Second Peter 3:14

The Bible says in Second Peter 3:14, “Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.” This verse assumes that a Christian is looking for “such things.” What things is Peter talking about? Of course, we know what he was talking about by reviewing the previous two verses. In Second Peter 3:12 Peter spoke of “looking” “for the coming of the day of God.” In Second Peter 3:13 he said that we “look for new heavens and a new earth.”

The same word is used in all three of these verses that is translated “looking” and ”look.” The word means “to receive,” “to welcome,” and “to look for.” I receive into my mind the truth of the coming of the day of God and the return of Christ. It is part of my life and part of what I believe. I welcome the coming of the day of God and the new heavens and the new earth that God will bring. I look forward to them because I know that the coming of Christ will solve the problems of the world: all of the problems of the world. My sorrows will end and every believer’s sorrows will end once Christ has come again.

Whatever you are hoping for as the answer to your problems is what you are “looking for.” Some people are looking forward to retirement, and they look no further. They think of retirement as being the solution to the unpleasant things that they are now experiencing. But retirement will have its own set of difficulties or sorrows: not the least of which is failing health, advancing age, or reduced financial resources and the problems that such a reduction can bring.

Let’s say that my sorrows are family sorrows brought about by children who have gone the wrong way in life, who have made the wrong decisions, who sowed to the wind, and who are now reaping the whirlwind. The pull of the world can be so powerfully strong on the young, and sometimes the young are weak. But even if all of the young people that I know turn to the Lord Jesus and get themselves straightened out spiritually, and their lives become shining lights for Christ; will that be the final answer to the sorrows of the world? Of course not: someone else’s young people will still be going astray. Somewhere else the power of sin will be ruining lives and breaking hearts. The solution to all of the sorrows and all of the evil is the return of Christ. It says in Romans 8:22-23, “For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.”

It is interesting that the Bible says in Lamentations 3:31-34, “For the Lord will not cast off forever: But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies. For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men, To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth.” Jeremiah was inspired by the Holy Spirit, and he called the citizens of the earth “the prisoners of the earth.” In a sense we are all prisoners in this world of woe and sorrow. But “the Lord will not cast off forever.” We will be rescued once and for all, in the day of the coming of the Lord when Jesus returns. Look forward to that day, and hope for that day. It is the only day that will bring all of the things that you need.

The last part of Second Peter 3:14 tells us what the result will be in the lives of those who truly are looking for and hoping for the return of Christ. It says that such believers will be diligent about three things: to be “found of him in peace,” to be “without spot,” and to be “blameless.” Of course, this speaks of the judgment of the believer. When Jesus returns, one of the first things that is going to happen to believers is their judgment before their Master. Believers will be judged by Christ, not to determine if they will go to heaven or not, but to determine if they will gain rewards or lose rewards. It will be a very serious matter with eternal consequences.

Paul spoke of this very serious judgment of Christians in First Corinthians 3:11-15 that says, “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.” This same subject also answers the question: “If we are saved by grace through faith, then how do works fit in?”

The works that we have done will determine if we receive rewards, and what those rewards will be. We will be judged by a high standard, by the highest of standards: the example that Christ gave. Jesus accomplished many things, including dying for our sins. One of the things that Jesus did is that He showed us that a human being can live all the days of his life led by the Spirit and filled by the Spirit, always doing and saying what pleases God. The life that Jesus lived is the standard that every believer will be judged by. That is why Second Peter 3:14 says that we should “be diligent” to be found of him “in peace,” “without spot,” “and blameless.”

What we have just said is the practical side of being “blameless.” But there is also a spiritual side. Because we are sinners, the only way that any human being can be totally blameless is through the forgiveness of sins that only Christ can give. When we are rightly related to Him, His blood cleanses us from sin and thus we are blameless. I am not blameless because of how good I am. I am blameless because of what Christ did or me. It says in First John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleans us from all unrighteousness.” This seems to indicate that it is very important that a Christian be rightly related to Christ when Jesus returns. It appears that there will be a unique reward for those who are rightly related to Him and who are looking for Him when He returns. Paul wrote in Second Timothy 4:8, “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”

