We are looking forward to what’s beyond D-Day. That’s what we fight for. God promises a new heaven and earth to those who love Him. It will be a world filled with God’s righteousness (3:13).
We have faith in Jesus. Our hope is in the return of the King and eternity with Him on the new earth. God says He loves us so much that He gave His only Son to pay for our sins so that we who trust in Jesus and confess Him as Master shall not perish. Through the power of Christ’s love, we press on.
As Christian men, we must be careful and intentional about what we place our faith and hope in. We hear that loud and clear in this chapter of 2 Peter. We are “to make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight” (3:14). Are we? It’s worth repeating. Make every effort!
The world and all its trappings - all of our grand accomplishments - certainly lure our hope and entice our focus. We can strive and make every effort to accomplish worldly positions. But if those are our true hope we are doomed. We are of course blessed beyond measure in this life - by God. We have the love our our kids and our grandkids. The everlasting love of our parents and friends. We are gifted by the Holy Spirit with a variety of miraculous gifts - and given the opportunities planned by God for us. It's good work. We can explore and learn new languages. We have freedom in Christ to sin no more and by the grace of God to grow in knowledge and understanding. Indeed, we do not have the time for all we can do.
But in this life, we are also quite sure that we will age and suffer setbacks. Some of us will have health issues - others will die young. Some, like my neighbor Ron, a Korean War veteran, will live into our ‘90s, but with considerable pain and discomfort.
Men of this world can promise us a lot. We get a sense of that from the doomed King Belshazzar in Daniel 5. He promised that whoever could interpret the “writing on the wall” would “be dressed in purple robes of royal honor and will have a gold chain placed around his neck. He will become the third highest ruler in the Kingdom” (5:7). By that time, Daniel had well learned the appropriate answer to the dead promises of a worldly arrogant man: you can keep your so-called gifts - the trappings of power and worldly authority are worthless in God’s economy (5:17).
What about us? Where is our hope? Are we prepared for the eternal Judgment Day and for the D-Day that lies before us today?
The Giver of all good gifts - the Most High God - is the only King who truly rules over the Kingdoms of the world. It is only Jesus’ commission and judgment that we concern ourselves with. God made an eternal irrevocable command by His word that the present heavens and earth are stored up for fire - in fact, the very elements themselves will disappear in the fire (3:7, 10).
Today is a day to remember the sacrifice of brave souls who in 1944 fought for freedom. My son-in-law is in the Army. He’s in Normandy this day to remember D-Day.
It is a good day to be mindful of James 1 and 2 Peter 3. It's a good day to remember we are in a spiritual war. D-Day, every day. God’s promises are our firm foundation. Our response to this is to seek no purple robe or gold chain. Instead, we humble ourselves before God and live holy and godly lives. Make every effort. Fight for freedom, but ensure your faith, hope, and love are all in Jesus.
Amen.
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