Simon Peter, a servant and an
apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious
faith with us, through the righteousness of God and our Savior, Jesus
Christ, grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge
of God and of Jesus our Lord. according as his divine power
hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness,
through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory
and virtue, whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious
promises, that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature
having escaped the corruption that is in the world through
lust." Now, Peter wrote his first epistle to God's saints who were
suffering horrible persecutions under the Roman Emperor Nero.
His second epistle was written shortly after that, and apparently,
judging by verse 14 of chapter 1, written shortly before his
death. It is addressed to the same suffering
Saints. And yet, the circumstances are
a little different in the epistle. Not in their lives, they were
still suffering persecution from Nero. They were still being hounded
and chased and hunted, murdered in the name of Nero, because
they were supposed to be some vile people who worshiped this
Jesus, the Christ. But in the epistle, the circumstances
are somewhat different. The first epistle dealt with
the hard, hard, oppressive load of trouble and sorrow and heartache
that comes with physical sufferings, and the danger that we face whenever
we are in any way abused, misused, slandered, or persecuted for
the gospel's sake. Those who suffer for Christ's
Peter calls for us to suffer patiently, bowing to the will
of God, understanding that God has called us to this, whatever
it is, following our Lord's example. Turn back to chapter 2 of 1 Peter
for just a moment. Now Peter urges those Saints
and urges us to persevere in the face of trial, of great assuring
us of God's great grace to us in Christ, and urging us to follow
the Master's example. Verse 21, chapter 2 in 1 Peter. For even here unto were you called. To what? Whatever it is you're
in right now. For even here unto were you called,
because Christ also suffered for us. leaving us an example
that you should follow his steps. How did he suffer? Who did no
sin? Neither was guile found in his
mouth. Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again. When he suffered,
he threatened not, but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously. How do you endure what you endure? Commit yourself to God who judges
righteously, and walk before him with patience and peace and
contentment. In 2 Peter, the inspired apostle
deals with a trial even more difficult to bear, a trial in which it is even more
difficult to persevere. What could be more difficult
than being thrown to imprisoned, tortured, watching one you love
being used as a human torch while a heathen ruler laughs and throws
a party with you as the light for his party. What could be
more difficult? Peter urges us to remain steadfast
in the face of horrible false doctrine universally accepted. far more difficult to resist
the way that all men accept, to resist the way that all men
profess, who profess to be Christians, and remain steadfast to the truth.
Again, he assures us of God's great grace, and he urges us
to grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
In 1 Peter, we were taught to rejoice in hope in the face of
great trials. Here, in 2 Peter, we are taught
to remain faithful to the truth in the midst of great falsehood.
As I read these two books, 1 and 2 Peter, again, I couldn't help
noticing how Peter in these two epistles speaks of God's great
abundant grace. And he identifies God's grace
as that which he has given to all believers, but he specifically
identifies six things God has given us in Christ as precious
things. In chapter 1, verse 7 of 1 Peter,
you don't need to turn to these, you can just look at them later,
he tells us that the trial of our faith is more precious than
gold that perishes. Because the trial of our faith
makes us look to Christ, cling to Christ, and will make heaven
itself sweeter, more glorious, more delightful than otherwise
it could be. In verse 19 of chapter 1, he
speaks of the blood of Christ as the precious blood of Christ.
Oh, precious blood that redeemed my soul. Precious blood the blood
of God's darling Son, of the Lamb of God who was ordained
before the world began and in the fullness of time came and
redeemed me. Precious blood. And then in chapter
2, 1 Peter, in verse 6, he tells us that we who are built upon
Christ as lively stones, the temple and the house of God,
we are the house of God built upon the cornerstone, the precious
cornerstone, the foundation stone, Christ Jesus the Lord. He's precious
because we rest all our hopes on him, and our hopes built on
him are sure and steadfast. Then in chapter 2 again, verse
7, Peter says, unto you therefore, unto you who are built on this
foundation stone. And to you, therefore, who believe,
he is precious. Christ is precious to faith, to true faith. If you believe
him, he's precious to you. If you know what it is to be
built on him, he's precious to you. If you know what it is to
be redeemed by his blood, he is precious to you. unto you
therefore which believe he is precious." And then beginning
in chapter 1 verse 1 of 2 Peter, he speaks of our precious faith.
