Grow in Grace  

• 1^st – The day of the Lord… vs. 10-11
  • 1^st – Like a THIEF… vs. 10
    • But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night!
      • The DAY of the Lord – the phrase is used 32 times in the Bible…
      • 27 times in the Old Testament – 5 times in the New Testament…
      • IMPORTANT – the DAY of the Lord is not just one DAY…
      • It describes the TIME leading up the RETURN and Jesus – and JUDGEMENT of the world!
      • The companion term that comes BEFORE the DAY of the Lord – is the LAST Days…
      • The LAST days – began on the day of PENTECOST – Acts 2:17
      • And the LAST days CONCLUDE – when the DAY of the LORD begins – Acts 2:20
    • The DAY of the Lord – begins with RAPTURE of the church…
      • RAPTURE – from the Latin of the Greek word – [ἁρπάζω] – I Thessalonians 4:17
      • In CONTEXT – we are told the RAPTURE will happen like a THIEF in the NIGHT…
      • I Thessalonians 5:2 – “You yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.”
      • We never know when a THIEF will come – the RAPTURE will be the same way…
      • No one knows the exact day or hour – only the FATHER knows – Mark 13:32
      • With NO warning – it will happen in the BLINK of an eye [ἄτομος] – I Corinthians 15:52
      • The trumpet of God sounds – the call for the church to go home – I Thessalonians 4:16 
      • Those who have died will have already receive their resurrected bodies – II Corinthians 5:8
      • They will come with Jesus – to meet us in the air in the RAPTURE…
      • All of us who are still here will be changed [μεταμορφόω] – II Corinthians 3:18
      • Receive eternal bodies – and we will be caught up to heaven – I Corinthians 15:53
  • 2^nd – The Antichrist…
    • His rise to power – II Thessalonians 2:3
      • In the aftermath of the RAPTURE – one BILLION people disappear…
      • And the Magog invasion – God destroys armies of Russia and the Arabs – Ezekiel 38
      • The world will be in CHAOS – one man will offer PEACE and SAFETY – I Thessalonians 5:3
      • This man has more than THIRTY titles in the Bible – the Man of Sin – the Son of Perdition…
      • The big mouth – Daniel 7:8 – we most often refer to him as the Antichrist – I John 2:18
      • But he is a LIAR – because he will bring neither PEACE nor SAFETY…
      • It brings what is known as the time of Jacobs trouble – Jeremiah 30:7
      • The SEVEN years of Tribulation laid out in – Revelation 6-18
    • PEACE – he will confirm a treaty with Israel for SEVEN years – Daniel 9:27
      • He will be a leader who will rise out of Europe – the little horn – Daniel 7:8
      • He will make PEACE by offering to build the THIRD Temple for Israel…
      • North of the Dome of the Rock [monument] – in a place called the Dome of the Spirit…
      • He will build the Temple – as proof he is the MESSIAH – and Jews will embrace him!
      • John 5:43 – “I have come in My Fathers name – and you do not receive Me. [When] another comes in his own name – him you will receive.”
    • SAFETY – he will bring STABILITY…
      • He will bring STABILITY to governments – financial markets – and religion!
      • He will rule the worlds political system – he will be the government…
      • He will rule the world financial system – 666 – mark of the beast – Revelation 13:16-18
      • He will present himself as the Messiah – god come to earth – Revelation 13:3-5
      • But after 3 ½ years of the tribulation – he will enter the temple – into the Holiest of All…
      • There he will claim he is god – the Abomination of Desolation – Matthew 24:15
      • There is a good chance that this man is alive today – waiting for the right time…
      • Because he cannot be revealed UNTIL the church is removed – the RAPTURE…
      • If he revealed himself now – we would tell everyone NOT to follow – II Thessalonians 2:7
  • 3^rd – Wrath of Jesus Christ…
    • God pours out His wrath and judgment on a God rejecting world!
      • Laid out in the Book of Revelation – 21 judgments in what we call the Tribulation…
      • Broken up into THREE sets of SEVEN judgments – Seal – Trumpet – and Bowl judgments…
      • The terror will be so great – unless God limited it – no one would survive!
      • Matthew 24:22 – “Unless those days were shortened – no flesh would be saved.”
    • The good news is we will NOT be here for during this time of terror…
      • We will NOT be RAPTURED at the END of the Tribulation – Post Tribulation…
      • Because no man knows the day or the hour – Matthew 25:13
      • If we are in the Tribulation – and count 3 ½ years from the Abomination of desolation…
      • We would know the exact day that that RAPTURE of the church would take place!
    • We will NOT be RAPTURED in the MIDDLE of the tribulation – Mid Tribulation…
      • As believers are not appointed to WRATH – I Thessalonians 5:9
      • Yet the Tribulation is all about the WRATH of God being poured out!
      • People hold a Mid Tribulation view because of the LAST trumpet – I Corinthians 15:52
      • They see this as LAST of the SEVEN trumpets blown in Revelation 11:15
      • Believing the WRATH of God only begins halfway through the Tribulation…
      • But by the time the SIXTH trumpet is blown – 60% of the world has already perished!
      • CHURCH [ἐκκλησία] – used NINETEEN times – in the first THREE chapters of Revelation…
      • Then NOT mentioned again until the very end of the book – Revelation 22:16
      • The CHURCH is ABSENT throughout the entire time of the Tribulation!
  • 4^th – The SECOND coming…
    • At the end of the SEVEN years of Tribulation…
      • The Antichrist will gather his army to the Valley of Megiddo – Revelation 19:11-21
      • Then Jesus will come out of Heaven on a white horse – King of Kings / Lord of Lords…
      • He will return with us – ten thousands of His saints – Jude 1:14
      • With one word he will defeat the Antichrist and his army – II Thessalonians 2:8
      • And the Antichrist will be the first to be thrown into the Lake of Fire – Revelation 19:20
    • The Jesus will return to the Mount of Olives – Zachariah 14:4
      • The mountain will split in two – water will come out – giving life to the Dead Sea…
      • 30 days after the Return of Jesus – 1290 days after the Abomination – Daniel 12:11
      • Jesus will judge the nations – those who survived the Tribulation – Matthew 25:31-46
      • Then Jesus will establish His Millennial Kingdom – Revelation 20:1-4
      • And we – the CHURCH – will rule and reign with Him for 1000 years – I Corinthians 6:2-3
    • At the end of the 1000 year reign…
      • Satan – who was chained in the bottomless pit – is released – Revelation 20:3
      • He will deceive the nations into one final rebellion against God – Revelation 20:7-8
      • But God will devour them by fire – and satan will be cast into the Lake of Fire!
      • Then all will stand before the throne of God to be judged for the works of their lives…
      • Revelation 20:11-12 – “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it…  And I saw the dead – small and great – standing before God…”
      • There will be two sets of books opened – the books and the Book of Life…
      • If your name is not found written in the Book of Life – the Books are opened…
      • Then you are then judged according to your works – written in The Books…
      • Everything you do – every word you say – every thought you think…
      • Not to see if you will go to heaven or hell – but to show you why you go to hell!
  • 5^th – The end… vs. 10-11
    • The heavens will pass away with a great noise – and the elements will melt with fervent heat.
      • Both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up!
      • The conclusion of the Day of the Lord – is the DESTRUCTION of the earth…
      • GREAT noise [ῥοιζηδόν] – only here NT – a BIG BANG
      • It may not be how the universe BEGAN – but it is how it will END…
      • The elements will MELT [λύω] with extreme HEAT – 2x NT – both in II Peter 3
      • Jesus will let go – and the universe will erupt in a nuclear inferno – Colossians 1:16
      • And all the WORKS that are in it will ALSO be burned – it is all FUEL for the FIRE!
      • Then God will create a prefect – sinless – NEW heaven and NEW earth – Revelation 21-22
      • Where those who believe in Jesus will live with Him FOREVER!
    • What manner of persons…
      • Therefore – since all these things will be dissolved…
      • What manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness!
      • Considering EVERYTHING will one day DISSOLVE [λύω] – how should we live our lives…
      • The answer is simple and obvious – we should be HOLY and GODLY in our conduct!
      • Everything in this life is destined to burn – we cannot take any of it with us…
      • People strive their whole lives to find success – but what is success worth apart from God…
      • We might end up rich – but all we really get is a lot of nice FIREWOOD!
      • Therefore – do not miss the purpose of life by devoting TIME to something that is DOOMED…
      • How much better to invest our TIME and efforts into a Kingdom that will NEVER fade!
      • Invest is something that we can take with us to heaven – people we share Jesus with!

