Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20120115.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
2 Peter: Effective Christian Growth For Combating Spiritual Apostasy
Part VIII: Living In View Of God's Truth Versus Our Era's False Teachings
(2 Peter 3:10-15a)
  1. Introduction
    1. False uniformitarian thinking, the view that "the cosmic processes of the present and the future can be understood solely on the basis of how the cosmos has operated in the past", a view that "rules out divine intervention" via "miracles," is behind Darwinian evolutionary thinking that so widely affects the world today, and counters belief in the divine inspiration of the Bible, Bible Know. Com., N. T., p. 875.
    2. Having exposed this thinking as erroneous in his 2 Peter 3:10-15a prophecy about it, Peter predicted that, opposite uniformitarianism, the universe will not continue indefinitely as it is errantly presumed to have done until now, but that it will be destroyed by God in a huge, miraculous catastrophe that has great implications for how we Christians are to live on this earth today (as follows):
  2. Living In View Of God's Truth Versus Our Era's False Teachings, 2 Peter 3:10-15a.
    1. Having described the uniformitarian error Peter predicted would rise, which ideology we now know is the underlying presupposition to Darwin's theory of evolution, Peter wrote the universe would not continue indefinitely as uniformitarians mockingly say in denying Christ's Second Coming, 2 Peter 3:10a, 3-4.
    2. Instead, "the day of the Lord," the "end-time events that begin after the Rapture and culminate with the commencement of eternity" (Ibid., p. 876-877), will come suddenly as a thief in the night, 2 Peter 3:10b.
    3. We know from other prophecies that what Peter describes in 2 Peter 3:10c will occur "at the end of the Millennium," and it will involve the heavens disappearing with a tremendous roar, and the elements of the universe, the stars, planets, asteroids, moons, etc., will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be (literally) "laid bare" (eurethesetai), Ibid., p. 877.
    4. The verb rendered "laid bare" (NIV, v. 10c) indicates that "everything will be exposed for what it really is," that the works of this earth, if performed only for this life, will be seen to be utterly vain, but that the works on earth performed in view of eternal values relative to godliness and the discipling of souls for Christ in eternity will be seen to be absolutely invaluable, Ibid.
    5. In view of this future colossal event, Peter's application to us believers is very important, 2 Pet. 3:11-15a:
      1. If everything tangible about us is going to be destroyed with this great catastrophic destruction by the Lord, Peter asked, "What kind of people ought you to be?" (2 Peter 3:11a NIV)
      2. He answered this question in 2 Peter 3:11b-15a, giving us specific, solemn direction on living:
        1. Awareness of this end of the universe requires us to live holy and godly lives, 2 Peter 3:11b, for the judgment of God on this sin-afflicted universe means that it will be replaced with a new universe in which God's righteousness will be at home, 2 Peter 3:12-13 NIV. It only follows that we should prepare ourselves to live in that righteous, new universe as separate from sin as godly people today!
        2. To clarify, Peter added that our awareness of this destiny requires us to "make every effort" (spoudasate) to be "spotless" (aspiloi, "without defect") and "blameless" (amometoi, "without moral defect") like a sacrificial animal with no blemish," 2 Peter 3:14a; Ibid.
        3. In so doing, we are to be at peace with the Lord, the Great God Who is going to destroy this universe and create a new, perfectly righteous one, 2 Peter 3:14b. This implies that a driving motivation behind our effort toward righteous living is to be reverence for the Lord in His great power and righteousness that will be expressed in destroying the old universe and creating the new!
        4. We must thus recall that, opposite false uniformitarian thinking, our Lord's patience in holding off this huge catastrophe is due to God's desire that people today be saved, 2 Peter 3:15a with 3:9.
Lesson: Opposite errant uniformitarianism in evolutionary theory, God will destroy this universe and all its works in a huge, catastrophic way, and He will create a new universe, the home of righteousness. Thus, in reverence for this awesome God, we must strive in His power to live spotlessly holy lives and focus on discipling others, the reason the Lord now withholds His destruction of this present universe!

Application: May we strive in God's power to live not for this futile world, but to live holy lives while also focusing on discipling people through Christ that they might join us in the new universe to come!