Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Greetings, dear ones.

I did a non-vigorous walk with Becki this morning. The instructions I have include not doing anything vigorous for 2 days. This is to report that the dermatologist picked up on my request yesterday afternoon that we deal with this carcinoma ASAP and offered to have his staff remain a little longer so he could rip it out right away. He said he didn’t have any other procedures scheduled for that day, so why not? Of course he had to agree that this thing was aggressive in its growth. I definitely have a sore head now. I think I know what it feels like to be scalped. Those feelings didn’t aid my sleep. A lab report will follow.

Now, on with the day. The list is pretty big. I’d better get on it.

Blessings on your day.

Love, Dad/Ray.

You sure don’t have to look far in our world environment to find and identify a lot of unwholesome thinking. Peter is inspired here to give us a kind of RECIPE FOR WHOLESOME THINKING. It all flows out of the supposition that wholesome thinking will produce wholesome living—while unwholesome thinking will produce unwholesome living. What a wholesome idea!

A central theme on which Peter bases these ideas is that we are all heading toward not only the terminus of physical life, but the terminus of time. It really is reasonable to expect some kind of conclusion since everything we know in the dimension of time has a beginning and an end.

Perhaps I will utilize my own inspiration to list the basic ingredients of this recipe, and allow Peter’s inspiration to substantiate them. So in anticipation and preparation for that great conclusion of all things (and beginning of new things), we are instructed to…

1. Anticipate conflict from unwholesome thinkers (vv.3-7). “First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.”


2. Understand that time is no big deal with the Eternal God (vv. 8-9). “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”


3. Anticipate final judgment and destruction according to His timetable (v. 10). “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.”


4. Pursue an attitude and lifestyle that make for peace with the Eternal God (vv. 11-14). “Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.”


5. Be on your guard against decadence by continually growing (vv. 17-18). “Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.”