• 2^nd – Be Diligent… vs. 12-14
  • In light of the judgement that is coming – the end of the world by FIRE…
    • And the exhortation to therefore live a life that is HOLY and GODLY…
    • Peter is going to FINISH his final letter by giving us FOUR commands…
    • FIRST – as we LOOK forward – we are commanded [imperative] to be DILIGENT!
  • 1^st – LOOK for the DAY of the Lord… vs. 12
    • Looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God – because of which the heavens…
    • Will be dissolved – being on fire – and the elements will melt with fervent heat!
    • LOOKING [προσδοκάω] – to expect or to anticipate something…
    • HASTEN [σπεύδω] – 6x in NT – to desire earnestly…
    • The Day of God [the end] – when the heavens will burn – and the earth will melt [λύω]!
    • I do not get attached to my trash – I do stay up at night wondering what will happen to it…
    • I know that it is destined to be destroyed – I recognize it will not last!
    • That is the same way we are to LOOK at all possessions in this world – house – car – etc.
    • Since we know WHAT will happen to them – it keeps us from getting too attached to them! 
  • 2^nd – LOOK for a NEW heaven and earth… vs. 13
    • Nevertheless we – according to His promise…
    • Look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells!
    • BUT – we according to His PROMISE – Revelation 21:1
    • We LOOK [προσδοκάω] constantly [present] – it is something we do DAILY…
    • Because we know that in the NEW heaven and earth – righteousness dwells!
    • There are those today who believe that we can establish the Kingdom of God here on earth…
    • As if somehow there is hope of REDEEMING this world – saving the PLANET…
    • Not to burst a bubble – but RIGHTEOUSNESS does NOT dwell here…
    • This world is destined for DESTRUCTION – it will be replaced with something BETTER!
    • The Kingdom will come with the NEW heaven and earth – not this old broken down one!
  • 3^rd – LOOK forward… vs. 14
    • Therefore – beloved – looking forward to these things…
      • Be diligent to be found by Him in peace – without spot and blameless!
      • Therefore – since we are LOOKING [προσδοκάω] forward to a NEW heaven and earth…
      • Be DILIGENT [imperative] – to be found by Jesus when He returns with THREE things:
      • PEACE – because we are not living for this fallen world – we are looking for a NEW one!
      • Without SPOT– because we are looking to Jesus Christ who CLEANSED us – I Peter 1:19
      • BLAMELESS – because all of our sin has been PAID for on the cross!
    • Be DILIGENT to look forward – because there is a danger to looking back…
      • Lots wife LOOKED back – and she became a pillar of salt – Genesis 19:26
      • She was un-willing to leave the world behind – and it cost her life!
      • The danger of living life on the fence – is falling off on the wrong side…
      • It is not worth the danger to play around with the love of this world…
      • It is far too easy to fall in love with this world – miss Jesus – be left behind!

