2 Peter is a continuation of 1 Peter, and many believe it was written to address the Christians who were scattered by persecution. Peter wrote to encourage believers, and his message continues to be a message of great hope for each of us as believers. Peter wanted believers to live for Christ, and to beware of false teachers. In today’s passage, he condemns false teachers as “they promise freedom, but they themselves are slaves of sin and corruption. For you are a slave to whatever controls you.” (v.19) Pastor Mary’s message yesterday aligns with today’s passage. She reminded us that as children of light, we have a choice each day to choose to remain in Christ’s light or we wander towards Satan’s darkness.
Peter sought to demolish false teachings about Christ’s return within his letters. We know that Christ is returning, and so we must be prepared. The false teachers of Peter’s time are no different than the false teachers of today. Peter reminds us that God is the Creator, and just like in the time of Noah, in the time of Sodom and Gomorrah, in the time of Israel’s exile, etc. God hates sin because it opposes His very holy nature and is the work of Satan. As followers of Christ, we should have great hope in His return. Teachers who shy away from the Truth of Christ’s return, as found in Revelation and throughout scripture, are falsely teaching, as every Word within the Bible is to be learned and applied to our lives. Our spiritual family, at C2C Church, is blessed to learn and grow from Pastor Mary who is a biblically sound teacher that shares the entire Bible and leads by the example of Christ. Brothers and sisters, we must reject false teachings and be living holy lives in oneness with Christ as we remain hopeful for His return.
2 Peter 3 (NLT)
The Day of the Lord Is Coming
1 This is my second letter to you, dear friends, and in both of them I have tried to stimulate your wholesome thinking and refresh your memory. 2 I want you to remember what the holy prophets said long ago and what our Lord and Savior commanded through your apostles.
3 Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. 4 They will say, “What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created.”
5 They deliberately forget that God made the heavens long ago by the word of his command, and he brought the earth out from the water and surrounded it with water. 6 Then he used the water to destroy the ancient world with a mighty flood. 7 And by the same word, the present heavens and earth have been stored up for fire. They are being kept for the day of judgment, when ungodly people will be destroyed.
8 But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. 9 The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed but wants everyone to repent. 10 But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment.
11 Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, 12 looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames. 13 But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness.
14 And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight.
15 And remember, our Lord’s patience gives people time to be saved. This is what our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom God gave him— 16 speaking of these things in all of his letters. Some of his comments are hard to understand, and those who are ignorant and unstable have twisted his letters to mean something quite different, just as they do with other parts of Scripture. And this will result in their destruction.
Peter’s Final Words
17 You already know these things, dear friends. So be on guard; then you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing. 18 Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen.
Prayer: Jesus, as we find ourselves beginning this Advent season, we thank You for being our great hope. We are Your children of light, and we remain hopeful in You. Holy Spirit, help guide each one of us today to share Your hope with someone who needs it. Thank You for shining a light on Your Truth and allowing our hearts to know when Your Word is being falsely shared. Our spiritual Family at C2C Church, under the guidance of Pastor Mary, all stand rooted in You and Your Word, Jesus. We lift all of this to You, Jesus. Amen.