Precious faith because it is faith that we have obtained through
the righteousness of God, even our Savior Jesus Christ. It is
faith that has come to us by the price of Christ's wrought
out righteousness through his obedience unto death as our substitute. And then in verse 4. He speaks
of God's precious promises. All the promises of God given
us in Christ Jesus are precious, because in Christ they are yea
and amen. They are absolute. They are unalterable. They are sure. Our God will keep
his word. He will do what he has said.
He will fulfill his promises. As I read these chapters, I can't
help but to say to myself, Brother Peter, you couldn't have written
anything more suitable to the needs of God's Saints right now
than what I've read in these three chapters today. What Peter
has written to those Saints in his day, he's addressed to all
of us who have obtained like precious faith with him. Every
word here is a word of God to you and me who now believe. It's as though the book were
written specifically to my needs today, to your needs today. Well, how can that be? How can
this be a message to those folks back then and be a message to
us today? It is the living word of the
living God. This book is God-breathed. And
when it is sealed to our hearts by the power and grace of his
spirit, it is made to be life unto us, so that now the word
of God is God's word to us today. May God give us grace to hear
his word. Let me give you a summary outline
of these three chapters. Chapter one, Peter calls for
us to grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ. In chapter two, he
warns us of false prophets and false religion. In chapter 3,
he assures us of the certain, certain coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ and everlasting glory. All right, first in chapter 1. Peter's admonition is for us
to grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ. He knew that the secret
to spiritual strength is Christ, knowing Christ. and that the
source of spiritual strength and knowledge is the grace of
our God. If we would be strong in faith,
we must have an ever-increasing knowledge of our weakness, our
utter weakness in ourselves. Is that what he's teaching us?
A knowledge that our only acceptance with God is Christ. And our only
hope of salvation is the grace of God freely bestowed upon us
in Christ and given to us in Christ. That's how we grow in
the grace and knowledge of our God. Paul put it this way, when
I'm weak, then I'm strong. John said he must increase and
I must decrease. If we would grow in grace, we
must continually grow by God teaching us that we are nothing,
that we have nothing, that we can do nothing, that we must
have Christ, we must lean on Christ, we must look to Christ,
we must trust Christ for everything before God. Now Peter begins
the epistle by assuring us that all believers have the same gifts
of grace. Look at verse 1, chapter 1. We
don't all possess the same spiritual gifts of ministry and service. Some are gifted in one area and
some another. But all believers do possess
the same gifts of grace. God has blessed us with all spiritual
blessings in Christ before the world began. We tend to think
of the apostles and think of other men and other people that
we see as being sterling examples of what true Christianity is,
and certainly there's a sense in which that's so. But let us
never forget that these men, Peter, James, and John, The Apostle
Paul, like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, like Abel, like Enoch,
like Noah, were just exactly what we are, sinners saved by
grace, no more and no less. And that which they possessed
in Christ, we possess in Christ. Look what he says here. He says
that these folks to whom he is writing are those who have obtained
like precious faith with us. exactly the same faith. Exactly
the same faith. Now we have varying experiences
of growing in faith, varying experiences of being strong in
faith, and of faith failing us. But believers, all believers,
have obtained like precious faith. Then in verse He tells us that
God has given unto us, not just a few, but all who obtain this
light, precious faith. You kids behave now. Quit talking
and squirming around. All of you. I'm talking to you. Quit talking and squirming around.
God has given us, all of us, all things that pertain unto
life and godliness. All things. If you have faith
in Christ, This faith that God gives to all who believe, you
have obtained all things pertaining to life and godliness. Someone
said even the weakest believer holds in his hands all that the
mightiest saint ever possessed. Everything. All things pertaining
to life and godliness. Now that's exactly what Peter's
telling us here. All that we need to live forever before God
is Christ. It's in Christ. It comes from
Christ. And all that we need to live
in this world in godliness is ours in Christ. In other words,
Peter's telling us that God has given us in Christ everything
needed to handle anything that comes up in life and to handle
it with grace. I hope we understand this. A
few people do. Multitudes there are who are
always looking for something more, something more than Christ,
something more than the grace of God. They want some new thing,
something different, some new experience, some new revelation,
something greater than grace, something greater than Christ.
May God save us from such foolishness. If Christ is all, and he is,
having Christ, we have all. Do you understand that? Everything
pertaining to life and godliness. Everything. Now this is what
is meant in the context of 2 Peter. If we have everything in Christ,
we only need to know more of him. Grow in the knowledge of him,
and you'll grow strong. Grow in the knowledge of him,
and you'll grow peaceful. Grow in the knowledge of Him
and you'll grow in love. Grow in the knowledge of Him,
not just an academic knowledge, not just a head knowledge, in
the experiential knowledge of Him and you grow in grace. I don't need tranquilizers to
live in this world, I need grace. I don't need drugs, I need Christ.
