Are We There Yet?

“And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him” (v15).

“Are we there yet?” The most dreaded four words on any family vacation. Whether it was packing into the Model T, piling in the station wagon, or loading up the minivan, kids have asked this age old question from the backseat. Long before the days of backseat DVD players, this question has plagued parents. As followers of Jesus, we do the same thing. Come on, you know it’s true. When life gets tough, when the world’s falling apart, we wonder when Jesus is coming back. How much worse can it get before He makes His encore? “Are we there yet?”

The Apostle Peter wants us to know that while we might be very close to Christ’s big comeback, but we’re not quite there. Before He returns, Jesus is leaving the door open. He’s leaving it open for those who don’t know Him yet. He’s leaving it open for His followers to tell the world about Him. In the process of telling us about the Lord’s patience, Pete also fondly remembers his old buddy Paul. These two men certainly had there moments. But Rocky reminds his readers of what the former Pharisee wrote to them back in the day. Paul also had plenty to say about Jesus’ patience. Instead of asking when we’re gonna get there, we should see this as an act of divine love. He’s gently but firmly asking us, “Are you there yet?”

Pete says we shouldn’t look at the clock and wonder what’s taking the Lord so long. He said it just back up the page. “The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (3:9). In both verses, he talks about Jesus’ patience. The Greek word here is makrothumia. It’s a compound term that literally means “long burning.” Various smart folks translate it as long suffering, long waiting, endurance, or perseverance. Jesus’ fuse is long. VERY long. But He will eventually reach a point when it is time to return. A time when He will punish evil once and for all. A time when He will reward those who have place their trust in Him for all He is and all He’s done. Jesus has a very long fuse. But it will eventually burn out. 

The apostle tells us in his prequel that God has demonstrated His incredible patience with us as far back as anyone can remember. Back before the flood, “God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared” (1Pet 3:20). Throughout the Bible, God makes it clear that He’s patient. He’s waiting on us. As a matter of fact, David wrote a song about it. “But You, O LORD, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness” (Ps 86:15). He waits. Patiently. Faithfully. Mercifully. Graciously. Lovingly. Faithfully. As God waits, He keeps the door open so that so many more people can come to Him. He patiently asking, “Are you there yet?”

At this point, Pete looks back fondly on his old buddy Paul. “Our beloved brother Paul” (v15). Pete loves him. And so do his readers. But like any two close friends, these two men had their moments. Pete wrote this letter well after Paul got in his face in Antioch. Paul wrote his letter to the Galatians almost 20 years before. In Galatians, the man from Tarsus tells the story of his awkward but necessary confrontation of Peter in Syria (Gal 2:11-14). Pete and some other Jewish followers with Jesus treated non-Jewish believers like second-class citizens. Paul wasn’t going to let the former fisherman get away with being a hypocrite, so he got all up in his grill (would you believe me if I told you that’s EXACTLY what the original language tells us?). 

Paul had GREAT love and respect for Peter. In many ways, Paul saw Peter as his pastor. After Jesus mugged him and saved him on the expressway outside of Damascus, the man from Tarsus made a point of meeting the former fisherman back at the home office (Acts 9:27; Gal 1:18). After that first amazing mission trip into Asia Minor, Paul and his partner Barney headed back for another meeting with Pete and the other leaders of the church in Jerusalem (Acts 15).

Because of the Incident in Antioch, there are plenty of folks who try to drum up some sort of long-running war between these two men. But Pete and Paul were friends, not enemies. They were brothers, not rivals. As a matter of fact, Paul confronted Peter BECAUSE he loved him. It was out of his great affection. That’s what friends do. If these two men had such a long-running feud, why in the world would Rocky make a point of speaking so lovingly about his fellow apostle? Don’t miss the patience of Jesus at work in their relationship. 

So just what did Paul write about God’s patience? He wrote to his friends in Rome that its’ the perfect example of just how good our God is. “Do you presume on the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?” (Rom 2:4). You see, God doesn’t use punishment as His motivation for our obedience. Is the threat there? Yes. Is the threat real? You betcha. But what really and truly melts the rock-hard human heart is His goodness. His kindness. His patience. His grace. God keeps showering us with His patience and grace. All the time, He keeps asking, “Are you there yet?”

Apply as Directed

“Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by Him without spot or blemish, and at peace” (v14).

If you don’t use something in the way it was designed, it won’t work correctly. Let me give you an example. I can’t expect sunscreen to protect me if put in my hair and not on my skin. Toothpaste in my ears won’t clean my choppers. My car won’t shine if I put the wax on the tires instead of the body. I must follow the instructions. Uh oh, I may have just lost every dude who’s reading this. But we know it’s true. You must use the product properly. That’s what the Apostle Peter is doing here in these closing verses of his second letter. He’s telling us what to do with what he’s written. He’s getting to the instructions. 

Rocky starts kicks things off by reminding us of every mind-blowing blessing given us by God. We can have an intimate and personal relationship with Jesus because of all that He’s done for us (1:3-11). He’s warned us of a scheming team of false teachers who tear apart churches from the inside with their twisted message (2:1-22). And He’s let us know that these trash talkers may make Jesus and His Second Coming a punchline, but in the end He will return to punish evil and reward His people (3:1-13). As Pete lands the plane, he lets us know what to do with all that truth. He gives us instructions. In this case, he's talking about our spiritual complexion. If we want to get rid of those pesky pimples and blackheads in our lives, we need to apply God's truth. He tells us how to apply what he’s told us. If we don’t follow the directions, this truth won’t have the intended effect in our lives.

Let’s apply as directed.

We know that the former fisherman is coming to the application because he uses the term “therefore” (v14). You know the old saying, whenever we see the word “therefore,” we need to ask, “What is it there for?” In this case, Pete wants us to think back on what he’s written about all that our gracious God has done for us, the big con of the spiritual snake oil salesmen, and Jesus’ big comeback. That’s your context. That’s your background. That’s what it’s there for.

And don’t blow right past the term of endearment for Peter’s readers. “Beloved” (v14). This is the third of four times he’s called them by this nickname in this closing chapter. It’s from the same root word as agape. This means so much more than a warm fuzzy we might have for somebody. This is love expressed. This is love that does. He wants them to know just how much he loves them. The apostle has expressed his great love for these folks on numerous occasions. He’s personally carried the message of Jesus’ amazing love to them in Asia Minor. He then wrote a heartfelt letter to encourage them to keep following Jesus even when the world makes them an unfair target (1st Peter). And now he’s writing a second note warning them of a this nasty team of con artists (2:1-3). More important than Pete’s love for these people, he wants them to know that Jesus loves them. They matter to Him. He died for them. He rose for them. Do you know just how much Jesus loves you? Do you know that you matter to Him? You’re “beloved” (v14). The first application is to remember that Jesus loves you.

Apply as directed.

Rocky reminds us that we’re still expecting Jesus’ encore. We’re “waiting for these” (v14). “These” are God’s guarantee of “new heavens and new earth” Pete just told us about (3:13). The Greek verb here is prosdokao. This is the third time he’s dropped this word in three verses. It literally means to be looking forward. There’s tension. There’s expectation. The question isn’t if but when it will happen. Jesus’ followers are on the edge of their seats looking forward to His spectacular return. His readers were waiting. They were expecting. And we’re still waiting. And expecting. 

While we’re waiting, here’s what we should do. “Be diligent to be found by Him without spot or blemish” (v14). The word for “be diligent” in the original text means to do your absolute best. Spare no effort. Work hard. Hold nothing back. Do it now and give it everything you’ve got. He’s calling us to take our sin very seriously. Do I really hate the crap in my life or am I just managing it? Pete pushes me to get my act together. When Christ comes back, do I still want to be covered in the same slime as when He saved me?

