(This sermon is part of Dr. Manuel's sermon series: "What is Foremost?" Links to
each of the sermons in the series will be found here as they are posted.)
Are you a patient person? ...You might say, "That depends on the situation." Indeed, some situations require more patience than others.
Paul began his ministry by bringing the gospel to fellow Jews but shifted the focus of his ministry later, calling himself "an apostle to the gentiles" (Gal 2:8b), although he often addressed his epistles to mixed congregations. Peter also began his ministry by bringing the gospel to fellow Jews, branching out to include gentile converts,1 but maintained the original focus of his ministry, leading Paul to call Peter "an apostle to the Jews" (Gal 2:8a), and he addressed his (two) epistles to (predominantly) Jewish congregations.2 Despite their different audiences, though, recipients of the apostles' letters often faced similar problems, including the insinuation of false teachers into the congregations.3 Please turn to chapter 3 of Peter's second letter, where he warns about those who deny Jesus' return.
* XXIII The Foremost Combustion
...resulting in...
The prophets often describe this future day of the Lord as imminent which, according to God's sense of time, it is, because...
Satan's opposition began in heaven but expanded to earth with man's fall, corrupting what God had made. After the fall, things went from bad to worse.
Peter's account of destruction does not sound like a particularly cheerful message, and it certainly is not for those on the wrong side of the conflict. As we noted in The Foremost Commencement, the final disposition of the wicked is punishment for sin, "the second death" (Rev 20:6), which is eternal separation from God. Yet, as we noted in The Foremost Commutation, the final disposition of the righteous is pardon from sin (Col 2:13), which enables eternal life with God. While the creation is being destroyed by fire,11 both sides are awaiting transfer to permanent quarters. The wicked will go from the Abyss to the Lake of fire, which is not an upgrade in accommodations. The righteous will go from reigning on earth in the Messianic Kingdom to living with God in the New Jerusalem, which is most definitely an upgrade. In other words, while destruction may sound like a bad thing, it is actually a good thing for the righteous—for you—because it is a necessary step to make way for the next chapter in your glorious future with God.
While it is nice to know what lies ahead for us, even far ahead, the purpose of this passage and others like it is not just to satisfy our curiosity, although it certainly comforting to know how things will turn out. There is generally more to such revelation that we are supposed to understand, more than just facts about what is yet to come, because God rarely gives information about the future without including some instruction for the present.12 In the following verses, Peter presents the practical importance of your knowing what lies ahead, explaining how you should conduct yourself now in light of what you know will happen later. He asks...
Are you looking forward to that "day of the Lord"?
Having considered The Foremost Combustion, we will look next at The Foremost Contrast, which is the price of God, in Rom 6:23.
For the Bibliography and Endnotes, see the pdf here.
A man with a swollen foot goes to the doctor. After a careful examination, the doctor hands the man a pill big enough to choke a horse. "I'll be right back with some water," the doctor tells him and leaves the room. The doctor is gone quite a while, though, and the man loses patience. He hobbles out to the drinking fountain, forces the pill down his throat, following it with large quantities of water until the pill is finally clear, and hobbles back to the examining room. Just then the doctor returns with a bucket of water. "Okay," he says, "after the pill dissolves...soak that foot for about 20 minutes."Some situations warrant more patience than others. That is sometimes the case when we wait for a doctor, and that is surely the case when we wait for God to wrap things up with The Foremost Combustion.
Paul began his ministry by bringing the gospel to fellow Jews but shifted the focus of his ministry later, calling himself "an apostle to the gentiles" (Gal 2:8b), although he often addressed his epistles to mixed congregations. Peter also began his ministry by bringing the gospel to fellow Jews, branching out to include gentile converts,1 but maintained the original focus of his ministry, leading Paul to call Peter "an apostle to the Jews" (Gal 2:8a), and he addressed his (two) epistles to (predominantly) Jewish congregations.2 Despite their different audiences, though, recipients of the apostles' letters often faced similar problems, including the insinuation of false teachers into the congregations.3 Please turn to chapter 3 of Peter's second letter, where he warns about those who deny Jesus' return.
4 They...say, "Where is this 'coming' he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation."This is not true, of course, and Peter replies with a little review of history.
5 ...they deliberately forget that long ago by God's word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water.Moreover, God continued to be involved with the world He created and, when man's sin reached an intolerable level...
6 By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed.These so-called teachers, however, have a bigger problem than their faulty view of history, and it is not Jesus' return.
7 By the same word [of God] the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.Contrary to what these individuals assert, the future is not an endless cycle of events without resolution.4 God has a definite termination planned and, when that day comes, it will entail...
* XXIII The Foremost Combustion
...resulting in...
