A Daily Walk

John Randall: Running to win in our daily walk. Next, we’re in a race, and we want to run to win. In fact, when Paul describes it, he says that he was agonizing with all of his effort, pressing for that upward call of God in Christ Jesus. I mean, there was this picture of just every part of him just reaching for what was ahead.

That’s how he described it, in a race, running in such a way to win. There is a diligence, a commitment to be found in Him without spot and blameless. The fact is, when you live in this world, by the grace of God through the power of the Spirit, we do need to be diligent to keep ourselves from that which could bring spot or blemish upon us. It’s a fight. You know it. It’s a battle. But it can be done.

Guest (Male): Thanks for being with us today. This is A Daily Walk. You’ve picked a good day to join us as we wrap up our study of Second Peter with Pastor John Randall. If you were expecting a guest to come over to your place, perhaps you’d tidy things up a bit, clear your schedule, do what you could to make them feel welcome.

As believers in Christ, we know that Jesus is going to return one day, and it could be today. But are we ready? Our lives should reflect the soon return of Christ. Pastor John is about to point out how we’re to live, knowing that Jesus’ return is right around the corner. We’ll meet you in Second Peter, chapter three.

John Randall: I'm sure maybe in this room today, possibly outside of this room, over there listening, wherever you're at, watching this, I'm sure there are some of us here today that would say, "Man, I'm so glad the Lord didn't come back in 2020 because I wouldn't have made it. I just gave my life to Christ in the last five years." Others of you say, "Man, I'm glad the Lord didn't come back 10 years ago. I wouldn't have made it. I'm sure glad the Lord didn't come back in 1991. I wouldn't have made it."

He's longsuffering. This is the heart of God. He waits. He's patient. But eventually, time does run out. There will be a day of retribution. There will be a day when man will be held accountable for the way that he has lived. And yet, in the meantime, God is longsuffering. Can I say to you this morning, do not mistake God's longsuffering for His acceptance of the life that you're living apart from Him. Don't mistake it. Well, nothing's happened to me yet. I'm kind of doing my own thing, and I'm still good. I haven't seen no lightning bolts. We're good.

Well, God is waiting. He's patient. He's longsuffering. It's His kindness that leads us to repentance. Oh, don't spurn the kindness of God. Respond to it. He's longsuffering. These mockers, they don't understand that God judged the earth in the past, that God is outside of time, and it hasn't really been that long from heaven's perspective. Furthermore, that He is longsuffering, and one day they would bow the knee. They will bow the knee and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, despite the ridicule concerning the return of the Lord.

Peter now speaks of the reality of the day approaching. The reality of the day approaching. If you look down in verse 10, as he says in contrast, "But the day of the Lord," notice this emphasized here, "will come." And it's going to come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements are going to melt with a fervent heat. Both the earth and the works that are in it are going to be burned up. This is rather concerning.

Peter states emphatically, without reservation, that the Lord not might, could, we'll see, but will come. He is coming. Many will not be prepared when He comes, for it says here that He comes as a thief in the night. Not prepared, you're not awake, you're not aware, and He shows up. You weren't ready for it. The apostle Paul, in writing to the Thessalonians in his second letter, said in chapter one, verse 10, "When He comes." Again, not if, but when He comes. In that day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe because our testimony among you was believed.

Again, when He comes. Men may mock, say He's not coming, but the truth remains: Jesus Himself said He was coming again. You remember, don't you? In John's gospel, the 14th chapter, Jesus said to His troubled disciples, so discouraged, He said to them, "If I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto Myself, that where I am, you may be also." Jesus said, "I'm coming again." It doesn't matter what the mockers say. It doesn't matter what the scoffers declare. He is coming.

In Matthew, chapter 26, Jesus said it this way: "Jesus said to him, it is as you say. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power and coming on the clouds in heaven." A reference to His second coming. Coming on the clouds of heaven. Folks, please understand this. Speaking of eschatology, the study of end-last days, listen to this: the Rapture of the Church and the Second Coming are two different events described in Scripture. Did you know that?

One, the Rapture, we are caught up into the clouds, and the only people that see the Lord Jesus are the people caught up in the clouds. The Second Coming, He comes back on the clouds, and the description is every eye will see Him. Those are two separate, distinct events from one another. One before the tribulation, one at the end of the tribulation. Prayerfully, you'll be a part of the first so that you can be a part of the second.

But here the emphasis is the reality of this day approaching. Though they deny it, Jesus said you will see it. In fact, Revelation 22, almost the last verse of the Bible, says, "Behold, I am coming quickly." It goes on to say, "My reward is with Me." And I'll take the words of Jesus over any person. Those are three references to the words of Jesus saying He is coming. So I'm good. I believe it. He said it.

