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2 Peter Chapter Three

 
When People Scoff About The Lord's Return (3:1-9)
 
INTRODUCTION
 
1. A wonderful promise that serves to motivate Christians toward godly
 living is that concerning our Lord's return...
 a. A promise made first by Jesus Himself - Jn 14:1-3
 b. A promise made at His ascension into heaven - Ac 1:9-11
 c. A promise not far from the lips of devoted disciples...
 1) "O Lord, come!" - 1 Co 16:22
 2) "Even so, come, Lord Jesus!" - Re 22:20
 
2. But it is also a promise that some delight to scoff (i.e., to mock,
 deride, reproach, ridicule) - cf. 2 Pe 3:3-4
 
3. As we patiently await the coming of the Lord, what can we do when 
 faced by those who ridicule the hope that we have?
 
4. Peter addresses this concern in 2 Pe 3:1-9, and will serve as the 
 basis for this lesson entitled:
 
 "When People Scoff About The Lord's Return"
 
[The key element to dealing with such scoffers can be summarized in one
word: "remember"
 
This becomes evident as we find Peter stressing that we should 
first...]
 
I. REMEMBER THAT SCOFFERS ARE TO BE EXPECTED (1-4)
 
 A. ONCE AGAIN, WE SEE THE VALUE OF BEING REMINDED...
 1. Earlier in this epistle, Peter stressed his desire to remind
 them - 2 Pe 1:12-15
 2. Now, he does it again - 2 Pe 3:1-2
 3. In both passages, his desire is to "stir up" their pure minds 
 - 2 Pe 1:13; 3:1
 
  B. WE ARE TO BE ESPECIALLY MINDFUL OF...
 1. The words spoken before by the holy prophets
 a. Peter may have reference to New Testament prophets
 b. But he might also be referring to Old Testament prophets, 
 to whom we were told to give heed earlier in this epistle 
 - 2 Pe 1:19
 2. The commandment of the apostles of the Lord and Savior
 a. As the Lord's "ambassadors" (cf. 2 Co 5:20), the apostles
 speak for the Lord Himself - cf. 1 Co 14:37
 b. Therefore, we need to "continue steadfastly in the 
 apostles' doctrine" - Ac 2:42
 
 C. IF WE ARE MINDFUL OF THEIR WORDS, SCOFFERS WILL NOT BE 
 UNEXPECTED...
 1. We will know that they will come "in the last days" - 2 Pe 
 3:3a
 a. A reference to the age of the Messiah
 b. Which began with His first coming, and will be culminated 
 at His second coming - cf. Ac 2:16-17; 1 Co 10:11; He 1:1-2
 c. Thus we can expect scoffers at any time during the 
 "Christian dispensation"
 2. We will know the motivation behind their scoffing... - 2 Pe 
 3:3b
 a. For they will be "walking according to their own lusts"
 b. Knowing that coming of the Lord is designed to judge the 
 ungodly, they "scoff" as a way to soothe their guilty 
 conscience
 3. We will know the major argument they are likely to use - 2 Pe
 3:4
 a. Their argument will be: "all things continue as they 
 were..."
 b. An argument akin to the doctrine of "uniformitarianism"
 
[Knowing that scoffers will come, and what their charges will be, we 
can prepare for it. But again, only if we will be sure to remember 
what the holy prophets and apostles have said.
 
For example, the apostle Peter would have us...]
 
II. REMEMBER THAT GOD'S WORD IS CONSISTENT (5-7)
 
 A. THE SCOFFERS FORGET ABOUT THE FLOOD...
 1. In arguing that "all things continue as they were from the 
 beginning", they overlook the fact such was not the case with 
 the flood - 2 Pe 3:5-6
 2. Peter says they "willfully" forget...
 a. They purposefully choose not to remember an event that 
 proves their argument wrong
 b. Of course, their desire is not to determine truth, but to 
 justify their lifestyle
 c. Many people today resort to the same tactics...
 1) Conveniently ignore evidence that would weaken their 
 case
  2) Ridicule the opposition rather than dealing with it 
 fairly and seriously
 
