2 Peter 3:10-18…A New Heaven and Earth

“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be discovered.

Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people 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 destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.

Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found spotless and blameless by Him, at peace, and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which there are some things that are hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unscrupulous people and lose your own firm commitment, but 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.”

Context:2 Peter 3:10-18 concludes Peter’s epistle with vivid eschatology and urgent calls to holy living amid the certainty of judgment.

Day of the Lord - The “day of the Lord” arrives unexpectedly like a thief (v. 10), dissolving heavens with a roar, melting elements in fervent heat, and exposing earth’s works for judgment—echoing chapter 3’s fire motif post-flood.

Holy Conduct - Since all dissolves, believers must live in “holy and godly” ways, eagerly awaiting and “hastening” God’s day (vv. 11-12). New heavens and earth await the righteous, where righteousness dwells (vv. 13).

Final Warnings - Peter urges diligence to be found spotless and at peace (v. 14), viewing longsuffering as salvation (v. 15). He cautions against twisting Paul’s letters like the unstable do other Scriptures (vv. 16-17), ending with a doxology to grow in Christ’s grace and knowledge (v. 18)

Explanation: In spite of scoffers and doubters, Peter warns of certain cosmic judgment while calling believers to purposeful, holy lives in light of eternity.

The “day of the Lord” strikes suddenly like a thief (v. 10), with heavens roaring away, elements melting in intense heat, and earth laid bare—exposing every deed for divine scrutiny. This purifies creation, transitioning from the current order (dissolved by fire, echoing earlier flood/fire theme) to new heavens and earth where righteousness reigns (vv. 12-13).

Given inevitable dissolution, live “holy and godly” lives, eagerly hastening God’s day through repentance and evangelism (vv. 11-12). Be diligent, found blameless and at peace with Christ when He appears (v. 14),counting God’s patience as salvation, as Paul taught (v. 15). Beware twisting Scriptures like the unstable—stay grounded to avoid lawless deception (vv. 16-17). Grow in Christ’s grace and knowledge for enduring glory (v. 18).

Illustration: Think of a hiker, lost deep in the woods at dusk, denying he’s off trail, ignoring fading light and unfamiliar landmarks to “save face.” Rather than preparing for possibility he may be spending an inevitably cold and harsh night, he insists he knows his way out of the woods. Night falls relentlessly regardless—cold, disorientation, and exposure hit harder because denial delayed building shelter or signaling for help.

Scoffers deny Christ’s return like uniformitarians ignoring the flood (v. 4-6), but the Day of the Lord arrives as a thief (v. 10). Heavens roar away, elements melt—judgment exposes all works. Denial neither cancels cosmic fire nor spares the unprepared; it only hastens ruin. Godly vigilance hastens repentance instead (vv. 11-12).

Application: Christians face the temptation to complacency (even skepticism) by assuming God’s sovereign control excuses personal laziness or drift, forgetting that His intent demands active partnership. Peter counters this—knowing the Day of the Lord dissolves all, we must “be diligent” for holy, godly lives, “hastening” His coming through repentance. Complacency festers sin, undermines growth, and mimics scoffers’ denial (chapter 3:3-4).

• Stir sincere minds (3:1): Daily recall prophets/apostles via meditation (Psalm 1 path), rejecting wicked counsel.
• Live expectantly: Since heavens melt (3:10-12), pursue new-earth righteousness now—spotless, at peace (v. 14).
• Grow intentionally (3:18): Grace and Christ’s knowledge fuel zeal; pair faith with virtues (2 Peter 1), countering instability from twisting Scripture (3:16).

God’s intent unfolds through obedient children, not spectators—complacency delays fruit while judgment nears unhindered. Romans 11:25 states: “Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.” It begs the question; “am I part of the solution or part of the problem? Am I making disciples?”

Country Joe McDonald wrote a song about a strange experience he had in the 1960’s, understood by many as referring to an angelic encounter.  It ties loosely to 2 Peter 3’s “thief-like” return—unexpected divine warning of the inevitability of judgement day in spite of delay—

Picked up a hitchhiker the other day

He said he wasn't going far

He looked so strange I couldn't help myself

I asked, "Please, tell me who you are."

