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“Practical Exhortations”  
2 Peter 3:14-15a
February 10– 14, 2025
 
MONDAY –This week we take as our text, 2 Peter 3:14-15a, “Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless;  and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—.”  Our text begins with the familiar word Therefore… In the previous verse (13), Peter said as believers we look for a new heavens and a new earth where righteousness dwells.  If we look forward to living eternally in a righteous home on the new earth, then we should be living righteously day to day on this current earth. In light of this, Peter now gives a series of Practical Exhortations in which he repeats and summarizes his pastoral concerns toward his Beloved. He is concerned and cares for his readers, us included, as God’s children.  For the past three verses, Peter uses the Greek verb prosdokao, here translated looking forward to these things. He knows that as Christians, we live in expectant hope, especially in respect to the return of the Lord Jesus. John Calvin said, “For hope is living and efficacious; therefore it cannot be but that it will attract us to itself.” It is the new heavens and earth that believers look and hope for. The false teachers scoffed at such a future world. They rejected the return of Jesus and therefore lived however they pleased. Peter is saying Jesus IS coming and we need to live in a way that pleases God. The Day of the Lord with its judgment and salvation was a truth of which Peter was certain and on the basis of such a reality, He gives practical exhortations to Godliness.

(Meditate, Apply & Pray) Am I looking forward to a new heavens and earth where righteousness dwells? Am I content with the status-quo of this world? Father, give me a holy discontent concerning this fallen, evil world system and help me live in a way that pleases You and obeys Your commands.
 

TUESDAY2 Peter 3:14: “Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless;” As we begin to come to the end of Peter’s letter, we find that he reiterates many themes from its beginning. Here Peter starts by calling his readers to be diligent… In the Greek the word is spoudazo which can be defined, “to exert oneself”.  This life as a Christian is about effort and action. This word family is used often by Peter throughout his letter. We are reminded of chapter 1 verse 5, where we are told we are to be giving all diligence in pursuing the virtues detailed in verses 5–7. And Peter says again in 1:10, “Be even more diligent to make your call and election sure”. In his entire letter, one main point has not changed; diligently pursue Godly virtues necessary for the final reward, that is, eternal life. Here he says it again that diligence in Godliness is necessary for enjoying the new heavens and new earth. This is a theme we see all throughout the Scriptures. The writer of Hebrews says a similar thing to Peter in Hebrews 12:14 when he writes, “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.” Peter reminds us that it requires diligence to follow Jesus and live a genuine Christian life.
 
(Meditate, Apply & Pray) Am I making every effort and exerting myself in the pursuit of holiness and obedience to Christ in preparation of His return? What in my life needs to change in order to answer that question affirmatively? Lord, help me in this battle by giving me strength through Your Word and Holy Spirit.
 

WEDNESDAY2 Peter 3:14: “Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless;” We are now told to make every effort to be found by Him in peace. We understand as Christians that through Jesus we have been justified by faith and therefore we have peace with God (Romans 5:1). So positionaly, we are children of God at peace with Him. As we live in obedience to God’s Word in fellowship with the Father and the Son, we confess our sin, receive cleansing and forgiveness from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). This standing before God forgiven and living with His blessing as we obey and follow brings a genuine peace. These things are definitely true but it seems to be that Peter is going even beyond those great realities and telling his readers that they need to be diligent to live with a true peace of mind along with a confidence in The Lord. This mirrors Paul’s admonition in Philippians 4:6-7. Peter IS speaking to a peace of mind and heart that drives away the worries and fears that can plague us in this evil fallen world. Regardless of how things may appear as we move closer to the final destruction Peter has prophesied, believers who look to Christ in true expectant hope will live with a settled peace knowing what lies in store for us (1 Corinthians 2:9, Isaiah 64:4, 65:17).

(Meditate, Apply & Pray) Do I have true peace with God concerning my sin? Am I confident of that? Am I living in a way which promotes that confidence? Am I an anxious mess concerning the events I see in the world around me or is my heart in settled peace because I’m confidently looking to Jesus? Lord, please help me keep my mind on You and experience Your perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3)
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THURSDAY2 Peter 3:14: “Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless;”  Peter also says we must be diligent to be found spotless and blameless. This means that the Christian ought to follow the example of Jesus, who was the lamb without blemish or without spot (1 Peter 1:19). Peter has chosen his words carefully and purposefully for he is contrasting the lifestyles of the false teachers who are the exact opposite of this in their behavior being both spots and blemishes (2 Peter 2:13). The promise of Jesus return should serve as motivation for holy living in those of us who know Christ.  Our integrity and personal holiness should be loud, clear and evident to all who observe our lives. The world is watching and our blameless reputation should serve as a unarguable testimony to the transforming power of the gospel. The words spotless (aspiloi) and blameless (am?m?toi) can be defined “free from censure, irreproachable, free from vice, unsullied, a life that that cannot be censured, blameless.”  This is not speaking of moral perfection in this life. The Scripture does teach, however, that those who belong to God’s people will live godly lives and that they will be perfected on the last day.  This final judgment on The Day of The Lord is in Peter’s mind. Everyone’s work will be found out. The false teachers will not be saved on the last day since their blemished lives will condemn them. The Greek word heureth?nai translated “be found” is judicial, anticipating this judgment before God (2 Corinthians 5:3, Philippians 3:9, 1 Peter 1:7). Future accountability and heavenly reward compel us as believers to seek to forsake sin and exercise diligence in living holy lives. The Lord has graciously given us the means of grace (Scripture, Prayer, Praise in Song, The Lord’s Table, Fellowship) to help in this effort.

(Meditate, Apply & Pray) If my unsaved friends were to describe me and my life, would they say I am a holy person? Am I making any diligent effort to be so? How specifically? Father, forgive me for my complacency toward holiness and help me to live filled with Your Word and Spirit in the means of grace.
 

FRIDAY– 2 Peter 3:15a: “and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—.”  We finish this week looking at the first phrase of verse 15. Peter here repeats himself for the sake of emphasis. Repetition leads to retention. Again he thinks of the false teachers scoffing at Jesus return and any coming judgment day. Peter reminds us again to seriously think about the reason for the seeming “delay”. He wants us to understand the purpose for the patience of God. For Peter, the reason is clear: “the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation.” God is patient in order to save the remainder of His elect. He is daily adding to His family His chosen ones until the family is complete and then Jesus will return. Peter calls God’s grace that leads to salvation “longsuffering”. Paul puts the same subject in different wording in Romans 2:4, “Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?” God’s patience is wonderfully on display in the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11–32). The rebellious son leaves home and his father to go out and live a licentious sinful life despising the goodness and privileges of his father. When he has come to his senses and repented of his sin, he returns home to find the Father embrace him and accept him with joy and abundant mercy. The love and compassion of God The Father responding to the penitent sinner with lavish forgiveness, mercy and grace is on clear display. All heaven (the entire family) rejoices for the son who has come home. Peter is no doubt pointing his readers to the reality of the coming judgment of God and the beginning of the eternal state and exhorting us to be fervent in the preaching of the gospel to the lost for their salvation.
  
(Meditate, Apply & Pray) Do I consider the longsuffering of God and understand that He is still gathering His elect into the family? Am I sharing the gospel with any lost souls? Father, thank You for Your patience, mercy and grace extended to repentant sinners like me.  

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