LOOK FORWARD TO THE DAY OF GOD 

2 Peter 3:1-18 

Key Verse 3:13 

"But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness." 

In this passage Peter reminds the church what they are looking forward to by faith: Jesus' 2nd coming. He is  mainly addressing the bad influence and false teachings that were bothering the believers at the time. Peter's method was to strengthen and secure the believers by reminding them of God's word and promise, and God’s grace in Jesus. He does so also to help them ready themselves for that day of the Lord and not get caught up in worldly or ungodly living.  

As we prepare for the new year, we can learn from Peter's message to the church about what a believer is ultimately looking forward to and how to be ready for the day of the Lord. Because God gave us the sure promise of our future hope, we can prayerfully plan accordingly to reach that goal and not get side-tracked. 

1. Read verses 1-2. Why did Peter write his two letters? How can we have "wholesome thinking"? 

**Verse 1. "Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking." 

**See verse 2. Peter wanted them to recall the word of God, as given through the Lord's holy prophets and his apostles. Wholesome thinking begins with God's word because God himself is the source of all that is wholesome and truly good. When a person meditates on God's word, accepts it, and lives by it, God's word becomes a lamp to his feet (Ps 119:105). God is the Creator and all things have their meaning in him. When he created the heavens and the earth, he said it was "very good" (Gen 1:31) and they all came about by him. Conversely, there are many ideas and philosophies and ways of thinking in this world. They sound good, but they deny God's word, working only to corrupt our thinking.  

2. Read verses 3-7. What do the "last days" refer to? What will these scoffers scoff at? Why are they badly mistaken? What will happen to this present world and to ungodly men? Yet why do they say such things? (3,5) How is their scoffing present today? 

**The "last days" refer to our day, today. It is the period marked by Jesus' first coming until the time of his second coming (cf. Acts 2:16-21, Heb 1:2). They are the "last" days because they are leading up to the Day of the Lord, after which will not be days as we know them now. 

**They will scoff at the promise of Jesus' second coming.  

**The basis of their scoffing is totally unreliable. In so doing, they deny God's word. Jesus' 2nd coming is based on the Lord's promise. God's word tells us surely of Jesus' 2nd coming. God's word is the ultimate authority and completely reliable. Here, Peter gives stunning examples of the surety of God's word. 1) By God's word, the whole universe was made and is sustained. 2) By his word, the world was already once destroyed. 3) God's word has spoken of a coming judgment to the present world. It means that it is surely coming without a doubt. 

>This is beneficial to help us think about the reality of what God has promised. Peter says, "By the same word." This month we celebrated Christmas. God promised to send Jesus as a baby long before Jesus was actually born in a manger. And now the Lord has promised his return--all by the "same" word. So these scoffers are very badly mistaken for they base their thoughts and actions on what is not reliable. 

**They will be judged and destroyed by fire. 

**Peter mentions 2 things: 1) See verse 3. They are following their evil desires. 2) See verse 5. They "deliberately forget" God's word. How can a person "deliberately" forget? It means that they are consciously denying what God has said and follow their own lie so that they can follow their evil desires and feel justified. 

**We find their same message being spoken today. It is taught in classrooms and evident in lifestyles that are opposed to God's word. (We can think of many examples.) It is just as Peter said, but we must not be carried away by the bad influence of these scoffers and their false teachings. The lifestyles of this world often catch believers’ attention as something enjoyable or pleasurable, and so many are carried away by evil desires. But we must see it as normal. Yet, we are not shaken by that, but stand firm according to God's promise which is sure. 

3. Read verses 8-10. What must we not forget about the Lord? Why is he patient with us? (cf. 15) Yet why do you think the day of the Lord "will come like a thief"? 

**See verse 8. The Lord operates and understands time in a way completely different from us. What may seem like a long time to us, is not to him. And yet the opposite may be true.  

**He is not "slow" as the scoffers say, but "patient". It means that he is purposely bearing us for a time. And the purpose of his patience is because he is "not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." God is patient to save all people. 

**We must also know that God's patience will not last forever. Eventually, his day will come. But we are told that it will come "like a thief," meaning, unexpectedly. It calls us therefore to be ready at every moment for his return and repent from this moment and turn to him. We cannot delay under the excuse of God's patience.  

>>It is easy for Christians to be slack in repentance and godly living because we do not really believe that Jesus will come back "soon" or "like a thief." We think that we have time for certain liberties. Or, others say, "It's okay. God forgives." If we think like this, we will be caught unaware at his return to our shame. God is not patient so that we can slack off, but that others may have a chance to repent and be saved as well. 

4. Read verses 11-16. What is there to look forward to on the Day of the Lord? What is the significance of the new heaven and new earth being called a "home of righteousness"? What does it practically mean to "look forward to the day of God"? (11b, 14) 

**While the Day of the Lord will bring about the judgment to wicked and ungodly people, there is also something very wonderful for believers to look forward to: the new heaven and new earth, the "home of righteousness." 

**It means that there will be a brand new place, a home, for God's people. It will be a home of "righteousness" meaning that there not be anything living there that is not righteous. Righteousness has to do with being right with God, and it comes from God through faith in Jesus. In this home of righteousness, we will live together with God, in his presence, as his children forever. It means complete redemption for God's family. We will be saved fully from sin and all its ill effects, and from everything that is not in line with God's righteousness.  

**What it means to practically look forward to the day of God is to live in such a way that is preparing for that time. Peter mentions here: 

>Verses 11-12a: " 11Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming." 

>Verse 14: " 14So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him."  

Our actions must match our hope. It is not easy to live holy, godly lives, to make "every" effort to be found spotless, etc., but because our hope is sure and this present world is going to pass away quickly, we "must" make "every" effort to live such a life. It means that we really are looking forward to that day, the day of the Lord.  

5. Read verses 17-18. What do the words "be on your guard" tell us about the kind of attitude we should adopt as we wait for Jesus' coming? How can we "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ"? Why did Peter credit glory to Jesus both now and forever? 

**We must be alert not to be deceived or led astray. Since we are called to "be on our guard," it means that attacks regarding our faith in God's promise will come at us. But we must be ready all the time. 

**Growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is the way to remain in our secure position. "Grace" has to do with God's favor to us in Jesus, especially to forgive our sins. Growing in his grace then has to do with growing in such favor from God, though undeserved, and turning from sin so that we may grow as holy and righteous children of God. And this must come with depending on the Lord fully as our Savior. Salvation is by his "grace." Growing in the knowledge of Jesus means to know him and more and more. We can do this through faith and obedience to him without compromise.  

**Because he is worthy of it. Jesus is called here the "Lord" and "Savior". He deserves all glory because he is the Lord and he received glory as our Savior and this will never change. Jesus saves.

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