He smiled politely and lit a cigarette

The smoke seemed to cast a spell

What happened next I don't understand

Yet it was so strange I can hardly tell

He said, hold on it's coming Hold on it's coming

He said, hold on it's very near Hold on it's near

He said, hold on it's coming Hold on it's coming

He said, hold on it's almost here. Hold on it's almost here

My mind seemed to spin and my hands began to tremble

I began talking in tongues

I looked over and his eyes seemed to glow

It was like looking at the sun

I told him everything in just a few moments

As if we had stopped time

I felt the great light just as if I were floating

It was truly blowing my mind

He said, hold on it's coming Hold on it's coming

He said, hold on it's very near It's very near

He said, hold on it's coming Oh, hold on it's coming

He said, hold on it's almost here. Hold on it's almost here

And then I was suddenly a child again

Holding my father's hand

And I watched it from the beginning

As I grew from child to man

My friends all came and gathered round me once more

We undid what was done

And when it was over I was driving down the road

I looked around and he was gone

He said, hold on it's coming Hold on it's coming

He said, hold on it's very near Hold on it's almost here

He said, hold on it's coming Hold on it's coming

He said, hold on it's almost here.Hold on it's very near

There is no “Gospel of Country Joe,” but…he may be on to something.

Prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, I commit myself to be ready for Your return. Keep my mind stirred by prophets and apostles, resisting scoffers and complacency. Make me diligent to live holy and godly, spotless and blameless, found in peace when You come like a thief. Like the Psalm 1 tree by streams, root me in Your Word day and night, that I may hasten Your day through repentance and faithful witness. Guard me from twisting truth; grow me in Your grace and knowledge. And, mostly, make me diligent in my pursuit to make disciples for your glory. Maranatha—come, Lord Jesus. Amen.”

Live boldly out there today…

 2 Peter 3:1-9… The Coming Day of the Lord

"Beloved, this is now the second letter I am writing to you in which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of a reminder, to remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles.

Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue just as they were from the beginning of creation.” For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, through which the world at that time was destroyed by being flooded with water. But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly people.

But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance.”

Context: 2 Peter 3:1-9 addresses scoffers doubting Christ’s return amid false teachers’ influence from earlier chapters.

Peter warns of “last days” mockers driven by sinful desires, who claim “Where is the promise of his coming?” since everything continues unchanged since creation (vv. 3-4). This builds on chapter 2’s condemnation of destructive heresies.

Peter counters skepticism by citing God’s past interventions: creation from water, the flood destroying the ungodly world, and the current heavens/earth reserved for fire on judgment day (vv. 5-7). Verses 8-9 pivot to God’s perspective—“one day is as a thousand years”—explaining apparent delay as divine patience, “not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”

Explanation: Peter says we shouldn’t mistake delay for negligence—with God, a day equals a thousand years (v. 8).  “The Lord patiently waits, not willing any perish but all repent”  (v. 9), prioritizing mercy over haste.

Remembering the words spoken by the holy prophets holds immense value in Christian life and Peter urges believers to recall when we are confronted by scoffers.

• They Anchor Faith - These prophetic words—foretelling Christ’s return, judgment, and God’s faithfulness—counter doubt and skepticism, reminding us of fulfilled promises like the flood and future fire (2 Peter 3:5-7). They steady sincere minds against false teachers from earlier chapters.
• They Fuels Obedience - Intentional remembrance promotes holy living, vigilance, and repentance, aligning conduct with apostolic commandments and God’s patience (2 Peter 3:9). It equips believers to discern truth from deception.
• They Build Hope - Prophets unify Scripture’s foundation (Ephesians 2:20), confirming God’s sovereignty and encouraging endurance until the Lord’s coming 

Illustration: Blaise Pascal (1623–1662) was a renowned French mathematician, physicist, inventor, philosopher. Pascal was a child prodigy who independently discovered key geometric principles by age 12 and published on conic sections at 16. He invented the Pascaline, an early mechanical calculator, to aid his father’s tax work.

