10 Sep The Christian Scoffers and Environmentalists are Wrong
2 Peter 3:1-10 – This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.
As he closes his second and final book of the Bible, knowing he will die soon (2 Peter 1:12-15), Peter reminds us how God works in history.
First, as the first preacher at the beginning of earthly history, God created the world by the power of His Word. In Genesis 1, we are told 10 times that “God said” and then creation comes into existence from nothing in obedience to God. Hebrews 11:3 says, “By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.”
Second, as the last preacher, God will begin eternal history by the power of His Word.
Today, we live in the middle of history between the first creation and the New Creation. Because scoffers and mockers in every age say that it’s been so long there is no way Jesus is coming back with Heaven and hell, Christians need to be stirred up to keep marching forward in faith. What seems as slowness to us is, in fact, patience with God. God, who is eternal and outside of time, does not view or experience time as we do. Additionally, God is patiently waiting to see as many people saved from sin and death as possible. Today, His priority should be our priority and we should be seeking to see as many people meet Jesus as possible while there is still time to be saved.
God has never been in much of a rush, Peter says. God waited roughly 1600 years from Adam to Noah to judge the world by water. Today, God has waited roughly 2000 years from Jesus’ resurrection to judge the world by fire.
When God’s timing is right, God promises a New Heaven, New Earth, and New Jerusalem occupied by you in a new body which, together, is called the New Creation.
Isaiah 65:17 says, “I create new heavens, and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind.” Revelation 21:1-2 says, “I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.”
Indeed, we need to practice care for creation as a gift from God just as we do our bodies. But the Bible is clear that before all the natural resources are depleted, and human life cannot be sustained on the planet, God will hit the reset button on everything and everything forever.
What are the things scoffers say about Christianity that bother you the most? Why?
To download the free e-book Power Under Pressure which is a study in 2 Peter for individuals, groups, and families from Pastor Mark click HERE. To listen to Pastor Mark’s 4 sermons on 2 Peter preached in the summer of 2020, visit legacy.realfaith.com. These and other resources are made possible by our ministry partners who support Real Faith as a Bible teaching ministry of Mark Driscoll Ministries to whom we say THANK YOU!
