Section 14 – 2 Peter 3:14-16
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. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
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 done in it will be laid bare.
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, where righteousness dwells.
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. 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. (NIV)
Questions
● (v14) Look back at verse13. What are Peter’s dear friends looking forward to? Are you also looking forward to this event in time? Why or why not? What are we as believers to make every effort to do? How much effort are you really putting into this? How could you put more effort into it?
● (v15a) What does Peter ask believers to keep in mind? What is God doing to allow more people to come to salvation? What should our response be to God’s patience?
● (v15b) Who does Peter refer to in this verse? How does Peter describe him? What did Paul also write about? What did God give Paul?
● (v16) What do some people do with Paul’s letters? How does Peter describe these people? What is their outcome? What does Peter recognize as Scripture?
● What is something from our passage or study you are challenged to ponder further this week?
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Suggested Prayer: Lord Jesus, I am looking forward to your new heaven and new earth where righteousness dwells. Give me strength and desire to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with you my Lord. I know that your patience in coming means salvation for more who are lost in this world. Thank you for the scriptures that the apostle Paul also wrote concerning salvation and your plan for mankind. Help me to understand and handle your scriptures well and never be deceived by those who might distort the message contained in them. Amen
Passage for reference:
Matthew 24:42-51
42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
45 “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46 It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. 47 Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48 But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ 49 and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. 50 The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. 51 He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
The Brotherhood Mission Statement:
“Discipling men of all ages in their pursuit of loving God
with all their hearts, all their lives.”