II Peter 3:11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
God never speaks with hesitation. He is God and He knows all things. He created all things, and He works all things for His glory. He has made the Truth readily available to all people.
God directed Peter to write this short letter to those who were saved in his generation, but God’s Word is timeless. It is for all people in every generation.
God’s Word should never be pushed to the side in favour of other writings. I have followed several court cases where people have gotten into trouble with the government because they took a more “conservative” position on something. Some of those who got into trouble professed to be Christians, and yet they hired lawyers and used secular arguments to try to win their cases. They lost. I have written to some of those people challenging them that if they are truly Christians, then they should stand upon the sure Word of God.
Christians do not always win the argument, but the Word of God never returns to Him void. He will accomplish His purposes. He does not try to work in secret. He makes His Word known to all. He wants people to know the Truth and follow the Truth.
In our text, God has been speaking of future events. There is a massive judgment coming upon those who reject the Truth. There is also a massive judgment coming upon the entire created world which was plunged into a form of chaos at the fall of man.
In verse 11 Peter was directed to write about the future as a fact that has already been accomplished. God speaks of the future with absolute certainty. There is nothing that man will do to change God’s plan. This world will be dissolved one day. We cannot stop that from happening. It will have nothing to do with driving cars or raising cattle. It will be due to God’s timing and His judgment. The option for man is to submit to the God of Creation. The wise person submits to God and becomes a child of God. Those who are saved ought to be holy people who speak Truth and who live in godliness.
Today is the Lord’s Day. It is the day when wise people go to a true, Godly, local church. Wise people want to know the true God. They are not interested in story-time and fiction.
In verse 12 we see that those who are saved should be looking for the coming of the day of the Lord. Not only that, but we should be hasting that day. The Greek word translated as “hasting” has the meaning of “desiring earnestly”. Five times saints are commanded to tell others the truth — the Word of God. We need to be faithful and true witnesses and seek to do all we can to make sure God’s Word is constantly before the lost.
A true, local church will have God’s Word as the central text and the central voice in Its’ midst. A true, local church does not allow men’s opinions to supersede the Word of God. Jesus corrected false teaching often. He did not entertain it.
We will not stop the day of God from coming. This world will be destroyed by God in His timing. It will not be due to a careless bomb, made by man, that blows up either intentionally or by accident. It will come after the future Tribulation and the Millennium. After God is finished with this world, He will destroy it and there will be a new heavens and a new earth.
As we see in verse 12, the judgment that is coming will be quite severe. It will be more severe than anything this world has ever faced before. It will be far more destructive than the Atomic bomb was or than a nuclear blast could be.
We know there are irrational people who want to have the bomb and would love to use it to wipe out the people they hate and subdue the rest. There are irrational people already taking control of large segments of society. They do not like it that there is a small remnant, known as true, born again, Christians, that will not bow to their wicked ways.
There have been oppressive regimes in the past. There will be more in the future. Those who are saved do not need to live in fear of man. We need to live in the fear of the LORD.
In verse 13 we are reminded that those who are saved, have a hope. The world will never understand the hope that Christians have. The world puts its hope in empty promises and MOU’s. Those documents mean nothing, but sadly many people are lured in by them.
Let me encourage the readers to take God’s Word as your absolute authority. Humble yourself before Him and submit to His Word. Know His peace and blessing in your heart and serve Him faithfully.
God is not a tyrant. It is the world and its systems that are the tyrants. Many people are being drawn into working hard and making money and buying properties and other things. That can be taken away in a moment. Just look at what is happening right now in lower B.C.
The federal government has been making secret deals that are having a detrimental affect on millions of people. People who have invested heavily in properties are not sure if they have legal ownership of them anymore. Businesses do not know if they will be able to continue to do business because ownership is being transferred to people who cannot look after things.
The wise person turns to God and serves Him. Where will you be this morning? A true local church is a place that upholds God’s righteousness and shows the blessings of living within the bounds of God’s righteousness.
Pastor Bartel