2 Peter 3

2 Peter 3:1

As we have seen, Peter knew his days were numbered. And from this final chapter of his last epistle, it would also seem as though he knew that following his departure, men would prey on the church with false teaching that would stem from a denial of the Second Coming of Christ and of the Rapture of the churchfor in verses 2Pe_3:1-9, Peter addresses the subject of the Lord and His delay; and in verses 2Pe_3:10-18, he writes of the Lord and His Day. Reminiscent of his commitment to “put you always in remembrance of these things” (see 2Pe_1:12), Peter says, “I’m writing to you to stir up your minds, to bring to your remembrance that which I’ve already taught you.”

2 Peter 3:2

Because he places his writings alongside those of the holy prophets, Peter is evidently aware of the inspiration of the Spirit flowing through him as surely as it had flowed through Isaiah and Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel.

2 Peter 3:3

“Things are going on just as they always have,” says the skeptic. “We’ve heard the prophecy update tapes. We’ve read The Late Great Planet Earth. But where is this Second Coming everyone keeps talking about?“little knowing that his very scoffing fulfills Bible prophecy. The root of skepticism and cynicism lies in a desire to follow one’s flesh and fulfill one’s lust. A denial of the return of Jesus allows people to live however they want because it removes accountability to the God who made them and who will return for them.

2 Peter 3:5

There was another time in human history when men scoffed. Day after day, decade upon decade, as Noah constructed a prophetic illustration of gigantic proportion, the laughter of his friends and neighbors accompanied the sounds of his saw and hammer. But eventually, the collapse of the water canopy that surrounded the earth in days of antiquity caused rain to fall, resulting in a world-wide floodas evidenced to this day not only by geological data, but by its appearance in the written or oral history of virtually every culture.

2 Peter 3:7

Just as the world was destroyed in the days of Noah, Peter says it will be destroyed againnot by water, but by fire. Let the cartoonists draw their caricatures of prophets of doom. Let the world make its jokes. But you can go to the bank on the fact that just as the world was flooded with water in days of old, it will one day be burned with fire.

