Peter’s Final Admonitions

Temple Baptist Church - 7-4-2018

2 Peter 3:14-18

Introduction:

A.  There is a lot to deal with in these verses as Peter ends this second epistle to the Jews of the Dispersion.  I will take my time with them because of their importance in these last days.  2 Peter speaks of the problems that were contemporary with the times in which it was written but also prophetic of the times preceding the coming of the Lord.

B.  In verse 14, Peter admonishes them to be diligent considering His coming.  Most people never give the second coming of our Lord a thought.  Allow me to give you proof of this last statement.  Do not raise your hands but how many of you woke up this morning thinking that our Lord may come today?

C.  Our watchfulness or lack thereof will not change the time of our Lord’s coming.  He is coming again just like He said, and He is coming on time.  Our watchfulness is to be diligent for several reasons.

1.  Diligent because of the importance of our personal, spiritual wellbeing.  Self-Conscious. 

1 John 3:2-3  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.  (3)  And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

2.  Diligent because of the importance of the eternal souls of those around us.  Soul Conscious. 

John 4:34-35  Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.  (35)  Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.

3.  Diligent because of our reward of lack of reward at His appearing.  God Conscious. 

Revelation 3:11  Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

2 John 8  Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.

D.  Peter uses the phrase “found of him” in the verse, not “found in him.”  The use of the preposition is important because it causes a significant difference in the meaning of the verse. 

1.  Positional Sanctification.  We who are saved are “in Christ Jesus.”  An unchanging position that is established through the New Birth.  Positional Sanctification is an act of God that places us in Him through salvation. 

2.  Practical Sanctification.  Practical Sanctification is a continuing act of the child of God in both spiritual growth and practice.  “Found of him” is something that we are both capable of and responsible to do.  Capable in the sense that God does not ask us to do something that we are incapable of doing. 

E.  Though we are in Christ Jesus, we—to some degree—fail in Practical Sanctification.  God wants us to maintain a solid, Christian life!

1.  Be found of Him in Peace.  I will quote one of Barbara’s life verses because of its importance in the realm of our peace.  I want to look at a verse that we quote often and the verse that follows it.  We quote and yet we fear?

Philippians 4:6-7  Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.  (7)  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Isaiah 26:3-4  Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.  (4)  Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:  (The secret of our peace is meditating upon the Lord and continually trusting in His sovereign control of our lives.)

Proverbs 21:31  The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD.

Proverbs 3:5-6  Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  (6)  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

2.  Be found of Him Without Spot. A “spot” is something that can be seen or observed.  We understand that we are not nor, will we be perfect in this life, but our lives should be ones of self-observation, confession, and repentance.  Striving to live in such a way as to show others Christ in us.

John 8:12  Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

1 John 1:5-10  This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.  (6)  If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:  (7)  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.  (8)  If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  (9)  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  (10)  If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

3.  Be found of Him Blameless.  Do what we can!  We may not think that we can do much or make much of a difference, but God only expects us to do what we can.

Mark 14:8  She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying.  (This sinful man to whom the Lord had forgiven much, was the only person to anoint the Lord’s body for burial!  She could not do much, but she “hath done what she could.”)

Watchfulness with expectancy has a purifying quality about it.  The busyness of these last days has occupied our hearts and minds, giving little time for thought on spiritual things.