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Tough Minded about Heaven
2 Peter 3:3-18
To live holy now in anticipation of heaven requires a Christian to be tough-minded in five areas:
- Our purity (3:11). Godliness requires work; like physical fitness, it is not something that happens naturally. Thoughts of eternity will keep Christians motivated to exercise self-discipline and live the right way until the Lord returns (1 Cor. 1:7, 8; Col. 3:4, 5; 1 Thess. 3:12, 13; 5:23; 1 Tim. 4:7, 8; 6:6, 11, 12; Titus 2:12, 13; 1 John 3:2, 3).
- God's promises (3:12). Make no mistake: Jesus will come back—a fact that Peter does not want his readers to minimize or ignore (3:10; Phil. 3:20; 2 Tim 4:8; Titus 2:13; Heb. 9:28). To say we should not bother to study the Bible's teaching on the end times means to ignore a significant part of the Bible's message to us. If God thought that future events would be important enough to include in His Word, we ought to study what He says so that we can discover how He wants us to respond.
- Our purpose (3:14). Following God's purpose for our lives is not an option that we can exercise when it is convenient; it is a daily necessity. The world will try to call us away from His purposes, but every day we must tend to the unique tasks God has planned for each of us (Phil. 3:13, 14).
- Our profession of faith (3:17). Those who are tough-minded about heaven know what they believe and why. They can refute error. The ability to refute error is important because, as the last days draw near, Satan's opposition to God and his activity in the world will increase. Only a steadfast and sure faith will be able to withstand those attacks and reject false teaching.
- Our progress (3:18). Christians cannot afford to let their faith stagnate; they must keep growing in their knowledge of Jesus. This happens through the watchfulness of prayer (1 Pet. 4:7), through obedience to the Word (Rev. 22:7), and through participation in the life of the church (Heb. 10:24, 25). C. S. Lewis wrote in Mere Christianity: "If you read history you will find that Christian's who did most for the present world, were just those who thought most of the next world." God promises to complete the good work that He has begun in our lives (Phil. 1:6) if we will remain diligent.