This is in HUGE contrast to those filthy false teachers who leave churches in a big steaming pile. The apostle calls them “blots and blemishes” (2:13). In his prequel, Pete pleaded with us to remember what it cost God to save us, “the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot” (1Pet 1:19). In the end, Jesus takes our garbage and gives us His holy perfection (2Cor 5:21). We don’t have to clean ourselves up. We don’t make ourselves “without spot or blemish” (v14). He’s already done that for us. We just simply need to live what we are. As Tullian Tchividjian so often says, the key to our sanctification is to remember our justification. In other words, the best way to be spotless is to remember that in Christ I am spotless. At the big finish, we’re going to be just like our Savior. Stainless. Blameless. Don’t be like those con artists! Be like Jesus!

Apply as directed. 

Pete concludes this verse by telling us to make it a priority to be “at peace” (v14). The peace described in the Bible is so much more than the lack of war and fighting. Sure, it is that. But that’s just a sliver of this incredible idea. It all goes back to the wonderful Hebrew word shalom. It paints the amazing picture of life as it should be. Everything in running in perfect rhythm. We’re at peace with each other. And that’s because we’re at peace with Jesus. We’re at peace with Him because we have absolutely no reason to fear His return. When we place our trust in Him, Jesus has already taken the punishment and judgment on our behalf. So when He returns to drop the hammer on sin and evil, we have nothing to worry about. We’re at peace.

So when Jesus comes back, I really want my spiritual complexion to be clear. To make sure those that ugly acne of my sin is gone, I need to apply His righteousness, not mine.

Apply as directed.

God's Guarantee

“But according to His promise we are waiting for new heavens and new earth in which righteousness dwells” (v13).

“We’re going to win on Sunday. I guarantee it.” Those were the words of Broadway Joe Namath just before Super Bowl III. It’s never a good idea to promise a victory in sports. It’s even more ridiculous to do it when you’re a massive underdog to the Baltimore Colts, a team some believed to be the greatest in pro football history. But whaddaya know, Joe Willie led the New York Jets to one of the greatest upsets of all time. And his prediction became known as “The Guarantee.” 

While Broadway Joe’s guarantee is pretty amazing, it’s nothing compared to what Jesus has promised. Christ pledged to His posse to return. You see, He’s not done yet. He’s got a spectacular encore in store. There will be a galactic fireworks display (3:10, 12). He’s going to use fire to burn it up and burn it down. Think of it like a universe-wide autoclave, sterilizing and purifying away all the filth and sin from every corner of His creation. And this isn’t just idle talk. It’s not a just a random thought. More than a good idea. This is a promise. A promise made by Jesus. When He says He will do something, He will do it. Take it to the bank. His promises aren’t like my lame guarantees. I do everything I can to keep my word, but I still fail to deliver on a regular basis. It’s nothing compared to God’s guarantee.

God makes many promises in His Word. Let’s check a few to see how well He comes through. The Father pledged humanity that He would one day send His promised Messiah. He first made this vow to our first parents in the opening pages of the Bible (Gen 3:15). Check. He promises to bless the world through Abraham (Gen 12:2-3). Check. He promises to send the Holy Spirit (Jn 14:16). Check. The Bible bulges with God’s guarantees. They’re everywhere. And if they haven’t come true yet, it’s only a matter of time. Earlier in this very same letter, Peter writes that God has given us everything we’ll ever need to live a godly life through “His precious and very great promises” (1:3-4). What God promises, He delivers. 

Here, Pete is talking about Jesus’ promise to return to punish evil and make everything perfect once again. Or as the apostle writes, “We are waiting for new heavens and a new earth” (v13). He actually makes this guarantee first through Isaiah the prophet. “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth” (Is 65:17). And in the thrilling conclusion of Scripture, Pete’s buddy John gets a glimpse of the very same thing. “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first earth had passed away” (Rev 21:1). After Jesus burns up the heavens and the earth, He’s going to recreate them. The Greek word for “new” (Gr. kainos) doesn’t just mean hot off the presses and recently made. These new heavens and this new earth are completely different from what we have now. Unprecedented. Unheard of. Uncommon. God’s not just flipping the joint like an old fixer-upper on HGTV. This is new construction. Fabulous new construction. Bel Air looks like a cardboard box compared to what Jesus is building. 

Those of us who trust in Jesus won’t be the only ones shacking up in these new digs. This is a place “in which righteousness dwells” (v13). Our risen Savior will be there living with us. Jesus promised His boys that He was coming back for them after He did a little work getting things ready. “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 also be” (Jn 14:3). A lot of folks think that heaven is our final destination to hang with Christ. Nope. Ultimately, Jesus is crafting a brand spanking new heaven and earth for us where we’ll live with Him forever. It will be the address “in which righteousness dwells” (v13).

So what good does this do for you and me as we tap our toes and wait for Christ’s big comeback? Pete tells us that this is the perfect opportunity to live lives that look completely different from the rest of our culture. He calls them “lives of holiness and godliness” (3:11). Since God is going to burn it up and burn it down, my life should stand out. Next we need to remember that no matter how bad things are or good things get, God guarantees an amazing eternity for those who trust in Jesus. For believers, this is as close to hell as we ever get. For those who reject the Good News, this is as close to heaven as they ever get. Finally we should remember that God doesn’t just keep some of His promises. He keeps every last one of them. If something He’s promised hasn’t happened, the only question is when not if. Hey, Broadway Joe's bold prediction was pretty cool. But that's sandlot stuff compared to Jesus' promise to return. Take this one to the bank. It’s God’s guarantee.

On the Edge of Your Seat

“waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn!” (v12).

I love movies with tension. Some folks call them thrillers. You know the ones I’m talking about, don't you? “Psycho.” “The Usual Suspects.” “Inception.” You watch and wait for the climax that you know is coming. You expect the confrontation between good and evil. It’s inevitable. You know it’s not a matter of if but when. It puts you on the edge of your seat. Our man Peter lets us know that the tension is building for Jesus’ big comeback. As followers of the resurrected Rabbi/Carpenter, we should expect it. We should live in suspense of when not if. Like a great thriller, we should be on the edge of our seat.

The apostle is talking about Christ’s Second Coming. The reason it’s important here is Pete’s warning about a posse of trash talking false teachers who’ve infiltrated local churches (2:1-3). Their message is a poison pill that’s tearing the church apart from the inside out. These con artists hope to make an easy buck off the body of Christ (2:3, 14-15). And if that’s not bad enough, they’re also sexual predators on the prowl (2:2, 10, 14, 18). From Rome, Rocky writes to let us know that Jesus will make sure these hucksters won’t get away with it. Christ is coming back. In a big way. He’s going to burn it down and blow it up (3:10-11). In the meantime, we’re to live lives that look different. We’re to live lives that point to Jesus.

An important part of living those “lives of holiness and godliness” (3:11) is living in the element of tension of His return. We should be “waiting and hastening the coming dray of God” (v12). Pete uses the Greek word prodokao, which means to expect, anticipate, and live in suspense. It includes an element of tension from either hope or fear. As believers, that would be hope. For those who give Jesus the Heisman, that would be fear. The term literally means to be forward looking. We need to get our eyes out of the rearview mirror and look out the windshield. Dr. Luke tells us that the Apostle Paul used that very same word when trying to encourage his shipmates to eat during a massive hurricane. “Today is the fourteenth day that you have continued in suspense (Gr. prodokao) and without food, having taken nothing” (Acts 27:33). Jesus is coming back. We just don’t exactly when that’s going to happen. Pete says we really need to be on the edge of our seat.

