2 Peter 3:1-18
2 Peter 3.1-18
The Lord Will Return
"My dear friends, this is the second letter I have written to
encourage you to do some honest thinking. I don't want you to forget
what God's prophets said would happen. You must never forget what the
holy prophets taught in the past. And you must remember what the
apostles told you our Lord and Savior has commanded us to do. But
first you must realize that in the last days some people won't think
about anything except their own selfish desires. They will make fun of
you and say, "Didn't your Lord promise to come back? Yet the first
leaders have already died, and the world hasn't changed a bit."
They will say this because they want to forget that long ago the
heavens and the earth were made at God's command. The earth came out
of water and was made from water. Later it was destroyed by the
waters of a mighty flood. But God has commanded the present heavens
and earth to remain until the day of judgment. Then they will be set
on fire, and ungodly people will be destroyed. Dear friends, don't
forget that for the Lord one day is the same as a thousand years, and
a thousand years is the same as one day. The Lord isn't slow about
keeping his promises, as some people think he is. In fact, God is
patient, because he wants everyone to turn from sin and no one to be
lost. The day of the Lord's return will surprise us like a thief. The
heavens will disappear with a loud noise, and the heat will melt the
whole universe. Then the earth and everything on it will be seen for
what they are. Everything will be destroyed. So you should serve and
honor God by the way you live. You should look forward to the day
when God judges everyone, and you should try to make it come soon. On
that day the heavens will be destroyed by fire, and everything else
will melt in the heat. But God has promised us a new heaven and a new
earth, where justice will rule. We are really looking forward to that!
My friends, while you are waiting, you should make certain that the
Lord finds you pure, spotless, and living at peace. Don't forget that
the Lord is patient because he wants people to be saved. This is also
what our dear friend Paul said when he wrote you with the wisdom that
God had given him. Paul talks about these same things in all his
letters, but part of what he says is hard to understand. Some ignorant
and unsteady people even destroy themselves by twisting what he said.
They do the same thing with other Scriptures too. My dear friends, you
have been warned ahead of time! So don't let the errors of evil people
lead you down the wrong path and make you lose your balance. Let the
wonderful kindness and the understanding that come from our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ help you to keep on growing. Praise Jesus now and
forever! Amen."
God bless you.
The Lord Will Return
"My dear friends, this is the second letter I have written to
encourage you to do some honest thinking. I don't want you to forget
what God's prophets said would happen. You must never forget what the
holy prophets taught in the past. And you must remember what the
apostles told you our Lord and Savior has commanded us to do. But
first you must realize that in the last days some people won't think
about anything except their own selfish desires. They will make fun of
you and say, "Didn't your Lord promise to come back? Yet the first
leaders have already died, and the world hasn't changed a bit."
They will say this because they want to forget that long ago the
heavens and the earth were made at God's command. The earth came out
of water and was made from water. Later it was destroyed by the
waters of a mighty flood. But God has commanded the present heavens
and earth to remain until the day of judgment. Then they will be set
on fire, and ungodly people will be destroyed. Dear friends, don't
forget that for the Lord one day is the same as a thousand years, and
a thousand years is the same as one day. The Lord isn't slow about
keeping his promises, as some people think he is. In fact, God is
patient, because he wants everyone to turn from sin and no one to be
lost. The day of the Lord's return will surprise us like a thief. The
heavens will disappear with a loud noise, and the heat will melt the
whole universe. Then the earth and everything on it will be seen for
what they are. Everything will be destroyed. So you should serve and
honor God by the way you live. You should look forward to the day
when God judges everyone, and you should try to make it come soon. On
that day the heavens will be destroyed by fire, and everything else
will melt in the heat. But God has promised us a new heaven and a new
earth, where justice will rule. We are really looking forward to that!
My friends, while you are waiting, you should make certain that the
Lord finds you pure, spotless, and living at peace. Don't forget that
the Lord is patient because he wants people to be saved. This is also
what our dear friend Paul said when he wrote you with the wisdom that
God had given him. Paul talks about these same things in all his
letters, but part of what he says is hard to understand. Some ignorant
and unsteady people even destroy themselves by twisting what he said.
They do the same thing with other Scriptures too. My dear friends, you
have been warned ahead of time! So don't let the errors of evil people
lead you down the wrong path and make you lose your balance. Let the
wonderful kindness and the understanding that come from our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ help you to keep on growing. Praise Jesus now and
forever! Amen."
God bless you.
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