LIVING IN LIGHT OF THE DAY

 

2 Peter 3:8-13

 

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. 

Genesis 1:1-5

 

The same God who created all things in six literal days is the same God who is coming back. This is Peter’s hope as he reminds fellow believers to never lose focus; no matter how long it takes for Christ to gloriously return. A delay in God’s action of returning calls for reassurance that the faithful have not been forgotten.

 

See! Peter’s original readers faced tough times:

 

Persecution from the emperors and governors. Threatened by false teaching. Being belittled by scoffers. Tempted by sin. Swayed to defect from the faith that they had in the gospel. So, Peter uses these two letters to comfort and to calm their spirits, as this present earth is marked for judgment. And Peter wants us to know that whatever happens or is embraced on earth in no way impacts God’s master plan. 

Meaning… 

The Alphabet groups and their perversions/indoctrinations.

Our present /corrupt Canadian government and its political leaders.

Today’s super powers and elites around the globe.

The direct attack on the family and our children by the culture & institutions.

The evil attacks on churches who stand upon the authority and sufficiency of the Scripture.

The state of the church with all its false teachers/teachings and apostacy.

Satan and his minions who continue to try to destroy the Christian home and life.

Not even the daily struggle of our sinfulness as men and women.

 

This in no way impacts God’s master plan or prevents

Him from doing anything.

 

Peter begins this by saying “do not overlook this” in other words “Don’t let this escape you; don’t miss this.” For the church it seems like it’s been “forever” since Jesus went to heaven. We feel at times He has forgotten us? The nation of Israel felt like this for many years, not realizing that their Deliver was already on His way. In essence, Peter reminds us that our perspective on time is different than God’s. We are all like our children on a long car rides, “Are we there yet?” As parents we know how long it takes to get to our vacation destination but children don’t. Our perspective on time is more mature than our children. So, they start to complain it’s taking too long and they start to fill their minds up with doubt, “Are we really going anywhere?” We are very much like our children, but we need to understand God knows what He is doing and His timing is always perfect. God is never early and He is never late, God does exactly what He plans to do at the right moment.

 

God’s purposes are perfect and eternal in nature and He does not rely on human wisdom or help, “A voice says, "Cry!" And I said, "What shall I cry?" All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the LORD blows on it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. Go on up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, "Behold your God!" Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young. Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span, enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance? Who has measured the Spirit of the LORD, or what man shows him his counsel? Whom did he consult, and who made him understand? Who taught him the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding?” 

Isaiah 40:6-14

 

No one! Peter, reveals to us that God is timeless and has everything exactly where it’s supposed to be. (v8). Isaiah wrote, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9

 

This means He dwells above and apart from the cause

and effect flow of time as we observe it.

 

This means the Lord is not like us, Peter affirms this by quoting from Psalm 90, “Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. You return man to dust and say, "Return, O children of man!" For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night. “For a thousand years in Your sight are like yesterday when it is past, and like a watch in the night.” Psalm 90:1-4

 

The Psalmist begins by reminding the reader that God is from “Everlasting to everlasting” All time is as nothing before Him, because in the presence as in the nature of God all is eternity. Therefore nothing is long, nothing short, before him; no lapse of ages impairs His purposes.” This means…. All things are equally near and present to His view; the distance of a thousand years before the occurrence of an event, is no more to Him than would be the interlude of a day. With God, indeed, there is neither past, present, nor future. Charles Spurgeon said, “He takes for his name the ‘I AM.’ … He is the I AM; I AM in the present; I AM in the past and I AM in the future. Just as we say of God that he is everywhere, so we may say of him that he is always; he is everywhere in space; he is everywhere in time.”

 

Peter communicates a general principle regarding how we see time and how God sees time. When people use this verse as a rigid prophetic key it opens the door for great error. God sees time with a perspective we lack; even the delay of a thousand years may well seem like a day against the back-cloth of eternity.

The last days began when Jesus

ascended into heaven.

 

Since that time, we haven’t rushed towards the edge of the cliff of the consummation of all things. But we have run alongside that edge of the cliff ready to go anytime at God’s good pleasure. And Jesus told the disciples that He is preparing a place. “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” 

John 14:1-3

Peter says some are saying, “God is moving to slow” (v9) “slow” means “delayed or late”, this also implies the idea that God is “loitering” but none of that applies or is true of God. In fulfilling His promises, God is working everything precisely according to His perfect plan and schedule. Just as we read “he remembers his covenant forever.” Psalm 111:5. The same is true in Christ’s first coming, as it will be in His second coming. God is patient! This is good news as we live amoung Sodom & Gomorrah. (v9) Peter gives us reason to why “not wishing any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” (v9) Who are the “all”? The all and any are limited to those who are save and those who will be saved. Who are the all to you and me? Everyone, because we don’t know who are God’s elect, and who are not God’s elect. Charles Spurgeon said it best, “If God would have painted a yellow stripe on the backs of the elect I would go around lifting shirts. But since He didn’t I must preach “whosoever will” and when “whatsoever” believes I know that he is one of the elect.”