And He tells us that when He comes—and I don't know if people read this clearly—but it says there's going to be fire. There's going to be a melting because of fervent heat, things being destroyed. Of course, there's going to be a new heaven, a new earth, but there is a description here. The first time, there was judgment with water. The second time, there's judgment with fire. Completely different judgment.

But as it says here, these things are going to be burned up. There's going to be a great noise, elements will melt with a fervent heat, and all the works that are in it will be burnt up. He goes a little bit further and he says, looking for the hastening, verse 12, "of the day of the Lord, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements melt with a fervent heat." He says it twice. Talks about melting and fervent heat and judgment in this regard.

Folks, listen, this is something to be aware of. Warning people of these things to come. General William Booth was his name. He led the Salvation Army. Perhaps you've heard of it. Maybe you thought it was just a place to drop off your clothes and that was it. No, if you go back, it used to be an actual, real Salvation Army, where they would actually go out and seek to witness to people and lead them to Christ.

And William Booth used to say that if he had one desire, it would be, before he sent out people to reach people with the gospel, if he could momentarily dangle them over the fires of hell. Let them see, let them hear, let them observe, and then he would send them out. Quite the incentive in knowing what's coming to say, "This is real." It's not like if the building's on fire. "Hey, guys, that's smoke. The building's on fire, so just exit slowly. Just take your time. Don't worry about it. It's not a big deal."

It's going to burn. This whole thing's going to be consumed. It would be a different response, would it not? It would be, "Listen, this is serious." There would be more emphasis and desire for people to know. You know, when I was growing up, I do remember this. I recalled this this morning for first service: I think my parents used to always remind me, they used to have this phrase, "it's all gonna burn." Did you grow up with that phrase? "It's all gonna burn." Wow.

You know, that toy you really like? Yeah, I love it. "It's gonna burn." Like, it's not going to last. The whole thing was just a reminder, not to freak kids out, but it was just a reminder to you that it's all temporary. It's all gonna burn. So I'm not saying don't take care of what you've been given. Some people will take that the wrong way. They just don't take care of anything, and then their excuse is, "it's all gonna burn." No, that's the wrong way to take it. The emphasis is, please, don't get so attached to this. It's all gonna burn. Like, that's the truth.

And so I'm mindful of that. Peter says it's happening. It's going to happen. And that gives me perspective on all that is temporary. But also gives me a desire for all that is eternal and doesn't fade, that nothing can touch. So if this is the reality of the day approaching, fourthly, consider with me now our reaction to the day approaching. How do I, in light of all that he has just told me, everything that I know based on Old Testament, New Testament Scripture, what Jesus has declared, what Peter has said, what Paul has said, how am I to live?

First, he tells us, exhorts us to live holy. Notice verse 11. "Therefore," that is a connection word. In light of everything I've just said to you in the 10 verses, therefore, in light of this now, since all these things will be dissolved, or it's all gonna burn, what manner of persons ought you to be? Here it is: in holy conduct and godliness. How does this affect my life? Well, it should bring me to this place where I desire to live a holy life.

Did you know that it's the same word that's used for "saint" here? Holy, hagios, used 232 times in the New Testament. It means to be set apart. Set apart once. And the idea that is inherent in a saint is taking something filthy, something that was just destroyed, and then washing it and setting it apart as something brand new and useful for a completely different purpose. Restoring it, it's completely different now.

And that is really a picture of what salvation is. As the Bible reveals, we were dead in sin, and then suddenly the Lord took us from this place, washed us with the blood of Christ, the Lamb of God, and now has set us apart as His possession for His purpose, for His glory. That is what we are called to do. That's what we're called to be. We are holy. We are set apart. We are saints. As we have said so many times here, you either saint or you ain't. This you are. You're a Christian.

In light of the Lord's return, I want to live a pure life. We are to be in practice what we are in position. We are to be in behavior what we are in belief. That's what it means. So if I know all of these things, how do I live? Well, I want to live a life that's serving Jesus. I want to live a life that just walks with the Lord. I want to be like Enoch, who walked with the Lord, and the Lord took him, for he was not. Just walk with the Lord. He pleased the Lord.

This calling that we have as saints, it's a holy calling. It's different than the rest of the world. The truth is some believers, they don't understand who they are in Christ, and therefore they don't necessarily live for Christ. Those who understand positionally that they belong to the Lord, they live as if they belong to the Lord and they're not their own. We're to be set apart, His possession, manifesting a holiness of heart.

Character is what God knows we are. Reputation is who other people think we are. I want my life to bring glory to the Lord, so I live holy. But not only do I live holy in light of this, but secondly, expectantly. Oh, expectantly. For it says in verse 12, "looking." Looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God. Looking for the day. It's this mental direction awaiting the return of Jesus with that earnest desire for the day to arrive.

