Sunday, December 4, 2016

by Leslie Miller

2 Peter 3:11-18
Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, what sort of persons ought you to be in leading lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set ablaze and dissolved, and the elements will melt with fire? But, in accordance with his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home. Therefore, beloved, while you are waiting for these things, strive to be found by him at peace, without spot or blemish; and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation. So also our beloved brother Paul wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, speaking of this as he does in all his letters. There are some things in them hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other scriptures. You therefore, beloved, since you are forewarned, beware that you are not carried away with the error of the lawless and lose your own stability. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

“While we are waiting, come” is our theme for Advent this year. In this calming, repeated plea of a hymn – we are reminded of the power and glory of our lord and we anxiously hope for his return. In that vein, we look at our scripture today of 2 Peter 3: 11-18 and remember that our future holds a promise for us, a promise of a new earth in which righteousness dwells – and it is our role to hasten the coming of that time. As Christians, we look forward to that time when evil will be burned away – but what do we do until then – we shall live in the light of that promise. We prepare for that time by devoting ourselves to living a life focused on God and striving to be worthy of this salvation. By growing in grace and knowledge of the Lord, we bring on the renewal and transformation of our universe. That is what we do as we wait – not just sit idly by hoping for better things to eventually come – but zealously work towards gaining that world – with power and glory, come! Come, Savior, quickly come.