2 Peter 3:9

Verse Study: 2 Peter 3:9

“The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” – 2 Peter 3:9 

Let us start by looking at the first two verses in 2 Peter 3.

“Beloved, this is now the second letter I am writing to you in which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of a reminder, to remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles.” 2 Peter 3:1-2.

Peter is calling on the disciples to remember the words spoken by the prophets of old, as well as by Jesus Christ during His time here. One example is Daniel, where it is written,

“Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt. And those who have insight will shine like the glow of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.” Daniel 12:1-3.

And a second one is found in Zechariah.

“On that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west forming a very large valley. Half of the mountain will move toward the north, and the other half toward the south.” Zechariah 14:4.

Both of the above verses are quotes from Old Testament prophets. Then in the first chapter of Acts, two angels came and spoke to the disciples regarding Jesus’ ascension.

“And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were watching, and a cloud took Him up, out of their sight. And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, then behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them, and they said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.’” Acts 1:9-11.

Now, moving on to the next three verses, Peter tells them that in these last days, there will be many who will mock the true believers.

“Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.’ For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.” 2 Peter 3:3-7.

What I find most interesting is that we are seeing this today, which shows we are in the final days. But to be honest, there have always been people calling out that they see no proof of Jesus and His second coming, believing either there is no God at all and thus everything has always existed as stated by many so-called scientists, or they believe in false gods who, in their beliefs, had nothing to do with creation as it actually happened. And both these groups, either internally or externally, mock us for believing such a ‘ridiculous’ concept. Now by believing these false ideas, they refuse to accept the idea of everything being created by an infinite God, and the world back in the time of Noah being destroyed by a worldwide flood of water. Therefore, they do not accept what is mentioned in verse seven, that the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.

Now we came to verse 8.

“But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.” 2 Peter 3:8.

What is basically being said here is that what seems like forever in our view is but a short time in God’s view, just as an hour may seem to be an eternity for a child but a moment to an adult. We see this same image in the Book or Psalms.

“For a thousand years in Your sight are like yesterday when it passes by, or like a watch in the night.” Psalm 90:4.

God is infinite and we are finite. The Lord is not subject to time as we are. He regards a thousand years the way we might think of a 24-hour period or a single watch during the night. The “watch” refers to a shift covered by a guard. There were three nighttime watches/shifts, each one being four hours. During the night, most people did not notice the guard keeping watch because they were asleep. Similarly, a thousand years pass almost like they didn’t happen when compared to eternity.

Next, we come to our focus verse.

“The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9.

We see here that the only reason God has not yet raptured His people is His patience. He does not desire anyone to perish but that all would repent. This is the time God has given all people to get right with Him.

In the days of Noah, God said,

“My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.” Genesis 6:3.

There comes a time when even God’s patience with man will be ended. That day where the opportunity for grace is over and the unrepentant will face the awesome wrath of God. The world has heard this, and thus the scoffers will say, “Where is the promise of His coming?” These unrepentant people will use this question to renounce the idea of Jesus Christ coming here, also known as the  rapture of the church. God isn’t slack concerning the promise to come and take us to be with Him. He’s just patient, not wanting any to perish, but that all would repent and give themselves to God.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

John 3:16

Verse of the Day Devotion: John 3:16

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” – John 3:16

This verse is probably one of the most recognized verses in all of scripture.  This shows how much God loves us and wants to be reconciled with us.  He loved us even though we did not love Him.  He loved us even though we refused to follow His ways.  However, His love for us does not constitute an approval of our conduct.  It shows that He loved us in spite of what we do.

This was a gift, the most valuable gift that can ever be conceived.  This was not just a book of rules or laws.  It was nothing we could ever have imagined.  And it was a free and undeserved gift.  It was a gift given for the sole reason that He loved us beyond all measure.  It was an act of pure love and eternal compassion.  It was because He did not want us to perish, to be separated from Him forever.

And what was this unimaginable gift?  It was His Son, His only begotten Son.  Something man has no claim to.  And again, something that was so amazing and incredible, it is inconceivable to the minds of men.  Imagine someone you know who committed a great crime that was punishable by death.  Someone you love and desire to fellowship with, even though they do not care to fellowship with you.  You then find out that someone who has not committed a crime could pay for the man’s crime by suffering the consequences that man deserved.  And you have a child who is completely free from any wrongdoing and could set this man free by dying in his stead.