He was also a a profound, transformative Christian…

Blaise Pascal’s faith was commitment shaped by Jansenism, a rigorous Catholic movement emphasizing human depravity, divine grace, and predestination. In 1654, Pascal experienced a mystical “Night of Fire”—a two-hour encounter with God that he documented on parchment, sewn into his coat until death; stating “the heart has its reasons that reason cannot comprehend.” This shifted him from scientific pursuits to total devotion, viewing life through Augustine’s lens: fallen humanity redeemed solely by irresistible grace given to the elect. Pascal saw reason as limited; true faith submits intellect to divine mystery, accepting miracles and Scripture beyond proof.

He is also one of my favorite philosophers because he recognized our inability to comprehend the truths of God without God’s intervention.

Application: Peter echoes this sentiment; “don’t listen to the scoffers who make sense of scripture through human reason (If Jesus was coming back, he’d be here by now!)” To paraphrase Pascal, “faith has reasons that reason cannot explain.” To avoid skepticism, especially the scoffing kind warned against in 2 Peter 3:3-4, we must actively stir our mind through deliberate remembrance and engagement with truth.

Recall Prophetic Words - Peter’s antidote starts here: regularly rehearse what holy prophets and apostles foretold—God’s interventions like the flood prove He acts decisively, countering claims of unchanging uniformity. This anchors  against doubt-fueled mockers.

Embrace God’s Patience - View delays in Christ’s return not as failure, but divine mercy giving space for repentance (2 Peter 3:9). Trust His timeline over human impatience, fostering endurance.

Pursue Godly Growth - Build virtues from 2 Peter 1 (faith, knowledge, self-control) to sharpen discernment. Surround ourself with sincere believers, reject sinful lusts that breed cynicism, and let Scripture renew our mind daily.

Psalm 1 is a perfect reminder… “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or set foot on the path of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the Law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, yielding its fruit in season, whose leaf does not wither, and who prospers in all he does.”

Prayer: “Heavenly Father, I commit myself fully to the path of Psalm 1. Keep me from walking in the counsel of the wicked, standing in the way of sinners, or sitting in the seat of scoffers.

Instead, plant my heart in delight for Your law, that I may meditate on it day and night— like a tree by streams of water, yielding fruit in season, with leaves that never wither, prospering in Your will.

Watch over my way, O Lord, that I may stand in judgment among the righteous. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Live boldly out there today…

Resources:

https://redeemedmind.com/2017/04/07/false-teachers-2-peter-21-22/

https://ubf.org/resources/show/18089

https://www.faithtacoma.org/peter-2/speaking-ill-of-others-2-peter-21-22

https://www.clgonline.org/sermonblog/2019/11/18/waiting-for-the-promise-2-peter-31-9

https://www.gotquestions.org/not-willing-for-any-to-perish.html

https://www.bibleref.com/2-Peter/3/2-Peter-chapter-3.html

http://www.intothyword.org/apps/articles/default.asp?articleid=36073&columnid=3803

https://saralandchristians.com/sermons/end-times-2-peter-31-13

https://biblehub.com/q/2_Peter_3_9_vs_predestination_reconcile.htm

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/chorusinthechaos/2-peter-3-9-doesnt-refute-calvinism/

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Blaise-Pascal

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blaise_Pascal

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pascal’s_wager

https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/pascal/

2 Peter 2:1-22…The Appearance of False Prophets

“But false prophets also appeared among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. Many will follow their indecent behavior, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, held for judgment; and did not spare the ancient world, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; and if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example of what is coming for the ungodly; and if He rescued righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the perverted conduct of unscrupulous people (for by what he saw and heard that righteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day by their lawless deeds), then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from a trial, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment, and especially those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt passion, and despise authority.

