"Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, and regard the patience as our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you as also in all his letters speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unsaved distort, as they do also the rest of Scriptures to their own destruction."
2 Peter 3:14-16
Peter is writing his last letter just before he and Paul were martyred the following year. In chapter three he is warning them that in the last days mockers will come and stir up derision, or contemptuous ridicule and mockery greeted with disbelief. They were saying then as people are now, why hasn’t Jesus come, following after their own lust. They say it now just as they have since the beginning of creation. Peter proclaims it escapes their notice a flood took place in Noah’s day and destroyed the earth by the Word of God. He then tells us by His Word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgement and destruction of ungodly men.
He then commands us not to let this one fact escape our notice that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. He reminds us the Lord is not slow to His promises, but patient toward us, not desiring anyone one should perish, but for all to come to repentance. It is His kindness that brings us to repentance. Know the love and compassion and mercy of our God!
Then Peter warns us the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 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.
I am reminded Jesus is called the Lion of Judah. We will never tame the Lion of Judah. When He roars the earth, and all the works of man will be burned up. I hope this helps all of us get our priorities right, so we will not focus our lives on what will burn up in a moment.
Then Peter tells us what sort of people we ought to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God. We, according to His promise, are to be looking for the new heaven and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.
Are we not all longing to be where righteousness dwells? Right now we are dwelling in a nation being torn apart by two distinct parties of people, and I am not talking about the political parties. I am talking about the two parties that have always existed: good and evil. We can read about it throughout the history of civilization in the Bible. God is good. Satan is evil. We are either serving one, or the other.
Man left to himself is inherently evil apart from the presence of God in His life. We need His Spirit dwelling in us for us to become like Him. He made a way for that to be possible through Jesus, His only Son. Satan rebelled against God and made His ambition to destroy what God loves and created — mankind. He wants to steal your soul and take you with him to his final destiny which is eternal fire in hell. If he can get you to make yourself god, he can manipulate you and deceive you with lies to keep you from truth. If He can keep the Word of God away from you his job is easy. You do not have the truth to counter the lies.
You cannot know God apart from knowing His Word. That doesn’t mean you can read the Bible and understand it academically. Knowledge has no power unless you have the wisdom to apply the knowledge. Knowledge is synonymous to religion. Wisdom is synonymous to true Christianity.
Only the true followers of Christ know how to apply the hidden mysteries in God’s Word to their lives. And their motive is love for God. If you read the Word of God, seeking the love of God with all your heart, He will let Himself be found. It is His greatest desire. He wants you to know how much He loves you. Once He has revealed Himself to you, you will know divine love for the first time in your life. God is love.
But God is also holy and righteous. He has made a way for us to become like Him. The truths I am speaking of must be spiritually discerned. We have to have the Helper Jesus promised us Who would lead us into all truth. The Holy Spirit is to become our Teacher and Guide.
We are told in Scripture we are to occupy the earth until He returns. In Luke 19:23 Jesus gives them a parable to explain they were not going to get a political triumph over Rome immediately with the Messianic kingdom, and it wouldn’t come without the cross. Can we not see ourselves in the same predicament today?
The Bible holds eternal truths that are relevant today and will be forever. Our ultimate triumph doesn’t happen in this world. Don’t be distracted by the temporal instead of the eternal. This world was never meant to be permanent for any of us. But how we choose to live in this world determines our eternal placement and our eternal reward and judgements.
Study the parable in Luke 19:11-23. Occupy until He returns. That is a military term. We, as God’s people, are to rule the earth. The church is to rule society. We are to allow God to govern our lives, and we the people are to govern our nation. Proverbs 29:1-2 says it well:
"A man who hardens his neck after much reproof will suddenly be broken beyond remedy.
When the righteous increase the people rejoice, but when a wicked man rules people groan."
When our nation has godly leaders it thrives as our history has proven. But when we allow evil to increase and choose leaders who are stiff necked to reproof, and have evil, hardened hearts, tyranny is alway the result for that nation. The cross of Jesus Christ must be brought back into our lives and our children’s. It is the only way for us to triumph as a nation.
Satan knows that, but do we know it? He knows the truth, but despises and fears it. Our greatest weapon is Truth. God is Truth. His Word holds the eternal absolute truths of life, but the natural man cannot receive the things of the Spirit. It must be spiritually discerned. We all have been given that opportunity by Jesus sending us the Holy Spirit. Seek truth with all your heart.
We are to be looking diligently for the prophecies to be fulfilled. We are to be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless. This is where our focus is to be.
We will pick up at verses 17-18:
"You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, 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. "
May we heed the warning of Peter and be on our guard and not allow anything to deter us from our steadfastness we have acquired by seeking our Savior, while growing in grace and knowledge, always striving to glorify Him in all we say and do. God help us to be found in peace, spotless and blameless.
In His love.
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Photos from home this week! Always surrounded by His gifts!