We not only should expect that awesome day, the apostle tells us that we should be  “hastening” for it to happen. This is the Greek verb speudo. It means everything from causing something happen sooner to being eager for it to happen. Here’s the deal. There’s really nothing we can do to speed up Jesus’ Second Coming. He’s coming back when He’s coming back. So the best translation here is focused on the idea that we’re excited for this to happen. That certainly makes sense. Just take a look around. It’s not hard to see that the world is falling apart at the seems. Taking a ride in a beautiful hand basket headed straight for hell. I don’t know about you, but I’m more than ready for Christ to come back. Yesterday would have worked for me. I’m certainly eager for Him to return. I’m on the edge of my seat.

A huge part of “waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God” (v12) is living with urgency. Am I telling folks about Jesus? Am I warning them of what’s ahead if they refuse to His offer? Does my expectation impact how I see those all around me? I need to always remember that my relationship with my Savior is no reason to get cocky. I’m just a beggar who’s figured out where to get the Bread. Let’s do everything we can to let our friends know that there’s an exciting story that’s unfolding. A thriller that’s got me on the edge of my seat. 

Break It Down

“Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness” (v11).

The breakdown. No, we’re not describing some beat up hoopty along the side the highway. We’re talking about that part of a song where the band breaks it down. That’s when everybody drops out except the drummer and bass player. It’s usually preceded by the lead singer giving the musical command, “Break it down now!” The Apostle Peter lets us know what we should do as Jesus gets ready to break it down. When Christ returns for His spectacular encore, He’s going to burn up and blow apart the universe. He’s going to break it down. What should I do if we now for a fact that this is going to happen? Build a bomb shelter? Head for some undisclosed location? Pete says we’re to do just the opposite. We need to live lives that look different. We need to live lives that point to Jesus. 

Since God is going to break it up, break it down, and break it apart, my life should stand out.

Under the inspiration of God’s Spirit, Pete once again predicts how this is all going to go down. “All these things are thus to be dissolved” (v11). “These things” are the “heavens…heavenly bodies…and the earth and the works that are done on it” he told us about in the previous verse. Jesus is going to burn it all up and blow it all up in the greatest pyrotechnic display the universe has ever seen. Three times in three verses Rocky says stuff will “dissolve” (3:10-12). This is the itty bitty Greek word luo. In this usage, it means to break up, loose, disperse, and destroy. It’s the idea of breaking something into its component parts and pieces. Luke describes the disintegration of the ship carrying Paul to Rome when “the stern was being broken up (Gr. luo) by the surf” (Acts 27:41). When Christ gets busy at His comeback, He’s going to break it up, break it down, break it apart.

Instead of warning us to run for cover, Jesus calls us to live “lives of holiness and godliness” (v11). So what exactly is this idea of holiness any who? The original text actually says “holy conduct” or “holy behavior.” Holiness is one of those things in the Bible that can be just a little hard to wrap our brains around. Does it mean completely without sin, 100% pure, and totally flawless? You betcha. But holiness also means completely different, absolutely separate, and totally unlike anything else. So buckle up, here’s the hard part. Does my life look completely different from everyone else? Is what I do and say totally unlike the rest of the world? Am I being squeezed into the mold of the world and culture around me or is God remaking me from the inside out (Rom 12:2)? With Jesus’ judgment a stone cold, lead pipe lock, my conduct should stand out from the pack. 

Since God is going to break it up, break it down, and break it apart, my life should stand out.

Pete also pushes us toward “godliness” (v11). The original Greek word actually means “good worship.” This isn’t something to say after the church service when the band was really smokin’ and they rocked your favorite worship tunes. Worship is not limited to the part of the service when the music is playing and we’re singing. Every part of our lives is praise. This is a powerful reminder that everything we do is an act of worship. Everything. Absolutely everything. Your job. If you’re a follower of Jesus, He’s ultimately the One you report to. Your commute. Yeah, you might want to stop standing on the accelerator so that Jesus fish can hang on. Your marriage. Are you serving your spouse and kids or are they just privileged to have supporting roles in your world? We do it all as an act of worship. Pete’s buddy Paul told the folks in Colossae to keep God front and center no matter what you’re doing. “Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Col 3:17). It’s living a life of good worship. 

Since God is going is going to break it up, break it down, and break it apart, my life should stand out.

Like a Thief

“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed” (v10).

I’m horrible at remembering important dates. The only chance I have is either using some sort of digital reminder or when my wife gently whacks me in the head with a 2x4. “You DO remember that tomorrow is Mothers Day, don’t you?” Yeah, I spend a LOT of time in the “belated” section of the card store. Here Peter wants us to know that the day of Jesus’ return may sneak up on us but we’ll certainly know it’s happened. You probably aren’t going to miss the destruction of the solar system. That should get your attention. The day of the Lord might sneak up on you but you won’t miss it. I promise.

Pete wants his readers to know that the bad guys won’t get away with it. Specifically, he’s writing from Rome to warn believers in Asia Minor about a posse of sleaze ball hucksters who are infiltrating local churches and tearing them apart from the inside out (2:1-3). They’re money grubbing embezzlers and looking to make an easy score (2:3, 14-15). They’re slimy sexual predators (2:2, 10, 14, 18). But Jesus loves His church and will make sure these con artists get what’s coming to them. Mess with the church, you mess with Jesus. Saul/Paul found that out the hard way (Acts 9:4-5).

That happens on “the day of the Lord” (v10). This is Jesus’ promised return. The trash talkers not only don’t believe in His Second Coming but have made it a convenient punchline (3:3-4). They deliberately ignore the history of God’s big moves in our planet, such as creation and the flood (3:5-7). Even 2,000 years ago there were haters in regard to His comeback (3:9). Pete wants us to realize that the reason Jesus hasn’t returned is so that everyone who might turn to Him as Savior will have the chance to do so. He’s not slow. He’s patient. There’s a HUGE difference.

The apostle writes that when Christ comes back, it won’t be subtle. First of all, it “will come like a thief in the night” (v10). Pete’s buddy Paul used exactly the same image when told his friends in Thessalonica that Jesus’ Second Coming would sneak up on them. “The day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night” (2Th 5:2). It’s going to be a sudden. It’s going to be a surprise. Pete was right there with the rest of Jesus’ posse when the Rabbi/Carpenter told them, “You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Lk 12:40). This is going to be bad news for the bad guys. Think of it as a sneak attack on the scoffers.

Jesus’ return may be sudden but it certainly will not be silent. A fearsome fireworks display will fill the sky. “The heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved” (v10). It will be loud. Explosions will cause the ground to shudder. It will be hot. When stars and planets catch on fire, you know something big is going on. REALLY big. Christ Himself told Pete and the boys about the cosmic component to His comeback. “And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, on the earth the distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with far with with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory” (Lk 21:25-27). Be sure that you won’t miss it. It will be in all the papers. You can watch it on every channel. It might sneak up on us but it won’t be subtle. 

On one hand, this will be the greatest pyrotechnic entrance the universe has ever seen or heard. On the other, this is so much more than a spectacular walkup for our returning Hero. It’s all part of His cleansing of every bit of filth and sin in creation. Before Jesus Jesus makes all things new, He’s going to torch everything old. It’s not like He’s bought a fixer-upper universe and flipping it. Nope. He’s making an entirely new heavens and earth. You’ve heard of a scorched earth policy. This is a scorched universe maneuver. Burn, baby, burn. 

