2 Peter 3:1-9

2 Peter 3:1-9 

The world is divided into two groups: those who align themselves with Jesus and those who do not. That division will grow more and more dramatic as time goes on. In this passage we see the promise of a coming judgment, the point at which the division between the two camps will be final and complete.

The return of Christ is the great hope for the faithful and is a point of mocking for the unbelieving world. In the preceding chapter, Peter addresses the false teachers that arise within the church and attempt to lead the faithful away. Here he refers to “mockers.” These people have the same motivation and the same beliefs but are outside of the church. We see this manifested today. Peter tells us that these mockers will attack two historical events as a way of denying a third. These mockers are most aggressive; the word mocker literally means to torture by mocking. The new atheists, such as Richard Dawkins, are a perfect example. The two historical events that these mockers deny are special creation and the worldwide flood in the time of Noah. The denial of these two is tied to the rejection of the belief that Christ will return. It is worth noting that in our day the mockers outside of the church and certain false teachers inside the church are in lockstep. What is called ‘liberal Christianity,’ and that is a poor description, is also in the habit of rejecting special creation and the flood of Noah. While this began as an attempt to conform Christian teaching to modern science, it often ends in the most serious and committed embrace of gross immorality. Long before liberal churches began to embrace homosexual behavior and marriage, they embraced a rejection of special creation and the flood. One cannot remain long faithful to the Lord once he has rejected God’s authority expressed for us in His Word.

Turning a blind eye to God’s intervention in history, the mockers look at the delayed return of the Lord as proof of his non-existence. In reality there is another explanation. The delay is to give ample opportunity for men to repent. It is not God's will for anyone to die outside of Christ. The delay, seen as evidence of non-existence by mockers, is actually evidence of God's love for them. Rejecting the means and opportunity of grace, they are truly hopeless. God's final intervention will be a purification by fire of the Earth. Does this mean the whole or only that polluted by man and the unredeemed? This is more than we can say. But we do know there is no escaping that judgment.

“Lord, help me be ready for the coming judgment. AMEN”