It is an attitude of expectancy and pictures one whose mind is continually turning to the future while enduring the present evil age around them. It's a characteristic that marks the genuine believer who lives with the anticipation of the return of the Lord. Do we really live with that anticipation? This is something I have to stir myself up. And by being in the word of God, I am reminded. It says it so much. I'm reminded of the fact that, that's right, Jesus is coming again. That's right, He's coming again.

I need to be reminded of this, and that in turn affects the way that I live. Again, if I may, growing up, this was so real to a generation that was anticipating and expecting the return of the Lord, that we used to say things to one another to remind each other. If I was leaving you today as you were departing from the church and you were headed off home, I'd say, "Hey, I'll see you here, there, or in the air."

This is what we would say to each other to remind one another. Listen, here, there, or in the air, bro. Hey, you gonna see me next week? Lord willing. It's all gonna burn, here, there, or in the air. We're going to be just kind of reminding ourselves, Maranatha. These are the things that we would say to stir one another up to love and good works, to remind each other. We'd be pointing up. Pointing up. No, you know, we're pointing up. Like we're going up. Oh yeah, that's right. We're going up. A reminder, there's an expectancy.

And that expectant looking for the day leads to also living diligently for the Lord. He says, looking for this day, verse 13, "Nevertheless, we according to His promise," here's the expectant, what are we looking for? "New heavens, new earth, in which righteousness dwells." It's hard to imagine, isn't it? A new earth where righteousness dwells. We live in an earth where righteousness does not dwell. So it's hard to even fathom what that would be like. A new heaven, a new earth, where righteousness dwells.

Yeah, that's what we're looking for. There's this expectation. You know what it says concerning Abraham in the Old Testament, that he was looking for a city whose foundations and builder and maker is God. He was living for something more than he could see. God said, "I promise you this whole land. I've given it all to you." And it's like, that's wonderful. But he was living for something eternal, the Bible says. He was a sojourner, he was a pilgrim. That's what we are. We're just passing through. This is not our home. Our eternal home is in glory. And therefore, we're expectantly looking for the day. A new heaven, a new earth.

You know, I can honestly say to you this morning—and I confess it to you, and maybe you're different than me, and I want to be like you if you are this way—I wouldn't say my opening thought when I wake up in the morning is, "Today could be the day. I'm going to heaven today. This could be the day He comes back." Typically, I wake up and I think I need coffee. And then I start to think and I get in my Bible and I start to read, "Oh yeah, He's coming back." But just to live today like it was the day. And what if it was? Because it could be.

Because the Bible teaches something called imminency. Imminent, meaning it could happen at any moment, at any time. There's nothing left on the prophetic calendar of God that needs to be fulfilled for Jesus to come again. It's not like Israel's got to do this, and somebody else got to do that, and once they do that, well, then we're good. No, imminent. Anytime. Any place. Are you ready?

And so there's an expectancy. That expectancy then, verse 14, leads to a diligent living. "Therefore," there's the word again, "therefore, beloved, looking forward—I hope you're looking forward, not backward—looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless, and consider the longsuffering of the Lord is salvation." Be diligent. Word used, I believe, 12 times in the New Testament. And it carries the idea of doing something with intense effort and energy.

Really, it's a challenge to the reader to make this part of your life. A diligent pursuit. Not later, but now, with all your heart. You know, the Scriptures often describe the Christian life as a spiritual race. Are you familiar with that? Paul talks about it, the writer of Hebrews talks about it. We're in a race, and we want to run to win. In fact, when Paul describes it, he says that he was agonizing with all of his effort, pressing for that upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

I mean, there was this picture of just every part of him just reaching for what was ahead. That's how he described it. In a race, running in such a way to win. There is a diligence, a commitment to be found in Him without spot and blameless. And the fact is, when you live in this world, we do need to be diligent to keep ourselves from that which could bring spot or blemish upon us by the grace of God through the power of the Spirit. It's a fight. You know it. It's a battle. But it can be done.

There's a diligence. But then notice this. This is really good. Don't miss this passage. Many people gloss over it. He quotes Paul. Peter quotes Paul. He said, "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." And notice this: "in which are some things hard to understand." Interesting that Peter would say that, because if you read through Peter's first and second, there's a couple of things that Peter writes, you're like, that's a little hard to understand.

But he says Paul writes some things that are tough to understand. But then he goes on to say, they're hard to understand, which are untaught and unstable people. What do they do? They twist to their own destruction, as they do—don't miss this—also the rest of Scripture. Mark that passage right there. Peter is saying that what Paul has written in his epistles—did you know what he called it? He called it the what? Scriptures. The Scriptures. He's saying that what Paul has written to you, those epistles that you have received, sometimes hard to understand by untaught people who try to twist what he says, listen, it's Scripture. It's the Bible. I love it. It's Scripture.

