What Manner Of Person Ought You To Be?

But 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. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking 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? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless

Knowing that God is planning judgment should bring us all into a sobering reality of what we should be doing as Christians. These verses we have just read makes a statement that Christ Jesus is coming back, and He is coming back with a vengeance, handing out judgment to all those that are disobedient and refuse to accept Him as Lord and Savior. These verses also beg the question; knowing that judgment will be handed out, “what manner of person ought you to be?”

• A person full of holy conduit and godliness, accepting by faith the gift of salvation.

• A person that is disobedient, ignoring the Salvation that Christ Jesus came to bring.

Peter in writing these verses is not speaking of the rapture, where the righteous will be taken up when Jesus returns in the clouds, but he speaks of the day when Christ rides in on His white horse dispensing judgment with His double-edged sword.

These verses help us to recognize what is eternally significant and what is not.

As Christians we sometimes attach to great a value to temporal things. Hobbies and possessions consume us, leaving little time or energy to invest in what is eternal. More than anything else, Christians should be sensitive to the times we live in. Currently, the numbers of false teachers are growing, and many of us are being lured away by the half-truth biblical promises that they make. For this reason, Peter wrote these verses to let us know in no uncertain terms that if we are not walking in holy conduit and godliness, we will face the judgment that is reserved for ungodly people.

Now Peter is using some very apocalyptic terms to describe how the Day of the Lord will be;

• The heavens passing away with a great noise. With the heavens referring to the atmosphere of the earth. And the Greek word noise refers to a rushing or sizzling sound.

• Destruction of all the elements of earth here relates to a burning of the all the earthly elements and then a leveling of all that remains. This brings to mind the picture of a wooded construction site where they have purposely set fire to all of the buildings and surroundings, letting it burn to the ground and then bulldozing all that remains, leaving a fresh plot of land with not man-made materials left standing.

In verse 10 Peter reminded us of the certainty of judgment and showed us vividly how the earth will be cleared away to make way for the new heavens and new earth. This is confirmed in Revelations 21:1 which is declared:

Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.

In verse 11 Peter lets us know how we can be citizens of the new heavens and the new earth. That we must walk in holy conduit and godliness. So how do we walk in holy conduit and godliness?

• By reading and striving to understand the Word of God by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

o For Luke 11:28 tells us:

? But He said, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”

o And James 1:21-22 tells us:

? Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

o Again, in these two scriptures we are affirmed that if we receive the Word of God, act upon its teachings’ walking in a godly manner we will be able to be saved from the impending wrath of Christ.

And the question remains: “what manner of person ought you to be?”

• The kind that reads, obeys, and acts in accordance with God will and His Word.

• The kind that reads the Word only to find parts to use for their own gain, not living according to the Word, but according to the flesh.