2 Peter 3:8

After addressing the ridicule of the lost concerning the Lord and His delay in verses 2Pe_3:1-7, Peter goes on to speak about the restraint of the Lord in verses 2Pe_3:8-9an understanding based upon the fact that the Lord completely transcends time… Daylight Saving Time A Topical Study of 2Pe_3:8 Twelve to fifteen years ago, those who study such things predicted that by the year 2000, due to the technological advances that would so lighten our workloads that they would usher us in to a veritable Age of Leisure, most Americans would work only three days a week. In reality, however, the inventions that were supposed to make our lives easier have had just the opposite effect. But if you are one who is growing increasingly weary of the whir of the fax machine, the beep of the pager, the ring of the cell phone, I have good news for you today because the passage before us contains not only prophetic implications, but practical application for you and me… Practical Application But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years…2Pe_3:8 (a) “We’re in trouble,” said the Gibeonites to Joshua. “We’re about to be wiped out by the five Amorite kings who are besieging our city.” Therefore, keeping his end of the treaty he had made with them, as recorded in Joshua 9, Joshua and his troops rescued the Gibeonites. And as the Amorites fled in retreat, the Israelites were poised to finish them offwhen the sun began to set. So with time running out and the job still undone, Joshua commanded the sun to stand still. And Scripture records that the sun did, indeed, stand still until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies (Jos_10:13). “Ha!” scoffs the cynic. “Everyone knows it is the earth that rotates around the sunnot vice versa. The Bible is wrong once again.” But I remind such a one that even the most brilliant scientists of our day speak of sunrises and sunsets, employing the same universal concept to paint a picture. What does this have to do with us practically? Understand this: Although in fighting the Amorites Joshua was doing something that would not be easy for him to do, because he was obedient to the Lord, he was able to get the job done. So, too, there are things the Lord might have us do this week that aren’t easyabout which we might find ourselves saying, “I don’t want to call her,” or, “I don’t want to be kind to my neighbor,” or, “I don’t want to do that or go there.” So, instead, we’ll go our own way, follow our own agenda, and what will happen? We’ll run out of time to do the things we mistakenly thought we were supposed to do rather than those things the Lord had directed us to do. On the other hand, if, like Joshua, we speak to the Son and are obedient to Him, we find we have time to accomplish that which He would have us do. This is the greatest piece of time management advice there is. Do what the Lord is telling you to do. Don’t put it off. Don’t say, “Later.” Don’t say, “Sometime.” Do what He’s showing you to do nowand you will find the sun standing still. You’ll find you have plenty of energy, plenty of opportunity because, having given God your day, you can’t outgive Him. When we walk with the Lord, something happens. When we give a day to the Lord, something happens. When we’re obedient to the Lord something happens. Our days seems to expand. If you say, “Even though my flesh doesn’t want to, even though I think I’m too busy, whatever You say, Lord, I’ll do"you will find your day elongated. Prophetic Implication …and a thousand years as one day.2Pe_3:8 (b) “Surely I come quickly,” Jesus said (see Rev_22:20), to which the cynics and scoffers reply, “Quickly? It’s been two thousand years!” But in the Lord’s economyone thousand years being a dayHe’s only been gone two days. And He’s coming back on the third… Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.Hos_6:1-2 Two thousand years ago, Israel was destroyed as a nation when, under General Titus, the Romans decimated the city of Jerusalem, burned the temple, and scattered the people. But after two daysor two thousand yearsa miracle took place when, inconceivable by human design but prophesied throughout the Old Testament, Israel was revived as a nation in 1948. Many Bible scholars concur with Archbishop Usher’s conclusion that, according to Old Testament genealogy, Adam came on the scene four thousand years before Christ. If that is true, this is most intriguing, because in Bible numerology we see a consistent pattern… After six days of struggle, strain, and sweat there was to be a seventh day of rest (Exo_20:9-10). After six years of tilling the ground and planting crops, the seventh year was to be a sabbatical in which the land was to rest for a year (Leviticus 25). After serving as a slave for six years, a man was to be set free (Deuteronomy 15). For six thousand years, or six days, we’ve been sweating and struggling and straining. We’re headed for the seventh day, the seventh millenniumone thousand years of rest, peace, and prosperity when Jesus comes back to establish His kingdom in the city of Jerusalem. I am personally persuaded that the typology of the Old Testament, as it points to the prophecies of the kingdom, places us on the verge of the seventieth day. We’ve gone through six days of struggle and strain, six years of slavery to sin and the flesh. And now it’s time for the seventh day. Then why are we still here? We’re in overtime. Personal Invitation The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.2Pe_3:9 Not only did the sun stand still, but it actually disappeared as Jesus hung on the Cross to pay for the sins of humanity (Mar_15:33). Fulfilling Old Testament typology, He bore each of our sins specifically because He loves us passionately. Therefore, He delays His coming for us in order to give everyone abundant opportunity to come to Him. But He will not delay forever. The third day is soon to dawnbeginning with the seven-year period known as the Tribulationwhen God will pour out His wrath on a Christ-rejecting, sinful world. The Tribulation, described in Revelation 6-19, will be a time of unparalleled destruction and difficulty. But the good news is that many who are doubting, skeptical, lukewarm toward the gospel will see God’s reality and will be saved in that day. “I’ll just wait until then to make my decision,” you say. You can. But here’s the question: If, because of what your friends will think, or your colleagues will say, it’s too difficult for you to make a decision for Jesus today in this time of peace and safety, what makes you think you’ll suddenly have the courage to refuse the mark of the beastto turn your back on any ability to buy food, gas, electricity or oil to keep warmin the day of Tribulation? What makes you think you’ll be able to stand against an entire new world order, face unbelievable pressure and imminent death then if you’re worried about what others will say today? Precious people, now is the accepted time; today is the day of salvation (2Co_6:2). Therefore, may the Lord give understanding of His working and of His ways to you who seem to have more to do than time to do it, to you who increasingly long for Jesus’ return, to you who have yet to come to Him. And may you daily find your place in the Son.

2 Peter 3:9

As far as I understand prophecy, Jesus could have come back in 1967, following Israel’s Six Day War, when Jerusalem was at last united. Why didn’t He? If you are among those who didn’t get saved until after 1967, He delayed His coming for you. Although we want the Lord to come back so desperately, we must never forget what this would mean to those who don’t yet know Him.

