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Focus on what is really important (2 Peter 3:14-18)
Introduction
Have you noticed how difficult it is to identify what is really important and then to focus on it? It is
staggering to realise just how much time, energy and money we squander on things that are not really
important. We could all do with some focus!
2 Peter has been all about focusing on a few important things, and in today’s passage, Peter summarises
those things for us with four commands.
Strain for holiness and peace
The first command is found in verse 14:
14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found
spotless, blameless and at peace with him.
The command here is “to make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him”. But
before we unpack the command let us have a look at the reason for the command. In fact, as we shall see,
it is the reason for all four commands.
Peter has in mind the return of Christ. The return of Christ is the reason for the commands. If we live with
the return of Christ in view, then we will focus on the right things in life. But what specific aspects of the
return of Christ have a bearing on this first command?
Christ will return as judge. In verse 10 Peter writes:
10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the
elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.
The commentators tell us that the Greek verb translated “to be laid bare” has judicial overtones. They
believe that Peter is communicating the idea that the day of the Lord will reveal everything that has been
done in the history of the earth for what it really is, whether good or bad. Peter is using the same image as
Paul in 1 Corinthians 3:10-15, where Paul talks about our work being tested by fire.
10 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is
building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. 11 For no one can lay any foundation
other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If any man builds on this foundation using
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gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 his work will be shown for what it is, because the
Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's
work. 14 If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. 15 If it is burned up, he will suffer
loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.
The idea here is that we must be careful to make sure that we are building with gold, silver and costly
stones, for the fire will not burn these up. And when the earth is “laid bare” by fire, our work will be
revealed as genuine.
So Peter writes, “since you are looking forward to this”, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless
and at peace with him. The verb “to be found” is exactly the same judicial word found in verse 10 where it
is translated “to be laid bare”. Folks our work is going to be revealed for what it is on the day of the Lord. It
should come as no surprise, therefore, that we should make every effort to be spotless, blameless and at
peace with God.
True, when Christ returns, we will not be judged on whether we are saved or not. No amount of effort will
earn your salvation. However, we will be judged on the quality of our work.
2Co 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive
what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
In the Greek, the verb “to make every effort” is in the present tense. This tells us that the action of the verb
must be on-going throughout life. If we are constantly seeking to be spotless and blameless before God,
then we will be working with gold, silver and precious stones. To be at peace with God means we should
not be doing things that oppose God.
So how do we obey this command in daily life? To begin with, you must remember that if you believe that
Jesus took the punishment for your sins by dying on the cross, if you believe that God raised Him from the
dead, and if you have turned away from managing your own life, then you are declared innocent before
God. You are declared spotless, blameless and at peace with God on the legal basis of Christ’s death.
However, you must strain to actually be spotless and blameless in your daily life. How can we do this? What
does this “making every effort” look like? It could be quite easy to be overwhelmed by this question so let
us try to keep it simple. Perhaps the thing to do is to keep asking ourselves throughout the day “how can I
please you, Jesus?” It helps us to focus on what is really important. This question reminds us to take Jesus
into account in our daily lives.
So the first command is to strain for holiness and peace every day. This command is one with an inward
focus. The second has an outward focus.
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Remember God’s patience.
15 Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote
you with the wisdom that God gave him.
God is delaying Christ’s return so that all who will be saved have an opportunity to be converted. Just
reflect for a moment what it must be like for God to delay Christ’s return. Patience in this context is defined
as bearing up under suffering. God feels the pain of every Christian that is persecuted; He feels the pain of
every victim of a sinful, rebellious world. Imagine the pain in God’s heart over the plane crash last week.
God could put a stop to all this pain – the pain He feels over the pain in every broken and shattered heart or
body in the entire world. All He has to do is send Christ back. But He is patient. And the reason why God is
patient is because He wants people to be saved, yet we faff around wasting out energy and time on all sorts
of things that are not important.
In the previous passage, Peter told us that we can speed the coming of Christ. By this he means getting
involved in evangelism. If your life is spotless and blameless you preach a sermon about the glory of God
and you speed the coming of Christ. If you pray for your friends and family members and invite people to
our Alpha course next term, you speed the coming of Christ.
