What We Do Until Jesus Comes

What We Do Until Jesus Comes 2 Peter 3:11-18 June 13, 2021 REMEMBER THE PURPOSE OF 2 PETER: To encourage Christians to grow in their faith through the knowledge of Jesus and stay true to Gospel, rejecting false teaching. Key Verse: 2 Peter 3:18 (ESV) “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.” The Big Idea: Peter makes bold statements about what will happen when the Father sends the Son, judges people, consumes the Creation, then Re-Creates “new heavens and a new earth. His entire closing is built around the word “ought”. What “ought” we do in light of what the Lord says He will do? 2 Peter 3:11-18 (ESV) 3 11 Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, 12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! 13 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. 14 Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace 15 And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, 16 as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. 17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. WHAT WE LEARN ABOUT GOD FROM THIS PASSAGE 1. He keeps His promises and will come both to destroy what is and make a new heaven and new earth for the redeemed. [Isaiah 65:17; Revelation 21:1] 2. He patiently holds open the door, seeking the salvation of people. (v. 15) 3. He makes Himself known to us through Jesus (v. 18 4. He is worthy of all glory, both now and forever (v. 18) 7 THINGS TO DO UNTIL JESUS COMES BACK: 1. Be holy. (v. 11; 1 Peter 1:15) 2. Be godly. This is a devout and reverent attitude in life that pleases God. 3. Speed the Coming of Jesus. We do this through prayer [Matthew 6:14] and telling others about Jesus [Matthew 24:14]. 4. Live as the “beloved” of God, pure and peaceful lives (v. 14). 5. Study and seek to understand all Scripture, but follow Peter’s lead and acknowledge that some things are “hard to understand”(v. 16). 6. Look to grow spiritually every day of your life – in grace and knowing Jesus (v. 18) 7. Faithfully give glory to God each day, in all our circumstances (v. 18). Our high and privileged calling is to do the will of God in the power of God for the glory of God. J. I. Packer