Christians look forward to Christ's return (vs 14)
- Peter assumes if you're a believer, you are waiting and looking forward to Christ's return.
- “Waiting” means anticipating, expecting, and turning your mind towards something.
1. Christians make an effort to live righteous lives (vs 14)
- If you look forward to perfect righteousness in the new heaven and earth, you will want to be righteous
- Diligence implies hurrying with intense effort and energy.
- We make an effort because we are saved, not to be saved.
- “Spot or blemish” refers to our purity, character, and reputation.
- If we genuinely look forward to Christ’s return, we will strive to be pure.
“He has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him," - Colossians 1:22
“Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” - 1 Thessalonians 5:23
2. Christians have peace (vs 14)
- Christians don’t need to be afraid or anxious about Christ’s return
“Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing." - 2 Timothy 4:8
3. Christians are thankful that God is patient with us (vs 15)
“We are puzzled at the longsuffering which causes so weary a delay. One of the reasons is that we have not much longsuffering ourselves. We think that we do well to be angry with the rebellious, and so we prove ourselves to be more like Jonah than Jesus. A few have learned to be patient and pitiful to the ungodly, but many more are of the mind of James and John, who would have called fire from heaven upon those who rejected the Savior. We are in such a hurry.” - Spurgeon
"Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?” - Romans 2:4
“The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love” - Psalm 103:8
4. Christians shouldn’t be ignorant of Scripture (vs 16)
- Some things are hard to understand, but this doesn’t give us an excuse for neglecting to study God’s Word.
- Peter calls Paul’s letters Scripture!
5. God will destroy those who twist his Word
6. Christians are on guard (vs 17)
- Forewarned is forearmed!
- Take care means being cautious, watching, and being on alert.
“Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.” – Acts 20:28-30
7. Christians are not seduced by the world (vs 17)
- Being “carried away” implies being led astray or seduced.
8. Christians are steadfast (vs 17)
- Stability or “steadfastness” means being firm, loyal, faithful, and determined in your beliefs
9. Christians want to grow (vs 18)
- Growing implies a passionate pursuit of God.
- Our lifestyle should be defined by spiritual growth.
- Trees with shallow roots are easily uprooted, and a car stuck in neutral isn’t doing what it is designed to do.
“The antidote to deception and destruction is growth in the grace and knowledge of Christ” – John Piper
- Grace is unmerited
- Grace is getting a good thing we do not deserve.
“The life of Christianity consists of possessive pronouns. It is one thing to say, "Christ is a Savior"; it is quite another thing to say, "He is my Savior and my Lord." The devil can say the first; the true Christian alone can say the second.” – Martin Luther
- Growing in knowledge means subjecting yourself to and studying God’s truth.
“Conversion was not a destination for the early Christians; it was the beginning of a journey. In [the early church], faith was for each believer a beginning, not a bed in which to lie while waiting for the Lord’s triumph. Believing was not a once-done act. It was an attitude of heart and mind that inspired and enabled the believer to follow the Lord wherever He went.” – A.W.Tozer
You were created to glorify God.
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