2 Peter 3:10

After discussing the Lord’s delay, Peter goes on to talk about the Lord’s Day. For prophecy to make sense to you, there are four days you need to know: The Day of Man began in the Garden of Eden when God gave man the privilege, the opportunity to steward this planet (Gen_2:15). But when Adam and Eve chose to listen to Satan rather than to obey God, the Day of Man became a total, unmitigated disaster characterized by famine and starvation, disease, war, and death. The next day on the calendar is the Day of Christwhich will begin when Jesus appears in the clouds to meet His bride in the air and take us to heaven for a seven-year honeymoon with Him (1Th_4:17). The third day is the Day of the Lord when, beginning with the Tribulation, God will intervene in human affairs (Joel 2; Revelation 6). Extending through the period of time called the millennium, the Day of the Lord starts dark, but gets brighter and brighterjust as the Jewish day begins at sundown and works its way to dawn. I like that! The fourth day, seen here in verse 2Pe_3:12, is the Day of God, which begins after the millennium, when, because heaven and earth have been polluted by the presence of Satan, the present heaven and earth are done away with, replaced by a new heaven and earth. Because it is the Day of the Lord rather than the Day of Christ that will come as a thief in the night, the scoffer, the unbeliever will be caught off guardbut not the believer who is watching for His coming (1Th_5:4). The Greek word translated “great noise” is rhoizedon, which speaks of a great roar and the wind of a fire. The Greek word translated “element,” is stoicheion and refers to the letters of the alphabetalpha, beta, gamma, delta, etc. If a great noise, wind of fire, and melting of gamma rays sound familiar, it’s because these are all terms associated with nuclear radiation. On December 2, 1942, this scripture suddenly had new meaning for many who were reading with understandingfor on that cold winter day on the University of Chicago’s Stagg Field, Robert Oppenheimer, Enrico Ferme, and Albert Einstein tested their theory that if Uranium 235 was bombarded with neutrons, energy would be released. And indeed it was. Moving the experiment to a desert in New Mexico, on July 16, 1945, engineers were shocked when the ten-inch rail metal used to drop the first nuclear device was immediately vaporized, shooting debris seven miles into the air and eighteen hundred feet in every direction. With heat so intense that the surrounding sand was turned into glass, it was clear something ominous was taking place. The Nuclear Age was born. Finally, in August of the same year, the A-bomb was dropped over the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Many who read these verses said, “Impossible! Elements can’t melt. The whole earth can’t be burned up.” But in the events of 1945, they were suddenly silenced. While the Day of the Lord will indeed usher in the destruction spoken of here, I believe Peter’s reference is to something even more devastating. What could possibly be more devastating than nuclear warfare? Concerning Jesus Christ, Colossians 1 tells us that all things were made and are held together by Him. Now, because Coulomb’s “Law of Electricity” says that like charges repel, what keeps the positive-charged protons in every atom from pushing apart? With no better explanation, scientists call it “atomic glue.” We, however, know that by Him all things hold together, that He upholds all things with the Word of His power (Heb_1:3). But there will come a day when He lets goand with one gigantic boom everything will be wiped out, obliterated, done away with in the Day of the Lord.

2 Peter 3:11

If everything we strive for materially will explode eventually, what should be our priority? Rabbi Chaim Herzog, a prominent scholar and lover of the Torah lives in the old section of Jerusalem in a small apartment containing only a chair, desk, and bed. “Rabbi, is this your house?” asked a lady from New York who had come to visit him. “Yes,” replied the Rabbi. “Well, where is your furniture?” The Rabbi looked at this wealthy American lady and said, “Where’s your furniture?” “I didn’t bring my furniture,” she said. “I’m just traveling.” “Ah,” the Rabbi smiled, “so am I.” The message of Scripture from cover to cover is that we’re pilgrims and sojourners on this earth. Yes, God can bless us with cars and housesbut we’re not to make them high priorities because they’re just going to burn, dissipate, and dissolve. “Keep your eyes on the big picture,” says Peter. “Look for the coming Day of God.”