So what do we do with this? How does this help me as I go to work, raise my kids, and love my spouse? First of all, it’s a HUGE encouragement to share Jesus and His life-changing Gospel with those He places in your life. For those of us who follow Christ, we get a pass on the punishment of His fiery judgment. When we placed our trust in Him, Jesus faced the full brunt of God’s judgment for our sin. If that’s not crazy enough, He gives us His sinless perfection in exchange (2Cor 5:21). We need to let everyone know that this is not just about buying fire insurance. This is about enjoying God’s best now and forever. Second, we must remember that in the end Jesus wins. Evil is punished. All of those who have done you wrong will be taken care of once and for all. Like the greatest superhero of all time, Christ comes to the rescue and takes care of the bad guys.

Our Slow Burning Savior

“The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (v9).

I have a confession to make. I’m not a soccer fan. I don’t hate it. Just don’t get it. That’s a hard thing to admit during the World Cup. The rest of the globe is going gaga over the “beautiful game.” Oh, I appreciate the skill of the players but I just don’t get it. One of the many things that leaves me scratching my head is the clock. In sports like football, basketball, and hockey, the scoreboard clock counts down the time remaining. Not soccer. The referee keeps track of the clock on the field. He’s the only one who knows when the game will end. Throw in the crazy idea of injury time (with dudes flopping and faking all over the pitch, I have NO idea how the ref figures that out!), that extra part of the game played after the clock runs out. All the players know it will end, just not exactly when. Only the referee knows when the clock hits zero. 

Despite my soccer rant, there’s a clear parallel to Jesus’ return and the end of a futbol match. We might think that the clock has run out and Christ is running late for His return. But only God knows the timing. Only God holds the clock. He’s not slow. He’s patient. There’s a VERY big difference. He’s giving everyone a chance to turn from their sin and toward His salvation. He doesn’t want anyone to face the red-hot wrath that He took on our behalf at Golgotha. He keeps the clock running so that everyone can repent. But let’s be sure. The clock is running out. Only Jesus knows when it will hit zero. He’s not slow. He’s patient. There’s a VERY big difference.

Let’s remember just why the Apostle Peter wrote this letter in the first place. A posse of false teachers is tearing churches apart from the inside out (2:1-3). They’ve infiltrated fellowships in places like “Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia” (1Pet 1:1). You won’t most of those places in Google Maps. These were in what we now call Turkey. Pete warns the followers of Jesus to be on the lookout for this team of spiritual snake oil salesmen. They’re greedy (2:3, 14-15). They’re sexual predators (2:2, 10, 14, 18). Their message is not just destructive (2:1) but a bunch of hot air (2:17). These hucksters apparently make Jesus’ Second Coming a punchline in their act (3:3-7). 

Just because Christ hasn’t come back doesn’t mean He’s never coming. “The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some count slowness” (v9). The word Pete uses for “slow” and “slowness” here is the Greek term braduno. It means to delay, be negligent, loiter, or be slow. The King Jimmy translates it as “slack” and “slackness.” The apostle makes sure we know that Jesus is no slacker. He’s not distracted. He hasn’t forgotten. You might not like His timing. You might think the clock has run out. But Christ is just like that soccer referee. He’s the only One who knows exactly when it will happen. He’s not slow. He’s patient.

So just what is “His promise” Pete writes about (v9)? This is Jesus’ personal pledge to comeback and finish everything. His Second Coming. A big part of His encore is to punish evil. Those who scoff at the idea of His return will eventually face the music. They will eventually understand that they’ve made a huge mistake. Those who make jokes about Jesus as Judge will stand before Him one day. We need to remember that “He who promised is faithful” (Heb 10:23). Jesus keeps His promises. Every last one of them. He’s the ultimate Promise Keeper.

Jesus isn’t just killing time and taking a few years off until He shows up again. He’s “patient toward you” (v9). The original text uses the word makrothumeo. This is a compound word that literally means “slow burning.” The KJV translates this as “longsuffering.” It means to wait patiently. Jesus has a long, slow fuse. The writers of the Old Testament liked to describe God as “slow to anger” (Neh 9:17; Ps 103:8; 145:8; Joel 2:13; Jon 4:2; Nah 1:3). God is no hot head. He’s got a very long fuse. He’s slow burning. You see, Jesus isn’t slow. He’s patient. There’s a HUGE difference.

You might wonder just what Jesus is waiting for before taking center stage one final time. He is “not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (v9). He’s patiently waiting for you. He’s patiently waiting for me. Jesus wants us to reach a place of repentance on our own. The word we translate here as “repentance” (Gr. metanoia) literally means “after thinking.” Once I consider God’s incredible goodness and patience toward us, I think again. I reconsider who I am and all that I’ve done. After reconsidering my sin and His grace, I turn from my own filth and toward His forgiveness. Take a long look at our sinless Savior. Now think again about who He is and what He’s done for us. Think again who I am and what I’ve done. Yeah, see what I mean? Once I do, it’s time for a 180. Turn from my sin. Turn towards Jesus. He’s waiting. Patiently waiting. 

A mega-theme throughout the Bible is God’s incredible timing. He’s never early. He’s never late. Jesus is right on time. “When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son” (Gal 4:4). God told the prophet Habakkuk to let everyone know that what He promises, He delivers. “If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay” (Hab 2:3). And out His overflowing love and goodness, God doesn’t want anyone to face the hammer eternal punishment. “God our Savior…desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1Tim 2:4). Take another look at Jesus’ legendary words to Nicodemus one dark night. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (Jn 3:16). Our loving God sacrificed His own Son for our sin. At that incredible cost, He’s certainly going to shut the door to early. He wants everyone to turn to Him.

You see, Jesus isn’t slow. He’s patient. There’s a HUGE difference.

Messing with the Time-Space Continuum

“But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (v8).

Nobody but nobody messes with the time-space continuum like JJ Abrams. How else was he able to create an alternate universe for the reboot of the “Star Trek” franchise? His use of time travel in “Lost” caused many viewers to be, well, lost. But if you think JJ Abrams likes to jack with the time-space continuum, just wait till you see what Jesus does with it. Then again, He created it. The Apostle Peter lets us in on the fact that Christ views time like nobody else. 1 day=1,000 years. 1,000 years=1 day. Does that make your head hurt like it does mine? Good. It’s supposed to.

Pete doesn’t want us to miss this critical idea. “Do not overlook this one fact, beloved” (V8). Don’t ignore it. Don’t lose sight of it. That’s in total contrast to the trash talkers who “deliberately overlook this fact” (3:5). They intentionally ignore God’s work of creation, His destruction at the flood, and His ultimate judgment of the ungodly (3:5-7). The apostle has a word for those loved by God. Don’t miss the big idea. Here comes the headline.

“With the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (v8). Before we jump into the divine wormhole, let’s be clear who we’re talking about. “The Lord” is Jesus. That’s very important. This is the very same Man who hopped into Pete’s fishing boat back when everybody knew him as Simon. And his life changed forever that day. Jesus changed everything in Simon’s life. He changed his name to Rocky. He changed his purpose. From commercial fisherman to a fisher of men. Over the course of the next three years, Pete was an eyewitness to the miraculous. After all that he’s seen and heard Jesus do, including that whole crucified-dead-buried-and-resurrected miracle, this whole bending of the time-space continuum seems like a piece of cake.

Like so many folks do, Pete is quoting song lyrics to make his point. He drops a line from a hit tune Moses wrote that back in the day. Man, talk about classic rock! “For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past” (Ps 90:4). If anybody knows about our eternal God, it’s Moses. When the Big Mo asked the Voice in the burning bush for some ID, He responded, “I AM WHO I AM” (Ex 3:14). God’s very name is Yahweh. It literally means that He’s always been there and He will always be there. And wherever He is, He’s right there in the present tense.

