2
Peter 3:14-16
(A
Bible Study Led by Dr. Larry Reynolds)
July 17,
2014
We have seen over the past few weeks that 2 Peter 3
is built around the promise of the Lord’s return to our world. This is a recurring promise that is
emphasized again and again in the New Testament.
I want to begin this session by directing your
attention to the first part of 2 Peter 3:14 – “Therefore, beloved, since you
look for these things, be diligent…” Each
word in that statement has significance.
- “Therefore…”…that word looks back to all that Peter has
said in the first part of this chapter about the promised return of the
Lord to this world…
- “…beloved…”…that’s a term of affection…means “dear
friends”…used four times in this chapter and each time it is followed
by some important instruction in light of the Lord’s promised return…
- “…since you are looking for these things…”…that is, since you are
looking for the Lord’s return…
- “…be diligent…”…this is the fourth use of this word in 2 Peter
(see 1:5, 10, 15)…have told you the word means to be characterized by a
sense of urgency that moves you to action…it’s the difference between
having a passing interest in doing something and a burning desire to do
something…caries idea of earnestness, zeal, or haste…
And then in verses that follow
Peter explains what we are to be diligent about…look at 2 Peter 3:14b-16…(text)
T.S. – Built into our universe is the principle of
accountability and judgment...we just seem to know intuitively that a time will
come when we will give an account of our lives...virtually all world religions
have built into them a theology of judgment...and in these verses Peter reminds
us that because the Lord is coming back and because we will give account of
ourselves to Him, there are some areas of life in which we should be extra
diligent…for example he tells us that…
I. In light
of the Lord’s return we should be diligent in our relationships
- We are told in middle
of v.4 to “…be diligent to be found by Him in peace…”…Peter
doesn’t explain with whom we should be at peace…there are two obvious
possibilities…
- Could be referring
to peace with God which is the result of our commitment to Christ…as Paul
said in Romans 5:1, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we
have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”…salvation is
a covenant, a peace agreement between us and God…it is the end of the
enmity, strife, separation between us and God which is the result of our
sin…and Peter could be saying, “In light of the fact that Jesus is
coming back, make sure you have made your peace with Him.”
- But there’s another
way to interpret that phrase…could be referring to the peace which should
exist between believers and other people…Jesus came not just to reconcile
us to God, but also to reconcile us to each other…and Peter could be
saying, “In light of fact that Jesus is coming back, make sure you are
living in peace with each other.
Don’t get bogged down in petty conflict and strife.”…think
that interpretation best fits context of this passage…
2. There are some people who seem to enjoy being
in conflict with others...they seem go out of their way to have someone in
their life at whom they are upset or with whom they are at odds...no doubt
you’ve known people like that...they are not happy unless they are in a dispute
or fight with another person...however, that’s not the way Christians should
live…Christians should make it their goal, their aim to live in peace with
others…that principle is emphasized over and over again in the NT…
·
Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemaker, for they shall be called
the sons of God.”
·
Romans 12:18 says, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be
at peace with all men.”
·
Hebrews 12:14 tells us to “pursue peace with all men…”
- And I believe Peter is saying here that the promise of the Lord’s
return should motivate us to live in peace with each other…
1. An
ancient legend says that Hercules became irritated by a strange/‑looking animal
that blocked his path in a threatening manner.
In anger he struck it with his club.
As he went on his way, he encountered the same creature again several
times, and in each instance the beast grew larger and more fearsome than
before. At last a "heavenly
messenger" appeared and warned Hercules to stop his furious assaults,
saying, "The monster is Strife
and you are stirring it up. Just let it
alone and it will shrivel and cease to trouble you."