2 Peter 3:12

The flavor of the Greek text is that we don’t look for the Day of God passively, but that we actually have the ability to speed it along. “I thought God was sovereign,” you say. He is, but in Scripture we see a sovereign God affected and impacted by His people and their cooperation… Before entering the Promised Land, the children of Israel sent twelve spies to check it out. And because they chose to retreat in fear rather than advance in faith, they were destined to wander in the wilderness for forty years (Numbers 13). The children of Israel actually slowed down God’s timetable by forty years. “Yet forty days and Nineveh shall be destroyed,” Jonah declared. But the people repented, and God chose not to destroy the city (see Jonah 3). Yes, God is sovereign. Yes, God is in control. But He factors in to His sovereign plan the attitudes and cooperation of man. Knowing this, Peter says we can hasten His return. Are you tired of death and disease and depression? Have you had your fill of sadness and sickness and sin? If so, there are two ways you can hurry the day when righteousness will rule the earth. First, the Day of God is hastened by our prayer. In teaching us to pray, Jesus taught us to ask that His kingdom come (Mat_6:10). This is precisely what one who heard Him teach that prayer did. At the end of the Book of Revelation, Jesus said, “Behold, I come quickly"to which John responded in prayer, “Even so, Lord, come quickly.” The same is still true. Prayer influences the timing of Godincluding the coming of the kingdom. Second, the Day of God is hastened as we share. According to Act_2:47, the Lord adds daily to the church such as should be saved. Thus, there is someone who is the last one to be added to the church to complete the bride of Christ. And when that last one gets saved, the body of Christ will be complete, and we’ll go up. Consequently, as we witness, share, and invite people to be a part of the family and make a decision for Jesus Christwe actually bring closer the day of His return. But the benefits of hastening the day are not limited to future times. Rather, this kind of living and thinking has benefits now, as it produces within us three important qualities… Purity. 1Jn_3:3 tells us that he who looks for Jesus’ coming purifies himself. It’s amazing how careful a person drives when he looks in his wallet and realizes his license has expired. So, too, it’s amazing how purity will characterize the life of one who believes this could be the day, this could be the hour of Christ’s return. Peace. The one who looks for the Lord’s coming takes a whole lot more things a whole lot less seriously. In other words, the one who looks for the Lord’s coming is not uptight about the scratch in his car, the bruise to his ego, or the slight at the office because he sees the bigger picture of eternity. Purpose. The life of the one who looks for the Lord’s coming, who is involved in the work of the kingdom, is neither boring, predictable, nor routine. If you feel that your life is simply going in circles, it could be because you’ve lost sight of your purpose. Hasten the day, gang, by your prayer and as you share. Live for eternity, and you’ll find unparalleled purity, purpose, and peace.

