"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. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.
So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.
Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen." 2 Peter 3:11-18
As a former dancer and soccer player, broken toes aren’t foreign to me. When I was in the fifth grade, I did a handstand in between church pews. Not really my brightest moment, but it happened. I was never really good at handstands. Therefore, I’m not positive what prompted me to attempt one in a confined space. I proceeded to fall, hitting my toes on the base of the pew. I’m not medically positive I broke any toes, but I’m mentally positive I broke two.
I hobbled around Paris, Tenn. for two days, but as a fifth grader, I was adamant that I get the handstand down. So, I practiced….against walls. I would try to keep myself up that way as long as possible to condition myself for the stand without the wall. It was uncomfortable. It was annoying. It honestly hurt. My abs, my hands, my arms, my head. Everything would feel numb, and my head would feel near explosion when I was upside down.
The more I read scripture, the more I realize that this life is like living in the upside down. This world apart from God hurts. The more we try on our own, the more numb we feel. It’s a distorted view.
Second Peter 3:11-18 outlines that exact thing. Peter is explaining to those who have accepted Christ how the world perverts what God has made. He explains that one day, we will have a new heaven and a new earth. Over and over again we’re told throughout scripture that He makes all things new, and man, this earth needs to be made new. The hurt, the hangups, and the harm that all place such a large part in our daily lives will be dissolved on the new earth. Can I get a “PTL!”?
We must prepare our hearts and our hands in service to a loving God that humbly allows us to firmly kick our feet off the wall, plant them on the ground, and stand in the right-side up. Peter urges us to be diligent in finding our peace in Christ alone. When we walk in righteousness, there is a peace that is undeniable. When Christ gave His life on the cross for me and for you, He allowed us to put our faith in Him, and find rest and comfort in His arms. Our labors should not be to look better or higher, but to know the One who is higher better. We protect ourselves from this damaged and disintegrating earth with a relationship with a Father that is the One who provides the new earth.
In the ESV verse 17 says to “take care” that we are not carried away by the lawlessness of this world. This reminds me of a very similar phrase in John 16:33 with Jesus saying to “take heart” because He has overcome the world. That expression takes on a new meaning after reading this passage in 2 Peter. We are to fully and carefully take our heart into our possession and offer it fully to the Father. We are to protect it from the lawlessness and take it to righteousness by choosing to delight in the Lord fully.
How will you turn your efforts from looking better and higher to knowing the One higher better?
How will you “take heart”, protecting yourself from the hurts of this earth in anticipation for the new earth?
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