2 Peter 1:3 "seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence."
Introduction and review
The last several posts have been dedicated to understanding why it is we see the scriptures teaching about the eternal destinies of Heaven and Hell. To deny the eternal realities of heaven and hell requires us then to also deny the realities of moral absolutes and thus requires us to either diminish our view of God or to deny the Biblical revelation of God altogether.
Today we will wrap up our study about seeing eternity beyond this life in 2 Peter. This little letter of Peter's is quite significant in understanding how we see eternity beyond this life. Far from portraying Heaven and Hell as abstract ideas that do not concern us in this life, Peter clearly draws the connecting points between how we relate to the God of eternity in this life and our eternal destination in the next life. We have looked so far at the following points:
1. Physical and spiritual life are rooted in God. 2 Peter 1:3-9
2. Eternity in Heaven follows from your relationship with God. 2 Peter 1:10-12
3. Eternity in Hell results from your final rejection of God. 2 Peter 2:1-2,10,15; 3:16
Today we consider the desire of God for anyone reading this post..
Eternity with you is the desire of God. 2 Peter 3:9, 10-12
How do we know that God grieves over anyone choosing to go to Hell? 2 Peter 3:9 tells us the answer - "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." God's desire would be for every person on planet earth to respond to the call of salvation. 1 Timothy 2:4 "who desires all men to be saved and tocome to the knowledge of the truth." Now how is it that God's desire for all to be saved does not conflict with other scriptures that teach His Sovereign choice of some unto salvation? (Eph 1:4-5; 1 Peter 1:1-2; 2:9-10) No one knows the answer to that question.
What we do know for certain is this: that God in no way, no how sends anyone to Hell. Jesus died for all men to give them the opportunity to hear the Gospel and to either respond to it or reject it. He died for His people, His sheep, so that they could have all the benefits of salvation applied to them upon their response of faith to His Gospel call. 1 Timothy 4:10 tells us - "For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers."
If God did not genuinely desire all men to avoid the terrors of Hell, then the Gospel would not be extended to them as a legitimate offer. For those who by grace through faith respond to His call, they are recipients of His mercy and grace. For others who choose to remain in their lost condition, they will, sadly, become recipients of His Justice in hell for all eternity. 2 Peter 3:10-13 has Peter making the final appeal for his readers to be sure they are ready for eternity.
Closing thoughts
It is so vitally important how you respond to eternity not only in this life, but also to make sure you are ready for it. There is an eternity beyond this life. As we have labored these past several days in 2 Peter, we have noted the following about Seeing Eternity beyond this life:
4. Eternity with you is the desire of God. 2 Peter 3:9, 10-12
Eternity with you is the desire of God. 2 Peter 3:9, 10-12
How do we know that God grieves over anyone choosing to go to Hell? 2 Peter 3:9 tells us the answer - "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." God's desire would be for every person on planet earth to respond to the call of salvation. 1 Timothy 2:4 "who desires all men to be saved and tocome to the knowledge of the truth." Now how is it that God's desire for all to be saved does not conflict with other scriptures that teach His Sovereign choice of some unto salvation? (Eph 1:4-5; 1 Peter 1:1-2; 2:9-10) No one knows the answer to that question.
What we do know for certain is this: that God in no way, no how sends anyone to Hell. Jesus died for all men to give them the opportunity to hear the Gospel and to either respond to it or reject it. He died for His people, His sheep, so that they could have all the benefits of salvation applied to them upon their response of faith to His Gospel call. 1 Timothy 4:10 tells us - "For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers."
If God did not genuinely desire all men to avoid the terrors of Hell, then the Gospel would not be extended to them as a legitimate offer. For those who by grace through faith respond to His call, they are recipients of His mercy and grace. For others who choose to remain in their lost condition, they will, sadly, become recipients of His Justice in hell for all eternity. 2 Peter 3:10-13 has Peter making the final appeal for his readers to be sure they are ready for eternity.
Closing thoughts
It is so vitally important how you respond to eternity not only in this life, but also to make sure you are ready for it. There is an eternity beyond this life. As we have labored these past several days in 2 Peter, we have noted the following about Seeing Eternity beyond this life:
1. Physical and spiritual life are rooted in God. 2 Peter 1:3-9
2. Eternity in Heaven follows from your relationship with God. 2 Peter 1:10-12
3. Eternity in Hell results from your final rejection of God. 2 Peter 2:1-2,10,15;
2. Eternity in Heaven follows from your relationship with God. 2 Peter 1:10-12
3. Eternity in Hell results from your final rejection of God. 2 Peter 2:1-2,10,15;
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