Resource Detail

LOOKING FORWARD TO A NEW HEAVEN AND A NEW EARTH

2 Peter 3:1-18

Key Verse: 3:13

But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.

Read verses 1-2. What is Peter’s purpose of writing both of his letters? (1) What does the author want us to recall? (2) 

Read verses 3-7. What kind of people will come in these last days and what will they be following? (3) What will they say about Jesus’ 2nd coming and what is their rational? (4) What do they deliberately forget about God’s word? (5, 6) By the same word what are the present heavens and earth reserved for? (7)

Read verses 8-10. What is the one thing Peter wanted his friends not to forget? (8) Why is God so patient with us? (9) How will the day of the Lord come and what will happen? (10)

Read verses 11-14. What kind of people ought we to be and what do we look forward to? (11b, 12a) What will the day of God bring? (12b) In keeping with his promise what are we looking forward to? (13) What should we make every effort to be? (14)

Read verses 15-18. What does our Lord’s patience mean? (15a) What did Paul write to us with?(15b) What do ignorant and unstable people do to Paul’s letters and other Scriptures and what do their actions lead to? (16) What are the two things Peter tells us to do? (17,18)

LOOKING FORWARD

2 Peter 3:1-18

Key verse 13

But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.

In today's passage Peter writes about looking forward to the new heaven and new earth, which he calls the home of righteousness. In keeping with his promise, which direction are we looking? Yes, forward. Not backward or to the left or to the right or even up, but forward. The new heaven and new earth is new. It means it is not like the old one. But everywhere we look we see the old one. So there may some mystery about it and we need help to stay forward looking so that we don’t only look at the old. But here Peter mentions that it is new and is called the home of righteousness. Based on this description we can see from the passage how to stay forward looking. I’d like to share five things from today’s passage.  

First, remember God’s word.

Look at verses 1-2.

[1] Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. [2] I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles.

Firstly, Peter wants us to remember God’s word so that to have wholesome thinking. 

Peter's letter has been focused around the word of God. In chapter 1 he says to "pay attention to it" (1:19). When we pay attention to the word of God then revelation comes. The light shines in our hearts. He emphasized that in his promises and the knowledge of him we have everything we need for life and to participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption of this world. From the Bible we can find his promises and get knowledge of him. The words "pay attention to it" mean that it does not happen at first glance, but we need to keep our eyes and heart focused on it and obey it. It is because our thinking has to be wholesome. In chapter 2 he warned against false teachings and their teachers.

We can be easily distracted and turn our attention away from the word of God. Sometimes we even get so distracted by trying to figure out of something is a distraction or not. We have so many thoughts always racing through our minds, so we need the word of God there to stimulate those thoughts to be wholesome and good for us. 

Have you thought about what you think about? Is it wholesome all the time? How often did you come to God’s word? I hope it is at least once a day in doing daily bread, like we learned about at the conference. Here we find another important reason for doing daily bread “daily” so that we can be stimulated to wholesome thinking. 

For example, we may think that as servants of God who work hard we should get recognition from others for our hard work. But in the recent daily bread from Luke's gospel Jesus said, beware of the teachers of the law who do such things. Rather than getting honor from God they will get severe punishment for becoming to selfish and ungodly and destructive--even though they were called teachers of the law. Remembering that passage through daily bread times stimulated me to wholesome thinking. Despite any position or title I may have, especially as a servant of God or bible teacher or shepherd, I am not immune to doing what is wrong. I have to watch myself closely. And I had to repent of wanting honor and recognition from others for hard work which I felt no one noticed or appreciated. Jesus gave the good example of a weak and needy widow who defied conventional wisdom and gave all she had to live on as an offering. Jesus was pleased with her, even though no one else knew what she was doing. 

When we don't remember the word of God there is nothing there to stimulate us to wholesome thinking, and so we will be led to very unwholesome and rebellious thinking. 

Look at verses 3-4.

[3] First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. [4] They will say, "Where is this `coming' he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation." 

When we don't remember the word of God, we think about evil desires so that we follow them. Here Peter mentions specifically about scoffing at Jesus' promise to come back.  

This one may be difficult to think about. Jesus promise to come back "soon", right? How do we guard ourselves against such scoffing? 

I thought about this one a lot. It comes to us more subtly than we might think. My second daughter was born one month ago. Looking at her, I thought about looking forward to her crawling, learning to say daddy, and even seeing grand kids like Jacob, who saw the third generation. My first daughter started kindergarten and I also was thinking about many things to look forward too. But I realized that I was looking forward to things without any connection to Jesus' promise. I am just like the scoffers who think about their lives going on just like everything has been going on "since the beginning of creation." I was looking forward to the wrong things and forgot God's word. Of course I will be led by evil desires then. 

Look at verses 5-7. 

[5] But they deliberately forget that long ago by God's word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. [6] By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. [7] By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.

He says they, “deliberately forget...” about God’s word, creation and destruction. They think that if they put it out of their minds, it will not be true. But when we think about the connection between the word of God and the world, we can see how sure his promise is. 