• 3^rd – Consider… vs. 15-16
  • 1^st – The longsuffering of the Lord… vs. 15
    • Consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation!
    • SECOND command [imperative] we are given in light of living a HOLY and GODLY life…
    • CONSIDER [ἡγέομαι] – to count – think about – or ponder…
    • We are to CONSIDER that the longsuffering of our Lord is SALVATION…
    • LONGSUFFERING [μακροθυμέω] – compound word – LONG [μακρο] ANGER [θυμέω]
    • We are DILIGENT to LOOK for the Day of the Lord – and the NEW heaven and earth…
    • BUT we also need to CONSIDER – the longer it takes to come – the more who can be saved…
    • It can be frustrating to see the moral decline around us – infuriating to see men mock God…
    • But God is longsuffering – giving those very same men TIME to turn and be SAVED!
  • 2^nd – Cross reference… vs. 15-16
    • As also our beloved brother Paul – according to the wisdom given to him…
    • Has written to you – as also in all his epistles – speaking in them of these things!
    • Peter was not the only one who wrote about the LONGSUFFERING of the Lord…
    • Paul also wrote according to the wisdom given [passive] to him…
    • We are not sure which particular passaged Peter is referring to…
    • But in general – he is confirming the principle of cross referencing to validate biblical truth!
    • You may have noticed that we often will quote verses from other parts of the Bible…
    • The reason is because it helps us make sure we are interpreting the passage correctly…
    • If something is important: Jesus taught it – disciples did it [Acts] – the epistles confirm it!
  • 3^rd – Interpret the Word… vs. 16
    • In which are some things hard to understand!
      • Some of the LETTERS of Paul were HARD to understand…
      • Not because Paul wrote them in a way that was difficult to comprehend…
      • But because SPIRITUAL truths cannot be understood by SINFUL minds!
      • I Corinthians 2:14 – “The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
      • It might seem HARD to understand – we are to LOOK for Jesus to RETURN…
      • But at the same time we also CONSIDER – it is good if He WAITS…
      • But when through the Spirit we realize – although the God will JUDGE a sinful world…
      • It is His LOVE that causes Him to WAIT – giving men a chance to REPENT! 
• Which some untaught and unstable people twist…
  • Which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction…
  • As they do also the rest of the Scriptures!
  • UNTAUGHT [ἀμαθής] – someone who has is NOT a disciple [μαθητής] of Jesus…
  • UNSTABLE – negative of [στηρίζω] – describing one who is not established – no foundation…
  • TWIST [στρεβλόω] – only here NT – a word that means to torture or to pervert…
  • NOT just the teachings of PAUL – they twist the rest of the Bible as well…
  • And they do this to their own DESTRUCTION [ἀπώλεια] – eternal separation from God!
  • One of the most important concepts in understanding the Bible is CONTEXT…
  • Interpreting a verse or passage in relation to the surrounding verses….
  • Most errors in Bible interpretation come from taking a verse out of CONTEXT…
  • It is easy to change the meaning of a single verse when taken out of CONTEXT…
  • That is why we study the whole Bible – teachings chapter by chapter – book by book…
  • So we learn the Bible in CONTEXT – making sure we do not twist the Word!