 B. BUT THE FLOOD IS EVIDENCE OF THE CERTAINTY OF GOD'S WORD...
 1. By God's word, the world was once destroyed by "water" - 2 Pe
 2:5-6
 2. By the same word (God's word), the universe is "kept in store"
 (treasured up, reserved) for "fire" - 2 Pe 2:7
 3. The same word that promised and carried through with the 
 promise about the flood, is the word that promises and will 
 carry through about the Lord's coming and the conflagration to
 accompany it
 4. Since God kept His first promise to destroy the world, we can 
 expect Him to keep His present promise as well!
 
["But," the scoffer might say, "it has been so long since the promise 
was made!" Indeed, for us today it has been nearly two thousand years 
since the promise of the Lord's return and the world's destruction was 
made.
 
But as Peter continues, we should...]
 
III. REMEMBER THAT GOD IS NOT AFFECTED BY TIME (8)
 
 A. UNLIKE MAN, GOD IS NOT A CREATURE OF TIME...
 1. "with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand 
 years as one day."
 2. This is not a passage revealing some sort of key to 
  interpreting prophecy...
 a. Such as, "a day in prophecy equals a thousand years in 
 fulfillment"
 b. For if so, then why could not one just as easily say "a
 thousand years in prophecy equals a day in fulfillment"?
 c. Indeed, such efforts are a clear "twisting" (cf. 2 Pe 3:16)
 of this passage
 3. The point is simply that time is irrelevant to God
 
 B. SO WHILE IT MAY HAVE BEEN TWO THOUSAND YEARS...
 1. To God that is no different than two days! - cf. Ps 90:4
 2. Another two thousand years could pass, and God's Word would 
 not be weakened at all...
 a. It was two thousands years before God fulfilled His promise
 to Abraham ("in you all the families of the earth shall be 
 blessed" - Gen 12:3)
 b. It was at least four thousand years before He fulfilled His
 promise to the serpent ("And I will put enmity...between 
 your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you 
 shall bruise His heel." - Gen 3:15)
 3. Since God kept His promise about the first coming of Christ, 
 we can expect Him to fulfill the promise of His Son's return!
 4. As for the "times and seasons", that should not be our concern
 - cf. Ac 1:7
 
[Finally, we will not be moved by the scoffers' arguments about the 
delay of the Lord's return if we...]
 
IV. REMEMBER THAT GOD IS LONGSUFFERING, NOT SLACK (9)
 
 A. SOME MIGHT THINK THE LORD IS SLACK CONCERNING HIS PROMISE...
 1. It _has_ been nearly two thousand years since the promise was 
 made
 2. And while _man_ might consider that slackness, there is
 another reason for the delay
 
 B. THE LORD IS LONGSUFFERING, NOT WILLING THAT ANY PERISH...
 1. While God is a just God, He is also a merciful and loving God
 2. While His justice requires "judgment and perdition of ungodly 
 men", His love and mercy is willing to give them time to 
 repent
 3. This explains the Lord delay in returning: He has given every
 generation that has lived during the last two thousand years 
 time to repent!
 4. Thus He has "suffered long", hoping that people will repent...
 a. Such goodness is designed to encourage people to repent - 
 cf. Ro 2:4
 b. But for those who despise His longsuffering...
 1) They are "treasuring up...wrath in the day of wrath" - 
 cf. Ro 2:5-6
 2) Just as the Lord has "treasured up" the heavens and 
 earth for fire at the day of judgment - cf. 2 Pe 2:7
 
CONCLUSION
 
1. Peter will have more to say about "the day of the Lord" and what 
 will occur when He comes again, in the next section (2 Pe 3:10-13)
 
2. But that we might not lose heart, nor be discouraged by the scoffers
 who will ridicule the idea of the Lord's return, Peter has left 
 these words by which we can "stir up your pure minds by way of 
 reminder" - 2 Pe 3:1
 