Reckless, self-centered, they speak abusively of angelic majesties without trembling, whereas angels who are greater in might and power do not bring a demeaning judgment against them before the Lord. But these, like unreasoning animals, born as creatures of instinct to be captured and killed, using abusive speech where they have no knowledge, will in the destruction of those creatures also be destroyed, suffering wrong as the wages of doing wrong. They count it a pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are stains and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions as they feast with you, having eyes full of adultery that never cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having hearts trained in greed, accursed children; abandoning the right way, they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the reward of unrighteousness; but he received a rebuke for his own offense, for a mute donkey, speaking with a human voice, restrained the insanity of the prophet.

These are springs without water and mists driven by a storm, for whom the black darkness has been reserved. For, while speaking out arrogant words of no value they entice by fleshly desires, by indecent behavior, those who barely escape from the ones who live in error, promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by what anyone is overcome, by this he is enslaved. For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them. It has happened to them according to the true proverb, “A DOG RETURNS TO ITS OWN VOMIT,” and, “A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire.”

Context: The context of 2 Peter chapter 2 is a strong warning against false teachers who have slipped into the church, teaching destructive lies and living in immorality, while claiming to be followers of Christ. Peter’s main goal is to expose them, assure believers that God will judge them, and urge Christians not to be drawn away by their seductive words.

• Peter describes these false teachers as bringing in “destructive heresies,” even “denying the Lord who bought them,” and leading many astray through sensual and greedy behavior.
• He grounds his warning in God’s past judgments: the fallen angels, the flood‑world, and Sodom–Gomorrah, showing that God knows both how to punish the ungodly and how to rescue the righteous (like Noah and Lot).
• The chapter is meant to strengthen believers’ confidence: even though false teachers may seem powerful and successful for a time, “their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep” (2 Peter 2:3).
• At the same time, Peter calls his readers to remain faithful, to remember the true gospel, and to resist the seductive, self‑indulgent lifestyle promoted by these teachers.

Explanation: No person is immune to false teaching, but some people are more structurally susceptible because of weak doctrine, strong celebrity culture, or a low view of biblical authority. Scripture’s point is not to “name and blame” whole groups, but to warn believers to test any doctrine by the gospel and the apostles’ teaching (1 John 4:1; 2 Peter 2:1–3).

2 Peter 2:22 sums up the tragic end of certain people who had heard the gospel and made some outward profession of Christ, but were never truly changed and then returned to their old sinful lifestyle. It uses two vivid, disgusting proverbs from Proverbs 26:11 to drive the point home. “It has happened to them according to the true proverb: ‘A dog returns to its own vomit,’ and, ‘A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mud.’”

Peter is saying The dog and the sow are not really changed in nature; they may look a little cleaner, but their basic character remains the same. So it is with those who profess faith, then abandon it and return to the same sin: their way of life proves they were never truly transformed on the inside, even if they once seemed “cleaned up” by the gospel. Most commentators take this to describe people who had some “knowledge” of the Lord and perhaps even escaped the “pollutions of the world” for a time, but were never brought to genuine saving faith in Christ. When false teachers came along and enticed them, they gladly went back to their old patterns of sin—as predictable as a dog gobbling its vomit again or a pig wallowing in mud after a bath.

Why this matters for believers…

It highlights the danger of a shallow, intellectual or emotional “knowledge” of Jesus that never produces real, Spirit‑wrought repentance and change.

Illustration: Herbert W Armstrong is widely regarded by mainstream evangelicals as teaching a mixture of serious doctrinal errors and cult‑like patterns. His son Garner Ted Armstrong (1930–2003) was a televangelist and leader of the Worldwide Church of God (WCG). He inherited and continued many of his father’s disputed teachings. Major false teachings associated with Garner Ted Armstrong are

1. Non‑Trinitarian view of God - God is not three persons in one (Father, Son, Holy Spirit).
2. Christology bordering on heresy - Jesus “surrendered His divinity” to become human, and then had to “re‑qualify” for salvation through obedience.
3. Anglo‑Israelism/British Israelism - Modern Anglo‑Americans and Britons are the literal descendants of the “lost tribes” of Israel,
4. Legalistic Sabbatarian and feast‑day system - Christians must keep the Saturday Sabbath, Old Testament festivals, and Old‑Testament food laws as God’s ongoing moral code for the church.
5. Exclusivist “one‑true‑church” claim - Worldwide Church of God (and later its offshoots, like the Church of God International) as the only true church, and most other “Christian” churches as apostate or even counterfeit..
6. Moral and leadership contradictions - Garner Ted was removed from leadership and later excommunicated largely over repeated sexual misconduct and moral failures, even as he preached strict moralism.