[InforSearch]
1. And in light of the Lord’s
return we should be careful not to stir up the flames of strife and dissension
and backbiting in our families, communities, and certainly not in the
fellowship of other believers…to do so is to awaken a monster which can devour
us…
2. And Peter practiced what he
preached about this…notice the reference in v.15 to “…our beloved brother
Paul…”…it is interesting that Peter would refer to Paul in that
way…earlier Peter and Paul had an intense conflict…Paul publicly rebuked Peter
for yielding to Jewish pressure not to eat with Gentile Christians…yet Peter
speaks of Paul here in glowing terms…he didn’t allow conflict and strife
characterize how he related to others…and in light of the Lord’s return we
should be diligent in our relationships…
II. In light of the Lord’s return we should be
diligent in our conduct
1. Notice the words “…spotless and blameless…” at end
of v.14…these are the exact opposite of the words Peter used to describe the
counterfeit Christians back in chapter 2…in 2:13 he says the false Christians
lived in such a way that their lives were like “stains and blemishes”
on the Lord and the church…now Peter says that true Christians are just the
opposite…they are not stains, they are “spotless”…not blemishes,
they are “blameless”…
3. Not saying here that
Christians will be perfect…the only one who is perfect is Jesus…He is the “…lamb
without blemish and without spot…” as Peter put it in 1 Peter 1:19…He
is the Lamb of God Who is worthy to be the sacrifice for our sins…and in using
these two words I think Peter is making a veiled reference to Jesus…our
character should be reflect His character…His character is to be the pattern,
the goal for our character…
1. Christians should constantly be asking themselves, “Does the way I
live my life reflect well on the Lord I claim to whom I claim allegiance? Can people look at me and see a reflection of
Jesus, the Lamb without blemish and spot?
(Met a longtime friend Monday
morning of this week and he made an interesting statement. He said, in effect, that years ago the Lord
had gotten him out of the business of judging others. How they live and what they do is between
them and God. However, he said, I am
constantly judging myself because I want to make sure I am living as the Lord
desires.)
2. And point want to make here
is that the clear teaching of Scripture is that followers of Jesus are to have
different values, different loves, different priorities than those values,
loves, priorities which characterize the world…
3. In light of the Lord’s
promised return we should be diligent in our conduct…
III. In light of the Lord’s return we should be
diligent in our desire for others to come to know Him
1. That’s the essential meaning of the phrase
at the beginning of v.15 – “…and regard the patience of our Lord to be
salvation…”…saying look upon the fact that the Lord has not yet
returned as an opportunity to share with more people the wonderful news of
salvation—of forgiveness of sin, of abundant life, of eternal life—available in
Jesus...
- And as an example of the kind of diligence, the kind of urgency which leads to action, we should have in desiring for others to come to know Jesus, in the last part of v.15 and v.16 Peter points to the Apostle Paul…it’s interesting that even in 1st century Christians were already beginning to look at Paul’s letters as Scripture and that then, as now, some were distorting what Paul wrote…but as you read Paul’s letters in NT one things is perfectly clear…Paul was driven by a desire for people to come to faith in Christ…and Christians today should have that same desire…
Conclusion
1. There
is an interesting legend about a wealthy merchant traveling through the
Mediterranean world looking for the distinguished Pharisee, Paul. This merchant came into contact with Timothy
who arranged a visit with the great apostle. Paul was, at the time, a prisoner in Rome.
Stepping inside the cell, the merchant was surprised to find a rather old man,
physically frail, but whose serenity and magnetism challenged the visitor. They
talked for hours. Finally the merchant left with Paul's blessing. Outside the
prison, the asked Timothy,
"What is the secret of this man's power? I have never seen anything like
it before."
“Did
you not guess?" replied Timothy. "Paul is in love."
The merchant looked bewildered. "In Love?"
"Yes," Timothy answered, "Paul
is in love with Jesus Christ."
The merchant looked even more bewildered. "Is that all?"
Smiling, Timothy replied, "Sir, that is everything." [G. Curtis Jones, Illustrations For Preaching And Teaching, Nashville
Broadman, 1986, p. 225.]
2.
And if we are truly in love with Jesus and if we are looking forward to
His coming, we will be characterized by diligence—diligence in our
relationships, our conduct, and our desire to see others come to faith in Him…