3. Has the thought of the Lord's return and the day of judgment stirred
 you up?
 a. Remember that the Lord wants you to be saved...
 1) He sent His Son to die for your sins
 2) He has delayed the sending of His Son a second time, to give 
 you time to repent
 b. Remember, though, that in His justice things are being "treasured
 up"
 1) The heavens and earth are "kept in store" (treasured up) for 
 the day of judgment
 2) Those who despise God's longsuffering are "treasuring up" for 
  themselves "wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the
 righteous judgment of God" - cf. Ro 2:5
 c. How much better, then...
 1) To receive the "riches of His grace" in obedience to the
 gospel of His grace
 2) Instead of receiving the "treasures of His wrath" to be given
 at the day of judgment!
 
As Peter said on the Day of Pentecost, "Be saved from this perverse
generation." (Ac 2:40) The context reveals how one might be saved
- cf. Ac 2:36-41

The Day Of The Lord (3:10-13)
 
INTRODUCTION
 
1. In our previous study, we saw where Peter encouraged us not to be 
 troubled by those who scoff at the promise of the Lord's return:
 a. Remember that scoffers are to be expected - 2 Pe 3:1-4
 b. Remember that God's Word is consistent - 2 Pe 3:5-7
 c. Remember that God is not affected by time - 2 Pe 3:8
 d. Remember that God is longsuffering, not slack - 2 Pe 3:9
 
2. In verse 7, he briefly alluded to what will happen when the Lord 
 returns:
 
 "But the heavens and the earth which now exist are kept in store by
 the same word, reserved for fire until the day of judgment and 
 perdition of ungodly men."
 
3. It is now in verses 10-13 that Peter describes our Lord's coming in
 greater detail...
 a. An event that is called "the day of the Lord" - 2 Pe 3:10
 b. Now, there are some who believe that "the coming of Christ" and 
 "the day of the Lord" are actually two separate events...
 1) That "the coming of Christ" is a secret coming in which He 
  will "rapture" His saints
 2) And "the day of the Lord" is the final day of judgment which 
 occurs much later
 c. But Paul, like Peter, uses these expressions interchangeably...
 1) Having described "the coming of the Lord" and its implications
 for the righteous (1 Th 4:13-18), Paul calls it "the day of 
 the Lord" as he discusses the timing of these events (1 Th 5:
 1-4)
 2) A similar use of these terms is found in 2 Th 2:1-2
 d. So as we turn to our text in 2 Pe 3:10-13, we are considering 
 what is true about the coming our Lord Jesus, as promised in Ac
 1:9-11
 
[What does the apostle Peter, who was among those who heard the promise
of the Lord's return as Jesus ascended into heaven, have to say about 
our Lord's coming?]
 
I. IT WILL BE "UNEXPECTED" (10a)
 
 A. LIKE "A THIEF IN THE NIGHT"...
 1. Paul used the same expression in 1 Th 5:1-3
 2. And so did Jesus, in His Mt. Olivet discourse - Mt 24:42-44
 3. So the Lord's coming at the Last Day will be unexpected, with
 no warning
 
 B. BUT NOT FOR FAITHFUL CHRISTIANS!
 1. The day of the Lord should not "overtake you as a thief"
 - 1 Th 5:4-6
 a. Not because they know the "day or hour" of His coming, nor 
 because of any revelation that pinpoints the time of His 
 coming
 b. But because they heed the command to "watch!" - 1 Th 5:6; 
 cf. Mk 13:32-37
 2. However, notice what Jesus said to those Christians who do NOT
 "watch" - Re 3:1-3
 a. They must "remember", "hold fast" and "repent"
 b. Otherwise, the Lord will come upon them as a thief as well!
 
[So the first thing Peter tells us about the day of the Lord is that it
will come unannounced, like "a thief in the night." He also tells 
us...]
 
