God's Promises

2 Peter 3:8-15
8But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
10But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. 11Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? 13Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
14Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; 15and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you.

It had been over 30 years since Jesus’ resurrection and ascension. People were beginning to doubt that Jesus was coming back as He had promised. Everything seemed to be going along just as it had. There was no evidence that Jesus’ promise to return was going to be fulfilled. In addition to this, Peter warned them that false teachers would arise, “who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them.” (1 Peter 2:1) 

In the midst of these doubts and heresies, Peter wrote his second letter to reassure Christians that they were not waiting in vain for Jesus to fulfil His promise to return. We can learn much about God’s promises from Peter’s letter:

First, Peter put things in perspective by reminding his readers at the beginning of his letter that God had kept His other “exceedingly great and precious promises” to them, and “that through these [they had become] partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” (1 Peter 1:4)

Second, Peter also reminded his readers in chapter 3 that God’s timing is not the same as man’s timing. Peter wrote, “Beloved, do not forget this one thing, with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” What appears in our eyes to be a delay is, in fact, no delay in the eyes of the eternal God.

Third, God will often surprise us with the timing and the manner in which He fulfils His promises. Peter compares God’s fulfilling His promise to a thief: “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night.” Even in South Africa where crime is rampant, no one can predict when a thief will break into their home. Likewise, no one can predict when God will do what He’s promised to do.

Fourth, God’s promises affect the way we live from the time we receive them until the time when they are fulfilled. Often we wait in much anticipation for a promise from God to be fulfilled thinking that at that point our lives will change. However, Peter turns this idea on its head by asking, “Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved [when Jesus’ promise to return is fulfilled], what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness?” Peter is implying that his readers’ way of living should change even before they receive the fulfilment of what God has promised to them.

Fifth, we should not only look forward to the fulfilment of God’s promise, but we should also do everything within our power to hasten its arrival. Peter described those who have received a promise from God as ones who should be, “looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God.” God has given us the ability, and in some cases the responsibility, to hasten the fulfilment of the promises He has made to us!

Sixth, having done all we can to hasten the fulfilment of God’s promise, we are to wait patiently and without sinning. Peter wrote, “Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless.” This is often the most difficult part of waiting for the fulfilment of a promise. It is also a very important part—not important in order for the promise to be fulfilled, since God will fulfil His promises no matter how we behave, but important for our own sake. Imagine our horror and embarrassment if we are found in hopelessness and rebellion at the time God chooses to fulfil His promise!

And seventh, the reason God appears to delay fulfilling one of His promises is so that the work of salvation associated with that promise may be completed. Peter invites his readers to, “consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation.” God’s plan for the salvation of mankind has been unfolding from the beginning of time. All of the promises He has made to men and women down through the ages have been an integral part of that plan of salvation. God has never failed and will never fail to keep a promise. If He seems to be delaying, we can assure our hearts that the apparent delay is part of His plan, and that at precisely the right time that promise will be fulfilled.