Peter reminds us that the world was made “by God’s word”. 

When we read Genesis 1, we learn this. Genesis 1:3 says, “And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” There was light because he said so. Genesis 1:9 says, “And God said, ‘Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.’ And it was so.” Again, God said something, and it was so. All of creation was done by God saying something and it being so. 

Psalm 33:8-9 says,

[8] Let all the earth fear the Lord;

    let all the people of the world revere him.

[9] 

For he spoke, and it came to be;

    he commanded, and it stood firm.

What God says is so. It is sure. His promise is good.

These scoffers also are mistaken because their idea of what has gone on “since the beginning of creation” is different from actual history. 

(2) Peter reminds us that at God’s command the world was also destroyed. He is referring to the flood of Noah’s day. When the world was destroyed by water only 8 people were saved--all Noah's family. People thought life will just keep going on as it had always, and then suddenly the rain started and floods poured down and only 8 survived. And Noah was saved because he believed God’s word and didn’t forget it. God told him in advance about the flood and gave him instructions on how to be saved by building an ark, and Noah obeyed everything the Lord commanded him.

Look at verse 7 again. 

“By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.”

“By the same word.” It means, it’s just as sure and good. Remember what Jesus said in Matthew 24:37-39. 

[37] As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. [38] For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; [39] and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.

Imagine that while Noah was walking into the ark, someone was walking down the aisle. They were both looking forward to two very different futures. This means that we can't look at the world to figure out what is going to happen. We have to remember God’s word. Our thinking has to be stimulated by remembering his word. The world is merely obedient to God's word. Rather than forgetting God's word, we ought to "deliberately forget" the world and remember his word, meaning to let the word of God be our foundation and guide. Then we can be prepared for Jesus' coming and the new heaven and new earth. I urge everyone to do daily bread until Jesus comes back. 

Second, understand God's patience. 

Look verses 8-9.

[8] But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. [9] The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

Peter wrote this letter sometime between 60-68AD. In just 30-40 years after Jesus ascended into heaven scoffers complained that he is slow in coming back. But Peter wants us to not forget that his sense of time is different from ours. If we can try to understand that about God, we can see that he understands our perception of time--better than we do. The real meaning is that he is patient: he doesn't want anyone to perish. Look who he is patient with: Peter says, “patient with you.” We are very patient with ourselves. We give ourselves a lot of time. By this we can understand better than his sense of time. To not perish people need to hear his word and come to repentance and faith in Jesus--and it takes time. He does not want “anyone” to perish but “everyone” to come to repentance.

When we remember this we also can be patient and know what we should do as we are waiting for him. Firstly, we ourselves have to repent. It is the very reason that he is patient with us. Also, we ought to do our best to bring others to repentance--and this requires patience too--great patience just like God’s. If God is this patience with us, then we should be this patient with those we are helping as we teach the word of God. We should follow the Lord’s example to be patient for others to come to repentance. We should not complain if someone doesn’t “change” even after 1 day, 1 year, 2 years, 3 years, or 10 years. We should be patient for a thousand years. How many times did you think about giving up on your campus? Be patient. 

I am very thankful to learn from this passage about the Lord's patience. The Lord's patience spans even thousands of years. I had not thought about his patience like this. Frankly speaking, it was irritating. I don't like to patient especially with those who are repeat offenders and who know what they should do. It is challenging because of pride. I found out that I am prouder than I thought. I could see how growing levels frustration and irritation were coming out of being impatient towards bearing fruit and towards fellow members. All of my frustrations came out of being impatient. I learned that I need to practice the Lord's patience. Even though it's been many years now, I have to keep being faithful on campus and care for my fellowship members. This verse says that his patience means salvation. I thought I had to push to bear fruit and be impatient, but the opposite is true. If I practice his patience then many can be saved. Even if it takes a day or years, there can be salvation.

Look at verse 10.

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.

Although the Lord is patient, he will come back. That day will come like a thief in the night, meaning, unexpectedly. So we have to be ready all the time. If we put off repentance and being patient then it will be too late. We should mean business in our discipleship. 

Third, make every effort to live holy and godly lives

Look at verses 11-14.

[11] Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives [12] as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. [13] But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. [14] So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.

Looking forward to his coming means to live holy and godly lives. If we say we have faith but live like those worthy of destruction--like a normal earthly life--then we will be destroyed with this earth. He says that we need to do this since everything will be destroyed in this way. 

In 1 Peter he talked a lot about being holy. It means to be like God, to follow his ways. Peter quoted from Leviticus, in which God says, “Be holy because I am holy.” It means to be as holy as God because he is holy, and not any degree or standard lower than his holiness. So we live like Jesus. We suffer for doing good like Jesus. We serve our priestly duty like Jesus--just as we are being built into a holy priesthood in him. That is not one of many lifestyles to choose from. That is how we should live as holy and godly. 

