never have occurred, since there had never before been rain, nor had the waters or fountains below the earth ever erupted as they did at the flood. However, it did happen. Simply saying that something has never happened before does not hinder God from making it happen now. Whatever God wants to do to accomplish His will, He will do. He doesn’t need our permission, nor does He have to make it fit our understanding.

There is another fascinating phrase found in verse 7, the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire. I’m not a scientist, but I love science. This sounds very much like something similar to an atomic bomb. In fact, the Greek scholar, Dr. Kenneth Wuest, suggests the wording describes something like a nuclear bomb and the total destruction it causes. Looking up some information on atomic energy, I read that there is enough atomic energy in a glass of water to run a huge ship. Historically, we’ve seen the incredible devastation from atomic explosions. We’ve also seen the amazing power when submarines, ships, cities, are run by atomic energy.

However, let’s look at the beginning of the verse, By His Word. In other words, regardless of what the doomsday speakers of today are saying, man will not be the one to destroy this planet. God, in His perfect timing, is going to cause the total destruction of this earth and the surrounding atmosphere. Why would He do this? Peter says that it is kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.

Peter is assuring his readers that God will keep His promises, just as He always has. If the flood was promised and it did come; if there were not 10 righteous in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, there was the promise of destruction by fire and brimstone, and it did happen; then we can also rest assured that what the prophets stated, what the apostles taught, and what Jesus Christ promised--that the day of the Lord will come—it will most certainly come.

A Need for Compassion - 3:8-10

However, the scoffers and false teachers based their loose living and rebellion against God on the fact that Christ didn’t seem to be coming. There was no evidence that His return was eminent. They felt free to teach whatever lies they wanted to get what they wanted.

2 Peter 3:8–10 NASB95

But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.

What the scoffers were not even considering was the fact that God is merciful and full of compassion. Humanity has this strange notion, that if we can’t explain or understand things, they cannot be true. This is even when the evidence is already there; such as the flood, the destruction of the cities, and many other facts which were to be found in the Scriptures. For example, can anyone truly define eternity? If it can’t be truly understood from our human perspective, there are those who suggest it cannot be true. I’ve humorously described it as time to infinity and beyond. But it’s not even time. One commentator describes eternity as existence above and apart from time.

Thus, God is not at all bound by time. Time is for our benefit and it is the standard by which we measure our earthly existence. God has no deadlines. God cannot procrastinate, for He is beyond time. God never will sing Alice’s song, I’m late, I’m late, for a very important date. When I was singing in the men’s group, Hearts4Him, we used to sing a song at all of our concerts, In Time, On Time, All The Time. Of course, God works in our lives, so He does work within the realm of time. Yet, He is not governed by time, nor is He limited by time.

I cannot tell God when and how He needs to act. I have no basis upon which I can tell God that He is late or He needs to hurry. God will do what He wants to do when He wants to do it, according to His perfect will. As a result of this understanding, Peter explains that the whole purpose of judgment not having already happened, or happening at this precise point in history, is to provide further opportunities for those who have not yet turned their lives over to Jesus for salvation, to do so. This is actually part of God’s plan, which was from before time began.

Conclusion

My friends, I continually find myself amazed and thankful for God’s great mercy. Even this passage gives insight into the description we often use; longsuffering.

For those who doubt heaven and salvation can be had through Jesus Christ, it is for you that this world is not yet destroyed by God. What I have to say now is for you.

It’s also for the Christian to remember these things, as we share God’s love with others. God’s desire is that you, the doubter, the unbelievers, the cynic, the scoffer, would repent and accept the free gift of salvation which Jesus offers you. Repentance is simply when you have a change of mind about your life and you choose to humble yourself, recognizing that your plans lead to a train wreck. You must choose to acknowledge that you are a sinner that is headed for destruction. You need to agree that the only way of rescue is to reach out and grab hold of the hand of Jesus, who wants to lift you out of the pit and place you on solid ground. You will then understand that you have been rescued from punishment forever in hell, to having eternal life, living in the presence of Jesus Christ, experiencing peace and joy and love that you’ve never had before.

We can most certainly be guaranteed that God’s promises will be fulfilled. Will you be on the side of judgment? Or will you be in the presence of Jesus Christ?