So there is this expectancy. There's this diligence. There is this holy living with a clinging to the Scriptures. And then he says again, another therefore. "You therefore, beloved," and he uses that third time, "beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware, lest you fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked." Now he gives a warning. Listen, you know what I've told you all this beforehand. You're aware of it. Again, the whole point of this letter, you recall, is to warn against false teachers.

He has been warning, he's been giving us a description of what to look out for. So in the context, when you read the entire letter through, it makes sense why he is concluding with this, saying, "Be careful. Be on guard against those who twist the Scriptures to their own destruction, and make sure that you're steadfast and you're not led away with the error of the wicked." The error of the wicked. The wicked are constantly pulling and seeking to get you out of the way. Be steadfast. Be immovable. Always abounding in the work of the Lord.

Don't let anybody take you down the wrong road. Don't let anybody lead you astray. Don't believe these liberal seminaries that say, "Well, we don't know if He's coming, when He's coming, and we don't really think." It makes me want to hurl when I hear these people say these things in pulpits. "Well, we just kind of change our position on blah, blah, blah." I just think, don't let anybody lead you away from it. I don't care how many letters they have behind their name. It doesn't matter. Listen to what the Bible says. Don't be led away by the error of the wicked.

You say, "What do I do?" Ready for it? Here's the key. This is the best part right here. I mean, it's all been good. But this part right here, get this: "but grow. Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, to whom be glory both now and forever. Amen." Oh, Peter says right what you need to do is continue to grow in God's grace. If we're growing in the grace of God, we're not going to be led away by the error of the wicked.

If we're growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus, I'm not going to be living unexpectantly. I'm not going to be, "Oh, is He coming? Oh, is it really? Oh, I wasn't prepared." No, you'll be prepared. And that's not going to happen to you. You're not going to live an ungodly life and pursue things that are going to lead to your destruction. Why? Because you're growing in the grace and the knowledge of the Lord.

Growth is something that happens daily. I'm just growing in the grace of God, and I'm growing in the knowledge of Jesus. The grace of God is boundless. God's grace is His active favor, bestowing the greatest gift upon those who have deserved the greatest punishment. The longer you walk with Jesus, the more you realize how desperately we are in need of His grace.

His grace saved us, His grace enables us, His grace sustains us. If not for the grace of God in our lives, we would be lost in sin. And the best way to grow in the grace and the knowledge of the Lord—I know you probably know this answer by now—is being in the word of God. This is how you're going to grow in the grace and the knowledge of the word of God, in your relationship with God.

Guest (Male): We’ve been talking about the reality of the day approaching and our reaction to it today on A Daily Walk. This is Pastor John Randall’s final message in Second Peter. It’s titled "The Day of the Lord." We’ll share a closing thought in a moment.

And I’d imagine some of you would like to hear this message again. Maybe you joined us late. Go online to adailywalk.org and have a listen whenever it’s most convenient. Or listen wherever you get your podcasts and at oneplace.com. Another way to listen to Pastor John’s teachings is through our mobile app. Just do a search for Calvary South OC.

Ever feel like you’re just an ordinary guy or gal, nothing special, and wonder if God could use you? Today, we’d like to offer you a great book from John MacArthur called "12 Ordinary Men." You’ll discover how God used ordinary men as His disciples to change the world. The good news is He can do the same thing through you and me. You can order "12 Ordinary Men" online at adailywalk.org or call us at 877-242-0828. That’s 877-242-0828 and adailywalk.org.

The cost is just 12 dollars, and anything given above that amount will be put to good use and help people all over the world grow in their daily walk as they listen to these daily studies and, in some cases, actually enter into a relationship with Christ. You can donate online safely and securely at adailywalk.org.

Well, we say it often around here at A Daily Walk because it’s true: we want to hear from you. It lets us know where the ministry is having an impact, and we also love praying for our listeners. Write to Pastor John by email today at adailywalk@gmail.com. That’s adailywalk@gmail.com. And now, as promised, here is Pastor John once again.

John Randall: I end with this quote. I thought it was powerful. Peter has been reminding us of God's promises repeatedly throughout his first and second epistle. But the knowledge of God's promises is the pathway of His power. The knowledge of God's promises of God's word is the pathway to His power, made available to us as believers.

So friends, we have completed this epistle. And Peter has told us and warned us: be on guard, be ready, be looking. The Lord's coming. Don't fall asleep. Don't let anybody tell you, "Well, it's probably not going to happen." Forget that. That's what everybody said until it rained. Keep looking up. The Bible says your redemption draws nigh.

In fact, our salvation, the Bible says, is nearer than when we first believed. And that's true. Whenever you first believed, your salvation is nearer. It's nearer than when you first got saved. That is a fact. So may God help us to be those people who are living in light of the return of the Lord Jesus. Our journey through the New Testament takes us to First John next time on A Daily Walk with Pastor John Randall. See you then.

Guest (Male): This program is made possible through your generosity and brought to you by Calvary South OC.