In one of the most jaw-dropping moments in the entire Bible, Jesus announced that He is God Eternal. He made a mind-boggling admission to the religious bullies one day. “Before Abraham was, I am” (Jn 8:58). Bad grammar. GREAT theology! This radical Rabbi/Carpenter from the boondocks of Galilee claimed that before Abe ever packed his bags and left Ur, He already existed. And He existed in the present tense. It’s easy for us to miss His point. Jesus has the guts to say that He’s God. He’s the very same God who talked to Moses at the burning bush.

And this wasn’t some random, one-time statement by Christ. When He showed up to visit His buddy John on the island of Patmos, the resurrected Jesus announced over and over that He’s always been around and He’s always going to be around. “I am the Alpha and the Omega…who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty” (Rev 1:8). “Fear not, I am the First and the Last, and the Living One. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore” (Rev 1:18). He’s “the First and the Last, who died and came to life” (Rev 2:8). “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End” (Rev 22:13). Jesus always has been. Jesus always is. Jesus always will be. 

You see, as God, Jesus doesn’t have the same relationship with time that we do. When you create something, you have authority over it. God created time. He’s outside of it. Think of the Godhead standing on the banks of the river of time. He can see all of it. The Lord can see a thousand years as easily as He can see one day. And He can also make one day last as long as He wants. Think of Neo moving in super-slomo during one of those crazy fight scenes in “The Matrix.” 

At any point in time, Jesus can jump in and get involved. That’s exactly what the Son of God did. Around 2,000 years ago, He dove in and got personally involved. Think of it less of a graceful swan dive into the swimming pool and more of a dumpster dive into the most disgusting mess you can imagine. Our Hero got down and dirty on the greatest rescue mission the universe has ever seen. And when He left, Christ promised an amazing encore. He told us to be ready. He could make His comeback at any moment. But the problem is that it seems like it’s taking a very long time. Pete tells us that our Savior sees time WAY differently than we do. For Him, a millennium is like a Monday. And vice versa. In other words, Jesus hasn’t forgotten about us. His Second Coming hans’t slipped His mind. It’s coming. Better yet, HE’S coming! 

In the meantime, remember that our Lord created time. He can mess with it all He wants. JJ Abrams colors with crayons compared Christ’s masterpiece of time and space. 

A REALLY Hot Forecast

“But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly” (v7).

“Don’t go out if you don’t have to. Drink plenty of fluids. Wear light loose-fitting clothing.” Every summer, the local TV meteorologists warn us about triple-digit temps. Sometimes they’ll even pass along some sort of high heat advisory or warning. While he’s weatherman, The Apostle Peter is passing along the long-range weather forecast for judgment day. It’s gonna be hot. REALLY hot! We’re talking fire and destruction. In the words of the great Ghostbuster Ray Stanz, “Real wrath-of-God stuff! Fire and brimstone coming down form the sky!” Pete’s calling for the hottest day in history. It’s a VERY hot forecast.

There’s just one problem. The apostle says a certain group of people are completely ignoring what’s going to go down. Those would be the “scoffers” (v3:3), folks who make jokes about Jesus’ second coming and laugh at anyone who thinks it will really happen. Pete tells us they’re deliberately give a cold shoulder to the facts. The reject the idea of creation. They pooh-pooh the part about the flood. These trash talkers truly believe they’ll never face the music for their rejection of God.

A couple of verses back, Rocky reminds his readers that Yahweh created the entire universe out of nothing “by the word of God” (3:5). He talks about “the heavens…and the earth” (3:5). He used water power to form the earth (3:5). There’s going to be a LOT of similarities between creation and destruction. First of all, God continues to sustain His creation until that scalding day “by the same word” (v7). Remember, the Creator didn’t lift a finger to pull the trigger on the Big Bang. He simply spoke. He said it. It happened. That, my friends, is authority. And God is using that same command and control to make sure everything leads to its proper conclusion. Pete lets us know that the very same “heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire” (v7). Before we see how it all started with the cosmos and our very own planet. Now we see how it will all end. It began with water. It ends with fire.  

The fiery forecast is for the “day of judgment” (v7). Pete used the very same phrase back in 2:9. He talked about how Jesus knows exactly what He’s doing in saving His people and punishing the bad guys. That all happens on the “day of judgment.” So just how hot is this fire of divine judgment? Nahum says it’s hot enough that “the hills melt…Who can stand before His indignation? Who can endure the heat of His anger? His wrath is poured out like fire” (Nah 1:5-6). Melting mountains? Sheesh. I want no part of that!

The pages of the Bible smolder with high heat warnings. According to Malachi, God is preheating His blast furnace with His eye on those who reject Him. “For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the LORD of hosts” (Mal 4:1). King David describes God’s enemies as kindling. “You will make them as a blazing oven when you appear. The LORD will swallow them up in His wrath, and fire will consume them” (Ps 21:9). That’s just a short sample of warnings in both the Old and New Testaments about just how stinkin’ hot it will be on the day of judgment. Just how hot? Smoldering. Scorching. Searing. Incinerating. Not exactly the words you want to see on your five-day forecast. And the big difference here is that this isn’t an educated guess of a TV meteorologist. You can take this one to the bank. It’s gonna be hot. REALLY hot. Count on it.

Part of our call as followers of Jesus is to sound the alarm about the blast furnace of God’s judgment. Failing to warn our friends and family is the most unloving thing we can ever do. We can avoid His thermo-nuclear wrath by trusting in His Son. Christ lived the perfect life we completely failed to live. He died the death on the cross for our sin that we should have died. In doing so, Jesus took the full brunt of God’s searing fury on our behalf. He took the heat so that we wouldn’t have to. 

Otherwise, it’s gonna be hot. REALLY hot. Count on it.

Spiritual Ostriches

“For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished” (v5-6).

Don’t be an ostrich. Don’t simply stick your head in the sand to escape the truth. It just won’t work. You may not acknowledge the facts, but that doesn’t mean you escape them. Just because you say something long enough doesn’t make it true. Peter says that knuckleheads like the false teachers intentionally ignore the facts of history. They laugh at the idea of creation. They make fun of folks who believe in the flood. Just because they make it a convenient punchline doesn’t mean it’s not true. Don’t ignore the facts. Don’t be an ostrich.

Here’s the deal. Pete says we need remember the promises God made through His prophets (3:2) and toss the trash taught by these hucksters. These con artists are tearing apart local churches from the inside out with the crap they’re selling (2:1-3). They go so far as to talk smack about anyone who believes Jesus is coming back (3:3-4). According to them, you would have to be an idiot to believe the fairy tales of the Bible. These false teachers conveniently ignore history. They turn a blind eye to creation. They snub the the fact of the flood. MacArthur points out that the hucksters conveniently look the other way when it comes to the two previous worldwide cataclysms: creation and the flood. “They deliberately overlook” both of them. Call it willful ignorance. Call it tactical stupidity. Pete says they’re making a big mistake. A VERY big mistake.

The former fisherman flips back to the opening pages of the Bible to make his point. In the first chapter of Genesis, God creates everything out of nothing. The entire joint out of zilch. When it came time to make the third rock from the sun, He used water (Gen 1:6-10). The guy Jesus calls Rocky confirms that. “The earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God” (v5). While He used the power of water to get it done, don’t miss the fact that God got the whole project going through the power of His word. He said it. It happened. The writer of Hebrews says that since there were no eyewitnesses, we should trust that this is what went down. “By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God” (Heb 11:2). God said it. It happened. When you’re the almighty sovereign God of the universe, this is how you roll. 

