The world is swirling in chaos. Even secular writers admit this, as they try to report and analyze what is going on around them. Beyond the normal day-to-day violence that appears just about everywhere, there is something more perverse, more dangerous that lurks in the headlines of the day. So many moving pieces globally that one is left a bit mystified as to what it all means.
Why would people blow themselves up in the middle of a crowd? Why would one nation threaten to annihilate another? Why would our own government be so publically divided? Who gains from all of this? Is there an agenda that we cannot see? Do world leaders really understand the geo-political dynamics and make wise decisions?
From my point of view, we live in a world that is spiritually ignorant, morally corrupt, globally naïve, sociologically confused, ethically compromised, economically enslaved, and politically polarized. People pride themselves on having a religion. But, when one questions them about the ontology of their religion, we are left scratching our heads. Philosophically, they have built their beliefs on air. Even confessing Christians fall into this trap.
They cannot express what they believe and more importantly why they believe it. Not that everyone has to be a philosopher. But, when God from the very beginning answers the three most important questions in our existence and one cannot begin to verbalize a response, I am left to wonder, what have we believed, whom have we believed and what difference has it made in our lives.
In the very beginning of the Bible God makes it clear. I am created for Him. I am created to serve Him and I am not alone. (for more on this, see Divine Design) We are spiritually ignorant.
Even as I read articles by men and women who lead nations, I am left wondering if they actually understand the world they live in, or are they simply making politically expedient decisions. We are overwhelmed with politically expedient decisions, decisions made with arguments like, “we had no choice,” or “compromise brought unity,” or "what might happen if we left them angry?”
But, in the end, history too often shows that political expediency simply postpones an ending far more violent than it would have been if the people who lead us actually had a better grip on history and what it teaches us.
We too as individuals often live in the microcosm of our relatively small worlds and fail to take a look at the larger picture in the world.
In times of such swirling chaos, I find comfort in knowing that God has already fixed the end of the story of time! 2 Peter 3:1-15 describes God’s sovereignty over time. Moreover, it leaves us with the clear assurance that history ultimately dances to the sound of divine design.
Peter begins his encouragement to us with a call to remember. Remember the predictions and the commandments. “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.”
Our faith is built upon the commandments that our Lord. Jesus gives us about all that we need to know, be and do, to live out the life that God has made available to us in Him.
His commandments are not burdensome, for they are life. They are built upon the payment that Jesus Himself has made for our sin. They bring freedom from sin, and life to God. They are built upon the design of righteous living that God the Father has for us. They are built upon the residency of the Holy Spirit who now lives inside of us, giving the power to live as God has designed. Search out, meditate upon, and remember the commandments that Jesus left us.
Remember too the predictions that God gave to the Old Testament prophets. So many have come to be just as He promised, and few remain to be fulfilled! If as Jesus says in Matthew 24, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”
Then, as one who studies the history of the missionary movement of the Church over the last 2,000 years, I can affirm that the Gospel has indeed been made available to every nation on earth. For some time now, I have believed that there is no person on earth who is not geographically accessible to groups of Jesus followers.
By this I do not mean that they are close because someone can get on a plane and be there in a relatively few short hours. But, there are groups of Christians, probably in their own nation, but at least in their own region. And, this is to say nothing of the accessibility to the Gospel that radio, TV, Video, Internet, etc. has created.
Of course, I must also admit that since Jesus has not yet returned, it must mean that there are still people tucked away in these places that are to come to faith. But, I for one would have no possible “argument” with God, about “lost” people, if Jesus were to return today.
We are to remember the predictions and the commandments, because the world is not going to be a comfortable place for Christians. Peter says that in the last days, the final stage of things that God has set in place, scoffers will come and they will question the core of our message.
The core critique that will arise from their distorted view is the question about Jesus, “Where is the promise of his coming?” In this doubt, I see three important things that they are scoffing at. First, that there is a God who has revealed Himself. Second, that there is a record about Himself that He has left for us to know Him. And, third, that He had a Son who came once to redeem us, and will come again to fully liberate us.
Peter wants us to realize that these people are motivated by their own sinful nature and take a distorted backwards view of history; a view that because it is not seen through the lens of Scripture sees history without God. When one does not look back down the corridor of history through the revelation that we see in the Bible, anything is possible.
The fathers who left them this history were themselves pagans. They worshiped birds of the air, trees of the jungle and stars in the sky. Without the revelation of God in the Bible, men and women are left to their own devices. So we are not surprised about what they see, or more importantly don't see!
Peter has a stern encouragement to us. Don't let this worry your faith. These people who cannot see history in the fullest sense of Scripture, the story that God Himself tells, have blinders.
They fail to see that God made the world and put a witness of accountability and judgment in it. “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.”
God has held the world under judgment waiting for a day of destruction. The fact that He has not yet judged it, does not mean that He will not judge it!
He is not in a hurry. Something else besides judgement is moving Him, therefore history!
Mercy is moving history! “The Lord does not delay his promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance.”
But, the promised day of judgment will come, and when it does:! It will come like a thief, unannounced ! It will be instantaneous, like the sound of an arrow, with a roar! It will be intense, like the heat of a fever! It will be complete, the very molecules will come undone ! !
Since we know the end of the story, what kind of people ought we to be?! Holy, set apart!
Godly, acting like His children! Anticipating that day, waiting with active eagerness.
Advancing that day by expanding His kingdom, through extending His message, hastening!
Conclusions!
According to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells!
God has great patience for the world, looking to bring many to salvation.
In the meanwhile we who are still alive embrace His promise and are waiting for the new heaven and earth because that is where there is only righteousness!
The promise of God stays central to our view of all things now even as we wait for Christ' s return!
Full righteousness for us awaits the new heaven and the new earth!
Now day I am reading book of revelation. This post so encouraged me.