- A purging by God (2 Pet 3:10)
2 Pet 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.The "day of the Lord" is a phrase that would be familiar to Peter's Jewish readers, because it occurs often (19x, and only) in the prophets, and always as a harbinger of bad news,5 a time of God's judgment. There are actually several 'days of the Lord' in scripture, events in the past when God punished gentile nations, especially for their mistreatment of His people. For example, speaking through Jeremiah toward the end of the Babylonian Exile, the Lord says,
Jer 50:31 "...I am against you [Babylon], O arrogant one...your day [of judgment] has come, the time for you to be punished.That threat's fulfillment came soon after this prophecy, with the Medo-Persian conquest of the Babylonian empire. There were several such judgments that occurred on what the biblical writers call the 'day of the Lord.'6 As I said, most of these happened in the past, but some uses of the term pertain to events in the future, even our future, as it does in Peter's epistle.
The prophets often describe this future day of the Lord as imminent which, according to God's sense of time, it is, because...
2 Pet 3:8b With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.From our present perspective, however, months, years, even decades may pass before the end of the world actually arrives. Peter's point is that we should not interpret any apparent delay as an indication that God has changed His mind.7 Moses reminds us...
Num 23:19a God is not a man...that he should change his mind.Peter describes the arrival of this event, as similar to a thief, not a very complimentary portrayal of God's activity but also not an uncommon one. Jesus describes the unexpectedness of his return to reign similarly8 as does Paul, who calls the savior's coming another "day of the Lord" (1 Thess 5:2), when God will again pour out His wrath.9 Just as Jesus' return to the earth will surprise most people, so God's destruction of the earth at the end of the savior's reign will surprise most people, because...
1. Your Lord will destroy things suddenly....and without warning. Furthermore, this final day of the Lord will result not just in the final defeat of enemy forces, it will eliminate the very staging area for their rebellion against God.
Satan's opposition began in heaven but expanded to earth with man's fall, corrupting what God had made. After the fall, things went from bad to worse.
Gen 6:5 The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. 7a So the LORD said, "I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth...."...which He did, all but Noah and his family. From that point, the situation did improve somewhat as a righteous remnant in Israel and in the Church promoted God's agenda. Nevertheless, the continued presence of sin required a pervasive and permanent solution, a radical resolution, which is what Peter describes in this verse,10 where he also says....
2. Your Lord will destroy things completely.this time by fire (vv. 7, 10), a great conflagration.
Peter's account of destruction does not sound like a particularly cheerful message, and it certainly is not for those on the wrong side of the conflict. As we noted in The Foremost Commencement, the final disposition of the wicked is punishment for sin, "the second death" (Rev 20:6), which is eternal separation from God. Yet, as we noted in The Foremost Commutation, the final disposition of the righteous is pardon from sin (Col 2:13), which enables eternal life with God. While the creation is being destroyed by fire,11 both sides are awaiting transfer to permanent quarters. The wicked will go from the Abyss to the Lake of fire, which is not an upgrade in accommodations. The righteous will go from reigning on earth in the Messianic Kingdom to living with God in the New Jerusalem, which is most definitely an upgrade. In other words, while destruction may sound like a bad thing, it is actually a good thing for the righteous—for you—because it is a necessary step to make way for the next chapter in your glorious future with God.
While it is nice to know what lies ahead for us, even far ahead, the purpose of this passage and others like it is not just to satisfy our curiosity, although it certainly comforting to know how things will turn out. There is generally more to such revelation that we are supposed to understand, more than just facts about what is yet to come, because God rarely gives information about the future without including some instruction for the present.12 In the following verses, Peter presents the practical importance of your knowing what lies ahead, explaining how you should conduct yourself now in light of what you know will happen later. He asks...
2 Pet 3:11a Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be?It is a rhetorical question, which Peter answers with several recommendations, in particular, four ways you should conduct yourself now in light of what you know will happen later.
- The first two recommendations are that you should...
- Live righteously. Peter says in...
...and that you should...v. 11b ...live holy and godly lives.
- Look expectantly. Peter says in...
In other words, your motivation for the present, what keeps you on the right track, is your anticipation of the future, what you have learned lies ahead for you in God's plan.13v. 12a ...look forward to the day of God.
- The next two recommendations are that you should...
- Guard carefully. Peter says in...
v. 17a ...be on your guard. and that you should...
- Grow purposefully. Peter says in...
In other words, your best defense against the evil influence you encounter is your good offense, which employs the exceptional insight you enjoy because you know God's son.v. 18a ...grow in...grace and knowledge....
2 Pet 3:18b To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.Contrary to what some people think, the future is not an endless cycle of events without resolution. God has a definite termination planned and, when that day of the Lord comes, it will entail The Foremost Combustion, resulting in a purging by God as He commits the creation to destruction by fire. Although your Lord will destroy things suddenly and completely, which may sound like a bad thing, it will be a good thing for you, enabling your transition from one place to a better place...
Are you looking forward to that "day of the Lord"?
Having considered The Foremost Combustion, we will look next at The Foremost Contrast, which is the price of God, in Rom 6:23.
For the Bibliography and Endnotes, see the pdf here.
(This sermon is part of Dr. Manuel's sermon series: "What is Foremost?" Links to each of the sermons in the series will be found here as they are posted)
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Jim Skaggs