What Kind of People Ought We To Be?

In 2 Peter 3:11 Peter asks the early Christians, who were suffering more and more for their faith, “What kind of people ought we to be?” As two of the latest-written books to be included in our New Testament, 1 and 2 Peter carried a special message to encourage believers to hold fast in the faith, to know what they believed and to witness where they were placed.

Since then, this message has become precious to thousands of suffering Christians, including many Africans sold into colonial slavery (see bottom of page). It has encouraged believers that even when life gets hard, God is in control and is with us, using every circumstance for his purposes.

The teaching in these two books can change our attitudes so that we become positive witnesses where God has placed us. It gives new insight into the right priorities for communities of believers in every country and circumstance, inspiring effective living which positively influences the future not only of individual communities but also worldwide.

Similarly, there were occasions in the Old Testament as well as the New which brought messages of encouragement to people in hard times. Jeremiah’s letter to the exiles in Babylon (Jer 29) had a transforming effect upon the captives from Judah. Much of Jesus’ teaching was to prepare the disciples for hard times, just as the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which Paul explores in his letters, were given to build up the believers for a purpose- not just for their own growth.

The Day of the Lord and the end of the age

There have been many times throughout history when people believed that the Day of the Lord, with the return of Christ and the coming judgement on the whole earth, was near or already upon them. The personal experience of famines, disease, natural disasters or wars which can destroy the infrastructures of a country can be catastrophic, and can either shake our faith or lead to the belief that the end of the age has come.

However, the Day of the Lord (spoken of in 2 Pet 3) and the end of the age are not necessarily one and the same. The Day of the Lord will come at the end of time, whilst over the centuries many ages have come to completion.

It is hard to maintain our faith when we see institutions we have created, or put our trust in, swept away by natural disasters such as tsunamis, volcanic eruptions or earthquakes. It is also hard to keep our faith when our country is being overrun by another – particularly if it is by another religion. All these experiences can make us stop and think more deeply about the purpose of life. Trying to survive in a hostile social environment can create problems for all but the strong-hearted and those with a truly solid foundation to their faith.

"The teaching of Jesus is that we should always be living as though he will return at any moment."

But the teaching of Jesus is that we should ALWAYS be living as though he will return at any moment (Matt 25:1-13). It is helpful to know what the Bible says about the end times, but we are warned against trying to predict times and dates. In his speech on the Day of Pentecost Peter quoted the Prophet Joel indicating that he believed we were entering 'the last days' (Acts 2:14-26). 2000 years later we must be nearer the end of all ages now.

But God is never in a hurry and there are other things prophesied in Scripture that have yet to be fulfilled. God has a great love for his creation and especially for those he made in his own image. He longs to see everyone come into a right relationship with himself through repentance (John 14:6). He is, in fact, waiting for us to do our part.

A Future and a Hope

God’s ultimate purposes are for our good! So we are called to look forward, rather than backward, and we need to ensure that we ourselves live ‘holy and godly’ lives (2 Pet 3:11). We should be aiming to be at one with God, understanding his nature and purposes and being willing to do whatever he asks us to do.

  "The longer our Lord delays, the more people can be saved- and he equips us for this task."

Living in a holy and godly way is not subjective and inward looking – it is positively to embrace God’s concern for the ungodly and to share the Good News with others. Passing on the message to those of our own generation who have not yet heard the message and from one generation to the next are essential tasks. Everyone is needed – there is no retirement - the older generation are given a second chance as grandparents are mobilised to reach their grandchildren.

If we are looking forward to a time of righteousness and justice and to the establishing of God’s kingdom, this is all the more reason to be found doing what God wants, and not to be found lacking (Deut 10:12-13). The longer our Lord delays, the more people can be saved – and he equips us for this task.

Relating to Hard Times: 2 Peter 3 in the African American Jubilee Edition¹

I have a copy of the African American version of the Bible and 2 Peter 3 reads just as though it had been written specifically for those who had been taken into slavery and felt hopeless and I repeat this version below. Read it for yourself as though you were a slave in colonial times - knowing that nothing you could do would change the human situation.

My dear friends, this is the second letter I have written to encourage you to do some honest thinking. I don’t want you to forget what God’s prophets said would happen. You must never forget what the holy prophets taught in the past. And you must remember what the apostles told you our Lord and Saviour has commanded us to do.

But first you must realize that in the last days some people won’t think about anything except their own selfish desires. They will make fun of you and say, "Didn’t your Lord promise to come back? Yet the first leaders have already died, and the world hasn’t changed a bit."

They will say this because they want to forget that long ago the heavens and the earth were made at God’s command. The earth came out of water and was made from water. Later it was destroyed by the waters of a mighty flood. But God has commanded the present heavens and earth to remain until the day of judgement. Then they will be set on fire, and ungodly people will be destroyed.

Dear friends, don’t forget that for the Lord one day is the same as a thousand years, and a thousand years is the same as one day. The Lord isn’t slow about keeping his promises, as some people think he is. In fact, God is patient, because he wants everyone to turn from sin and no one to be lost.

The day of the Lord’s return will surprise us like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a loud noise, and the heat will melt the whole universe. Then the earth and everything on it will be seen for what they are.

Everything will be destroyed. So you should serve and honour God by the way you live. You should look forward to the day when God judges everyone, and you should try to make it come soon. On that day the heavens will be destroyed by fire, and everything else will melt in the heat. But God has promised us a new heaven and a new earth, where justice will rule. We are really looking forward to that!

My friends, while you are waiting, you should make certain that the Lord finds you pure, spotless, and living at peace. Don’t forget that the Lord is patient because he wants people to be saved. This is also what our dear friend Paul said when he wrote you with wisdom that God had given him. Paul talks about these same things in all his letters, but part of what he says is hard to understand. Some ignorant and unsteady people even destroy themselves by twisting what he said. They do the same thing with other Scriptures too.

My dear friends, you have been warned ahead of time! So don’t let the errors of evil people lead you down the wrong path and make you lose your balance. Let the wonderful kindness and understanding that come from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ help you to keep on growing. Praise Jesus now and forever! Amen.

Slaves were not in a position to change their situation, but they knew that God could! – and that he would do it in his timing. So they looked forward to that day and adopted the lifestyle that they felt God would have wanted of them.

References

1 African American Jubilee Edition, Contemporary English Version, American Bible Society, 1995.