Remembering
(Exhortation - February 2004)
For many, the apostle Peter has a special place in our hearts, probably because we identify with his struggles to overcome his human nature. Today we will consider the profound lessons to be drawn from his second letter that was written, “to make your calling and election sure” (II Peter 1:10).
Following up the first epistle
The second letter was a necessary sequel to
the first. Both were written to followers of Christ for the purpose of
stimulating their memory to recall the teachings of the prophets and the
Lord Jesus:
This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: that ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour… (II Peter 3:I-2).
Peter hoped that exposure to the wholesome words from God would be a counterbalance to the heresies of the false prophets that were circulating among them. Contemplating the pure things of God produces pure thoughts in sharp contrast to the lawless, lustful desires of those who were teaching wrong doctrine in order to lead the faithful astray. In effect, Peter was reminding them that their ancestors had fallen prey to incorrect doctrine and that they were just as vulnerable:
But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them…And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of (II Peter 2:1-2).
The truth of God was in danger of being brought into disrepute by these reprobates and unless the early believers fortified themselves by assimilating the commandments of God, they would fall victim to error, thereby repeating the pattern of their forefathers.
Jesus had condemned the experts of the law for precisely the same behavior: “Woe unto you, lawyers! For ye have taken away the key of knowledge; ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered” (Luke 11:52). They rejected the kingdom as taught by the scriptures and Christ and sought to hinder others from entering.
Challenging the facts
The perpetrators of error contemporary with
Peter scoffed at the foundation teaching of the return of the Lord Jesus:
“Where is this coming he promised?” They made the observation: “Ever
since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of
creation” (3:4 NIV).
There was of course abundant evidence of the second advent from the Lord’s teaching and the angelic statement as he ascended into the heavens; so what brought about this denial and heresy? The answer is to be found in the fact that the ‘parousia’ or ‘second coming’ was expected during the lifetime of the apostles, hence when they started dying, the reality of the doctrine was questioned. Peter answered the challenge of the scoffers by reminding them of history, the evidence of which proved God’s word to be infallible. Creation came about through God’s word, as did the flood that destroyed the scoffers (3:5-6).
They were ignoring the record of the scriptures written by the holy prophets. Both of these events happened as recorded, therefore Peter urges them to trust God’s word on the issue of the judgment and the day of the Lord (v. 7). Peter encourages them and us to see the big picture from God’s perspective. God’s timetable is flexible, as we will see later. His days are not like ours. He is not bound by our concept of time (v. 8). When in His judgement it is the right moment, He acts to save.
God and Jesus are not like mortals who forget. They will keep the promise of Jesus’ return. That day is ‘slow’ in coming, in order to demonstrate God’s patience and mercy in giving others the opportunity to repent: “And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation…” (v. 15). We need to remember that God is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (v. 9). In this respect, God and Jesus are still working to save people from sin and death: “My Father worketh hitherto, and I work” (John 5:17).
Our response
The emphatic statement: “The day of the
Lord will come like a thief in the night…” (v. 10) echoed the parable of
the Master. “The Lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh
not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware…” (Luke 12:46). For
the believers of the apostle’s day the judgement of AD 70 loomed on the
horizon; nevertheless the promise of the Lord’s return was certain. The
urgency of the situation prompted Peter to ask: “Seeing then that all
these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be?”
The answer was swift and succinct: they must live in a holy and godly manner
(v. 11). We also look forward to the day of the Lord and must live a life
of godliness that we, too, can avoid utter destruction.
It may seem incredible that the timetable of God could be influenced by us but the statement here in Peter seems to infer that this is so: “Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God” (v. 12).
We hasten or speed the second coming of Jesus by waiting for the day of the Lord with zeal and earnest desire always praying fervently, “thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10). At the return of our Savior, the kingdoms of men are to be replaced by the kingdom of God. There will be “a new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness” (v. 13).
To ascertain the meaning of the phrase, “a new heaven and a new earth,” a little logic must be used. All of unrighteous mankind and all human organizations ceased to exist after the flood, but the physical heavens and earth remained. The heavens and earth then must refer to the elevated rulers, political and religious systems, and their earthly subjects. Only Noah and his family, who were obedient and entered the ark, survived. According to Peter, fire is to be the medium for the future destruction (v. 12) and only those who enter the anti-typical ark through baptism will be saved.
Conclusion and
encouragement
The last two verses of this fascinating
chapter are prefaced by “Therefore,” suggesting that what follows is
a logical deduction. We can paraphrase the message and apply it to
ourselves. There are actions required:
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Be on your guard. Beware of dangerous teaching.
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Do not be carried away by the error of lawless men who have evil desires.
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Do not fall from your position of grace.
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Grow in grace. Glorify God by loving obedience to His way.
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Grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Work at understanding the principles Jesus set forth.
The ultimate memory
aid
A great deal of our life in the Lord is made
up of recalling things we have not really forgotten; they are in storage
someplace. Recalling things makes them real to us again, even though we
never doubted them. Peter wrote the letter to remind his brothers and
sisters of the wonder of their high calling and to encourage them to remain
faithful despite manifold pressures. He did this by placing the word of God
at the forefront of his appeal and warning.
When Jesus, who was the ‘word made flesh,’ instituted the memorial feast for his disciples his command was: “Do this in remembrance of me” (Lk. 22:19). There was no way that anyone of those twelve men could possibly have forgotten him. His very words and actions would be seared in their minds.
We may forget the exact chapters and verses where details of his life are recorded, particularly in the moments when we are under some kind of pressure. But these are not the vital components that we are meant to recall. The Lord in his wisdom helped us to identify these by instituting the marvelous provision whereby we pause and participate in the ritual that reminds us of his sacrifice and shed blood on the first day of each week.
Indeed every day, we need to remember that Jesus died for our sins and then we must live as if we believe it. We also need to remember to actively prepare for his return. We must look forward to the day of the Lord with joyous anticipation, that day when we believe he will give us the full benefit of his sacrifice, even the gift of eternal life. We need to remember these things and be thankful as we bask in his love.
Let us say along with Peter: “To him be glory both now and forever” (v. 18) and collectively add our own heartfelt “Amen.”
Norman Luff