I don't need a psychologist or a psychic. Some folks may think
I need a psychologist, but I don't. What I need is Christ. And having
Christ, I have all I need for life and for godliness. I don't need something to make
me feel good. I need to grow in grace and in
faith, to grow in the knowledge of Christ. Now this faith, this
grace, comes to us through the righteousness of God, our Savior,
the Lord Jesus Christ. It comes to us on the basis of
righteousness. The faith is that which we have
obtained from God, through Christ, through the righteousness of
God our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. And it is that which
we have obtained through the knowledge of him. We're told
in verse 2 that God, his grace and his peace sustaining us in
life, come to us through the knowledge of God and, or even,
of God even our Savior, Jesus our Lord. And believing on him,
God has given us exceeding great and precious promises. In other
words, Peter tells us that being born of God, believing on Christ,
we have, past tense, look at it in verse 4, escaped the corruption
that is in the world through lust. By these great promises
that God gave, eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised
before the world began, these great promises, that we might
be partakers of the divine nature. Now watch this, having escaped
by God's free grace, freely bestowed upon us in Christ Jesus, we have
escaped all that defiles men before God in this world. having
escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. Then
beginning in verse 5, down through verse 11, Peter speaks to us
about the influence of God's grace. He calls for us to grow
in grace and in faith and in the knowledge of Christ, and
calls for us here to give diligence in making our calling and election
sure. As Paul puts it in Philippians 2, to work out our own salvation
with fear and trembling, knowing that it is God who works in us
to will and to do of his own good pleasure. You see, the grace
of God that brings salvation, grace experienced in the heart
savingly, teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly lust
live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world.
John Gill, I think, had a very good comment with regard to these
verses 5-11. He said the gospel and the precious
promises being graciously bestowed and powerfully applied have an
influence on the purity of heart and conversation. and teach us
to deny ungodliness and worldly lust, and live soberly, righteously,
and godly, and such powerful effects of the gospel promises,
under divine influence, make men inwardly partakers of the
divine nature, and outwardly to abstain from and avoid the
prevailing corruptions and vices of their times." Look at Peter's
statement, verse 5, beside this. beside this knowledge of Christ,
beside this faith, beside this grace and the promises God's
given us, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, and
to virtue knowledge, and to knowledge temperance, and to temperance
patience, and to patience godliness, and to godliness brotherly kindness,
and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you
and abound, They make you that you shall neither be barren nor
unfruitful in the knowledge of Christ, of the knowledge of our
Lord Jesus Christ. If we are born of God, we must
give diligence. We must work at applying God's
grace in our lives personally. But preacher, salvation is by
grace. How do we apply temperance and
faith and brotherly kindness and patience and all those things
to ourselves. We look to Christ for it, and
we must make effort from God's grace that we live after this
manner for the glory of God, that God would teach us patience
and temperance and brotherly kindness. Well, aren't these
things the fruit of the Spirit? Yes, they are, and believers
want them. They want them, and they must
diligently give themselves to it. If we would live joyfully
in the peace of faith in this world, we must trust Christ and
obey him, yield ourselves to him in willing obedience. It
is well written, trust and obey, for there's no other way to be
happy in Jesus but to trust and obey, and there is no trusting
without obedience, and there is no obedience without trusting. Now the knowledge of God's grace
and his promises in Christ and the application of these things
to our lives will keep us from being barren and unfruitful in
this world. Why does Peter say that? Because
there is a knowledge of Christ. There is a knowledge of God that
is barren and unfruitful. James speaks of dead faith. He
talks about faith without works. He says it's dead. And a dead
faith is that which is possessed by a dead man or dead woman who
professes faith in Christ. They may speak loudly and they
may talk good and may even look good to your eyes, but there's
no grace in them. A living faith is a faith which
is justified by works. Not what men look at, never. Peter's talking here about good
works. And these good works have something
to do with love for God and love for you. They always do. They always do. But our Lord
said, in the day of judgment, he will say to these on his right
hand, or say to the fellows on his left hand, depart ye cursed
I never knew you. He said, I was hungry, you wouldn't
feed me. I was thirsty, you wouldn't give
me anything to drink. I was sick, you didn't come to the hospital.