II. IT WILL BE "CATASTROPHIC" (10b, 11a, 12b)
 
 A. "THE HEAVENS WILL PASS AWAY WITH A GREAT NOISE" (10b)
 1. While "the heavens" could refer to the atmosphere, I believe 
 it more likely refers to the universe, including the stars 
 (see below)
 2. The heavens will "pass away", or "disappear" (NIV, NEB), 
 "vanish" (MOFFAT)
 a. Consider Mt 24:35; Re 20:11; 21:1
 b. This certainly suggests that Peter is describing an 
 "annihilation" of the universe, and not simply a fiery 
 purification of it
 
 B. "THE ELEMENTS WILL MELT WITH FERVENT HEAT" (10b, 11a, 12b)
 1. The "elements" likely signifies the celestial bodies (sun, 
 moon, stars)
 2. According to Jewish belief, in the last day even the stars 
 will be destroyed - cf. Isa 34:4 (The New Testament 
 Commentary, Peter and Jude, Kistemaker, p. 336)
 3. The term "melt" {luo}, in verse 10...
 a. Means "(lit. or fig.):--break (up), destroy, dissolve,
 (un-)loose, melt, put off"
 b. It is translated "dissolved" in verses 11 and 12
 1) "all these things will be dissolved"
 2) "the heavens will be dissolved being on fire"
 4. The term "melt" {teko}, in verse 12...
 a. Means "to liquefy"
 b. As translated in The Emphasized New Testament (J. B. 
 Rotherham): "...the elements becoming intensely hot are to
  be melted"
 
 C. "THE EARTH AND THE WORKS THAT ARE IN IT WILL BE BURNED UP" (10b)
 1. Having described the destruction of the universe, attention is
 now given to the earth in particular
 2. Some manuscripts have the phrase "laid bare" for "burned up"
 3. This has led some to suppose that Peter is describing only a 
 purification of the universe, not an annihilation of the 
 present order
 4. But as we have seen, both the immediate context ("pass away",
  "melt", "dissolve", in 2 Pe 3) and the remote context ("pass
 away", "no place found for them", Re 20:11; 21:1) speaks 
 strongly for annihilation - cf. also He 12:25-29
 
[The "day of the Lord" will truly be a cataclysmic end to the earth and
universe as we know it!
 
Should this be cause for despair? Not at all, for Peter also tells us 
that...]
 
III. IT WILL "USHER IN A NEW ORDER" (13)
 
 A. "A NEW HEAVENS AND A NEW EARTH IN WHICH RIGHTEOUSNESS DWELLS"
 1. This "new order" is described more fully by John in Re 21:1-5
 2. It includes "the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of 
 heaven" for which...
 a. Old Testament saints looked forward - He 11:10,13-16
 b. New Testament saints were said to seek - He 13:14
 3. Indeed, this "new heavens and new earth" with its "heavenly 
 city" is the ultimate destiny of the redeemed!
 
 B. "ACCORDING TO HIS PROMISE"
 1. We look forward to this "new heavens and new earth" because of
 God's promise
 2. Which promise? The only promise made concerning such things 
 prior to Peter and John's is that found in Isa 65:17-25; 
 66:22-24
 a. In which the same themes are discussed as those found in 
 Re 21-22
 b. But in language and figures that would have provided 
 special comfort to the Israelites of Isaiah's day
 3. If Peter is indeed alluding to the promises of God through
 Isaiah, there is an important implication...
  a. Isaiah not only foretold events pertaining to the
 "inauguration" (the first coming) of the Messianic age
 - e.g., Isa 2:2-4; 7:14; 9:6-7
 b. Isaiah also foretold events pertaining to the "culmination"
 (the second coming) of the Messianic age - e.g., Isa 65:
 17-25; 66:22-24
 c. And some passages in Isaiah - e.g., Isa 11:6-9...
 1) Which the premillenialist applies to a 1000 year reign
 on earth
 2) And some amillenialists apply to the current "Christian
 age"
 ...may in fact have reference to the "new heavens and new 
 earth" of which Peter and John speak!
 
[In any case, we certainly have the promise of Peter and John of the 
"new heavens and new earth" as found in the New Testament.
 
And without question an important implication of this promise which 
will be fulfilled in the day of the Lord is that...]
 
