2 Peter 3:9-12 

⁹The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. ¹⁰But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. ¹¹Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives ¹²as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.

Most Awaited Day

            What is the most awaited day to you? Students: Could you wait any longer for the day of graduation? Are you excited to receive your diploma? Employees: What are you anxious of salary, promotion or retirement? How about retirees? Retirees could be eager to spend their time in the mission field. Pray about that!

            What day do you eagerly wait to come? Do you eagerly long for day we will see Christ face to face? Pray every day that Christ may return in our generation, if that may help to eagerly wait for his advent. Together, let us find enlightenment and inspiration from 1 Corinthians 1:7-9: ⁷You do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. ⁸He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

            What is the significance of our spiritual gift to the day when Christ returns? Spiritual gifts manifest obviously the presence of the Holy Spirit in our life. It is the Holy Spirit who actually inspires us to perform good works he prepared for us as we obey him and practise our spiritual gifts. He guarantees our eternal life. He serves as warranty of our calling into fellowship with Christ now until eternity.

Additionally, when the Holy Spirit is actively performing in and through us, he empowers us to store up eternal treasures for ourselves in heaven. We cannot gather treasures for ourselves in heaven with human efforts. Why? Only when his Holy Spirit empowers and inspires that our performance is acceptable to the Lord.

How do we explain to children what Christ declares in Acts 1:8? ⁸You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses.

It requires empowerment of the Holy Spirit to be effective in witnessing for Christ. Do we disobey this mandate if we force the issue and testify for Christ on human effort alone? Testifying for his work in our life attracts difficult challenges; so, we need help from his Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit makes us eagerly wait for the advent of Christ, but not everyone believes that Christ will return sooner.

1.  Everyone

⁹The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

            When we sense the presence of the Holy Spirit in our heart, we also yearn for the advent of Christ. Reflect and sense it for yourself personally. Do you sense eagerness of Christ’s return? Do you personally wish that Christ may come today?

            Christ comes at the appointed time, and God patiently waits for everyone to repent. How do we simply explain repentance to children? Literally, repentance means change of mind or change from wicked behavior to godliness. To transform and regenerate us into godliness, the Holy Spirit inspires us to repent. Agree?

Prodigal Son

            Practically, Christ illustrated actual repentance in his parable of the prodigal son. The prodigal son asked and received his inheritance; he went and prodigally wasted all his money in carnal and wanton pleasure. It narrated in Luke 15:17-24:

¹⁷“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! ¹⁸I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. ¹⁹I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ ²⁰So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

²¹“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ ²²“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. ²³Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. ²⁴For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

            The prodigal son returned and admitted that he sinned; that is the kind of repentance that God forgives. When the father quickly put the best robe on his son and a ring on his finger, it illustrates that God will gladly welcome us when we seek his forgiveness, and God forgets totally our sin after we repent sincerely.

            Repentance is also personal practice of faith in the merciful gracious God.

Together: Let us reflect on what it declares in 1 John 1:7-10, ⁷If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. ⁸If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. ⁹If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.

            We cannot see the air. If we say there is no air, we lie to ourselves. But, if we inhale only and not exhale what will happen to us? According to experts, when we inhale, our lungs filter the air so that oxygen is absorbed in the blood. Harmful substance in the air like carbon dioxide, toxic elements or gas can be exhaled.

            Similarly, there are activities, thoughts and desires that can be harmful and toxic to our spiritual growth, and we have to exhale them. How? Repentance!

Repentance is crucial to spiritual life just as exhaling air is crucial to physical life. We repent of our sins; God forgives us; and we sense joy of salvation again.

            Joy of salvation should help us to be aware of our spiritual life and be ready that Christ may return anytime. Certainly, God will expose everything including secretive things that we do; everything will be exposed on the day of the Lord.

2.  Everything

¹⁰But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.

            What comes to mind when you hear the day of the Lord? On the day of the Lord, God rewards obedience to him and implement consequences of unbelief. Apostle Peter teaches repentance and included the day of the Lord subsequently. Why? He encouraged us (believers) to be more serious of our eternal destination.

