The Weekend, October 17 –
We have arrived at the weekend, and we’re going to finish
reading 2 Peter, but, at the same time include in our reading, the small letter
of Jude. I’d invite you to read the text
in 2 Peter 3:1 – 18, and then read the one chapter of Jude – you’ll find them
similar in theme. After you have
finished the texts, come back and we’ll look at it again.
The tone of Peter in chapter 2 was intense.
He had laid bare the false teachers and made it clear that those who
follow them are turning their backs on the truth. His rather scathing remarks about dogs and
pigs must have been startling to those who received the letter. We live in a society that avoids those sorts
of words – a more sanitized way of speaking – but not as concerned with the
truth. Peter is thinking of their needs,
and his desire to get them to see the danger the false teachers presented. Jude is similar. He wanted to write his letter to help clarify
“the faith once for all delivered to the saints”(Jude 3), but recognized
a danger from both inside the church – people he says “crept in unnoticed…ungodly
people who pervert the grace of God…and deny the Lord Jesus Christ” (Jude 4).
As we turn the page in Peter’s letter to the last chapter, the
words reflect a final warning, but also shows a clear affection for who these
people he writes to are to him.
“This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved.
In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, that
you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of
the Lord and Savior through your apostles” (2 Peter 3:1-2).
He calls them “beloved”, and that his desire in writing to
them was to remind them of the Apostolic teaching they had received at first. Yet, he needed to address the dangers that had
led them astray. Besides the false
teachers who sought to change the Gospel into another version in chapter 2,
there were people who were outsiders, who mocked the truths – especially about
Jesus’ second coming.
“knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in
the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They
will say, ‘Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell
asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation’”
(2 Peter 3:3-4).
We’re not sure of when Jude – who was an early brother of
Jesus – wrote his letter, but the themes overlap Peter’s words that these
mockers were still around.
“But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the
apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you, “In the last time
there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” It is
these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit” (Jude 17-19).
Jude follows Peter’s pattern of first warning the listeners
of false teachers with reminders of the judgment of God that fell against the
angels (Jude 6), Sodom and Gomorrah (Jude 7), Cain and Balaam (Jude 11). False teachers abounded in the church as
Christianity grew and more and more outsiders came to the church with their own
versions of what the faith of Christ’s church stated. Jude, like Peter, sees these people for who
they are –
“These are hidden reefs at your love feasts, as they
feast with you without fear, shepherds feeding themselves; waterless clouds,
swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead,
uprooted; wild waves of the sea, casting
up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of utter
darkness has been reserved forever” (Jude 1:12-13).
Peter similarly saw the threat these brought to the church
and warned the leaders – “knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come
in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires” (2 Peter
3:3). For months now – as I write
this today – we have been dealing with an invisible virus that is at war in our
human world. The battle is a health
issue, but in the same vein, Peter and Jude saw the church in a spiritual battle. It was and is today, a battle for life in
Christ, versus religion…for love against hate…for purity against perversion…for
integrity and dignity against malice and slander…for heaven against hell. There
is no place this Spiritual warfare is not occurring, and both Jude and Peter
know God is the only hope and strength for the church, for us his saints, to
endure. God is fighting through us to
preserve the truth of the saving grace of Jesus Christ and perseveres to win
the battle.
“For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the
heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through
water by the word of God, and that by means of these the world that then
existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the
heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the
day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. But do not overlook this
one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a
thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as
some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should
perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord
will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and
the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works
that are done on it will be exposed” (2 Peter 3:5-10).
History is not driven by human engineering and dominance,
but by God’s providential sovereign will. The early church believed in Christ’s second
coming. They believed that Jesus’ return
would usher in the Kingdom of God upon the earth and that the world would be
renewed – a new heaven and a new earth.
Yet, 2000 years have passed, and many have begun to turn away from the
promise of Christ’s coming. The argument
is simple - “look, they believed
Jesus would return in the first century, and he didn’t, they were wrong, and it’s
stupid to hang on to that today!”
Peter reminds us that to the Lord, one day is like a thousand years…so, it’s
just been two days! When Christ returns
it will be sudden, unannounced (thief in the night), and everything in
the twinkling of an eye will be changed – “the Lord is not slow to fulfill
his promise”, he will come again!
When Christ returns, Peter said, everything will be changed,
and on earth, the works that are done will be exposed. So also, Jude points toward a time of God’s
entrance upon the earth and the judgment to come.
“…Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy
ones, to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all
their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and
of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” (Jude
1:14-16).
We must have a sober awareness that God loves people, and he
seeks to rescue them with the truth of the Gospel, but there comes a time when
it’s all over. Why hasn’t Christ
returned yet? In part, because God “is
patient, not wishing that any should perish”. Jude similarly reminds us – “keep
yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ
that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on those who doubt; save
others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear,
hating even the garment stained by the flesh” (Jude 21-23).
Peter said it slightly differently, but in the same sense – “ Since all
these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in
lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of
the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved,
and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to his
promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness
dwells” (2 Peter 3:11-13)
We used to sing the song “rescue the perishing, care for the
dying”…it’s a purpose for sharing Christ to those who do not know him, for they
are perishing, dying, without Christ, without hope. For those of us who have the assurance of
life in Christ, there is no gloating, no finger-pointing, and no earthly
pride. We have received the gift of life
in Christ – a gift given by God through his mercy and grace.
Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for
these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace... grow
in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the
glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen” (2 Peter 3:14, 18). Peter
concludes reminding us that God holds controls the future – and we live in the
present by grace, growing in Christ.
We have a HOPE that is rooted in our Lord and Savior, Jesus
Christ. HOPE, as we’ve read in these two
books might be understood as “H – Hear God’s word and learn it well; O – Open your eyes and ears with discernment
to the truth, and spot the lies; P –
Pursue a godly life because of your redemption in Christ, and your desire to
please Christ; and E – Expect Christ’s return…live knowing Jesus is coming back”.[1]
Jude’s blessing, his benediction, is our assurance of what
God has given us in salvation through Christ Jesu, and what it means for life
now, and life eternal – “Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling
and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy,
to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory,
majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen” (Jude
24-25).
God is able and willing, and he knows how to preserve us
through the trials and get us home.
Peter says, grow in grace and knowledge of Christ Jesus, and Jude says,
he will present us blameless before the presence of God and His glory, majesty,
dominion, and authority – forever. Amen
Peace
[1]
Chuck Swindoll, “James, 1 & 2 Peter”, Living Insights New Testament,
Zondervan Publishing, page 367.
Comments