IV. IT SHOULD INSPIRE HOLY LIVING (11b, 12a)
 
 A. WE OUGHT TO BE PEOPLE OF "HOLY CONDUCT AND GODLINESS" (11b)
 1. Everything we may acquire in this life will be "dissolved" 
 (our wealth, our fame, our physical relationships)
 2. The only thing that has "promise of the life to come" is 
 GODLINESS - 1 Ti 4:8
 3. HOLY CONDUCT is able to "store up...a good foundation for the 
 time to come" - 1 Ti 6:17-19
 
 B. WE OUGHT TO BE "LOOKING FOR AND HASTENING THE COMING OF THE DAY 
 OF GOD" (12a)
 1. If we "look for new heavens and a new earth" (v.13), we 
 should certainly "look for...the coming of the day of God"!
 2. Indeed, we should "hasten" the coming of that great day!
 a. It may be that "hastening" means "earnestly desiring" the 
 day of the Lord
 b. But it can also mean in this passage "to speed its coming"
 1) Is it possible to shorten the time set for the coming of
 the Lord?
 2) If the delay is due to God's longsuffering so that men 
  can repent, what if they repent? Would there be reason 
 to delay any longer?
 c. Not only can we pray for the Lord to come (1 Co 16:22), 
 but Peter says elsewhere that we may do something to speed 
 His coming! - cf. Ac 3:19-21
 1) "Repent therefore and be converted..."
 2) "...that He may send Jesus Christ..."
 
CONCLUSION
 
1. According to Peter, then, "The Day Of The Lord" will be...
 a. A day that is unexpected
 b. A day that will be cataclysmic
 c. A day that will usher in a new order
 d. A day for which we ought to look and hasten
 
2. Peter does not describe all the events that will occur on that 
 day...
 a. He says nothing about the resurrection, though that is clearly 
 implied
 b. He says little about the judgment per se, though it too is an 
 important feature
 ...but what he says is adequate to encourage us to consider how we 
 shall respond
 
3. How shall we respond to the words of Peter? I know of three 
 possible ways...
 a. We can mock them
 b. We can ignore them, delaying obedience, and likely be found 
 unprepared
 c. We can humbly heed them, responding to God's longsuffering 
 through obedience to the gospel
 -- Just as there were three different reactions to the preaching of
 Paul - cf. Ac 17:30-31
 
Dear friend, how will YOU respond...?

Peter's Final Exhortations (3:14-18)
 
INTRODUCTION
 
1. We come to the final section of this second epistle of Peter, a 
 letter in which...
 a. Peter has endeavored to "stir you up by way of reminder" - 2 Pe 
 1:13-15; 3:1-2
 b. Peter has exhorted those "who have obtained like precious faith":
 1) To be diligent in abounding in spiritual growth - 2 Pe 1:5-11
 2) To heed the prophetic word made more sure - 2 Pe 1:16-21
 2) To beware of false teachers that will lead many astray - 2 Pe
 2:1-22
 3) To not be deterred by scoffers of the Lord's coming - 2 Pe 3:
 3-9
 4) To live holy lives in view of the coming Day of the Lord - 
 2 Pe 3:10-13
 
2. As Peter draws his epistle to a close, it is evident that he is 
 filled with love toward his brethren...
 a. He calls them "beloved" in 2 Pe 3:1,8
 b. And now in our text, he uses this "term of endearment" twice - 
 2 Pe 3:14,17
 
3. With such love in his heart, Peter pens his final words...
 a. He knows that he will soon die - 2 Pe 1:14
 b. As far as we know, he wrote no other epistle
 
4. This ought to give special significance to "Peter's Final 
 Exhortations" that we find in our text...
 a. Just as the final words of any dying man are significant, in that
 they reveal what is of greatest concern to that person
 b. What are the concerns of this aged apostle, who dearly loves his 
 brethren?
 
[In verse 14, we find first of all his exhortation to...]
 