• 4^th – Beware… vs. 17
  • 1^st – We KNOW…
    • You therefore – beloved – since you know this beforehand! 
    • Therefore BELOVED [ἀγαπητός] – those whom God LOVES…
    • KNOW before [προγινώσκω] – where we get the word PROGNOSIS…
    • We already KNOW – we are to be DILIGENT to LOOK for a NEW heaven and earth…
    • We already KNOW – we are CONSIDER the longsuffering of the Lord…
    • We already KNOW – we are to be careful not to TWIST the Word of God!
  • 2^nd – BEWARE…
    • Beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness – led away with the error of the wicked!
    • THIRD command [imperative] we are given in light of living a HOLY and GODLY life…
    • BEWARE [φυλάσσω] – to GUARD or PROTECT from danger…
    • So we are not – LED AWAY [συναπάγω] – to be CARRIED off captive [passive]
    • By the WICKED [ἄθεσμος] – used to describe the sinner in Sodom and Gomorrah – II Peter 2:7
    • FALL – STUMBLE in our walk – losing our FOUNDATION [adjective form of στηρίζω]
    • Paul had to confront Peter when he would NOT eat with GENTILES…
    • Barnabas did not BEWARE – and was LED ASTRAY by Peter in a WICKED error…
    • They had FALLEN back into the trap of the LAW – they could ONLY eat with JEWS…
    • As a result they FELL from the sure foundation that is the GRACE of God!
    • Galatians 2:13 – “And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with [Peter] – so that even Barnabas was carried away [συναπάγω] with their hypocrisy.”
    • Too often men believe what they are told – because they are looking to a person…
    • We should not just accept the words of men – no matter who is teaching…
    • Instead look to the Bible for the answers – verifying what they say in the Word!
    • Acts 17:11 – “Search the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things are so.”

• 5^th – Grow… vs. 18
  • 1^st – In GRACE…
    • Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
    • FOURTH command [imperative] we are given in light of living a HOLY and GODLY life…
    • GROW [αὐξάνω] – to increase or become greater…
    • We are commanded to constantly [present] be growing in GRACE…
    • GRACE [χάρις] – 156x in NT [its important] – means a GIFT…
    • It SPEAK of the POWER of God – given FREELY to those who HUMBLY ask – I Peter 5:5
    • Paul asked God THREE times to take away his thorn – II Corinthians 12:9-10
    • And THREE times God answered and told him no – the thorn stayed…
    • Because His GRACE was sufficient for Paul – his weakness made Paul depend on God!

To Him be the glory both now and forever [every day]. Amen!

The KEY to the living a HOLY and GODLY life – is the POWER of God…

When we realize we CANNOT – when we FAIL enough times…

In HUMILITY we come to the LORD and ask for HELP – He gives us GRACE…

He freely gives us His SPIRIT – so we have the POWER to live for Him…

When we LEARN to look to the Lord – depend upon Him – and NOTHING is impossible!

2^nd – In KNOWLEDGE…

We are commanded to constantly [present] be growing in KNOWLEDGE…

KNOWLEDGE [γνῶσις] – indicates a relation – knowing a person…

Who are we to get to KNOW – our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

The KEY to the living a HOLY and GODLY life – is the KNOWING Jesus…

The more time with SPEND with the Lord – the more we will KNOW the Lord…

The more excited we will be for the Lord to come!