Lesson 38
Second Peter
Warning against dangers
facing the Church
Chapter 3
The Certainty of the
Believers Hope – The Return of Christ
Review 3:9
not
wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.
- not wishing
= mh, + present participle bou,lomai the
word expresses the deliberate exercise of volition, here would be God’s choice
While it is His
considered will that no one should be lost, yet in making man in His image He
necessarily had to make him a free moral agent, with a will which is able to
say “yes” and “no” to Him. While God is always willing to save man, man is not
always willing to be saved.
but
for all to come to repentance the but introduces His directive will
for all mankind,
3:9 The Lord is not tardy concerning
His promise as some (F/T’s) count slowness but is patient toward you, not
desiring for anyone to perish (eternal judgment) but for all to come to a change of
mind.
Observations 3:9:
1. This verse gives us the rationale for the time span
between the ascension (departure) and His return at the rapture.
2. It points out that there are no unnecessary delays.
3. Peter is combating the implication of the scoffers and
F/T’s that God has made a promise and will not keep it.
4. The delay is not from inability or indifference on His
part but an expression of God’s patience, His grace extended towards mankind.
5. It is during this delay that body of Christ, the
bride, is being formed.
6. One of the
reasons for His great patience is because God respects the wills which He has
given mankind.
7. Need
to remember that it is God’s directive will, that is His desire that all be
saved. 1 Tim 2:4
8. Yet
the majority of humanity will miss out, by their own choice, not because of any
lack of provision by God.
- the grace provision is there, have unlimited atonement, Christ died for
all, He was judged for all
9.
There are 4 major categories of opposition to changing one’s mind, or negative
volition to truth:
a. NV1 =
this refers to the unbeliever who is negative to the gospel (primary for the
context)
b. NV2 =
the believer who is indifferent and apathetic to doctrine and fails to take in
the word consistently.
c. NV3 =
Believer who distorts doctrine for personal gain, the Balaam types.
d. NV4 = Those believers who
know the truth, the right way and fail to apply it in life. (greatest
discipline in time, to whom much is given, much is required)
10. His patience for us as believers, R/F, is related to
making the decisions in life to establish the MPR so that we are able to escape
the contamination of the kosmos.
- this boils down to utilizing
consistently the DOA’s provided in grace so that we can produce max DGP.
11. Even these flagrant mockers in the context are
included in the grace offered at the cross.
But the day of the Lord will
come like a thief,
- The Church is today in its last age, the Laodicean
period which is characterized by indifference an apathy (Rev. 3:14–19).
will
come like a thief w`j kle,pthj as a thief; the analogy is unexpected, sudden; the unfolding of this day of Lord will have a
number of events that will take people by surprise.
-
Those who are asleep living under spiritual blindness
having rejected truth.
in
which 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.
- this event takes place after the GWTJ and precedes the day
of God (
- so
the B.L. elements refers to the basic elements which form the structure
of material things
and
the earth and its works will be burned up
NIV;
and
the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.
really
gets to the point; here the focus is on not just the earth but all that man has
done and accomplished here throughout history is going up in smoke.
3:10 But the day of the
Lord will arrive like a thief, during which the heavens will pass away with a
roar and the elements, burning intensely
will be dissolved and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.
Summary of vs:10
1. The day of the Lord here refers to that time period
more than 24 hours that includes from after the Rapture through the
tribulation, the Millennial reign of Christ to the
GWTJ.
2. Peter reminds us that it will come upon the negative,
those spiritually asleep as a thief. (noted this in 1 Thes. 5:1-11)
3. Coming as a thief indicates that for the majority of
mankind it will be
unexpected and they will suffer great loss being in spiritual
darkness.
4. The dissolution of the present heavens and earth will occur almost at
the end of the day of the Lord, that is just after the
Millennium and just before the GWTJ.
- For those unbelievers at the GWTJ the earth as a prop will be gone, they
have nothing to stand on but their own works.
5. Following the GWTJ which is the judgment of all unbelievers of all of
human history will be the creation of the new heavens and the earth. 2 Pet
6. Matter is not eternal, it has a beginning and
an ending.
Since all these things are
to be destroyed in this way, (as outlined in vs:10; 13)
Based
on the reality of what is prophesied for the future Peter asks a rhetorical
question.
what
sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,
Peter
is really challenging the believer of every generation of the church age here.
Since
you understand the prophetic future for the heavens and the earth it should
have an impact on your life today!