There's a phrase going around that says "YOLO." It means, "you only live once." You only live once is not an excuse or should not motivate you to seek pleasure and goof around and do what know you shouldn’t do. That's right, you only live once. That means you need to make it count why you have a life. You only have this one life to live to be right with him. Because there are two destiny's coming: destruction and life. And the way we live in this one life will determine where we go for the life to come. We need to make every effort to live holy and godly lives that are worthy of life with Jesus and not worthy of destruction.

So he then says here to make every effort to be found spotless and blameless and at peace with him. Peter says here to "make every effort" because he does not allow a few spots, or even one spot, or just a little blame, but he says to be found “spotless” and “blameless.” It is not automatic or without respect to how you live. We need to make every effort to be right with him. Not just some effort but “every” effort. Sometimes we are satisfied because we think we did "enough". "Oh, this is enough. At least I did this and that." But that kind of thinking is enemy to making every effort. 

If we think about Noah again, we remember that the bible describes him as "righteous, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God" (Genesis 6:9). He obeyed what God told him in regards to building the ark. He didn't stop or think it was good enough till it was done. And he was saved and his family was saved.

Consider also Abraham’s example. He had a son named Ishmael, but he was not supposed to have that son. He tried to compromise with God’s word. In Genesis 17, God told him, “Walk before me and be blameless.” Ishmael was blame on Abraham’s part. Abraham tried again to compromise and asked if Ishmael could live under God’s blessing. But God said no. It was not about whether Ishmael was his son or not or whether Abraham loved him. It was blame. And God told him to get rid of Ishmael. 

The day of the Lord will be destruction, but a new home. It is called “a new heaven and a new hearth, the home of righteousness.” It is first called “new.” It means that the fire and destruction that are coming will get rid of all the old things. They will be gone. Second, it is called the “home of righteousness.” All unrighteousness will also be gone and only righteousness will live there. We need righteousness. It is the chief characteristic of this new home. And this tells us that we need to live righteous lives now.  It will be the new life with God and all brand new without the old things. And this is why he says, “looking forward”. There is no looking back or to the left or to the right, because there will be nothing there to look at. It will all be gone. So we have to apply this forward thinking in our day to day lives. We shouldn’t wait for fire to come and get rid of unrighteousness. We have to repent and get rid of it when we hear the word of God today without looking back. 

Consider a whale. Notice where its eyes are. They are on the sides. It looks as if they can see both left and right at the same time, but not forward. We are different from whales. We are not whales that look two ways at one time. We are to look forward only. The things of old will be gone. We need to look forward to what is new and is lasting, which is from God. Repentance and getting ride of the our spots and blame is part of making every effort.

Look at verses 15-16.

[15] Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. [16] He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.

Making every effort will be hard. Even some bible passages are hard to understand. But he gave us his word to help us to be saved. So even if we don’t understand it fully, we should follow it and repent. God will give us understanding if we ask of him. 

Fourth, grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus. 

Look at verses 17-18a.

[17] Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. [18] But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

He says, "since you already know." He knew that they knew, yet he bothered them anyway. He wanted to tell them again. So please don’t mind others bothering you. We should keep listening and learning over and over again. 

We have to be on guard. We know this he refers to "lawless" people. It means those without the word of God and who do not obey it. 

"...fall from secure position" it's secure, but you can fall--not because of others but because of you. 

So, the way is by growing in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus. We have to keep growing and knowing Jesus and his grace. It means not through continuing in sinning, but in not sinning. In listening to his grace and expanding the knowledge of Jesus and making it meaningful and evident in our lives. So, it’s not just gaining more knowledge about Jesus, but growing in that knowledge of him, so that our lives are changing and being more productive and in accordance with his grace and knowledge of him, such as being patient as the Lord is patient, and being a priestly people, living godly lives.

Fifth, give him glory.

Look at the end of verse 18 again. “To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.”

We often want to see God’s glory. Moses asked to see God’s glory. Jesus said that if we believe we would see the glory of God. But we also have to give glory to God. Remember that Moses did not honor God. He did not give him glory. Instead, he gave him an attitude because he was mad at the Israelites. As a result, Moses could not enter the promised land, but Joshua led the people in. It’s one thing to see God’s glory, and it’s another to give him the glory. 

How do we give glory to God? First, we don’t try to get glory for ourselves. Peter says, “To him...” not “to us...” or “to me...” be the glory. Second, we honor and obey him. We’re going to study 1 Samuel on Sunday’s for a while. In 1 Samuel 2:30, the Lord says, “Those who honor me I will honor.” And we can see many stories of those who honored and obeyed the Lord, such as Hannah, Samuel, and David, and those who did not, such as Eli, his sons, and Saul. So we need to give him the glory both now and forever. 

To stay forward looking according to Jesus’ promise, Peter tells us five things: 1) Remember God’s word; 2) Understand his patience; 3) Make every effort to live holy and godly lives; 4) Grow in his grace and knowledge; and 5) Give him glory.

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