Living the Christian Life

Living the Christian Life 2020 06 14

2Peter 3:9 – 18

People in the Western World love to think about winning the lottery. I often tell people there’s no chance I’ll ever win the lottery, because I don’t buy lottery tickets. I’m convinced that gambling is something that directly contradicts the Word of God. As J. Kerby Anderson, professor at Dallas Theological Seminary wrote, “The Bible emphasizes the sovereignty of God (Matt. 10:29-30), while gambling is based upon chance. The Bible admonishes us to work creatively and for the benefit of others (Eph. 4:28), while gambling fosters a “something for nothing” attitude. The Bible condemns materialism (Matt. 6:24, 25), while gambling promotes it.”

Furthermore, those who play the lottery often talk about what they’d do if they won. Many, Christians and non-Christians alike, first talk about all the good they will do for others: family, friends, charities, etc., but inevitably, the talk comes around to the real cherry held out by lotteries: the chance to be living the high life, indulging in all the things that a sudden windfall can buy.

Again, that comes into direct conflict with the Word of God. Forget about the “high life.” What about the Christian life? What does God tell us about living the Christian life?

2Peter 3:9 – 18

Christian, does this sound like the lottery mentality, anticipating a sudden windfall of cash so you can party for the rest of your life?

Here’s another question: Christian, does this sound like you need to dress in black and walk around with a long face for the rest of your life? Not at all!

God is telling us we ought to be living with anticipation and excitement, working hard in the work of the kingdom, growing, learning, watching.

I This is Temporary

  1. If there was ever a fact we Christians ought to be aware of, it’s that this world with all its goods is going to be burned up. Nothing that we can store up in this world is going to last. All of it will be dissolved by fire. There won’t be any pandemics after that!
    1. God is giving people time to repent and be saved, but that isn’t going to last forever, either! He is not willing that any should perish, but here’s a fact: All who do not repent will perish when that day comes!

II Living the Christian Life

  1. We, then, ought to be living the Christian life. This includes looking for and even working to hasten the coming of the day of God.
    1. Does this sound like living in anticipation of a long-awaited retirement, when we can just kick back and enjoy the fruits of all our labour? God once said to a man who worked hard and made it, “…Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be…?” Luke 12:20
    2. Does this sound like buying lottery tickets or going to casinos in the hopes of striking it rich?
  2. We ought to be looking for the coming of the day of God. We don’t know when this will be, but we know it could be any moment.
    1. We ought to be in a continuous state of expectation, prepared for the day of God, which begins when Christ comes for the church.

III Day of God

      1. What is the day of God? It’s not simply a 24 hour period, but a period of time that culminates in a final day when God’s final judgment is complete.
        1. The day of God, more often called “the day of the Lord” (also called, “the times of Jacob’s trouble” Jeremiah 30:7), is mentioned again and again in Old Testament prophecy as a period of time in which the nation of Israel is going to go through trouble like never before. It will include a time of trouble and judgment that will come upon the entire world.
        2. In its fullest context, it includes the rapture of the saints of the church age: “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” Titus 2:13
            1. Thus will begin the 70th week of the prophecy of Daniel 9:24 – 27, when God’s once again begins to work with Israel, judging them and correcting them for their rebellion. At the end of the seven years, or one week of years of the tribulation, Christ returns with the church age saints to rule over the entire Earth with a rod of iron for 1000 years. At the end of that time, the final rebellion occurs and God’s final judgment is accomplished.
        3. All of this is a part of the day of the Lord. It is the time when all of God’s stored up wrath is brought upon rebellious mankind, first focused on Israel as prophesied in Jeremiah, and finally, all of mankind. At all points from the rapture of the church age saints to the final judgment at the end of the thousand years, unrepentent mankind will not be looking for it or even expecting any of it.

IV Nevertheless, Christians

      1. Saints, we, on the other hand, are not to be caught off guard. We are supposed to have our heads up, alert, paying attention to all the things we see going on around us. “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,” Ephesians 5:15
      2. Don’t get caught with the world, living like the world, coveting and grasping and working for wealth that you can’t take with you! “Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.” Haggai 1:6
      3. We, because we believe His promise, are watching for new a heaven and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. We are “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” Titus 2:13
        1. This should be our natural state as Christians. We ought to be looking forward with faith to the things that God has promised. “(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)” 2Corinthians 5:7

V So, What Does This Mean?

  1. Verse 14 begins with “wherefore.” In modern English, we now say, “therefore.” Whenever you start reading a passage of scripture that begins with “wherefore” – aka “therefore,” always ask yourself, what is the “therefore” there for? It points us very specifically back to the context.
    1. In this case, we have a “nevertheless” followed by a “wherefore.” This should tell us that there is some very important truth right here that we need to pay close attention to.
  2. Therefore, in light of what we’ve just read about us looking for the return of Christ and a new heaven and a new earth:
    1. be diligent in your walk with Christ.
      1. This is no time for careless living, in spite of what you hear from the so-called Christian and even evangelical community. God says to be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot and blameless. That requires real effort in this corrupt world of sin!
    2. recognize that God is longsuffering so that people can be saved. Work harder to plant Gospel seeds and be a soul winner.
    3. read and obey what brother Paul has written according to the wisdom God has given him. What Paul wrote were God’s exact truths for us for all ages, not just the first century.
      1. Paul is questioned, today, even by many evangelicals, for being a misogynist, judgmental and even homophobic, yet God tells us that he was given special wisdom, profound knowledge and understanding of the gospel and all things related, including all doctrine. We’re instructed right here to read and study the writings of Paul, even though some of it might be difficult to understand.
    4. Beware! There have always been those who are careless with scripture, misinterpreting it, and even deliberately twisting it for their own ambitions and gain. This is a warning. Beware that you’re not led astray by them. The only protection is to obey God in trusting Him, studying and obeying His word, and regularly gathering together as a church with other Bible believing Christians.

Conclusion

  1. Living the Christian life means growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. This requires knowing God better and drawing closer to Him. This can only happen after we put our faith in Jesus Christ. Then love and obey Him. We can only love and obey Him when we know Him and what He expects of us. We can only know Him and what he expects when prayerfully read and study his word, the Bible. Pray and read your Bible carefully, every single day.
  2. Remember, the more time you spend with someone, the more like that person you become. Spend much time with God in prayer and let Him speak to you through the Bible by the Holy Spirit. That’s time well spent, and it’s the only way to be truly living the Christian life.