Steadfast Day 16: 2 Peter 3:10-13

Read 2 Peter 3:10-13.

Ponder

While Peter wanted his readers to understand God’s character, he also wanted them to understand—with certainty—that the Day of the Lord would come. It wasn’t a possibility or something that might happen; Jesus would return to judge the wicked and vindicate the righteous—and it would be a fearful and terrible day. 

Peter gave us some important information about the Day of the Lord in today’s verses, so let’s examine what he revealed.

• The Day of the Lord is certain.“The day of the Lord will come like a thief,” Peter wrote in verse 10. In other words, the Day of the Lord is certain, but it will come when his readers least expect it. Remember that Peter was writing to a church dealing with false teachers who taught that Christ would not return. In response, Peter is telling them that while the false teachers call the Day of the Lord into question and circumstances and God’s long delay may seem to suggest it will never happen, you can be certain it will. The implication, then, is that his readers would be ready and prepared, no matter when it happened.
  

• His return will be unmistakable and end the world as we know it. Peter explains that three things will happen when Christ returns in judgment: “the heavens will pass away with a loud noise,” “the elements will burn and be dissolved,” and “the earth and the works on it will be disclosed” (v. 10b). In other words, every part of the world has been damaged by sin, and every part of the world will be judged. The physical world as we know it will be destroyed, and nothing and no one will escape judgment. But the promise is clear: he will create a new heaven and a new earth (v. 13, Rev. 21:1).
  

• The certainty of the Day of the Lord has implications for how we live. Christ’s return and a final judgment are certain, but believers have a responsibility to live “holy and godly lives” (v. 12) while they wait. The false teachers were seemingly teaching that it didn’t matter how you lived because Jesus wasn’t coming back anyway, so go ahead and indulge in your passions and desires. But Peter stressed just the opposite: Because Christ will return and create a new heaven and a new earth, how you live now matters. Believers are called to live in a way that looks forward to Christ’s return and anticipates it, spending the time they have on earth in ways that honor and glorify him. We are called to holy, set apart lives that aren’t ruled by passions or desires but rather a desire to obey God. The world may proclaim, “You only live once!” but Peter’s reminder is that we are made for eternity, and our present lives and how we live them matter to God.
  

• The Day of the Lord is about more than the destruction of life as we know it. Peter made it very clear that the Day of the Lord is a day of judgment, when God’s righteousness and wrath against sin will leave no square inch of the earth untouched. But if that were the end of the story, what hope would we have as believers? In verse 13, Peter reminded his readers that while the Day of the Lord would be terrible for the ungodly, it is the start of a new chapter and a new reality for believers. God will create a new heaven and a new earth—and for those of us who are weary of the sin in our own hearts and lives and the world around us, it will be a place where righteousness dwells. Sin and its consequence, death, will be destroyed (1 Cor. 15:26), and we will enjoy the fullness and reality of our salvation in a perfect, whole relationship with the Father, made possible only by Christ’s perfect life, death and resurrection.  

Sometimes, when we read these final verses of 2 Peter, it can feel like a dystopian novel. Utter destruction, judgment, a destroyed world and a new heaven and a new earth—it’s easy to feel scared or confused when we come to this portion of Scripture. But if you are a believer, Peter’s message is simple: Christ’s return is not up for debate; it is certain. And we must live our lives in expectation of it, choosing holiness and godliness because our time on this earth is limited. We can spend our lives on fulfilling every passing passion or desire, which will burn up in the fire of judgment, or we can focus on the things that last for all eternity: godliness, holiness and obedience. 

Which will you choose today? 

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Journal

• Take some time to think about your daily life, the things you devote your time, money and attention to. What are you spending your life on, eternal things or things that won’t last? 

• How do you feel when you read passages like this that describe judgment? Ask God, through the work of the Holy Spirit, to help you trust those emotions to him. Praying, asking him to shape your heart to look more like his. 

• We’re called to live with eternity in mind. What are some practical ways you can choose to value eternal things this week rather than invest in passing pleasures or worldly success that won’t last? 

• How would your life look different if you knew Jesus was returning tomorrow? How can you make some of those changes today, understanding the certainty of his return?