I. BE DILIGENT TO BE FOUND IN PEACE, WITHOUT SPOT AND BLAMELESS (14)
 
 A. THIS IS YET ANOTHER CALL TO "DILIGENCE"...
 1. Found twice before - cf. 2 Pe 1:5,10
  2. The word means "earnestness, zeal, sometimes with haste"
 3. There it was applied to growing spiritually
 
 B. DILIGENCE IN THIS TEXT PERTAINS TO LORD'S COMING...
 1. How will the Lord find us when He comes?
 2. Will he find us to be people of faith? -cf. Lk 18:8
 
 C. PETER DESIRES THAT THE LORD FIND US "IN PEACE, WITHOUT SPOT AND 
 BLAMELESS"
 1. "in peace" can refer to both...
 a. Our relationship with God - Ro 5:1
 b. Our relationship with man - 1 Pe 3:11-12
 -- Focusing on our peace with God will help us have peace with
 man - Pr 16:7
 2. To be found by Jesus as "without spot and blameless"? How can
 that be?
 a. Only through the sacrificial love of Jesus Christ - Ep 5:
 25-27
 b. Who redeems us from sin through His precious blood, as "of 
 a lamb without blemish and without spot" - 1 Pe 1:18-19
 c. If we continue to walk in the light, we continue to enjoy 
 that precious blood - 2 Jn 1:7
 
 D. DILIGENCE IN SUCH THINGS WILL BE DETERMINED BY WHERE WE SET OUR 
 AIM...
 1. "...looking forward to these things, be diligent...'
 2. It is only as we "look forward" can we hope to prepare for 
 what is to come - cf. 1 Pe 1:13
 3. As we look for the grace that is to come, especially in 
 reference to the new heavens and a new earth (2 Pe 3:13), we
 will find the motivation to "be diligent"
 
[Are you looking forward to the new heavens and a new earth in which 
righteousness dwells? If not, you will not be diligent to be found 
ready when the Lord comes.
 
If you have allowed the lure of this world to distract your aim you 
because of the delay of our Lord's coming, then Peter's exhortation in
verse 15 speaks to you...]
 
II. REMEMBER, THE LONG-SUFFERING OF THE LORD IS SALVATION (15)
 
 A. DELAY OF THE LORD'S COMING IS NOT SLACKNESS...
 1. For time is irrelevant to God - 2 Pe 3:8
 2. Rather, the Lord is willing to suffer long so that people 
 might repent - 2 Pe 3:9
 
 B. GOD'S LONG-SUFFERING SHOULD BE SEEN AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO REPENT
 1. Every day, year, or century that our Lord does not return, 
 should be thought of as "the day of salvation" - 2 Co 6:1-2
 a. The day for souls to obey Christ
 b. The day for erring Christians to return to their Lord
 2. Like Peter, Paul wrote of God's longsuffering and its 
 motivation to salvation - Ro 2:4
 
[Peter himself certainly took advantage of God's longsuffering to 
repent, not only when he denied Jesus, but also when he played the 
hypocrite and had to be rebuked by Paul (Ga 2:11-21).
 
Peter's repentance in the latter incident is evident by his description
of Paul ("our beloved brother Paul"). He clearly held no animosity 
toward Paul for what may have occurred at Antioch.
 
Shall we not likewise take advantage of God's longsuffering to "work 
out our salvation with fear and trembling"? As we do so, let's be 
careful to heed the exhortation implied in verse 16...]
 
III. DON'T TWIST THE SCRIPTURES TO YOUR OWN DESTRUCTION (16)
 
 A. THE SCRIPTURES CAN BE A SOURCE OF MUCH GOOD...
 1. They can "save your souls" - Ja 1:21
 2. For they are given by inspiration of God - 2 Ti 3:16-17
 2. Because of this, they are "living and powerful, and sharper
 than any two-edged sword" - He 4:12
 