I was in prison, you didn't visit me. They said, when didn't we
do that? Now we faithfully served you
all our lives. That's what self-righteousness
always says. And he says to these on his right hand, come, you're
blessed in my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared
for you from the foundation of the world because when I was
thirsty, you gave me some water. When I was hungry, you fed me. When I was naked, you clothed
me. When I was needy, you came to me. Lord, when did we do that? When did we do that? Well, it
looks like Peter must be talking about something besides an assurance
to ourselves. You see, believers never look
at themselves. and what they are, or what they
feel, or what they do, and look at themselves and say, now, I
know that I'm one of God's called ones, I know I'm one of the elect,
because I'm real temperate, and I'm real patient, and I'm real
godly, and I'm real kind to my brethren, and I'm full of love. No, no. No, our assurance with
regard to ourselves is that which comes to us by God the Holy Spirit
when he gives us faith. Assurance, hear me now, God help
you to hear me, I want to hear myself. Assurance based upon
anything you feel, know, or experience is altogether false. and it will crumble in time.
Assurance is the assurance of faith. Faith is the evidence
of things hoped for and the substance of things not seen. We are assured
that we are born of God as we trust Christ. Now, what's Peter
talking about there? By these things we make our calling
and election sure to one another. We know God's grace in one another
by what we observe in their outward behavior. By these things we
know, believers, because we experience the grace and mercy and brotherly
kindness and love they express toward us. Make these things
sure. so that you make your call and
election sure, justifying your professed faith before your brethren. What's that talking about? I
profess to believe God. I want by my behavior, before
God and before you, to live as one who believes God. I want
to show you by example, it's my responsibility And I want
desperately to do it. What it is? To live in this world
for Christ. To live in this world with my
heart set upon eternity. That's my responsibility. That's
my desire. The basis of our faith is not
what we do and what we experience. The basis of our faith is faith
in Christ. But the basis upon which we know
one another is that which we experience of these very things
in one another. Now look at verse 16. Peter now
speaks to us about the faith that we have in Christ being
established upon the revelation of God. He tells us that the
things we believe, the gospel we believe, is not hearsay. The things we report are not
things that we've received secondhand from men, but we were eyewitnesses
of his majesty. Look at this, verse 16. We've
not followed cunningly devised fables. We've not followed something
written out by men. When we made known to you the
power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses
of his majesty. For he received from God the
Father honor and glory, and when there came such a voice to him
from the excellent glory, this is my beloved Son, in whom I
am well pleased. And this voice which came from
heaven we heard when we were with him in the holy mountain."
What Peter is saying is we saw this man who was crucified at
Jerusalem, we saw him in his divine glory. And we heard the
Father speak from heaven and say that this is my Son in whom
I am well pleased. We're not telling you just something
somebody else told us. We're telling you what God has
revealed in us. And then he says something that
ought to be astounding. He says, but we have also, verse
19, a more sure word of prophecy. You mean something more sure?
than being on the Mount of Transfiguration, seeing Moses and Elijah, seeing
Christ transfigured before our eyes, hearing God speak with
our own voices, something more sure than that? Yeah. Yeah. Because
those things we interpret by experience. Now, good as the
experience is, you don't ever judge divine truth by your experience.
Would to God the charismatics of this age would hear what I'm
saying. Don't ever judge the truth of God by your experience.
