"LIVING IN LIGHT OF CHRIST'S PROMISE 2 PETER 3:11-13

Introduction

We are not just looking for something to happen, we are looking for Someone to come! And when these things begin to come to pass, we are not to drop our heads in discouragement or shake our heads in despair, but rather lift up our heads in delight.—Vance Havner

Vance Havner understood what we need to understand. There is a day coming on the horizon in the relatively near future when the Lord Jesus Christ is going to return.

The things that are coming to pass are the things Peter has been talking about concerning judgment. John MacArthur states the issue clearly,

“One day- in the relatively near future-this universe will be utterly destroyed. Under the weight of God’s consuming wrath, in the final retribution, it will melt away in a final holocaust of unimaginable intensity.”

The Apostle Peter is going to continue to instruct us this morning with a truth many abandoned long ago. It is the return of Christ, God’s final judgment on the wicked and the remaking of this old sin-infested world into new heavens and a new earth.

We are given three instructions concerning how we as believers are to live in light of Christ’s promise to return.

We are to Live Lives of Intentionality (3:11).

We are to live life with a heavenly perspective. If we truly believe what this Book says, it would truly change our lives. There are two components of this heavenly perspective.

A. We are to Live Lives of Personal Holiness.

Personal holiness concerns our external actions and behavior. This is the outward demonstration of the believer’s separation from the world and toward God. We are to live lives of persona holiness before a world that is rotting away in sinful chaos.

B. We are to Live Lives of Persistent Godliness.

This refers to a believer’s heart attitude and reverence before God. This term is the combination of two Greek terms. The first word is “eu” meaning “good.” The second word is “sebomai.” This word means “to worship.” Put them “together and “eusebomai” means “ to worship good.” We are to give God “good worship.”

The reason for living lives of personal holiness and persistent godliness is given at the beginning of the verse. “Since all things are thus to be dissolved.” This is a reference to the final judgment. This destruction will be total and complete.Then the question is asked that is formed on the Greek construction that makes it appear in English as a question. In the Greek it is an exclamation of astonishment. Thus, “what sort of people ought you to be” can be accurately translated as, “how astonishingly excellent you ought to be!”

In Matthew 7:13-14 Jesus gave a distinct difference between two courses of living by stating clearly the eternal differences between two paths. He said, “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”

The manner of our living ought to be one of holiness and godliness as we live before a world that is living in chaos, confusion and crisis.

Transition

Jesus instructs us to live lives of personal holiness and persistent godliness (good worship) before a watching and spiritually lost world.

We are to Live Lives of Accountability (3:12).

We are called upon to live lives with a missional purpose. Are you ready for the return of Christ? Do you want Him to come today? Would you be interested in hastening that day? According to this verse, it is possible to do that. The Bible says, “Waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God.”

The word waiting for literally means, “to look for expectantly” or “to wait with anticipation.” We do not wait as unbelievers with a deep sense of fear and trepidation. We wait with anticipation. Yet this anticipation is not one of pious inactivity. it is waiting in anticipation but it also leads to purposeful action. That is why there is connection of the waiting to the hastening. Hastening is the Greek word “speudo” which means “to hurry.” It carries the idea of “speeding up the progress of” something.

David Jeremiah is correct concerning this issue when he states:

“The obedience of God’s people in these last days can actually hasten the coming of the day of God by motivating sinners to repent.”

These days in which we live, the days between the first and second comings of Christ, are to be days of active cooperation with God in terms of the redemption of mankind. Our days are to be marked by days of grace. We have received God’s grace and we are to give that grace to those who need that grace.

The Bible is saying that believers can hasten the return of Christ as we are faithful to the command to go and tell. The more that lost people come to Christ, the quicker will be His return. God has already stated in this chapter that He delays His coming because He desires that no one perish and go into hell (3:9). I am convinced that Christ delays because we as His people are no longer convinced of the urgency of the command to relay. I wonder if this is not somehow connected to Matthew 24:36. “But concerning the day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.”

Then Peter returns to the reality of the final judgment in the second part of this verse: “because of which the heavens will , and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn!”

Godly lives are related to and grounded in eschatology. Therefore, believers are to live in such a way that pleases God as they are “waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God.” Believers should live in eager expectation for the coming of Christ and the fulfillment of God’s future promises.

Transition

We are to live lives of personal accountability to the command of Christ as we wait for His return.

III. We are to Live Lives of Expectancy (3:13).

We are called to live lives of hopefulness because of Christ’s promise. This verse declares that the primary characteristic of the new heavens and the new earth will be that righteousness will prevail. Revelation 20:11 says, “Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them.” Revelation 21:1 states, “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.”

Do you know why there is so much evil, chaos, and confusion that continues to grow in both intensity and frequency upon this earth? It is because we are living under the domain of the old heaven and the old earth that is groaning under increasing pressure of coming judgment. Things on this earth are not getting better. They are getting worse and are going to continue to do so. This is old earth and old earth is groaning under the powerful domain of sin. Why do people continue to do things that are self-destructive? It is because they are under the powerful domain of sin that is running rampant on old earth.

Yet, there is the promise of a new earth. The good news and assured hope of the new heavens and the new earth is that the new recreated universe will be the place where righteousness dwells and rules supreme. The reason this will be true is because of the Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, will reign supreme.

Biblical Principle: No matter what we face in this life, God will be faithful and make all things new.

We all have headaches down here. We all experience disappointments and misunderstandings We all have levels of stress to deal with. Yes, there is a bunch of garbage and baggage we must carry around down here. However, God is faithful and will make all things new. However, in that day, there will be the absence of the garbage and baggage of this world. One day there will be no more broken hearts. One day there will be no more tears because God Himself is going to wipe them all away. One day there will be a rest with no anxiety and no bad dreams.

Conclusion

What are we to do while we wait for Christ’s return? We are to live in light of His promise to return. How do we do that? We do that by living lives of intentionality by living external lives of personal holiness and internal lives of passionate godliness (good worship). We do that by living lives of accountability to the perpetuation of the gospel to all people. We do that by living lives of eager expectancy in the hope of Christ’s promise.

Here is a good word. Things are not always the way they appear (repeat). For example, to the world the birth of a baby born in an animal feeding trough with peasant parents makes no sense. He will never amount to too much. Couple that with the fact that he was born in that feeding trough to those poor parents in a one-horse town. Why it was not even a one-horse town. The horse gave up and ran off because there was nothing going on and besides he figured no many people in that town had much in the way of good horse sense. Who would have ever guessed that little baby born in an animal feeding trough to poor parents in such a lowly place as Bethlehem would turn out to be the salvation of the entire world? Folks, things are not always the way they appear.

If all the deception, threats, lock downs, lies and incompetence of the government, the political doublespeak and the false narrative of the media has gotten you down, just remember that things are not always as they appear.

Yet someone asks, “I hear what you are saying preacher but what about today. God worked mightily in the past and He will probably do so in the future, but what about the ugly here and now? “ Let me ask you a question. Is not the God who promises to accomplish all of that one day the same God who is with us here right now today? Can He not give us peace here today? Can He not do a work in and through us now? The truth is that no matter what we face in this life, God is faithful and He will bring you through whatever it is. It is God’s faithfulness that is going to make all things. new.

If you are a genuine believer in Jesus Christ today, life today down here is as bad as it will ever get for you. On the other hand, if you reject the truth, this is as good as it will ever get for you. As a matter of fact, it is going to get worse real quick. For the believer things will greatly improve. Even today God can take that which you are being tested with and make it your testimony. He can turn your mess into a ministry. Remember that things are not always like they seem. Go and live confidently in light of Christ’s sure return.