Remember Christ’s command in Matthew to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. By
seeking to extend the kingdom of God, you speed the coming of Christ. The growth of God’s kingdom is
measured by the number of hearts in which His lordship has been established. Yet so often our highest
priority in life becomes about pursuing things that the pagans run after: what will I eat? What will I wear?
Your life is about more than paying the bills.
So strain for holiness and peace and remember God’s patience. The third command is be on your guard.
Be on your guard
17 Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be
carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position.
What do Peter’s readers already know? They know about the return of Christ and the implications of that.
They also know that FTs are coming and have already come. In view of this, they are to be on guard.
This verse shows something which is typical of the NT writings, a combination of security and warning. On
the one hand, your position is secure. On the other hand, be warned of the dangers of FTs who could
dislodge you from your secure position by carrying you away with erroneous teaching. Is it possible to lose
your salvation? The Bible protects you from this by giving warnings that provide for your safety.
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There is so much teaching available to you now through the media and the internet that it is important to
be discerning in what you follow. This is or particular relevance to homegroup leaders. Sometimes people
in your group will suggest material or you might come across some yourself. If you aren’t sure whether it is
dodgy or not, give us a call and ask.
So 1) strain for holiness and peace, 2) remember God’s patience, 3) be on your guard, and lastly, grow in
grace and knowledge.
Grow in grace and knowledge
18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both
now and forever! Amen.
Verse 18 begins with the word “but”. Peter is contrasting two alternatives. On the one hand, there is a fall.
On the other, there is growth.
What in particular are we to grow in? We are to grow in grace and knowledge. Does this ring any bells with
you?
At the beginning of the letter, Peter wrote:
1:2 Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
And now, here at the end of the letter he mentions the knowledge of God again.
Peter is using a literary device called an inclusio when he mentions the knowledge of God at the start and
end of the letter. An inclusio is used to emphasise the importance of something. So Paul wants to
emphasise the importance of growing in the knowledge of God as a way to guard against being “carried
away” or “falling from your secure position”.
In the NT, knowledge does not come from facts and information; it comes from a deep, intimate
relationship. You may remember that I used the analogy earlier in this series of getting to know Gail. Before
we got married, I knew a lot of stuff about Gail. But it was only once we had entered into a marriage
covenant with Gail that I really started to get to know her. You will only truly get to know God and Jesus
once you have entered into a covenant with them.
But having entered into a covenant with God, how do you grow in the knowledge of Him? Well, we must
learn stuff about God. And there are many ways to do this: studying the Bible, listening to sermons, reading
books, meeting with other Christians and so on. But this information must be turned into a deep knowledge
through faith and obedience in the experiences of life.
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Take the example of forgiveness. Most Christians know that we are to forgive. But it is only through
obedience and faith in God that we are truly able to forgive. In doing so, we begin to truly understand
forgiveness, which is an aspect of God’s character. And in the process, we get to know God in a deeper and
more intimate way.
The same can be said of love. When we love the un-lovable through obedience and faith, we start to truly
know love. And since God is love, we grow in our knowledge of Him.
So we are to grow in the knowledge of God. But I find it so encouraging that we grow “in grace”. There is a
sense here that grace is like the soil in which we grow. As Peter said earlier in his letter, we have everything
we need for life and godliness, or in the words of Paul, “he who began a good work in you will carry it on to
completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil 1:6).
Conclusion
In conclusion, therefore, let us make sure that we focus on what is really important in life.
It is important to strain towards holiness and peace. The simplest way to do this is to determine to please
the Lord Jesus in everything.
It is important to remember God’s patience. God is bearing up under the suffering of mankind. He longs to
bring the suffering to an end, but He delays, waiting until everyone who will be saved is saved. That is why
we must speed the return of Christ by working to build the Kingdom of God one heart at a time until the
tipping point when Christ returns. Do not pursue the things “the pagans” run after! Seek ye first the
kingdom of God and His righteousness!
It is important to be on your guard. Yes, you are in a secure position. But make sure you stay secure by
being discerning about the kind of people and teachings which you allow to influence your thinking and
behaviour.
It is important to grow. Position yourself to learn things about God and then through faith and obedience
put what you have learned into practice so that you truly get to know God. And remember that grace –
God’s provision – will nourish you so that you have everything you need to grow.
Seek to please Jesus! Trust and obey for there is no other way ...
Harvest Christian Fellowship
29 march 2015