Garner Ted Armstrong is widely regarded as promoting an aberrant Christology, unbiblical racial‑historical speculation, legalistic law‑keeping, and an exclusivist church claim—all of which place him outside historic, creedal Christianity on key points, even though he used Christian language and Scripture constantly. 

It can happen to anybody. How?

Application: “I’m OK, You’re OK” is the title of a well‑known book and psychological slogan from the 1960s and 70s, associated with the human‑potential and “positive‑thinking” movements. At its core, it expresses a philosophy that everyone is basically fine as they are, and that we should affirm each person without strong moral or spiritual confrontation.

At our core, we don’t believe it. I once saw a cartoon of a man reading a book. The title of the book was “I’m OK, You’re full of baloney!”

How could we be so smug?

Because our mind is the core of our identity; it is the place where I experience thoughts, emotions, plans, memories, and evaluations, and it is here that I become aware of myself rather than just of the world around me. “I think; therefore I am” (Latin: Cogito, ergo sum) is the famous claim made by the philosopher René Descartes. At its simplest, it means that the very fact we are thinking proves that we exist. 

By definition, my “mind” is who I am; everything else is accoutrement.

And, most of us feel quite certain our “thinking, feeling, and choosing” is “Ex cathedra”. Our mind (in our subjective judgment) is faithful and true; it quickly becomes the unquestioned idol we worship.

We are natural narcissists…

So, the mind is the “stumbling block” that prevents people from surrendering to Christ…nobody wants to surrender their identity to someone else.

But, here’s the truth…

Ironically, most of us are keenly aware of the fallibility of everyone else’s mind. For this reason, Jesus asks the question, “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?” (Matt 7:3, NIV)

Proverbs 14:12 tells us “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” It’s difficult to understand how anyone who reads the Bible (like, Garner Ted Armstrong) could stray so far from the teachings of scripture but, as Greg Laurie reminds us; The devil first attacks our mind…puts thoughts into our heads that “seem correct” but aren’t.

So when Scripture calls for “renewing of the mind” or “taking every thought captive” (Rom 12:2; 2 Cor 10:5), it is recognizing that the mind is the central arena where self‑awareness, discipleship, and spiritual deception all play out.

“Let this mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5) is calling believers to have the same attitude or way of thinking that Jesus had—especially his humility, self‑giving love, and total obedience to the Father.

Paul is not talking about raw intelligence, but about the inner posture of Christ’s heart: He was fully God, yet did not cling to his divine privileges. He willingly took the form of a servant, entered human weakness, and even died on a cross for others (Phil 2:6–8).

• So “this mind” is humility, sacrifice, and love for others, rather than self‑promotion or self‑interest. We “let this mind be in us” by yielding to the Holy Spirit, who gives us “the mind of Christ” (1 Cor 2:16), choosing to lay down your rights, pride, and comfort for the good of others, and letting our thoughts, desires, and priorities be shaped by Jesus’ example in Philippians 2:5–11.

In Luke 9:23–24 Jesus says “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.” We avoid error by only by surrendering our minds to Christ. In short, “Let this mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus” is an invitation to pattern our inner life on Christ’s humility and love, so our thinking, choices, and relationships begin to reflect his heart instead of our own selfish instincts. 

Only an act of God, through Jesus Christ, can convince us to surrender our very essence to Him but, it is the very definition of conversion; Paul claims in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Prayer: “Dear Lord Jesus Christ, I surrender my mind completely to You. Take every thought, imagination, and intention, and conform them to Your perfect will. Renew my mind by Your Holy Spirit, that I may discern Your truth and reject all deception. I commit my intellect, will, and understanding to Your lordship, trusting You to guard my thoughts and guide my decisions. In Your holy name, Amen.”

Live boldly out there today…