The objective of this lesson: to stress God's timeless patience as it contrasts to human time- focused impatience.

In our text, Peter began by emphasizing a key difference between humans and God: humans are creatures dependent on time, and God is not. Humans have a beginning and an end. They celebrate their beginnings (birthdays) and dread their physical ends (deaths). Everything in their physical world they know has a beginning and an end. Everything physical is temporary. The "time" between beginning and end may vary, but everything physical has a beginning and an end. This is such a common reality in physical existence that it is difficult for humans to think of anything in terms of not having a beginning or end.

Make certain your class understands that we humans depend on time, but God is not dependent on time.

The one reality humans know that has no beginning or end is God. God is very different from humans in comparison of the divine to humanity because time is without significance to God. God is not subject to time. One of God's greatest promises to us humans is the promise to give us an existence that is not dependent on time.

God is the only reality Christians know Who is not dependent on time.

While we humans use time to measure the reality of promises, God does not. "Quickly" and "soon" have significance to humans because they are concepts concerned with time. While they are terms concerned with the human measurement of time, they are not terms that are significant to God.

God's purposes are not time dependent. The passing of time in the human context does not mean God's promises are less likely to occur. Time is not a measurement that can be used to determine God's commitment to His purposes.

To humans, especially to us American humans, we want occurrences we regard as significant to take place in our lifetimes. Whereas God is patient, we tend not to be patient. With God, purpose (instead of time) is the key consideration. The issue with God is never, "Is this taking too long?" The issue with God is, "Has My purpose happened?"

Because humans tend to associate their lifetimes and their desires with important things they want to occur in that time frame, people tend to associate time with reality. Though people tend to understand that things continue to happen when reflecting on the past, they tend not to think of things continuing to happen when reflecting on the future. Often, the future is just going to be an extended version of now. God declares because something has not already happened (such as the eternal judgment) does not mean it will not happen. Jesus Christ will return, but his return will not be determined by time.

We humans should be happy God is unconcerned with time. Who knows for certain "how long" it took for God to find Abraham? For us humans, the important thing is that the patient God waited until such a man existed. It took generations to produce the nation of Israel. It took about 2000 years to produce the Christ from Abraham and Israel. Life with God after our deaths will not be a timed event.

Humans tend to look at God's freedom from time restraints in negative terms. Humans need to understand the lack of time restraints on God is a good thing for us.

While God is not a God constrained by time, He is a God who is extremely patient as He pursues His purposes. After He invested enormously in our salvation (read Romans 5:6-11), He is not about to abandon His purposes. If a portion of humanity chooses not to live at peace with God, it will not be God's fault. He patiently pursues peace with all people. If there is no peace with God, it will be the choice of those who reject His peace!

God's patience is not time-dependent. God's patience is purpose-dependent. While to us the possible and impossible is often time-dependent, with God the possible and impossible is never time-dependent.

Consider the flow of Peter's argument. (1) Time is not a consideration to God. Therefore, humans should not use time to gauge God's commitment to His promises. God's promises always spring forth from God's commitments. God's greatest commitment in the God to human relationship is to human redemption/salvation. God does not succeed in His purpose when people perish. God succeeds when people repent. God is patient to allow maximum human repentance. He is not hesitant to keep His promise. It is not a matter of time. It is a matter of divine commitment to divine purpose. (2) When God's judgment does come, it will be sudden and unexpected. It will be totally unexpected--no human will predict it. It will be noisy and inescapable. [The concepts associated with the end of the physical as humans know it is not Peter's primary point. Is Peter affirming something they do not know? Is he referring to a commonly held concept? Is he merely capitalizing on a widely held view in the Christian community? Two facts must be understood: (a) this is a difficult passage to translate; (b) the nature of the coming of the end is not Peter's basic point.]

Two things need to be stressed. (1) God's work is always divine purpose in focus, never time- dependent. (2) God's work in bringing His purpose to pass is not regulated by human desire or human restrictions.

Peter was not denying the fact that the unexpected judgment will come. He is affirming the end of the physical as humans know it is certain to come. That certainty underscores his point: since the judgment will happen, what kind of people should we be? The certainty of the judgment must encourage a Christian's commitment to a holy lifestyle founded on godly conduct.