We have something more sure than anything any man can experience
in this world. You've got it in your hand. It's
called the word of God. Look at this. We have also a
more sure word of prophecy. Whereunto you do well, that you
take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place until
the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts, knowing
this first. No prophecy of scripture is of
any private interpretation, for the prophecy came not in old
time by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as God
the Holy Spirit carried them along, as they were moved by
the Holy Ghost. In other words, Peter says, We
know that what we experienced on the Mount of Transfiguration,
when we saw him transfigured, when we saw this man and saw
in him the glory of God, When we heard the Father speak from
heaven, declaring that this is that one man, the only man in
whom I am well pleased, and the only man in whom and by whom
God is well pleased with men, when we heard that, we know that
it's so because God wrote it in his word. It's right here
in the book. This man has fulfilled everything
in the Old Testament scriptures. Now the importance of that's
this. That which we believe, We believe because it's in this
book. Period. Period. Just because God said it. Well, I want some proof. Believe
it. And you might get some, you might
not. But you won't get it any other way. We believe God. And we believe the testimony
of God. And he's written it for us in his word. Our faith is
not the faith of creeds and confessions. Our faith is not that which is
cunningly devised by the wisest and best of men. Our faith arises
from and stands altogether upon, thus saith the Lord. Now, this
is Peter's doctrine in chapter 1. Let's look at chapter 2. He
deals here with false prophets, and he identifies them with scathing
terms, warning us of their subtleties. He's not talking here about atheists
and agnostics. He's not talking here about folks
who say the Bible is not the Word of God. He's not talking
about people who deny that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh
verbally. He's not talking about people
who say that Jesus Christ is not the Son of God. That's not
what he's talking about. He's talking about people who
claim to be lovers of God and lovers of Christ. People who
come in the name of Christ. who come as wolves in sheep's
clothing, claiming to be the servants of Christ and the prophets
of Christ. Look in chapter 2, verse 1. But
there were false prophets also among the people. Back in the
days of Moses and Aaron, there were false prophets. Back in
the days of Elijah and Elisha, there were false prophets. Always
have been. There always are. Satan uses
lots of hooks to catch folks. There were false prophets among
the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you,
who privately," the word is sneakingly, sneakingly, they never really
out and out say what they mean. And the reason they don't is
because they want to be able to talk like politicians. Well, I didn't really mean that.
No, no, you misunderstood me. They double talk deliberately.
They shall bring in damnable heresies And one of those damnable
heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, they bring
upon themselves swift destruction, and many shall follow their pernicious
ways, by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken
of, and through covetousness shall they with feigned words,
insincere fake words, make merchandise of you. All you are to them is
a piece of goods. whose judgment now of a long
time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not." They're
sneaky, deceitful men. They bring in damnable heresies,
heresies that will damn you if you believe them. They deny the
Lord Jesus Christ by denying the efficacy of his work and
denying the certainty of his dominion as Lord. The ways that
they preach They bring many ways, and they will accept any way.
But the ways that they preach are the ways of perniciousness.
They're the ways to hell. There's a way that seemeth right
unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. They speak
evil of the way, the way of truth. They speak evil of Christ and
his finished work. They're motivated by covetousness. Surely, preacher, you don't believe
all these preachers are motivated by covetousness. Yeah, I do. I sure do. I sure do. Motivated by covetousness. Either by covetousness for money,
or covetousness for security, or covetousness for fame, or
covetousness for acceptance, or covetousness for your smile.
And they won't dare do or say anything that will cost them
what they covet. I can't tell you the number of
preachers I have known in my life. And it's smart for them
to stay out of my way. That way we don't have to talk.
They'll talk to me about the gospel of God's grace. I've had
fellows tell me, I sure wish I could preach that in my church.
Do what? Wish I had permission from you
to tell you what God says in his word? And I'm God's servant? Do what? I had a fellow tell
me one time, he said, I'd give anything to have a free pulpit
like you do. I said, if you don't have it, it's your fault. It's
your fault. And I'll tell you why it's your
fault. That right there. That right there. You're scared
to death what it's going to cost you. So you wouldn't say that
to a man. Bring him and see. I've said it many times. Many
times. Covetousness. Oh, if I preach that in terror,
I'll tear us all to pieces. It needs to be taught then. That's
all there is to it. These folks make merchandise
of men's souls, and they shall be damned. They deny the Lord. I remind you again. Peter is
not suggesting, nor is it anywhere implied in this book that Christ
died to redeem and save all men. Peter is not suggesting such
a thing. The word Lord here, if we were transliterating the
word, we would say the word is desperate. The word bought means
to buy, to take possession of, to own by purchase. And the Lord
Jesus Christ as the God-man, our mediator, bought the right
to rule and dispose of all things. God has given him power over
all flesh that he should give eternal life to as many as the
Father has given him. Now remember, these are men who
profess to believe, love, worship, and preach the Lord Jesus Christ
in all his fullness. But Peter says they deny him.
in the essence of their message, they deny him. Let me cut to the chase, tell
you exactly what I have in mind, and what I believe Peter has
in mind. There are lots of people who will fuss. Y'all remember
a few years ago the Baptist denomination around here, and I'm a Baptist
so I can talk about it. We're Baptists, we can talk about it.
There were articles in the newspaper Man, they were fussing about
whether the Bible is the Word of God or not. Oh, we've got
to stand for the truth. And then they started fussing
about whether we ought to ordain women and ordain women as preachers
or deacons. Oh, I mean, articles in the paper,
right and back and forth, all the time. Editorials in the paper.