God used water as an important tool in the creation of the planet. And He used water as His tool of the destruction of the planet. The world He created “was deluged with water and perished” (v6). The word we translate as “deluged,” Pete originally uses the Greek verb katakluzo. It means to overwhelm with water, flood with destructive force, inundate, and submerge. It’s where we get our word cataclysm. We’re not talking about turning on the sprinkler. This isn’t localized flash flooding. This is tsunami stuff. Worldwide. Global inundation.

Just in case your a little fuzzy on the flood, let’s do a little review.  “On that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened. And rain fell upon the earth forty days and forty nights” (Gen 7:11-12). God promised to kill and destroy everything on the earth that wasn’t on the ark through the worldwide flood (Gen 6:13, 17). Just in case you wondering, the writer of Genesis goes out of his way to let us know no critter slipped through the cracks. If it didn’t swim or have one of the eight reservations on the first cruise ship, it was a goner (Gen 7:21-23).

But come on, it’s crazy enough to buy into creation. Do you really expect me to believe in some cockamamy myth about a ridiculous global flood? There’s no way Jesus talked about that, right? Wrong. Actually, Christ compared His big comeback to what went down during the worldwide deluge. “For as were the days of Noah so will be the coming of the Son of Man” (Mt 24:37). Our Savior said folks ignored all the warnings. And that’s going to happen all over again before He makes His encore. It seems Jesus not believed in the flood but knew all about folks who would ignore the warnings of His return. 

Maybe you’re not buying this whole creation deal. Maybe you can’t swallow this goofy story of the global flood. I get that. I really do. But let’s focus on Jesus for just a moment. Here’s a Dude that predicted His own death. He called His own resurrection. Not once. But several times. With lots of details. His followers weren’t willing to die for their belief in creation. They weren’t going to face death because they thought there was a flood. No, they put their lives on the line because Jesus walked out of the cemetery three days after His burial. He called it ahead of time. And then He promised to return. 

You might not swallow creation or the flood. But don’t look overlook the resurrected Jesus. Please, don’t be an ostrich.

Who You Gonna Believe?

“They will say, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation” (v4).

“The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior,” the great theologian Dr. Phil likes to say. Many times, he’s right on target. If you want to know what somebody’s going to do, see what they’ve done before. Well, the false teachers are using the same argument when it comes to Jesus’ second coming. They taunt His followers with the fact that He promised to return but hasn’t showed up. They go so far as to say everything is exactly the same as it was from Day One of creation. “You want proof of what’s going to happen?” they ask sarcastically, “Nothing, because nothing like that has happened before.” It’s true that Christ hasn’t returned. But it’s also true that He promised He would.

So who you gonna believe? 

These false teachers used ridicule and sarcasm to talk smack about the fact that Christ hasn’t come back. “Where is the promise of His coming?” (v4). If Jesus guaranteed to return, why isn’t He here? That’s the 800-pound theological gorilla in the room. If these con artists are right about something, this is it. Look around. Jesus isn’t here. He may have promised to return, but He certainly hasn’t pulled it off yet. According to the false teachers, that means it’s a stone cold, lead pipe lock that He’s NEVER coming back. They use this fact to talks trash to the followers of Jesus. They make turn His promise into a punchline. 

Pete makes it clear that the early church expected Jesus’ big comeback. This idea is a huge theme in lots of Paul’s letters to local churches (1Cor 15:51; 1Th 1:10; 2:19; 4:15-18; 5:1-2). And there’s a huge reason why: Jesus said He was coming back! He personally promised He’s not done yet (Mt 16:27; 24:36-42; Mk 13:34-36; Lk 9:26; 21:34-36). Why should we trust the radical Rabbi/Carpenter on the second coming? I’m so glad you asked. He not only predicted His own death, He told everybody exactly how it would happen. EXACTLY. He also predicted His own resurrection exactly how it would happen. Anyone who can do that, has serious cred. If Christ can make the call on His own death and resurrection, I’m siding with Him on His final comeback. 

So who you gonna believe?

These spiritual hucksters try to sell their message by wrapping it in the Bible. They flip open the OT and talk about “the fathers” (v4). They’re the heavy hitters of the Hebrew Torah. Abraham. Isaac. Jacob. They go back to the beginning of the Jewish faith. It all started when God reached down and handpicked Abraham and his family to be the firehose of blessing for a lost and dying world (Gen 12:2-3). God was faithful to keep His promise to Abe’s boy Isaac (Gen 26:3-5) and grandson Jacob (Gen 28:13-15). This lets us know that these con artists are Jewish. They claim the same spiritual dads. Peter is writing to Jewish followers of Jesus, “who are the elect exiles of the dispersion” living in what we now know as Turkey (1Pet 1:1).

Hey, these guys must not be so bad. They’re just like us. They believe what we believe, right? WRONG! We need to be very careful not to fall for every person who comes our way talking Jesus talk. Just because some smooth talking teacher quotes a few Bible verses, it certainly doesn’t mean they’re part of the family. Don’t forget how the folks in Berea cross checked everything Paul told them. “They received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so” (Acts 17:11). 

Don’t fall for biblical smoke and mirrors. One sure way to do that is to become more and more familiar with God’s Word. Another red flag is the focus of the message you’re hearing. Does it point you to Jesus? Does it point to the Hero of the story? Does it set your eyes on “Jesus, the Founder and Perfecter of our faith” (Heb 12:2)? The Son of God said Himself that He’s the focus of every page of Scripture (Jn 5:39). After His resurrection, He led a blockbuster Bible study explaining how He’s THE Point of the story (Lk 24:27). Just because somebody says they follow Jesus and quote a few verses doesn’t mean a flying flip. It could well be part of the con. As the old saying goes, a verse out of context is a pretext for a prooftext. In other words, just because something is in the Bible, it may not have diddly to do with how it’s being used. Be careful. Be very careful.

The false teachers try to use history as a way to talk smack about what Jesus’ followers believe. Ever since Abe and his boys died, it’s same as it ever was. They even have the gall to back even further than that. “All things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation” (v4). They’re teaching that since no worldwide cataclysm has happened before, there’s no reason to expect one this time. The con artists weren’t afraid of any sort of eternal judgment because they didn’t believe  in the idea of a apocalyptic encore and Jesus’ punishment of evil. They get lots of laughs by making Christ and His followers the butt of the joke. There’s just one little problem with their routine. They’re wrong. Things aren’t the same. Things have happened. God flushed the toilet with a worldwide flood (Gen 6:17; 7:17-24). God also did some urban renewal by knocking over the Tower of Babel and creating all the languages of the world (Gen 11:9). And the biggest thing He did was send His Son on the greatest rescue mission the universe has ever seen. Just because you don’t believe in Noah and the flood, doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. Jesus sure believed it happened (Mt 24:37).

But the biggest evidence against these false teachers is that Jesus came once. Even unbelieving historians agree in the fact that the Roman government executed a homeless Galilean Carpenter for claiming to be a king. The hucksters ask, “Where is the promise of His coming?” (v4). It’s in His first appearance. During His earthly ministry, Jesus predicted His betrayal. Check. He predicted His death. Check. He predicted His resurrection. Check. And He predicted His return. That’s the only thing left on His “to do” list. The con artists make jokes that Jesus hasn’t come back. Our Savior made a promise.

So who you gonna believe?

Trash Talkers Trash Talking

“knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires” (v3).

