Found In Him Series

2 PETER 3: 14-18 [Our Precious Faith Series]

FOUND IN HIM

[2 Peter1:5–7 / 1 Corinthians 15: 56-58]

Ned and Fred got together one Saturday afternoon to walk into town to watch the latest John Wayne movie at the theater. As they made their way into town, Ned told Fred that he was willing to bet five dollars that John Wayne would be killed in the movie. Fred said that he would take the bet, so they traveled on down the road. Sure enough, the Duke was killed near the end of the picture and Fred handed Ned five dollars. On the way home Ned told Fred that he felt guilty for taking the money because he had seen the movie the week before. Fred just smiled and said, "Naw, you just keep that money. I watched it last week too, but I didn't think them fellers could kill John Wayne twice!"

Just like them, you and I have been given “insider” information about the eventual end of the world as we know it. This lesson on adopting a biblical world-view challenges us to take what the Bible says about the future of the world seriously and to live accordingly. We know that someday the Father will say it is time, and Jesus will return. We are commanded to live our lives in the light of Christ's return, keeping ourselves separated from the world and sharing our faith with the lost. Thus repentant believers are encouraged to be diligent and grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (CIT).

I BE DILIGENT IN YOUR SALVATION, 14-15.

II. BE DILIGENT TO UNDERSTAND THE SCRIPTURE, 16-17.

III. BE DILIGENT TO GROW SPIRITUALLY, 18.

Verses 14 & 15 again remind us that the patience of God with mankind is so that more can come to salvation. Verse 14 commands us to be diligent to live with Him in perfect peace. “Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless,

To show that one’s behavior is linked to his expectation of the Lord’s coming, this paragraph begins with “so then” or therefore (dio). “These things” refers to the coming of the Day of the Lord and the new heaven and earth. Because the day of the Lord is imminent, and because we are those who are looking for the coming of Christ and His kingdom, Peter states we should be diligent to found with Him. Our motivation toward hard work and godly living with and for Christ is our expectation of Jesus return and our eternal life in the new heaven and the new earth. Our priority must be to make every effort to be found at peace with Christ and to be spotless and blameless when He returns.

[Understand, dear saint, that in Luke 12:37 we hear Jesus saying, “Blessed are those servants whom the Lord when He cometh shall find watching.” Therefore, if you are watching for His coming, if you are tired of this world system’s sin and corruption and want to see the Lord rule and reign at last, it is you the Lord calls blessed.]

The word “peace” (eirénç) means more than mere quietness. It has some of the sense of the Hebrew word shalom in that it implies prosperity or well-being of soul or spirit. Peter’s concern for his readers is that we be at peace with the Lord, with others, and with ourselves. We are to be found prospering spiritually in the Lord and trusting in His faithful provision. We are to maintain this peaceful relationship with Christ right up to the end, whether that be in death or rapture (1 Thess. 4:17). Jesus taught that in the world we will have tribulation, but in Him we have peace (John 16:33).

“Blameless,” what a startling word! To be blameless means we must be forgiven. There is only One in all of the universe who is capable of making us blameless. He is the One who is faithful and just to cleanse us from all sin (1 John 1:9). It is Jesus Christ, & Him only.

The human approach is to either ignore sin or to justify ourselves by rationalizing that we are as good or even better than others. However, God does not ignore or rationalize concerning sin. He takes sin so seriously that He sent His only begotten Son to rescue us from the eternal death which results from sin.

God deals truthfully with our sin. We can receive His righteous judgment or we can enjoy His forgiveness by repenting of our sin and turning to Christ for His forgiveness. God both forgives and forgets our sin. It is as though we had never sinned—we are blameless. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Is. 1:18).