Peter went on to say by the Holy Spirit in Second Peter 3:15, “And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you.” The phrase “the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation” is especially interesting when considering the original meaning of the words. A good literal translation would be “the longsuffering of our Lord leads to salvation.” The word longsuffering means “slow to anger.” God is slow to anger in regards to justifiable punishment of sin. God can judge any sin at any time and in any way that He sees fit, but more often than not, He waits in order to give time for sinners to repent. God does not have to do that. Even though God hates iniquity, He suffers long with it for the sake of saving lost souls. It is a good thing for us all that He does, or else none of us would be saved. What a difference between human beings and the longsuffering Savior! Humans want to get justice and want to punish so quickly. God waits years, even hundreds of years sometimes, before judging and punishing.

The Apostle Paul wrote about the longsuffering of God that brings salvation. How did Paul write the great things that he wrote about salvation in Romans and Galatians and elsewhere? Second Peter 3:15 tells us that Paul did it by means of “the wisdom given unto him.” The knowledge that Paul had came from God. In the same way the capacity to understand the things that Paul wrote also comes from God. “If any man lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and upbraideth not.”

A couple of important things are said in Second Peter 3:16 where the Bible says, “As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.” The first thing to notice is what Peter says about the writings of the Apostle Paul. Peter spoke of “all his epistles.” Of course, Paul wrote many epistles, and these epistles were written initially to specific individuals or churches. But we see that already Peter has access to these epistles. That means that very early on the Christians recognized something special about Paul’s writings. Those writings were copied and spread around among the Christians. Of course, this method of copying the Greek scriptures and spreading them around, and then copying them even more was God’s method to preserve the scriptures that God Himself caused to be written. Peter called Paul’s writings “scripture” because in the last phrase of Second Peter 3:16, Paul’s writings are put on an equal basis with the Old Testament scriptures: “as they do also the other scriptures.” The “other scriptures” are the Old Testament scriptures.

Many people do not understand neither the Old Testament nor the New Testament scriptures. Those who do not understand are said to be “unlearned and unstable.” The result of being in that condition is “destruction.”

There are two terrible things that can happen to people. One terrible thing is to never know the truth in Jesus and to never understand God’s Word. The second terrible thing is to come to know the truth, but then to fall from faithfulness to the Lord. Second Peter 3:17 says, “Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness.” One of the things that happens with those who fall is that they are “led away with the error of the wicked.” Most human beings are like sheep and easily follow someone else or someone else’s ideas.

You will either stay in God’s Word and continue to build yourself up with His truth, or you will fall. If you do not stay in God’s Word, some non-scriptural idea will find a place in your mind and cause you to fall. But if you do not fall, it will only be because you will be doing what is admonished in the last verse of the epistle of Second Peter. By the way, this verse contains the last words that Peter wrote before his death. It says, “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.”

No one is standing still. You are either growing or you are falling. You are either going forward or going backwards. Notice carefully that it says to grow in grace. It does not say to grow in self-discipline or religious observance, and it does not say to grow in what you do for God. It does not say to get to the point where you deserve God’s goodness. Grace is all about what God does for you that you do not deserve. Grace was purchased by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary. No one will be in heaven without grace. No one has any good that happens to them without grace. No one has an opportunity open to them for God’s service without grace. No one accomplishes anything for God without grace. Thank God that grace is greater than our sins. Do not rely on your own goodness or abilities. Rely upon God’s grace. Growing in grace is directly connected to growing in the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ because Jesus is the source of grace. There is no such thing as growing in the grace of God without growing in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. The more that you know about Jesus Christ, and there is always more to know because He is eternal, the more that you will know about grace and how much you owe everything to grace. Grace takes place when you do nothing, but all of a sudden something wonderful happens, and that wonderful thing is due only to God’s free grace operating through Christ in your life and in what happens to you.

No matter how great are the problems, there is a solution because of the grace that is in Christ. No matter how terrible are the sins, there is forgiveness because of the grace that is in Christ. No matter how dark is the night, there is a light that can make everything clear because of the grace that is in Christ. No matter how great is the failure, there will always be another chance because of the grace that is in Christ. We will leave this world and its sorrows behind and we will enjoy the wonderful glories of heaven because of the grace of Christ. It is no wonder that Peter’s last words were: “To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.”

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