They’re all over the internet. They publish their beliefs in books. They’re on all the talk shows. You can’t swing a dead cat without hitting so-called experts who mock the idea of God. There’s no need to name names here. Chances are you thought of three or four of these alleged open-minded thinkers without having to read their names. They openly trash Jesus’ followers as intolerant, weak and stupid. Just about every sitcom and major motion picture uses Christians as an easy punchline. Here’s the curious thing. The Apostle Peter said this was going to happen. Two thousand years ago, he wrote to a network of churches in what we know as Turkey that trash talkers would point and laugh at those who place their trust in the resurrected Rabbi/Carpenter. Pete predicted all these scoffing scoffers.

A couple of thoughts before we dive into the deep end of the pool here. First of all, can we be blunt? Thanks. For centuries, the followers of Christ have certainly given mockers plenty of material for their act. We take verses wildly out of context and create absolutely crazy denominations and even false religions. People have hated, tortured, and murdered in Jesus’ name. The Crusades. The Spanish Inquisition. Jonestown. David Koresh. Yeah, you get the idea. Whenever my wife hears about another whacko doing something crazy in Christ’s name, she likes to say, “You’re not helping the home team.” Let’s just know that Jesus’ followers have given the scoffers plenty to scoff about.

The apostle wants us to realize something “first of all” (v3). Peter’s not putting together a list of red flags. This isn’t bullet point number one in a series of warnings. He’s letting us know that what he’s about to tell us has priority one. It’s the primary issue. It takes precedence above and beyond. This is a big deal. A VERY big deal. 

Pete wants us to be on the lookout for “scoffers” (v3). You can’t miss them because they’ll hit the door “with scoffing” (v3). He uses variations on the same word. The first is empaiktes. It describes a mocker, one who ridicules, scorner, or someone imitating another in a distorted way. The second is empaigmone. This is mocking, ridicule, and derision. These aren’t people who are ambivalent when it comes to Jesus. Quite the contrary. They’ve built their entire act around talking smack about Christ and His followers. We shouldn’t be surprised. Our Savior took more of it than we can ever imagine. Jesus was the target of this nasty trash talk as He hung on a bloody Roman cross. “And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at Him…the soldiers also mocked Him” (Lk 23:35-36). He told His posse that we shouldn’t expect anything different (Mt 10:22; Jn 15:20). They talked junk about Jesus. They’ll talk junk about you and me.

So just when should we expect these smack talkers to take the stage? The apostle gives us a time table: “in the last days” (v3). Throughout the Bible, this is that whole period of time from the end of Jesus’ first arrival until His jaw-dropping encore (Is 2:2; Jer 23:20; Hos 3:5; Mic 4:1; Acts 2:17; 2Tim 3:1; James 5:3; Jude 18). How long will these “last days” last? Only God knows. Jesus said that even He didn’t know (Mk 13:32; Mt 24:36). He returns whenever He returns. Until then, we’re smack dab in “the last days.” One sure sign of this time period is the false teachers’ message trashing believers’ hope in Christ’s comeback.

The other sure sign of these scoffing scoffers is their absolutely unrestrained reckless lifestyles. They will be “following their own sinful desires” (v3). Back in chapter two, the former fisherman already warned us that these con artists are consumed by their own sexual pleasure (2:2, 10, 14, 18). Chris Hansen wouldn’t have any trouble catching these sexual predators. They’re not only out to satisfy their libidos but bilk the Body of Christ out of big bucks (2:3, 14-15). If they want it, they’re going after it. Sex. Money. And anything else that isn’t nailed down. Jesus own kid brother said the very same thing. “They said to you, ‘In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions’” (Jude 18).

In the “Twelve Days of Christmas,” we sing of drummers drumming, pipers piping, lords a’leaping, ladies dancing, maids a’milking, and geese a’laying. In the last days, we need watch out for mockers mocking. The good news is that Pete predicted all these scoffing scoffers.

They Called It

“that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles” (v2).

Are you easily distracted? Do shiny objects and loud noises steal your attention from what you should be doing? When you pray, does it go something like this, “Dear Lord…look a bird!” If so, join the club. I’m right there with you. And it seems we share something in common with the folks on the receiving end of Peter’s letter. False teachers have stolen their focus from Jesus and His Gospel. The apostle reminds believers to remember. We need to get back on task.

Pete’s big point in writing this sequel (3:1) is to warn folks about a crew of con artists that are infiltrating local churches and tearing them apart from the inside out (2:1-3). These false teachers are bad news. They’re out to bilk and embezzle believers (2:3, 14-15). They’re also sexual predators (2:2, 10, 14, 18). These hucksters are selling a word from God but deliver nothing but empty promises (2:17). The apostle writes chapter two as a wanted poster for Jesus’ followers to be on the lookout for these charlatans.

Don’t be fooled by imitators. Peter shakes us up and wakes us up (3:1). It’s not that we’ve completely forgotten who Jesus is, what He’s done and will do. But we get distracted. We get off track. These false teachers have enticed folks down the rabbit trail. The dude Jesus calls Rocky calls us to remember. Remember what God’s spokesmen said about Jesus. Remember the prophets’ predictions. Remember the apostles’ teachings. Hello, McFly! Focus. Back on task. 

After grabbing us by the ears and getting our attention, Pete tells us to get back on track. We “should remember” (3:2). He uses a Greek word (mimneskomai) that means to remind, recall, or think about again. It doesn’t necessarily mean that we’ve forgotten the big idea. We just bring it back to the front burner. Make it our priority. Make it our focal point. In this case, the false teachers have distracted people with their religious flash and trash. In the end, their empty message is exactly what Shakespeare wrote about. “Sound and fury signifying nothing.” Remember. Remember what the prophets predicted about Him. Remember what the apostles taught about Him. Focus. Back on task.

Now that he has our attention, Pete sets our eyes back on Jesus. He’s the Hero of the entire story of the Bible. First of all, He’s the focus of the prophets’ predictions. Over the course of thousands of years, God used these folks as His loudspeakers to announce the One to come. Messiah would come to fix what we broke. He would punish sin. He would restore creation. It started in the garden just after the Fall (Gen 3:15) and continued in the desert with Jesus’ own wild eyed, bug eating cousin (Lk 3:2-6). The radical Rabbi/Carpenter lived a perfect life for 33 years before dying for our sins on a Roman cross. However the story didn’t end in the cemetery. He rose to new life, then headed back home to heaven. 

Pretty awesome, right? As they say in the Ginsu knife commercials, “But wait! There’s more!” The resurrected Jesus has an encore. He’s coming back once and for all. He’s coming to the ultimate and final rescue. He’ll take care of the bad guys. That includes dealing with these pesky false teachers. He’ll return His creation back to glory. And the prophets have been talking about it for a long, long time. Dudes like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel. If you think what Jesus has done to this point is something, just you wait. 

Pete then plays his trump card. He equates the prophets with the apostles. The construction of this verse places these two groups on a level playing field. The apostles are the prophets of the NT. The prophets are the apostles of the OT. God used both of these handpicked teams to write the Bible. We can be sure what they’ve passed along is the real deal. “And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (1:19-21). In other words, the teaching and writing of the prophets and apostles are legit. They’re from God. Anything else is just smoke and mirrors. And that includes the snake oil the false teachers are selling.

We need to remember that Jesus isn’t done. He’s got a return engagement. The apostle made sure to include that in what they wrote. MacArthur makes that point that Jesus’ personal posse of apostles filled 260 chapters of the NT with 300 references to His second coming. Christ’s own kid brother Jude also calls His followers to keep the supernatural forecast front and center. “You must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Jude 17). 

The prophets called it. Christ came once. The apostles confirmed it. And He’s coming back again. Keep that truth cooking on the front burner. 

