" Knowing what to do, in light of what we know is coming"

2Pet 3:10  But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.

2Pet 3:11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,

2Pet 3:12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?

Knowing what to do, is told us here, and that knowing, is based on our knowing what is coming to the world. There is detailed instruction given to us, as to what to do, in light of what is going to happen.

The false teachers were scoffing/mocking at the teaching that judgement upon the world was coming.  But, Peter lays out the facts surrounding what is called the "day of the Lord" or the time of the end, that period when God is going to bring judgement on the world.

First of all, it will come suddenly, and unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. No one expects a thief to come, and when they do come, they usually come when everyone is asleep. So, the judgement will come suddenly. 

When it comes, a number of things will happen. 

First of all, the heavens will pass away with a great noise.

Secondly, the elements will melt with fervent heat. 

Finally, both the earth and the works that are in it, will be burned up. 

Basically, everything that God has created, all that we can see around us, and the globe that we live on will be gone. 

What Peter does now, is to bring us some application. How should we be living in light of what we know is coming. So, since all these things, ( the heavens and the earth and elements in the earth ) are going to be dissolved, or destroyed, "what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness"

He states the fact of what's coming, and then asks the question of how we ought to live, and then gives us the answer in two 

Biblical principles . Holy conduct, and godliness. He will explain them a little more in a moment. 

But, for now, let's look at Holy Conduct. What does it mean? It means to conduct yourself as someone whose life is set apart to God for His exclusive use. Set your life apart to God, consecrate your life to Him, and then conduct yourself day to day accordingly. Godliness, means the attitude and actions of a person who is a God fearing individual. 

Also, we are to be "looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God" What does this mean? Expecting it to come, living with an expectant eagerness about what the Lord is going to do. Waiting for is the idea. Hastening, is to desire earnestly. And, as some have said, it means, "to cause the day of the Lord to come more quickly by helping to fulfill those conditions without which it cannot come. By faith and by prayer"

Because of which the heaven will be dissolved or melted, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat. So, that's what we know is coming. 

And, these verses tell us how we ought to be living. That our lives would be set apart from the world, and set apart to God, serving Him, being available to Him, and actively involved in all that He might have for us to do in these last days. Serving the Lord is the idea. Being an instrument in the hands of God. That's what we ought to be doing, in light of what we know is coming. 

Pastor Bob Grenier

Calvary Chapel Visalia