This is what God did.  He conceived a child in the womb of Mary for the sole purpose of having Him die to pay the penalty for the sins we had committed.  He loved us before we could ever have loved Him.  Note this verse, “We love, because He first loved us.”  1 John 4:19. The basis of our love for Him is because He first loved us.  However, let’s go a little farther with this idea.  “All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.” Revelation 13:8.  Our names, us who have accepted Christ and are Christians, have been written in the Lambs book of life from before our world was created.  And this is due to God’s foreknowledge of our accepting Him, not His indiscriminate choice.  And because our names are there before the foundations of the world, so must have been the plan to give His Son for us in sacrifice.  He loved us before we were even created, before Christ came to die.  And because He came to die, we have the immense honor to love Him.  Remember, we love Him and others because He first loved us.

This beautiful and powerful verse has so much in it, we could contemplate for a long time and still not understand the full ramification of its meaning.  He loved us before He created us.  He knew we would fall away, and He still created us.  He provided the means of salvation before we even sinned, and it was through the death of His only begotten Son.  And anyone who believes in Him and the work He did on the cross will have eternal life.  There is no greater love than that which God gave.  “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13. This will be a difficult question, but is this the kind of love we have for others?  Jesus said, “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.” John 15:12

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

Luke 13:3

Verse of the Day Devotion Luke 13:3 

“I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” – Luke 13:3    

Today, we will be looking at the importance of repentance.  Starting in verse 1 we read, “Now on the same occasion there were some present who reported to Him about the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.” Luke 13:1. During Jesus’s teaching found in chapter 12, some came to Jesus to tell Him of a horrendous event that happened to some Jews from Galilee.  There is no record of this event in secular history, however there is an incident like it from before Jesus’ ministry. Pilate wanted to build an aqueduct from the Pools of Solomon to the city of Jerusalem. To pay for it, he demanded money from the temple treasury, money that had been dedicated to God – and this outraged the priests and the people. When the Jews sent a delegation to beg for their money back, Pilate sent into the crowd soldiers dressed as common people, and at a certain signal they took out daggers and attacked the people asking for the money. Now, this may not have been the same incident, however it does show how Rome, and particularly Pilate, pictured the Jews and did what they could to force obedience from them.  The phrase, ‘whose blood Pilate mingled with their sacrifices’ speaks of how the blood of those killed mixed with the blood of the sacrifice itself.  

Now, it appears that Jesus read into their story the idea of self-justification, rooted in the common notion back then that disaster falls on them who deserve it.  Basically if a person sins, something bad will happen to them. Jesus turns this around and asks them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered this fate? “ Luke 13:2. Jesus turned the theological issue around. Is this punishment for sin? Do persecution and death prove the victim to be a greater sinner than those who do not suffer? Jesus, one who was looking suffering square in the face as he marched to Jerusalem denied such a theological outrage. He reminded them that everyone has sinned. Paul put it this way, “But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Romans 3:21-23.

Jesus then answers the question Himself, in our focus verse. “I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” Luke 13:3. Jesus was countering their belief by saying apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory.

Jesus then asks them a question to enforce His thought.  “Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, were worse culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem? I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” Luke 13:4-5. Jesus added his own illustration. He takes another recent tragedy down at the corner of the south and east walls of Jerusalem at the water reservoir called Siloam. Eighteen people died in an accident on the tower there. Were these the worst sinners in Jerusalem, punished for their horrible sin? He then repeats our focus verse.  “I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” Luke 13:5. He in essence told them, you all must repent or perish.  Jesus’ warning that they must repent or perish had an immediate, chilling fulfillment. Within a generation, many citizens of Jerusalem who had not repented and turned to Jesus perished in the destruction of Jerusalem.

We must be careful that we do not fall into this trap ourselves.  It is not our place to look at others and compare their life to ours, looking to place ourselves as more righteous than they are.  We are called to go out and help lead the lost to Christ, and to disciple Christians to live a life that is pleasing to God. It is not to put ourselves above everyone else.  Paul put it this way.  “For through the grace given to me I say to every man among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.” Romans 12:3.  No one is saved by their own good works, but by the grace given us by Christ.  We have all sinned, therefore we all need to repent.  For if we do not truly repent, we will perish.  

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.