2 Peter 3

Remember that 2 Peter is discussing the idea that false teachers entered into the church and turned the teaching of grace into lewdness or into a license to sin.  This is the subject that Peter is dealing with in chapter 3.  Remember also that all of the epistles must be understood in light of the central truth presented in the gospels.  God, by His grace in Christ Jesus, has forgiven the sins of our entire lifetime, past, present and even future sins.  His same grace leads us to turn away from sin and walk in holiness.  It is the same grace.  The epistles give clarification to what was taught in the gospels, and correct any errors that were spreading in the churches. 

2 Peter 3:1-10  "Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior, knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming?  For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation."  For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water.  But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.  The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up." 

These false teachers were not born again.  They denied the Lord Jesus Who bought them.  2 Peter 2:1.  They were twisting the teaching of grace for their own benefit, to fulfill the lusts of their flesh.  They said "Where is the promise of His coming?".  In other words, Jesus is not coming back.  You may as well just enjoy the pleasures and lusts of the flesh.  Sin is paid for anyway.  It doesn't matter.  Peter says they are willingly ignorant that God judged the sin of unbelievers in the days of Noah, and He will judge the sins of unbelievers in the future through fire instead of water.  We as Christians will not face the wrath of God.  Our sins are paid for by the blood of Jesus.  But we should stop partaking of these sins.  Paul states this also in Ephesians 5:3-7  Paul tells Christians to stop partaking of sexual sins.  He states in verse 6-7  "Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.  Therefore (you Christians) do not be partakers with them (unbelievers)."  The wrath of God is going to come upon unbelievers who reject His grace.  We should stop participating in the same sins.  Our sins have been paid for by Christ Jesus.  But His grace is not a license to sin.  Peter stresses the grace that God has for all of us, even these false teachers who have denied the Lord.   God is long-suffering toward us, not willing that any of us should perish, but that all should come to repentance.  That is why God has not come yet.  We are in a period of grace.  We should accept His mercy and grace for us.  We get so caught up in the things of this world, and we lose sight of the fact that this earth will be burned up one day, and all of the works in it.  Our hearts should be focused on the Lord and His love and grace, and we should be avoiding sin and helping others see the grace and mercy of our God.

2 Peter 3:11-13  "Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in all holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?  Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells." 

We focus so much on our jobs or careers, our homes, and so much on the material things of this life.  All of these things will be dissolved in the future.  We should focus our attention of God's love for us, and allow Him to express Himself through us in love and holiness.  Winning others to the Lord through sharing His message of grace, and walking in love and holiness, are the only things that will last into eternity.  God is going to burn up this present earth in fire and prepare a new heaven and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. The grace of God is manifold.  He first gives us righteousness or right-standing before Him as a gift of His grace.  Then the grace of God teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly lust and to live godly in this present age.  Titus 2:11-12.  This is all the grace of God.  God did not give us His righteousness so that we could continue sinning.  Sin hurts us and those around us.  We are still short-sighted, even to blindness, if we think otherwise.  2 Peter 1:9.

2 Peter 3:14-18  "Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things (the present earth being dissolved and a new earth being established), be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; and consider that the long-suffering of our Lord is salvation--as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the scriptures.  You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen."

We have peace before God, and are without spot and blameless before Him, by the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.  We have peace before God because Jesus bore the penalty for all of our sins.  But Peter says that we must be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless.  This is speaking of outward holiness.  So much of the emphasis on the teaching of grace today is the forgiveness of our sins, and rightfully so.  But God also wants us to grow up and let His righteousness shine through us in our outward actions.  This is really the whole theme of both of Peter's epistles.  Paul spoke about these same themes in his epistles.  Peter says that untaught or unstable Christians were twisting Paul's teachings of grace into lewdness or a license to sin also.  We should beware of this and not fall from our own steadfastness in walking in holiness.  This is the error of the wicked, that the teaching of grace is just an excuse for lewdness or fulfilling the lusts of our flesh.  Peter exhorts us to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  This grace teaches us that our sins are all forgiven.  This grace also teaches us to turn away from sin and walk in holiness.  This is the pathway of maturity in the Christian life.  This is the true grace of God.

May God continue to lead me along the path of His grace and righteousness in this life.

Keith Oliver