The newspaper got an interview, folks. And then they start fussing
about whether we ought to ordain queers. And, oh, you've got to
stand firm for these things. They want to compromise, and
I know fellows who wouldn't compromise them for their life. They wouldn't
do it, because their life is wrapped up in the folks they
serve. And as soon as the folks they
serve accept the compromise, they'll compromise. I'll give
you an example. Twenty years ago, twenty-five
years ago, every now and then you'd hear preachers say something
about the divorce and remarriage and all this stuff going on in
our society and fornication When was the last time you heard one
say anything about it? How come? Because they're preaching
to folks who are divorced and remarried, engaged in fornication. And we can't dare run them off.
Can't dare do so. It's called compromise. Covetous. Soul merchandisers. And they deny the Lord who bought
them. To deny Christ is to deny His
person. in any way you deny him. Whether it's talking about denying
the efficacy of his blood, the efficacy of his intercession,
whether you're talking about denying the efficacy of his spirit,
or the efficacy of his will, it's denying him. It is denying
him altogether. Denying that he is Lord, denying
that he is God, denying the gospel of his grace. And yet, right
in the midst of this, Peter gives us some assuring words of comfort
and Yes, it is true. These are pernicious,
evil, deceitful, crafty men. And all who follow them, he tells
us in verses 18 through 21, will perish with them. If you're deceived
by them, you will perish by them. They are a curse to you and a
curse to your children. But we have no need to be alarmed.
God Almighty knows exactly what he's doing. There were false
prophets in Noah's day. But God still put Noah in the
ark with his family, and then he destroyed the world. There
was a deceiver back before man was created called Lucifer, and
he drew with him one-third of the heavenly host, and they're
reserved in chains of darkness to the day of judgment. But God
still saved his elect angels. Not one of them fell. There were
false prophets in Lot's day, and Lot vexed his righteous soul
day after day with the ungodly deeds of that land in which he
dwelt. But God Almighty knows how to deliver them. And on the
day appointed, God brought Lot out of the city. And he didn't
destroy the city until he did. And Peter is telling us that
though there are these who stumble at the word, being disobedient
whereunto they were appointed, the Lord knoweth how to deliver
the godly out of temptation. And then in the third chapter,
Peter concludes his epistle. And by assuring us of the certainty
of Christ's coming, the certain salvation of God's elect before
Christ comes again in his glory, urging us to live in anticipation
of his glory. How many times have you thought
or said, if I was God, if I was God, and I've heard
preachers If God doesn't come and send him to destroy this
world, he's going to have to give an apology to Sodom and Gomorrah. If I was
God, if I was God, I'd destroy this world. If I was God, I wouldn't
put up with that. But you're not God, and I'm not God. Well, why does God Almighty put
up with the constant insults and blasphemies and ungodliness
of this human race? Why does he do it? Why doesn't
he come now and put an end to it? Look at verse 9, chapter
3. From the beginning of time, Peter
says, folks have been saying, where's the promise of his coming?
You folks here, you believe the Bible, you're so silly. You're
so infantile. Why don't you grow up? Why don't
you get an education? Don't pay any attention to them.
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise. Remember the precious
promise. His precious promise of eternal
salvation. He's not slack. He's going to
come. He's going to make all things new. He's going to judge
the wicked. He's going to save our souls.
He's not slack as some men count slackness concerning his promise,
but as longsuffering to usward, not willing that any, any of
his elect should perish, but that every last one of them should
come to repentance. Verse 15, Peter says, Now remember
the longsuffering of our God is salvation. Why hasn't Christ
come yet? Because the elect family is not
yet in God's ark. Because God's lots are not all
yet out of Sodom. But they will be. Then Christ
will come and make all things new. Be patient, my brother. Be patient, my sister. God doesn't judge time like we
do. Look at verse 8. Be not ignorant
of this one thing. One day with the Lord is a thousand
years, and a thousand years is one day. But when the day appointed comes,
Christ shall come, destroy the world with the brightness of
his coming, and he'll make all things new. And we're looking
forward, hastening to the coming of our God. the making of a new
heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness. Now live
like it. Live like it. All children of
God live as men and women who live for eternity, not for time. Peter's final admonition is,
grow in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, all
that I may know in the fellowship of his sufferings,
in the power of his resurrection, being made conformable unto his
death. I want so to know him. How did
he live in this world? He lived with his heart set upon
the will and the glory