“Thanking God for His Patience” – 2 Peter 3:8-15

There’s an old joke that goes something like this: A person was deep in prayer. As a passerby came near, they could hear the prayer: “God, give me patience, and right now!”

Patience is a virtue. It is also a fruit of the Spirit as listed in Galatians 5:22-23, in between peace and kindness. And it is a learned trait. I’ve seen people who have little if any patience calmly and lovingly tending to their fussy child. I watched my dad learn patience as he learned to deal with my mom’s Alzheimer.

One of God’s amazing attributes, and one we should be always grateful for, is His patience. God is gracious in dealing with us. He is willing to let us make our mistakes and yet He never gives up on us. The promise Jesus makes that no one can snatch us out of God’s hands is a testimony to both our security in God and His wondrous patience.

Today’s passage speaks to this patience and why we should be thankful.

Background

It’s not very often that a Bible writer tells us the reason for his letter. John states in his first letter that his purpose of writing the letter is to have fellowship with the recipients of the letter and to make their joy complete. Peter tells us in 2 Peter 3:1, “Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking.” He also writes in the next verse that he wants the readers to recall what they have been taught by the prophets, Jesus and the apostles.

If you have a modern translation of the Bible, you may see a subheading on this passage that says something along the lines of “The Day of the Lord.” Peter focuses on Jesus’ return and how we should respond to it. He writes about unbelievers and their scoffing at the claim that Jesus is coming again. He reminds us that God spoke our world into being, and that God sent judgment through the great flood of Noah’s day.

As we come to this passage, Peter writes that Jesus has not come yet because God is patient. It is this patience we focus on today.

Central Truth: We thank God for His patience.

God is patient because:

1. He wants all to repent (8-9)

But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

In high school biology, we were studying genetics. One of the ways we considered how genetics worked was by breeding fruitflies. The reason we did so is because a fruit fly only lives a few days, even if taken care of.

I think of a fruitfly’s life, and I have to wonder how they measured time. Assuming they developed a method of telling time, they probably would change seconds into days, minutes into decades and so forth. Compared to the fruitfly, you and I are eternal beings.

That’s what Peter is reminding us of in these verses. Because God truly is eternal, our lives are fleeting moments in comparison. If we take Peter’s words literally, then a person who lives 100 years would have lived maybe 2.5 hours in God’s time. This explains in part God’s patience. He has all the time in the world, so to speak, to wait for something to happen. Just as a chef will wait for the meal to be fully prepared before serving it, so God is waiting until the right time for Christ to return.

That in part explains God’s patience, but the reason for His patience as Peter writes it is what is truly amazing and worthy of thanks. God is patient because He does not want anyone to perish, but for all to come to repentance.

Go back to the fruit fly. As I would come to biology class to look over the new fire flies, all I cared about was whether any genetic traits had been demonstrated. I didn’t care whether a firefly had had a rough day or several decades of trouble. I didn’t really care about the fireflies at all.

When we consider that a firefly’s life is so insignificant, it must amaze us all that God doesn’t see us in that same light. Rather than simply observing us and going His merry way, God is deeply involved in our world and in our lives. He not only takes an interest in us, but He loves us. He loves us enough to send Jesus to die for us, and He loves us enough that He is willing to be patient in order that as many of us will come to repentance as possible.

Verse 7 also speaks to the freedom God gives us. It is God’s will that all will come to repentance. God, who is all powerful, could make it happen. Instead, God’s love overrules His power. He wants us to come to Him willingly, openly and consciously. He calls us to Him, but He does not force us to Him.

2. His judgment is truly horrific (10-13)

But 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 in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed, what kind of people ought we to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as 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. But in keeping with His promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.

God chose to speak through Malachi in a series of addresses that begin with God making a statement, and the people responding, “How did we do that?” At the end of Chapter 2, Malachi says, “You have wearied the Lord with your words.” The response is, “How have we wearied Him?” Malachi then responds that the people complain that judgment seem to be slow in coming, if it’s coming at all. So God responds to their complaint with a promise that is found in Malachi 3:1-5. In these verses, God promises that judgment is coming at a time they don’t expect. But then God tells them, “But who can endure the day of His coming? Who can stand when He appears? For He will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap.” He then goes on to say that judgment will come to everyone. It’s a fascinating description of judgment.

Amos also gives a description of pending judgment, ending it with the chilling, “Therefore this is what I will do to you, Israel, and because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel” (Amos 4:12).

Peter’s point is that we should never mistake God’s patience for something that will never happen. God’s judgment will come, and when God’s judgment falls on a sinful world, it will be swift and it will be absolute. Peter tells us the day will come like a thief. As Jesus told us, a thief doesn’t make an appointment and announce his coming. The thief comes quietly and unexpectedly. God’ judgment will also be swift and unexpected.

When that judgment comes, it will come in a way that terrifies us—it will be with a consuming fire. Looking at the forest fires in the western United States in Australia last year, we get a small glimpse of what God’s judgment will be like. There will be nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. The judgment will bring absolute destruction to our world and our lives, with everything being laid bare.

Even with this description, though, there is much we can be thankful for. God’s patience has allowed you and me to find salvation in Christ, and this salvation will save us from judgment. The fact that our names are written in the Book of Life assures us we will not face destruction. I do believe that when we stand before Christ, there will be a moment of judgment. How can you and I look upon the face of the One who died for us and not feel the guilt that our sins caused Him to die for us? How can we not stand before Jesus and not reflect that we too often failed to live in His ways and do His will? And yet, in this moment, the love of God will pour out upon us and anoint us with His peace and His love. Like the father in the parable of the prodigal son, Jesus will embrace us and welcome us home.

Another way we can overcome this guilt, Peter tells us, we can live holy and godly lives. We should strive to give ourselves to Him each day, each moment, and we should look forward to Jesus’ second coming, because, while it will bring judgment and destruction, it will also be a time when sin is removed from our world, and death is cast far away into a lake of fire. We will walk in full fellowship with our Savior and Lord, and we shall be truly free living in a home of righteousness.

For this we are thankful, because God’s patience has made it possible.

3. He wants to save us (14-15)

So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with Him. Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.

God’s patience is worthy of our thanks for no other reason that His patience has led to our salvation. Because God has saved us, we owe it to Him to live in a way that is pleasing to Him. We should be spotless, blameless and at peace with Him. This means we should be seeking God’s will through our prayers and our Bible study. We should be listening for His still voice in our hectic world and we should be focused on letting Him live through us. Our lives must reflect the nature of Christ and the presence of Christ. We must live in such a way that others will not only see Jesus in us but should be attracted to Him through the way we live.

Peter tells us that Paul has written much the same thing in his letters, and Peter acknowledges that Paul’s message is a gift from God. All that Paul writes, and that Peter writes, comes from God through the Holy Spirit. Not only Paul and Peter, but James, John, Jude, the Gospel writers and the prophets of the Old Testament. God’s patience has allowed Him to inspire 40 writers over 1400 years to write God’s love letter to us, all for the purpose of bringing us into fellowship with Him through Jesus Christ our Lord.

It is God’s patience that enables us to read His word and fellowship with the Word. For this we must be thankful.

Conclusion

“Lord, give me patience, and give it to me now!” may be our prayer, but we all know that patience is a discipline. As with all the disciplines of the Christian life, they all begin with and end in Christ the Savior. He shows us patience and He gives us patience through the Holy Spirit.

God’s patience is our example. His patience is for all to be saved, for all to come to repentance. His patience saved you and me.

Isn’t that something we should give thanks to God for?