8/7/22
2 Peter 3:9
9 The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance.[1]
With all the turmoil that is going on in the present, the believer may sometimes grow anxious, like John at the end of Revelation, for Christ to come now. We may grow a bit impatient because we see the destruction of God’s good world, and how good is called evil, and evil referred to as good. It’s distressing to see values cease to be valuable to our country and countless sinful acts celebrated. So, why does Christ delay His coming?
This verse above addresses this specifically. God doesn’t approve of the evil that is taking place, but rather He desires for all mankind to come to Him to experience His forgiveness and grace. He is not slow, or forgetful, regarding His promise to return, but is patient with humanity desiring their repentance in faith. The Bible teaches that the first characteristic of love is patience (1 Cor. 13:4). It also teaches that ‘God so loves the world’(John 3:16) that anyone who would call out to Him (Romans 10:13) will be saved.
So, imagine for a second the immense amount of patience it takes to see the ones you created creation for, destroy every good thing you desired for them in hopes that some would return back to Him in repentance. This only illustrates and demonstrates the enormous amount of love God has for the Image-Bearers, otherwise known as mankind. Not to even speak of the fact that God was willing to become one of us, to live the life we couldn’t, pay the debt we owed but couldn’t afford, so that, reconciliation between God and man could be reestablished in love. What an awesome God we serve!
[1] The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. (1989). (2 Pe 3:9). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.
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