            Let us reflect on what King David declared in Psalm 51:16-17, ¹⁶You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. ¹⁷My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart

            Repentance is required before our sacrifices, offerings, participations in the ministry and all things we do personally in private or public become delightful to the Lord. It is by faith we believe that God is delighted with us when we repent. Contrite and remorseful heart is pleasant sacrifice that delights the Lord, why?

            Human nature is proud. Repentance practically shows humility before the merciful God. To be remorseful of sin is transformational work of his Holy Spirit. By faith, we trust that God forgives us. Repentance is also a wise preparation for the day of the Lord when he exposes everything that he rewards or compensates.

Zephaniah 1:14-15 declares, ¹⁴The great day of the Lord is near—near and coming quickly. The cry on the day of the Lord is bitter; the Mighty Warrior shouts his battle cry. ¹⁵That day will be a day of wrath—a day of distress and anguish, a day of trouble and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness.

Party

            How do you imagine a day of distress, anguish, trouble, darkness or gloom?

The parents told their older children, “We will be gone for few days; take care of the house; do not entertain strangers; spend time in your studies and clean your rooms; is it clear?”“Clear!” the children responded. Just few minutes after their parents left the house, the children started calling their friends to sleepover in their home. They also instructed their friends to bring anything to eat or drink.

            Not long after, their friends arrived, and they started playing loud music. There was singing, dancing, eating and drinking. Food is scattered everywhere. Drinks were spilled all over the floor. Everyone enjoyed the party all night long. They were exhausted; they slumbered and slept wherever they felt comfortable.

            The following day, the parents returned to a disorderly and messy house. How do parents react when their house is messed up? When you let your house messed up, then your parents come home unexpectedly, how would you react?

            Seriously, let us read what Apostle Paul advised us in 1 Thessalonians 5:2-5: ²Know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. ³While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. ⁴But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. ⁵You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.

            The day of the Lord will be the time of judgment; it will also be a time when the arrogance of mankind will be degraded. The Lord alone will be exalted on that day. Obedient believers will be rewarded. How much reward do you expect?

The earth will be destroyed by fire; heavens and its element will disappear.

3.  Element

¹¹Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives ¹²as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.

            What are the elements that will melt with heat? Elements of the heavens include everything in the whole universe, star, planet, galaxy, milky way. Unbelief may argue, “Why do we still preserve the earth, if everything will be destroyed?”

            When we participate in activities that promote welfare of others and the next generation, the Lord rewards all good things we do as practise of faith in him. If you’re adventurous, you may want to explore it, if you’re called to mission.

 Civil War

            Few years ago, we had short term exposure in an Asian country. We teach English, we gave practical things at an orphanage; we had prayer walk around the city and at a place where modern agriculture is offered to anyone who is willing to learn the process. The country was devastated by civil war. Its land is very fertile but unfortunately, many inhabitants are complacent or contented. Most farmers have lack of knowledge of which crops they may plant to produce better returns.

Lack of knowledge should cause us to pray for God’s help to be productive. We should not be complacent, not contented of being assured of our eternal life. Realistically, what do you know about heaven life? How do you imagine heaven?

Will you have the same life in heaven as everyone else who enters heaven?

Together, let us learn from Matthew 20:20-23, ²⁰The mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him. ²¹“What is it you want?” he asked. She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.”

²²“You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” “We can,” they answered. ²³Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.”

            How do you interpret Christ’s response? To sit at the right and left of the King of kings and Lord of lords must be very prominent in heaven; it is designated to anyone God prepared for. It is possible that James and John may still sit at the right and left of Christ in heaven, but Christ did not mention if that is the case. God the Father prepared and designates places appropriate for everyone. Agree?

            Will there be prominence in heaven? Reflect on what the Lord declares in Jeremiah 17:10, ¹⁰I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.”

            Pray for increase of faith and empowerment of the Holy Spirit. By the grace of God, let us be more serious in our eternal life, from now onward. May all things we do in Christ be rewarded. And, may Christ our Lord be praised! Amen!!!

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