 

This is the God who is patient with you, child of God as you wait for His timing and revealing in the Second coming. God is not done saving sinners! The You! Who are the “You”? That Peter is referring to here in the end of (v9).  Think about this as it relates to God calling you out of darkness as we read this portion of Peter’s letter. First we need to understand who Peter is writing too? Is he writing to the general public? No Is he writing to the unsaved and the lost? No According to the opening of his first letter he writes to those who are saved and being saved. 1 Peter 1:1-5

God’s apparent slowness is our salvation. Entering into a relationship with God demands time; and for some of us, it takes a bit longer than we think. Many Christians, including myself, today are happy that Jesus didn’t return forty years, or ten years, or five years, or one year, or even two months ago. God is not only so unlike us; He is incredibly patient towards us. The fact that that Christ hasn’t returned is a evidence of God’s abundant mercy toward us in saving sinners. There is a compassionate purpose in God’s timing. Because! “The day of the Lord will come” this was used throughout the Old Testament to refer to the day God brought wrath against his people. Obviously, here “the day of the Lord” refers to the day of judgment. God has been patient with us, but his patience will not delay judgment forever. One day judgment is going to come upon the world. And understand! God takes no pleasure in the judgment of the unrighteous man or woman. “Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?” Eze 33:11

 

Peter says that “day will come like a thief.” Jesus told us the same thing, “Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” Matt 24:42-44. That day will come suddenly, no signs, no warning. It will be here before we know what’s taking place. “Like a thief”, Paul, uses similar language in 1 Thess 5:2, referring to Jesus’ warning in Matt. 24:42-44. If you knew someone was going to break into your house, you’d be ready for it…. have you not seen “Home Alone” When Jesus comes, there will be no Bethlehem, no shepherds, no wise men, no Christmas Eve candle light service. When the Day of the Lord comes it will start with judgment and the earth and sky above us will be destroyed. (v10) Everything we be exposed and all unrighteousness, their good deeds, good person attitude; will all stand before Him naked and exposed as He cast them into the lake of Fire. The “day of the Lord” is an extraordinary astonishing intervention of God in human history for the purpose of His final judgement. Simply put! There will be no place to hide on that great and terrible day.

 

Think about that as it relates to the last person on the earth to be saved. When the last person is saved, God will execute His divine final judgement. Sanctified imagination! Who is that last person? This is to comfort not to frustrate, there will be no mistakes about who is in Heaven and who isn’t in heaven. Peter says after this takes place everything will “be dissolved” (v11a) 

God’s power will consume everything in the….

Material realm

Entire physical earth

Civilization

Eco-systems

Natural resources

All surrounding celestial universe 

And among all that the Lord will protect His sheep, His elect.

 

When God has finished judging the false teacher, the rebellious sinner, He will create a New Heaven and Earth. (v13) For the Christian, the new Heaven and new earth marks a new beginning. A life in the Presence of God where sickness, death, and sin can no longer touch us. Where only…” righteousness dwells” What manner of persons ought you to be? Charles Spurgeon made it close and personal as we wait by saying, “The king is coming; he is coming to his throne, and to his judgment. Now a man does not go up to a king’s door, and there talk treason; and men do not sit in a king’s audience-chamber when they expect him every moment to enter, and there speak ill of him. The King is on his way, and almost here; you are at his door; he is at yours. What manner of people ought ye to be? How can ye sin against One who is so close at hand?”

We are to live our lives in light of His coming…. with godliness and holiness as we wait for His glorious return. The Christian looks forward to the day Jesus comes again, “waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,” Tit 2:13

 

Godliness… living out God-like behavior, love, forgiveness, kindness, sharing the gospel because we live in last days. Again to quote Spurgeon, he said, “If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our dead bodies. And if they perish, let them perish with our arms wrapped about their knees, imploring them to stay. If hell must be filled, let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go unwarned and unprayed for.” This is how we are to live and treat each day; this is what godliness looks like in action in the middle of Sodom and Gomorrah.

 

Holiness…. in lives of holiness, set apart from sin and to keep ourselves away from anything that will cause us to sin. Why? Because even the attraction of sin is strong enough to produce doubt in our own hearts. We have been set apart for God and we are to live in such a way in a fallen and broken world system as we wait for the new Heaven and Earth.

 

Peter has already told us that holiness takes on many forms…. It means 

Getting about your own sanctification 1 Peter 1:14-21

Expressing a sincere love for brothers and sisters. 1 Peter 1:22; 2:3

Being subject to every institution. 1 Peter 2;11-13; 18; 3:1

Being willing to embrace suffering for the gospel. 1 Peter:1-6; 19

Loving service to the family of God. 1 peter 4:7-11

 

We are to reflect the character of our Creator. When God looks at us, we are to be a reflection of Him, we represent God in the world. As Spurgeon said, “As you walk the streets of London, (Killaloe), remember you’ve got the reputation of God in your hands.” Think about what Peter is saying as we walk in godliness and holiness (v13) A new heaven and new earth in which righteousness dwells. The most glorious characteristic of this new heaven and new earth is that it is a place in which righteousness dwells. (That is only possible though Christ and His saving grace) The present world is broken by sin. One Day Jesus will come, and evil will be judged and eliminated forever. God will not just fix our world; He is going to destroy it and give us a new one. Peter reminds us of this truth, “new heavens and new earth” no longer tainted by sin.

 

I can’t imagine how beautiful the

world will be…. can you?

 

The Book of Revelation tells us there will be no need of the sun or the moon in the future, “for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb.” Rev 21:23. What are we to do in

the meantime? (v11-v13) Are we trusting Him, and are we submitting to Him, letting Him change us each day? Are we living in personal holiness and outward godliness to represent Jesus our Lord now? King Jesus is coming. What sort of people ought we to be in light of that day? As John Calvin said, “The Gospel does not confine the hearts of men to the enjoyment of the present life, but raises them to the hope of immortality; does not fix them down to earthly delights, but announcing that there is a treasure laid up in heaven, carries the heart there also.” Our treasure is found the, Great Pearl, the Son of God, who saved us from His wrath at the right time according to His perfect will.