The coming of the judgment is a fact. When judgment will occur will not be determined by time. (1) Recognizing judgment as a fact, and (2) recognizing our lives will endure judgment, you should be encouraged to realize the importance of investing yourselves in a righteous lifestyle. Peter's objective is NOT to scare them into a godly existence, but his objective is to show them that a godly existence "makes sense." His argument: "Since you know judgment will happen, is it not wise to live righteously?" Or, "You are more than temporary. Why live as though you are temporary?"

Christians do not feel threatened by the end of the physical as they know it. The end of the physical means the coming of a world in which they belong. This physical world constantly reminded the Christians to whom Peter wrote that they did not belong to (fit in) this world of physical habitation. Their values and priorities were in such contrast with people who did not know God (the majority) that Christians were obviously misfits in a world that neither respected nor wanted them. The world that existed after the judgment would be a world designed for the righteous. [The new world would be what God designed this world to be when He made it.] People who are committed to righteousness in this world in which they do not belong would "fit in" or "belong to" the world to come. The righteous in this world will be proper inhabitants for the world of righteousness that is to come.

A righteous lifestyle will not "fit in" or "belong to" a world unconcerned with righteousness. Righteous people will constantly seek to be God's influence in this world, but they will never "fit" in this world and its priorities. God will produce a world in which the righteous belong and fit.

The objective is NOT to make Christianity incorporate the values and priorities of a godless existence as was the situation discussed in chapter 2. The objective IS to encourage Christians to be true to righteous values and priorities. These are the values and priorities that will make the world of righteousness their world.

There is the constant temptation to compromise the values and priorities of righteousness with the values and priorities of an unrighteous world. At times, it seems the objectives of this physical life are best suited to fulfill the purposes of human existence. There is the constant pressure to seek to combine the objectives of unrighteousness with the objectives of righteousness.

Stress that Peter wrote to Christians about their struggles and temptations. The letter of 2 Peter is focused on Christian life, not the conversion of people who are not Christians.

The emphasis on the importance of people to God is seen in God's commitment to our redemption (verse 9). Christians are not committed to God because they are terrified of Him. They are committed to God because He is on their side! [See Paul's encouragement in Romans 8:31.] God takes no delight in people perishing. God takes delight in people repenting. Christians belong to the God who wants to save, not destroy. He knows how to rescue! He knows how to give the righteous a world in which they belong!

God wants repentance! Destruction is unnecessary! Destruction among Christians is necessary only if they abandon a righteous existence to return to an unrighteous lifestyle.

For Thought and Discussion

1. How did Peter begin our text?

   Peter began our text by emphasizing that time considerations are a key difference between humans and God.

2. What is the one reality we know that has no beginning or end?

   The one reality we know that has neither beginning nor end is God.

3. How do humans measure the reality of promises?

   Humans use time to measure the reality of promises.

4. When do we want significant happenings to occur?

   We want occurrences we consider significant to take place in our lifetimes.

5. Why should we be happy that God is unconcerned with time?

   God's commitment to His purposes that bless us are not restrained by time considerations.

6. Though God is unconcerned with time, He is still what? In what does He have an enormous investment?

   God is extremely patient. He has invested enormously in our salvation.

7. In the flow of Peter's reasoning, what is his first point? What is his second point?

   1. God is not concerned with time.

   2. When God's judgment comes, that judgment will be a sudden, unexpected occurrence.

8. What was Peter's over-all point?

   Peter's over-all point: Since the reality of judgment is certain, would it not be wise to live a life of righteous existence?

9. Do Christians feel threatened by the end of the physical world as we know it? Why?

   No, the end of the physical world does not threaten Christians. The end of this world means the coming of a world in which the righteous belong.

10. Where is the importance of people to God to be seen in this text? Explain your answer.

    In this text, the importance of people to God is in verse 9, in God's commitment to human redemption. God is the champion of the righteous. He seeks our repentance. He knows how to rescue. He knows how to give the righteous a world in which they belong.

Link to Student Guide Lesson 13

Copyright © 2007
David Chadwell & West-Ark Church of Christ

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