Thursday, December 29, 2011

1-2 Peter: Living Urgently

But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.  The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. - 1 Peter 5:8-9 NIV

But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
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.
Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives  as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.- 2 Peter 4:8-12 NIV

Peter repeats the same thing in both of his letters:  A day with the Lord is like a thousand years and the Lord is not slow in keeping his promises.  This Peter, the one who knew Jesus in the flesh, the one who heard God say, 'this is my beloved Son', the one who denied him three times, the one who told Jesus over and over again that he loved him, this Peter must have known what he was talking about.

God is not slow in bringing about what he promised, for the world to come or even in our lives, therefore, we have an obligation to be holy and godly as we look forward to that day and speed it's coming.  I'm not sure I'm doing everything I should be doing to hasten Christ's return.  In fact, if he is coming tomorrow, there are many things I have yet to do.  Why do I get so wrapped up in the non-essential when there is so much to be done, when God's patience is holding the time back until everyone has had a chance to accept the gospel?   The one who knew Jesus knew the urgency with which we should live.  Why don't we?


2010 Post -  1-2 Peter:  Chosen People in an Alien World

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