 B. BUT THEY CAN ALSO BE ABUSED TO MUCH HARM...
 1. Just as a sword can be misused to the harm of the one wielding
 it
 2. Twisted, the Scriptures can even lead one "to their own
 destruction"!
 3. Those most susceptible to misusing the Word of God are...
 a. The "untaught"
 1) Armed with a little knowledge, they believe they are
  ready to "do battle"
 2) But "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing"
 3) Unless one has studied the context (both immediate and 
 remote) of a passage, it is so easy to misapply it
 b. The "unstable"
  1) This would be the "babe" in Christ, the immature
 2) Who seeks to "run" with the Scriptures before they have 
 even learned to "walk", often "stumbling" as a result
 4. Thus the need to heed not only Peter's warning, but Paul's
 admonition in 2 Ti 2:14-18, where he gives the example of
 Hymenaeus and Philetus
 
[With such warnings, perhaps we may better appreciate James' 
admonition: "...receive with meekness the implanted word." (Ja 1:21)
 
In passing, it is interesting to note that Peter places Paul's writings
on par with "the rest of the Scriptures", implying that Paul's writings
are to be considered as much a part of the canon as the Old Testament 
scriptures.
 
Finally, Peter concludes his epistle with two exhortations that 
summarize the content of his entire epistle...]
 
IV. SUMMARY EXHORTATIONS (17-18)
 
 A. BEWARE LEST YOU FALL, BEING LED AWAY BY ERROR...
 1. This verse (17) summarizes all that Peter was doing in 
 chapters two and three
 2. Peter's concern is in view of the very real danger of apostasy
 a. He has already described those:
 1) Who were guilty of "denying the Lord who bought them" 
 - 2 Pe 2:1
 2) Who "have forsaken the right way and gone astray" - 2 Pe
 2:15
 3) Who having "escaped the pollutions of the world" are 
 "again entangled in them and overcome" - 2 Pe 2:20
 b. He has just described those:
 1) Being "untaught and unstable..."
 2) "...twist the scriptures to their own destruction" - 
 2 Pe 3:16
 3. Brethren, the danger of apostasy is very real, and so Peter 
 says "beware lest you also fall..."!
 
 B. GROW IN THE GRACE AND KNOWLEDGE OF JESUS CHRIST...
 1. This verse (18) summarizes the main points of chapter one
 2. In which Peter had described:
 a. Blessings which come by the grace and knowledge of Jesus 
 Christ - 2 Pe 1:1-4
 b. How one grows in the knowledge of Jesus Christ - 2 Pe 1:
 5-11
 c. The need for frequent reminder, and to heed the testimony 
 of apostolic testimony and the prophetic word - 2 Pe 1:
 12-21
 3. In this verse, then, is the key to avoiding apostasy: "Grow!"
 a. Grow in the grace of Jesus Christ, by appreciating and 
 appropriating all of God's unmerited favor
 b. Grow in the knowledge of Jesus Christ as defined by Peter 
 in chapter one, developing those Christ-like qualities he 
 listed
 
CONCLUSION
 
1. Peter closes his second epistle with a simple yet heartfelt 
 expression of praise:
 
 "To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen"
 
2. It was not long after Peter penned these words that he "put off his 
 tent" (2 Pe 1:14), and joined that great multitude described by 
 his fellow apostle John...
 
 "{9} After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude
 which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and
 tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed
 with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, {10} and crying
 out with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation belongs to our God who
 sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" - Re 7:9-10
 
3. Brethren, don't we desire to join that throng one day? If so, then 
 let us heed these final words of Peter to his beloved brethren...
 a. Be diligent to be found in peace, without spot and blameless
 b. Remember, the longsuffering of the Lord is salvation
 c. Don't twist the Scriptures to your own destruction
 d. Beware lest you fall, being led away by error
 e. Grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ
 
Are you using the longsuffering of the Lord to apply all diligence in 
growing in the grace and knowledge of the Lord? Have you even begun? 
 
If not, then heed the words of Peter in his first gospel sermon... 
- cf. Ac 2:36-39

－－《Executable Outlines》

Things to recall

A day is like a thousand years

A thousand years is like a day

I. Original heavens and earth

1. Original creation

2. Go through destruction

3. Deluged by water