Shake You up to Wake You up

“This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder” (v1).

Are you a heavy sleeper? When you get your snooze on, do you dive deep into dreamland? I know I do. I’m a mouth-open-drool-on-the-pillow sleeper. When I’m catching some z’s, I’m NOT easy to wake. Saying something won’t do it. Touching me probably won’t work. Sometimes you just have to shake me up to wake me up. That’s what the Apostle Peter is doing in this letter. He’s writing to Jesus’ followers so they will open their eyes. And just to make sure they’re awake, he’s going to shake them up to wake them up.

This isn’t the first time Pete’s had to get rough with his readers and get them to open their eyes. This is his “second letter” (v1). In his prequel, the former fisherman wrote to believers “in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia” (1Pet 1:1). You might have a little trouble finding those places in Google Maps. But they were locations in what we now know as Turkey. There’s a good chance that the apostle is writing from Rome (1Pet 5:14). He used his first note to encourage folks to hang tough during persecution and punishment. We must remember that God handpicked us to tell others about Him (1Pet 2:9). Jesus suffered and so why should we expect anything less (1Pet 2:21)? God won’t waste one ounce of our suffering for His sake (1Pet 4:19).

While the first letter is all about external pressure on the churches, this sequel focuses on the internal. Pete sounds the alarm to warn folks that a crew of con artists is cruising from town to town, spreading a destructive message that tears churches apart from the inside out (2:1-3). He devotes the second chapter of this second letter as a wanted poster for this team of false teachers. These hucksters are looking for an easy score. They want money (2:3, 14-15). They want sex (2:2, 10, 14, 18). The apostle tries his best to shake us up to wake us up from our spiritual siesta.

Are these believers really sound asleep? A better picture is that they’re sleepwalking. You know, going through life, heading to work, taking the kids to school. Hey, it happens to all of us. Life happens. Before we realize what’s going on, we’ve lost our focus on who Jesus is and what He’s done for us. That’s why the writer of Hebrews encourages us to be “looking to Jesus, the Founder and Perfecter of our faith” (Heb 12:2). And that’s why Pete wants us to snap out of it. He uses the Greek verb diegeiro, which means to stir, to cause to wake up, and to rouse. Wake up and smell the coffee. But this is much more than the sound of your alarm clock cranking out a few classic rock tunes. There’s no snooze button here. There’s a whole lotta shakin’ going on. Pete’s old fishing buddy John uses this same word when he writes about a storm stirring up the Sea of Galilee (Jn 6:18). If he could, the apostle would grab us by our shoulders and get us to open our eyes to what’s going on. Earlier he writes that as long as he’s still breathing, he will “stir you up by way of reminder” (1:13). He’s done it before. He’ll do it again. Shake you up to wake you up.

We see that Pete’s writing this letter to Jesus’ followers. He’s waking up their “sincere mind” (v1). The original text contains the adjective heilikrine. It means uncontaminated, pure, unmixed, without hidden motives, or spotless. The term literally means “tested by sunlight.” They’ve been put under the bright light and found to be legit. He could well be talking about the persecution talked about in the first letter. Their “sincere mind” (v1) is in huge contrast to those devious con artists he’s been warning us about. Flip back to chapter two for a quick scouting report on these twisted teachers. Unlike the infiltrators, these believers have no have no hidden agenda. They just want to love Jesus and love others.

Once we’re wide awake, Pete doesn’t have breaking news to tell us. It’s “by way of reminder” (v1). He wants us to recall who Jesus is and what He has done. He wants us to remember who we are in Him. We’ve trusted in His perfect life that we’ve failed to live. We’ve trusted in His death for our sin that we should have died. We’ve trusted in His new life that we don’t deserve. The apostle encourages us to remember the truth we already knew. He reassures us that we’ve got the tools in the toolbox to handle what’s coming our way. We have the skills to not only sniff out spiritual snake oil salesmen but to refute everything they try to sell. All we need to do is remember what we already know. But first he must shake us up to wake us up.

Dog Puke and Pig Pens

 “What the true proverb says has happened to them: ‘The dog returns to is own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire’” (v22).

I love my dogs. Not sure what life would be like without those furry critters. They bring so much joy and laughter to my life. But there’s one thing they do that I will never understand. EVER. Every time one of our dogs will hurls a nasty pile of puke, they’ll gobble it right back up. It’s one of the most disgusting things I’ve ever seen. And they do it every time. Every. Single. Time. What the WHAT?!?!? Why in the world would any creature ever think that their own barf looks delicious after heaving? I gotta tell you, I’m getting a little queasy just typing this.

Here at the end of chapter two, the Apostle Peter compares that nauseating image to the false teachers who are tearing apart local churches. He sounds the alarm for Jesus’ followers about a posse of con artists who are peddling a false gospel (2:1-3). They’re greedy grifters (2:3, 14-15). They’re sexual predators (2:2, 10, 14, 18). Pete doesn’t stop there. “Irrational animals” (2:12). “Blots and blemishes” (2:13). “Waterless springs” (2:17). “Slaves of corruption” (2:19). Not exactly the kind of reviews you’re looking for on Yelp. Finally, he flips back to the Old Testament to compare them dogs that eat their own vomit. If that’s not bad enough, the former fisherman says they’re like a hog that wallows in the filth of the pig pen. 

Disgusting, right? That’s Pete’s point! He’s hoping you throw up in your mouth just a little bit. The apostle intentionally drops some sickening images. He wants us to be offended. He hopes our stomachs turn. Maybe you think this isn’t what’s going on. Maybe you believe that the Bible would never be so icky and gross. I hate to disappoint you, but that’s EXACTLY what’s happening. Under the guidance of God’s Spirit, the human authors of Scripture have written some revolting stuff. Over in his letter to Philippian believers, Pete’s buddy Paul describes everything in his life other than Jesus is a big, steaming pile (Phil 3:8). Your translation may say “rubbish” or “garbage.” But the original text uses skubalon. It means manure. Feces. Poop. The Bible uses disgusting language to describe disgusting sin. Like dog puke and pig pens.

Remember, dogs in the first century didn’t have the same cuddly image as man’s best friend as they do today. Few canines were domesticated back in the day. They roamed in feral packs and scavenged for food. They were vile creatures. As a result, the writers of Scripture use it to describe vile people. Here in this verse, Pete quotes the wisest human to ever walk the planet. King Solomon is the one responsible for the original dog puke proverb. “Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool who repeats his folly” (Prov 26:11). When the false teachers return to the puke and the slop, they prove to the world that they were never saved in the first place. Paul warns Philippian followers about another crew of false teachers. “Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh” (Phil 3:2). In one of the last images at the end of Revelation, John lets us know who’s on the outside looking in when Jesus returns. “Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood” (Rev 22:15). 

Just in case you’re not grossed out enough, Pete takes us over to the pig pen. Have you ever had the pleasure of visiting a swine operation? There is no more vile and pungent stank in the world. For Jews, the hog is unclean. It’s not kosher. God originally told His people to lay off the pork (Lev 11:7; Dt 14:8). Peter is writing to a mostly Jewish-Christian audience. They would’ve been raised to avoid hogs at all costs. They were foul and disgusting. Jesus’ own words back up His apostle’s point on dog puke and pig pens. “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you” (Mt 7:6). Yuck!

The apostle’s point is that the false teachers reveal their true character and lack of salvation by returning to their original sinful lifestyle. This is a powerful and repulsive warning about the cesspool our Savior pulled us out of. Don’t go back. Don’t return. It’s like a pile of dog puke. It’s like a pig pen.