“For Jesus Christ, the Son of God, does not waver between ‘Yes’ and ‘No.’ He is the one whom Silas, Timothy, and I preached to you, and as God’s ultimate ‘Yes,’ he always does what he says. For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding ‘Yes!’ And through Christ, our ‘Amen’ (which means ‘Yes’) ascends to God for his glory.” 2 Corinthians 1:19-20
As we write the book of 2 Peter, throughout scripture we see all these beautiful promises from our God. We see where He proclaims over and over that He will do what He says He will do.
“And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19
“But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” 1 John 1:9
“And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.” 2 Peter 1:4
And then that little voice creeps in… You know, the one that causes us to second guess what we already know to be true, and we begin to think maybe we're expecting too much from God or that we haven't earned His faithfulness.
"There's no way that God will provide that. You’re crazy to think He will do ALL of that for you."
In reading and writing this passage from 2 Peter 3, the word “scoffer” began to really jump out at me. What is a “scoffer” exactly? I had no clue. So I googled and found this definition.
Scoffer: someone who mocks you, makes fun of you or makes jokes about something serious.
When I really think about it, I have been my own scoffer by making fun of myself -- mocking myself for believing in what God said He was going to do. Just as the scoffers mentioned in these scriptures, I believe we as followers can find ourselves doing the same thing, questioning if what we know to be true is really true.
In 2 Peter 3, Peter is reminding believers several times “remember,” “do not forget,” and “recall” the stories from scripture that show God’s faithfulness to keep His promises. He even brings up the stories of Creation, like how God destroyed Creation with the great flood, but sent a rainbow to remind His people of his covenant to never flood the Earth again.
These are the big things we have to remember so that our minds are stimulated to think on. It is a struggle, y’all, to remain faithful when we're tempted to use our own thoughts as “scoffers” in this walk of faith. These past few weeks in my own life I’ve had to literally look for rainbows as a sign that God is going to do what He promised me. And guess what… He did! And I have the pictures to prove it. (You can read about that unbelievable story here.)
Visual and mental reminders are great, but the day-to-day hardships of walking with God are not always picture perfect. We have to use the promises of scripture and proof of His work in our own lives to guard our hearts against doubt.
Now, go with me in your mind to remember a time God was faithful to you or to a loved one. Thank God for that, and remember that the LORD is patient with you. Maybe you don’t feel like you have a time when God has been faithful or you aren’t even sure who God is, He is waiting patiently for you.
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9
This verse also tells us that God is wanting all of us to come to repentance, which is just a big word that means you run to Him and confess you are a messed up sinner in need of his amazing grace. He sent His Son Jesus not for the sake of one or just a few, but for “everyone.” Because of His great sacrifice, He has provided us ALL the same opportunity to turn from the evil and darkness of this fallen world into His ever-open arms, full of life, full of love and full of grace.
"Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise." Hebrews 10:23
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