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5. Living Godly Lives in the Last Days [2 Peter 3:1-18]
1 This is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you in which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder,
2 that you should remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles.
3 Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts,
4 and saying, Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.
5 For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water,
6 through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water.
7 But the present heavens and earth by His word are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
8 But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.
10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.
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See the emptiness and
pain of a lust-filled life.
11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,
12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, on account of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat!
13 But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.
14 Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless,
15 and regard the patience of our Lord to be salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you,
16 as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.
17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard lest, being carried away by the error of unprincipled men, you fall from your own steadfastness,
18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
What is Peter trying to do by writing 2 Peter? (2 Peter 3:1-2)
Did Peter see any difference in the authority of Old Testament prophets or what the apostles have written? (2 Peter 3:2)
What kind of people will arise in these last days? What will they be led by? (2 Peter 3:3)
What will these people say? (2 Peter 3:4)
How does verses 5-6 show that their claim has no substance? (2 Peter 3:5-6)
God is keeping the present heavens and earth for judgment. How will God judge them? (2 Peter 3:7)
Finish the phrase, with the Lord one day is .... . (2 Peter 3:8).
Why is God delaying judgment? (2 Peter 3:9)
What will happen when the Lord decides it is time for judgment? (2 Peter 3:10)
Because of this kind of judgment, how then shall we live? (2 Peter 3:11)
Because of the day of God, what two things are we told to do? (2 Peter 3:12)
Describe what we are to be looking for? (2 Peter 3:13)
When He comes, what three things should characterize us? (2 Peter 3:14)
How should we regard the mockers' accusation that the Lord isn't coming? (2 Peter 3:15) The words,"Rest of the scriptures" show whose writings are inspired by God? (2 Peter 3:15-16)
In conclusion, Peter tells us to do two things (2 Peter 3:17-18):
1)
2)
What teaching that denies a creation has gained popularity around the world? Have you accepted any of the tenets of evolution? How are the teachings of creation and judgment connected? Do you believe in both a literal creation as well as in judgment? Why so? Does your life reflect this belief?
God has purposely delayed judgment. Why? How often do you seek and hasten its coming? Are you living more godly lives because of these thoughts or have you not remembered these teachings?
If a person follows his lust, he will eventually develop bad teachings. Do you accept the scriptures' teachings or do you act as if you are above them? When was the last time you changed your behavior or attitude because of the scripture's teachings?
How have you guarded yourself from lusts and false teachers?
List two ways you have grown in the Lord in the last month?
This series (free) carefully develops the training needed to overcome sexual sins.
Basic Questions
These answers will be found right in the Bible passage and are marked by an . The NASB text is used because it is most literal (though not always best). These questions encourage one to ask, "What does the passage actually say?"
Advanced and Application Questions
Advanced and application questions are combined together in the Advanced Questions and are marked by an . These answers will not be found in the text as the basic questions. One has to use other knowledge that one has gleaned over the years to answer these questions properly. They are meant to encourage one to dig deeper into the point of the passage. These questions would have one ask, "What does it mean?"
Application questions are meant to be personal and have to do with ones own life. These questions encourage one to ask, "What does the passage mean to me?"
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Scriptures typically quoted from the New American Standard Bible unless noted:
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