Jul 11
15
“…NOT WILLING THAT ANY SHOULD PERISH…” II Peter 3:9
In this passage of scripture Peter is comforting the children of God with the assurance of Christ’s second advent. If you will read the chapter carefully, you will observe that the apostle makes a clear and deliberate distinction between “us” who believe and the scoffers who believe not. Unbelieving scoffers arise and say, “Where is the promise of his coming?” And Peter tenderly protects Christ’s sheep from such raging wolves by those sweet assurances.
“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise.” Did he promise that Christ would come to judge the world and to gather his elect unto himself? Most assuredly he did. Let the wicked mock and scoff. We will comfort ourselves in the assurance that, at the appointed time, Christ will appear in his glory. Though the promise tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.” “Yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.”
The Lord “is longsuffering to us-ward.” The promise and the longsuffering of God is to us – Those who are loved, chosen, redeemed, and called of God – Those who believe on Christ for life everlasting. There is only one reason why God tolerates the enemies of Christ, only one reason why Christ has not yet come to judge his enemies, and it is this – God has a people in this world whom he has determined to save, He would not destroy the old world until Noah was in the ark. He would not burn Sodom until Lot was out of the city. And God Almighty, even in his strict holiness, will not send his Son to destroy this world until the last one of his chosen sheep has been brought safe into the Shepherd’s fold! Indeed, “The longsuffering of our Lord is salvation.”
Once more, it is promised that God is “not willing that any should perish.” To whom is this promise given? Not to Pharaoh, God killed him. Not to Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, God sent them to hell. Not to Judas, God sent him to his own place. To whom then is the promise given? To us-ward! Not one of God’s elect shall perish in his sin. Not one of Christ’s sheep shall, be missing from the fold. Not one soul redeemed by Christ shall be cast into hell. Why? Because God is “Not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” And the will of God cannot be frustrated. Peter is simply reaffirming the promise of Christ, “All that the Father giveth to me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.”-Don Fortner