2 Peter 3:13

Taken from Isa_65:17, the Hebrew word translated “create” is bara and refers to the act of creating something from nothing. The new heavens and new earth are not a remodeled or renovated version of the present. No, they’re brand new. Flight to Heaven A Topical Study of 2Pe_3:13 If heaven is real, then that is all that really matters; but if heaven is not real, then nothing really matters at all. It’s all about heaven. That’s not just my conclusion. Inspired by the Spirit, Paul said, “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable” (see 1Co_15:19). The passage before us deals with heaven, even as the events one week dealt with heaven… I had decided to teach on the subject of the shortness of life to the one hundred or so in attendance at Applegate Christian Fellowship’s Family Camp on Washington’s beautiful San Juan Islands. So we joined the children of Israel on their camping journey as we looked at Exodus 12-17… Following their release from Egypt, the first place the Lord directed the children of Israel to stop was Succoth, or “Tent Town"a place that would have reminded them not to take this life too seriously because they were only passing through. It was at stop number two, Etham, which means “hat Now?” that God told them He would lead them with a cloud by day and a fire by night. Stop number three found them camped between Mount Pi-hahiroth and Migdol with their backs to the Red Sea. It was there that God said, “You might complain and wonder, question and murmur, but I will put you in whatever box you need to be in to let other people see My reality and My power” (see Exo_14:3). After crossing the Red Sea, the children of Israel stopped at Marah, or “Bitter,” where, after drinking bitter water, they were instructed by God to throw a tree into the waterwhereby it became sweet. The tree in Scripture being a picture of the Cross of Calvary, this account leads me to say, “Although the situation I’m in might seem bitter presently, I know the Lord will make it sweet eventually.” Stop number five was at Elam, where seventy palm trees and twelve wells provided an oasis for no other reason than simply to bless the children of Israel. Stop number six led from the place of blessing to the “Wilderness of Sin,” from which we get the word “Sinai.” With nothing to eat, the children of Israel murmured and complained, until the Wordthe mannacame down and fed their souls. This is a potent reminder that even when we journey through the wilderness, it’s the Word, the Word, the Word that feeds our souls. At stop number seven, Rephidim, a war broke out between the Israelites and the Amalekites. As Moses went to the mountain and held up his hands in prayer, Joshua and the Israelite solders were victorious. But when his hands became heavy, the Amalekites would gain the advantage. So, standing on either side of Moses, Aaron and Hur held up his hands, and the Israelites prevailed. “Life is short,” I said, concluding my teaching that Friday morning. “We’re just passing through. We don’t belong here. We’re going to heaven. And we need one another to hold up our hands along the way.” Five minutes later, we heard the news that in the early morning hours, Kellya wonderful brother whose smile lit up any room he enteredhad taken off in his plane in order to get home before the predicted clouds rolled in. And twenty-year-old Ryanan incredibly gifted young manfelt compelled to accompany him. But for reasons we don’t understand, the plane exploded mid-flight. So there we satKelly’s widow and Ryan’s parentson the bench where I had only moments earlier concluded our time together in the Word. Suddenly, all of the studies I had shared concerning life being short, the mystery of the Red Sea for God’s sovereign purposes and plan, the clouds and the pillar of fire, experiences that could produce bitterness if we allowed them to, and hands that hang down unless propped up in intercession, were no longer theoretical. Driving home through the night with Ryan’s parents, I thought, Lord, what do I say this morning in Applegate’s amphitheatre to a group of people who are hurting? But as I opened the text, the answer was in front of me, for I realized that in the fire and explosion of the previous night, Kelly and Ryan had simply taken an early flight to heaven. Heaven. Peter tells us we are to look forward to heaven. Yet the Bible doesn’t really say much about it. I suggest a couple of reasons for this… The strongest instinct in man is survival. But the beauty of heaven can overcome and overpower even that strongest of instincts. Therefore, I believe Christians would be committing suicide to get there if heaven were understood clearly. I believe the second reason the Bible doesn’t speak very much about heaven is because it’s impossible for us to comprehend the fifth dimension (1Co_2:9). Suppose I gave you a blank piece of paper with a dot on it. How long would it hold your attention? Maybe a second. A dot is boring because it’s one-dimensional. But suppose I make it two-dimensional. Suppose I add a series of circles and lines so that it resembles the face of a man.

That would be a little more interesting, but you’d still be bored with that after a short time. But what if I made it three-dimensional, not just a dot or a picture, but a statuea Michelangelo statue of David. Although that would definitely be more intriguing, you would eventually tire of it. But how much more interesting than three dimensions is the fourth onetime and space. If you could actually talk to Michelangelo, your interaction with him would be infinitely more interesting than any picture or statue could be. But there’s a fifth dimensiona dimension we have not seen, cannot hear, and do not understand. It’s called eternity, and it’s going to make this life look like a dot on a piece of paper. Paul was given a sneak preview of coming attractions. And it was after he was given a glimpse of heaven that he declared, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (see Php_1:21, emphasis mine). This one, who had perhaps the greatest command of language in history, was left speechless in his attempt to describe what he had seen there (2Co_12:4). Therefore, on the basis of the Word of God, I promise you that Kelly and Ryan are not saying, “Is this it?” No, they’re saying, “This is it!” They’re not saying, “Why?” They’re saying, “Wow! Truly, this is the place of righteousnessfor this is the right way, the right moment, and the right place for us to be.”

