In sharing about “scoffers”
who would make their appearances in the last days, the apostle Peter
used creation, the flood during Noah's day, and the preservation of
the present earth for judgment to demonstrate God's ability to keep
His promises. God does not keep time as we do because a thousand
years is unto Him as one day, and one day is as a thousand years. In
chapter three and verse nine Peter confirms that although it appears
that God delays in keeping His promises, He is not slack in doing so.
We read:
The Lord is not slack
concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is
longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that
all should come to repentance.
The
verse begins, “The Lord is not slack concerning his
promise, as some men count slackness;” Peter
wants to assure his readers that God is not “slack”
which means “to delay, be slow, retard, tarry or loiter” when it
comes to His promises. The promise of which Peter concerns himself is
the judgment of the earth in the last days. “Some men”
think that because things continue as they are God is not going to
destroy the earth. Because there is no immediate action from God
concerning this promise, they believe God to be loitering.
The
verse continues, “but is longsuffering toward us, not
willing that any should perish,...” There
is a reason why God delays His judgment upon the earth – He is
“longsuffering”
which means “to be o f a long spirit, not to lose heart, to
persevere patiently and bravely in enduring misfortunes and
troubles”. It means God is “slow to anger, slow to punish, mild,
and slow to avenging” even though He has the power to do so.
According to Peter, God is “not willing that any should
perish” which demonstrates
that God does not desire that anyone be destroyed. His delay is
because of His mighty grace, and He desires that everyone have a
chance to be in fellowship with Him.
Finally
the verse says, “but that all should come to repentance.”
Peter notes that God desires all
people to “come to repentance”
which means “a change of mind, as it appears to one who
repents, of a purpose he has formed or of something he has done”.
Though God has promised destruction by fire to the earth as we know
it, He is passionate about people being in a relationship with Him
before He does so.
Sometimes we may think that
the delays of God are the “okays” of God. In other words, because
God does not bring immediate judgment as He has promised, we might be
inclined to think that God does not see, or that He does not care, or
even worse that He approves of behavior that is contrary to Him.
Though there are “scoffers” in the world, God still
desires them to repent. Though there are those who are opposed to Him
who live, God still gave His Son Jesus to die upon the cross for
their sins. God is indeed “longsuffering” with us, and
because it appears that He delays, it only means that He is giving
more time for people to come unto Him.
Next
time we will see how God keeps his promises, so read ahead, and we
shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow...there is more...
Look
for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From
Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be
Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the
Mount” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ;
www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore
No comments:
Post a Comment