Scoffers walking after their own lusts
The apostle Peter was not afraid to write to his audience about the bad news. He was tough but honest. In verse one Peter was in essence writing to his dear friends by saying I desire to stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance. If we play the Christian dance with sin prepare to do the tango with demons. If God were to give us spiritual eyeglasses we would see angels and demons. Both know about our life but the minions of Satan thrive on our weaknesses. The more we sin the greater legal ground we give demons over our life. Less is obviously better when it comes to us commiting transgressions against God. This is why it is important to store the word of God in our hearts or consistently study the Bible. If he desires to stir up their pure minds it is possible for a Christian to have dirty thoughts. Peter was a very disciplined man in holy living.
The apostle then reminds his listeners that a commandment from God is not an option. When we became Christians there are do's and do not's for our life. We can only obey through the grace of Jesus Christ. I can not even count the times I heard believers in Christ say, "The Bible says this but God does not really mean what He said." God does mean what He says and says what He means.
Peter then writes in verse three and four which are a couple of the most popular verses in the Bible knowing this first that there will be scoffers in the last days walking after their own lusts. These people are mockers but it is because their desires are for themselves. If we are sincere before God all we have to do in this context is check ourselves to see if we are walking after our own lusts. Are we devoted to God and desire His will or do we have sensual lusts, anger lusts, prideful lusts or some other type of lust that is hindering our fellowship with God?
These scoffers that walk after their own lusts (selfish) will almost always say when a Christian talks about the good news of our Lord's return, "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation." As if this world can promise them anything. The promises of God are true but the promises of this world will almost always fail. Let God be true and every man a liar.
Peter then goes back to Creation and writes these people are willingly ignorant that God created the universe. Then the apostle goes forward in history and writes that they are also willingly ignorant that God destroyed the world with water. Then Peter goes to the future which at the posting of this article has not happened yet because now the heavens and the earth exist with a certain element of order but is being reserved to fire in the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. All we have to do is read the book of Revelation chapters six to nineteen and see the judgment of God being poured out upon planet earth. Let me quote the original passage so you can read the text and perhaps make reference to it if need be in this particular study of the Bible.
(1) "THIS second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: (2) That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Savior: (3) Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, (4) And saying, Where is the promise of His coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. (5) For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: (6) Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: (7) But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men." 2nd Peter 3: 1 - 7.
First Peter points to the holy prophets who were divinely inspired and points to the commandments. I believe Peter was very upright because he saw the damage and hardship of sin that plays out in other people's lives. In fact he saw it in his own life. In essence he says remember the Old and New Testament. I realize the New was not compiled at that point of the writing of this book but he, the other apostles and teachers did a lot of teaching so these truths combined together were suppose to stir up the pure minds of fellow believers in Christ. That is what is supposed to happen in our lives. Trust me it is not going to mysteriously happen so be proactive with the Bible.
What about the question of scoffers? These are people that make a mockery of sin and just do not care about the issue. They tend to mock salvation but more specially God's way of saving sinners through Jesus Christ. The simplicity of this message is usually directly contrary to the carnal mind of people. They are working out their own false salvation apart from Jesus Christ. If I were working out my own salvation apart from God I would mock sinners being saved through Jesus Christ.
These persons walk after their own lusts in comparison to true Christians who fight against the lusts of the flesh. They follow the devices and desires of their own hearts which is deception. Remember the Bible teaches, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" Jeremiah 17:9. Notice something very interesting in this verse --- Deceitful above all things not wicked above all things. These people walk, talk and think from their own thoughts and form principles which are their own but it is directly opposed to what the Bible says is the right way of salvation through Jesus Christ. Deceitful above all things.
So now hopefully I have established these scoffers will say where is the promise of His coming. They tend to laugh at the rapture of the church and the second coming (second advent). I believe He "May" come today/tonight but more important I have the promise that He will return for His children before Jesus Christ pours His wrath on a very sinful world. Notice I did not say more countries will not go through increased persecution before the Blessed Hope but understand there is a difference between the words persecution and wrath. A true child of God can not go through the wrath of God. "For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Je'sus Christ." 1 Thessalonians 5:9.
A hardened heart in a scoffer does not want Jesus Christ to come. While they laugh they will argue the point that He will not return. This principal and future reality is literally all over the Bible. Their goal is to make impressions to weak minds but they seem to like to talk about this negativity to wicked hearts. Their logic is do not labor over the return of the Lord but that goes directly against the parable of the wise and foolish virgins in Matthew chapter twenty five. If they are seducing weak Christians and persuade them, foolish virgins will be the final result and according to this passage in the Bible this type of believer gets left behind to face the horrors to come on this earth. To be a wise virgin we need to be abiding in Jesus Christ from the power of the Holy Spirit and occupying for His kingdom until Lord Jesus Christ comes for His bride.
These people will say "All things continue as they were without change even from the beginning of Creation. God has never done this nor will He ever do it in the future." First of all there are many raptures that already happened in the Old Testament and of course Jesus Christ ascended up to heaven. Second God has severely judged the whole world in the days of Noah. I guess they are willingly ignorant of this biblical past tense history that was just horrible.
Best to you in trying to talk to these people because they do not want the truth nor do they want their prey to understand something so fundamentally essential to their faith, hope and love for Jesus Christ. They will start to believe their own lies because they do not care about the truth. God created the world by speaking it into existence. He is our all powerful God but He can not overlook a world filled with excessive sin. Just like God spoke the world into existence He will speak judgment on this world when He decides is the right time in the future which may not be to far off so do not let your spiritual guard down.
In verse seven the apostle Peter gives an awful account of the final destruction of the world as we know it but planet earth will continue but in ruins. When Jesus Christ takes over the nations the world will be put together again for one thousand years and our Savior and Lord will rule from Jerusalem.
The future day of judgment will be the day of perdition for ungodly people. If you are a scoffer and even worse influencing others you will find yourself in the day of vengeance. We all need to be in diligence and be found in Christ because any reasonable person will desire the rapture (blessed hope) to be a time of redemption for us as opposed to judgment.
If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your heart as your personal Savior and Lord now may be a good time to repent of all your sins and invite the Lord into your life.
Remember if the Bible says something God says what He means and means what He says. God does invite His children to give them hope in an event called the rapture of the church. I wrote as of now a lost article years ago giving seventy verses in the New Testament talking about the blessed hope (rapture) and in my opinion there are probably one hundred verses. I did not even go over the rapture verses in the four gospels.
If you just made that all important eternal decision then abide in Jesus Christ, let the Holy Spirit work through you and occupy for His kingdom until He comes. Do not be obsessed with dates of the return of the Lord because we need freedom from speculation not bondage to foolish predictions. God will give the command for His Son to rapture His bride in His time. Watch with peaceful confidence.
God bless you,
Bob D.
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