Dearly loved by God in Christ Jesus,
Peter told his readers the reason he wrote to them was “to stimulate you to wholesome thinking.” Those readers include us, of course. We needa sincere mind to withstand the scoffers and liars around us. These scoffers and liars will increase as the Lord’s return grows closer.
Two areas in particular are the objects of scorn. First, they scoff about any “second coming” since it has not come yet. In addition, they deny that God created the universe by his Word.
We must have wholesome thinking, a sincere mind, in order to answer those scoffers and liars today. To that end and as part of our Advent preparation we look at Peter’s words.
The aged apostle’s point revolves around the question he asks, “Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be?” His answer, “You ought to live holy and godly lives…” leads to our theme, Repentant Readiness for Jesus’ Return. This means do not abuse God’s patience. This means do look forward to the new world.
Last week’s Advent emphasis was watchfulness. This week it is repentance. When Jesus returns, he wants to find a repentant heart beating in my chest. This is repentance in the broad sense of contrition and faith. It is the attitude we search our hearts for in preparation for Holy Communion. Do I believe that I am a sinner who deserves God’s anger and punishment and I am sorry for my sins? Do I believe that Jesus Christ is my Savior who has redeemed me, ransomed me, a lost and condemned creature?
Repentance is the attitude Jesus desires all sinners to have when he returns. This is why he is so patient in coming back. It is like the 120 years as a time of grace God gave the world before the flood. Scoffers mock that Jesus has not returned as he said he would come, soon. Soon to God is not the same as soon to us. “God is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness,” Peter wrote.
We live in time and know a day as 24 hours. God lives apart from time, in eternity. Peter tells us that to God, “a day is like a thousand years.” It does not say that to God a day is a thousand yearsbut uses the simile figure of speech. This passage is not a commentary on the length of a day in Genesis 1. It is the teaching that God is eternal and that he carries out his promises apart from our understanding and reckoning of soon or delay.
My concern is not when Jesus will return “like a thief.” My concern is that I do not abuse God’s patience in coming. “He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” How foolish to think I can put off my spiritual well-being until tomorrow when there may not be a tomorrow. Later, to take care of my soul and its eternal business may not come. The Judge would find me living in impenitence and unbelief.
Today is the day for repentant readiness for Jesus’ return. Today is the day of salvation. Today is my day of grace.In God’s timeless eternity, today is the day he has promised to come again. While we wait with repentant ready hearts, we also look forward to the new world.
God created the world and the universe with his Word. His Word holds it all together. When Jesus returns, there will be a new world. God will destroy the old world with fire. Everything that makes up the universe and that is in the universe will pass away. God either will re-form all this material into a “new heaven and a new earth,” or he will create all new building materials as he did at Creation. Both views are possible.
For us who believe in Creation it does not matter. We hold the historical fact of the first creation in faith. This is our assurance that God can and will do all he says at the end of this creation. Scoffers do not believe in the first creation, so they do not expect any new creation later.
Many people have the false idea and spread the lie that man can destroy the earth. Years ago, that was what people feared about nuclear war. Today, it is the fear expressed by radical environmentalism. There is only one who can destroy the world and everything in it. That one is God the Creator and destroyer of all things.
Peter encourages us to “look forward to the day and speed its coming.” How are we to live as we do that? “Make every effort to be found spotless, blameless, and at peace with him.”
We speed its coming as we share the gospel with others and God brings the curtain down on time and this earth for the sake of the elect so that noneis lost. It is with repentant readiness for Jesus’ return that we look forward to the destruction of this sinful world and the creation of “the new earth, where righteousness dwells.” We are spotless, blameless, at peace with him and dwell in righteousness through the righteousness of Christ that is ours by faith.
The details of the end of the world are interesting to discuss, maybe even debate where they are not specific. It is not as important to know the details about the new heaven and new as it is to look forward to being there and knowing how to get there. We look forward to getting there and so we ought to live holy and godly lives. We know we get there through repentant readiness for Jesus’ return. Amen. >SDG>