Sabbath: The Day of the Lord
Read for This Week’s Study: 2 Pet. 3:1-2; John 21:15-17; 2 Pet. 3:3-13; Ps. 90:4; Matt. 24:43-51; 2 Pet. 3:14-18.
Memory Text: “Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, what sort of persons ought you to be in leading lives of holiness and godliness” (2 Peter 3:11, NRSV).
In ages past people who didn’t believe in God were seen as untrustworthy, even potentially dangerous. Why? The idea was simple: if they didn’t believe in God, then they didn’t believe in any future judgment in which they would have to answer before Him for their deeds. Without this incentive, people would have a greater tendency to do wrong.
Though such thinking is rather antiquated (and “politically incorrect”) today, one cannot deny the logic and reason behind it. Of course, many people don’t need the fear of a future judgment in order to do right. But at the same time, the prospect of answering to God could certainly help motivate correct behavior.
As we have seen, Peter was not afraid to warn about the judgment that evildoers would face before God, because the Bible is clear that such a judgment will come. In this context, Peter speaks unambiguously about the end of days, judgment, the second coming of Jesus, and the time that the “elements shall melt with fervent heat” (2 Pet. 3:10). Peter knew that we are all sinners, and thus, with such prospects before us, he asks: “What manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness?” (2 Pet. 3:11, NKJV).
Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, June 17.
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I'm looking forward to the world in which dwells righteuousnenss
We're expected to obey His commandments not because we fear Him but because we love him
Answer to Peter's question in our memory text, is to avoid turning to the right hand, or to the left, to keep our feet from evi, and to keep our eyelids in the direction that would allow our eyes to refrain from evil. Proverbs 4:25-27. How do we follow these words of instruction. Faye Brown last week said it, albeit on a different topic. "Let's use the power God has given us, the Holy Spirit, and pray for those who we see need it and for ourselves to be open and submissive to the power or the Holy Spirit, and watch God work. He knows what He is doing." We surrender to the Holy Spirit. We accept the gift of His power to keep us on the path of righteousness for His name sake and our eternal life.
Most of the Christian world understands that second chances for eternal life are gone when Jesus returns or when one dies. It is in this context and the context of "a thousand days with the Lord is but one day." that Peter states, that God is "not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance."
In these words, I see a merciful God who appears to delay (and perhaps He does) to give more time for people to turn to Him and be saved from eternal death. The second coming is both a destructive event and a liberating event. Come quickly Lord....but work quickly to save my family. Amen
In 2 Peter 3: 11 the apostle Peter is presenting to us in a clear and incisive manner what every believer should do to prepare for the imminent return of our Lord. He is exhorting believers to lead godly lives with holy behaviour; worship God in truth and showing purity and godliness in our conversations. He says, "Look for the day of God as what you firmly believe shall come, and what you earnestly long for.’’ The coming of the day of God is what every Christian must hope for and earnestly expect. The second coming of Jesus will be the day of our complete redemption, and of Christ's most glorious manifestation!