2 Peter 3:14

We know Jesus is coming back, but there are many who don’t have a peace about His coming because they know they are not spotless and blameless. Understand, dear saint, that in Luk_12:37 we hear Jesus saying, “Blessed are those servants whom the Lord when He cometh shall find watching.” Therefore, if you are simply watching for His coming, if you are tired of this world system’s sin and corruption and want to see the Lord rule and reign at lastit is you the Lord calls blessed. Many years ago when we went to see the Oakland A’s play, upon entering the stadium, Ben, seven, and Mary, eight, were given free wristbands with their names and seat numbers on them. As we made our way into the stands, we turned around to see Mary wasn’t with us. We looked and looked for her untilafter about ten minutesone of the ushers brought her to the seat number printed on her wristband. When we were reunited, did we yell at her? No. Did we come down on her? No. Did we say, “Mary, you are spotted and full of blame. Depart, Mary. Away with you!” No. For although she had wandered off, although she had become mixed up, all she really wanted was to be with Mommy and Daddy. So with tears in her eyes, we embraced her, sat her down between us, and bought her some popcorn, a hotdog, and a some cotton candy. So, too, if your heart is like Mary’s, if you simply say, “Yes, I wandered away, but what I really want is to be with You, Father"don’t you know He is going to embrace you as tightly as we embraced Mary? “Wait a minute,” you say. “The text says not only are we to look for Him, but we are to be found of Him in peace, without spot and blameless.” That’s true. And the only way we can be found of Him in peace without spot and blameless is to be found in Him. The great news of the gospel is that the moment you became a Christian, you were positioned in Christ (2Co_5:17). Consequently, when the Father looks at you, He doesn’t see you. He sees the spotless and blameless One, Jesus Christ. And no one embodied the reality of this truth better than Peter… When Jesus called to Peter fishing on the Sea of Galilee in direct violation of the command He had given him to remain in Jerusalem, Peter couldn’t swim to shore fast enough. And when he got there, did Jesus lecture Peter, berate Peter, humiliate Peter? No. He served Peter (Joh_21:12-13). Will Jesus be mad at you when He comes? Not if, like Peter, you’re saying, “Lord, even though I’m out to lunch, drifting out to sea, fishing where I ought not be, I still want to be with You.”

2 Peter 3:15

Peter and Paul had an interesting relationship. In Galatians 2, we read that Paul rebuked Peter for his failure to fellowship with Gentiles when fellow Jews were present. Here, Peter tells us that Paul’s writings are hard to understand. With different callings and different methodsPeter called to primarily minister to Jewish believers, Paul to GentilesPeter and Paul illustrate what is to take place in and through the body of Christ as we find both unity and diversity in Him. “Wrest” means “to torture” or “to distort.” Those who twisted Paul’s words were his enemies, the legalists, who accused Paul of telling people to sin in order that grace might abound (Rom_6:1). There are those who contend that it was not until centuries later that the church recognized Peter’s, James’, or Paul’s writings to be inspired. But such is not the case, for in placing Paul’s writings on the same plane as “the other Scriptures,” Peter knew they were equally inspired.

2 Peter 3:17

While it is true that belief affects behavior, it is equally true that behavior affects belief. For example, the more you study evolution, the more you become aware of its scientific absurdity. But people continue to buy into it because believing they are nothing more than animals allows them to justify their own animal behavior. Peter says, “I know you know the truth. But be careful because if you choose to live in carnality, you will eventually change your theology to justify your sin.”

