“Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace.” (2 Peter 3:11-14)
The media and the internet have given birth in recent years to a whole class of people who claim to judges and arbiters of morality and righteousness for everyone else. Smart phones have added to their outreach as anyone now can record those who they deem immoral and evil in the act thereby enabling others to overreact to what they see while lacking the context to fully understand what is actually going on.
Those who claim to dictate morality and who shame others do so to promote their own agendas, enhance their fame, and boost their own ego. They reject the word of the Lord as the only source of truth and wisdom. They reject Jesus the Son of God as the way, the truth, and the life. In fact, many deny the very existence of almighty God, treating themselves or politicians or their favorite celebrities as demigods. Consequently, the worldview they espouse and proclaim glorifies selfishness, sexual immorality, greed, and ungodliness.
The Apostle Peter warned about such ungodliness. He wrote of the Lord’s soon coming return. The Lord will judge all those who reject Him, who set themselves up in His place as the righteous law maker and judge. He will dissolve the current world order, the one so many of us hold so dear.
Those who scoff at the idea of Christ’s return, who cast doubt upon on God’s existence and His promises are calling God a liar. They reject the need for obedience and godly righteousness while placing great value on material possessions and satisfying the appetites of the flesh. Without a God to whom they are accountable, they can live as they please.
Peter reminds us that God is true to His word. We recall this great truth every Advent. God promised Adam and Eve He would send a redeemer to atone for their sin and nullify its consequences: death, sickness, and pain. The Lord reaffirmed His promise to His servants Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, and the people of Israel down through the millennia. And 2000 years ago, He fulfilled that promise with a baby born to a virgin in a manger in Bethlehem. Therefore, we have no reason to doubt that He is coming again, this time to destroy the wicked in a worldwide cataclysmic upheaval from which only the faithful will be saved. As we wait for that day we can be at peace knowing that amidst all the chaos, violence and turmoil of our troubled times, the Lord will judge the wicked, establish justice, and set all things right. We should be living in the light of that certainty but we should also be sounding the warning to those who don’t serve Him.