2 Peter 3:18

Peter closes not by saying, “Grow in devotion,” or, “Grow in zeal,” or “Grow in holiness.” He closes by saying, “Grow in grace” because grace is not the starting point. Grace is the only point. Grow in Grace A Topical Study of 2Pe_3:18 This article in the paper caught my attention… “Author Hyason Has Bummer of a Summer” This hasn’t been the best of summers for Carl Hyason, the most acclaimed novelist from South Florida since John D. McDonald invented the place thirty years ago. First, there were critical slams and sparse audiences for a much-hyped film of one of his novels. Then Warner Books printed 530,000 paperbacks of his latest crowd-pleaser, Stormy Weather, and left out the epilogue. Many of these copies have been sold over the past month. Hardly anyone has complained that this well-received comic novel about a major hurricane hitting Florida was lacking a certain something, according to the publisher. But Hyason pointed out in a phone interview from his Florida Keys home, “How could they complain if they didn’t know the epilogue was supposed to be there in the first place?” Hyason’s frustration is understandable in light of how much consideration authors give to a closing chapter, a final sentence, a last word. As an author, Peter was no exception. And what does this physical and spiritual giant of a man say in the final words he ever penned? He says, “Grow.” “Good admonition, Peter,” I would say. “Good closing. Tell the people to grow in holiness, to grow in discipline, to grow in theological knowledge, to grow in zeal.” But that’s not what Peter says. He says, “Grow in grace.” Why? Because such is the heart of the Holy Spirit. Paul said something similar when, in his own last words to the church, he said, “Grace be with you” (2Ti_4:22). In fact, the last words of the entire Bible being, “the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all” (Rev_22:21), whether in Peter’s epistles, Paul’s letters, or the Bible in its entiretythe final word is grace. What is grace? Grace is unmerited favor, undeserved kindness, unearned blessing. Grace is God giving to us not because of what we do, but in spite of what we’ve done. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.Eph_2:8-9 As it is written, “There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.“Rom_3:10-11 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.Joh_1:12-13 Grace is ours not because we earned it, not because we willed it, not because we were born into it, but because God chose to be kind to us for no reason whatsoever. Too many people think that after they’re saved by grace, it’s up to them to earn God’s blessings. But the heart of Peter, as seen here at the end of his epistle, says otherwise. Why? Perhaps it is because of the grace he himself received… “Lord, though all others forsake you, I never will,” he declared, cock-sure of himself. “Before the cock crows twice, you’ll deny me three times,” Jesus answered (Mar_14:72). “I’m going to Jerusalem, where I will be crucified,” Jesus said. “Not so,” argued Peter. “Get thee behind me, Satan,” Jesus replied (see Mat_16:23). “Bid me come unto Thee on the water,” said Peter to Jesus in the storm. “Come,” said Jesus. “Lord, save me,” said Peter when he began to sink (see Mat_14:28-30). “I’m going fishing,” Peter said in direct opposition to the Lord’s command to stay in Jerusalem (see Joh_21:3). “Feed My sheep,” Jesus said nonetheless (see Joh_21:17). During the three and a half years he lived and walked with Jesus, Peter was a recipient of repeated, continual, abundant grace. And as a result, he tells us to grow in grace. How? Peter gave us the answer in chapter 2 of his first epistle when he said, “Desire the sincere milk of the Word that you may grow thereby” (1Pe_2:2). The writer to the Hebrews tells us that milk, unlike meat, deals with the first principles of salvation (Heb_5:12). Thus, the implication is that although our knowledge of the Word and of the Lord is to expand, we are not to leave the basics of our salvation; we are not to forget what Jesus did on the Cross; we are not to forsake the table of Communion, where we are reminded over and over and over again that Jesus died for us. We grow by remembering what Christ did for us continually. We grow by partaking of grace daily. In 2 Kings, we see an Old Testament picture of the New Testament principle of grace… When he came into power as the nineteenth king of Judah, Jehoiachin was eighteen years old. Although his name meant “The Lord Will Establish,” Jehoiachin did exceedingly evil in the eyes of the Lordso much so that the prophet Jeremiah thundered this curse upon him: “Coniah (another name for Jehoiachin) shall have no descendants sit upon the throne forever and ever” (see Jer_22:24-30). In the third month of Jehoiachin’s reign, Nebuchadnezzar marched on Judah, captured Jehoiachin, and threw him into a Babylonian prison, where he remained for thirty-six yearsuntil Nebuchadnezzar was succeeded by a man named Evil-Merodach, whose name means “Rebellion Is Foolish.” And Scripture records that Evil-Merodach spoke graciously to Jehoiachin. “I’m going to replace your prison stripes with royal robes,” he said. “You will sit with me in the palace, dine with me at my table, and receive money from my hand” (see 2Ki_25:29-30). And that’s where the story, as well as the Book of 2 Kings ends. What caused Evil-Merodach to speak graciously, to robe Jehoiachin royally, to provide food for him daily? Some scholars suggest it was because he himself had been a prisoner. Others surmise that he acted graciously because of his belief in the God of Daniel, who was also on the scene at the same time. I, however, believe the fact that the Bible is silent concerning the reason for Evil-Merodach’s kindness is because there wasn’t a reason. It was pure grace. You see, we are Jehoiachin. Over and over, we turn our backs upon our good, gracious Lord and end up imprisoned by the very things we thought were so cool. But God in His matchless grace comes to us, provides for us, and welcomes us into His presence. Why does the Lord speak kindly to us? Why would He robe us with His righteousness? Why will He lift us up and allow us to rule and reign with Him? There is no other reason than grace. We were foolish in rebellion, yet He establishes us in grace. And all that remains is for us to say, “Thank You, Lord, for being so kind to me. Thank You for providing so graciously. Thank You for Your promises to me. To You be the glory.” The Christian life is all about grace, grace, amazing grace. Therefore, may the grace of our Lord be with you. Amen.