Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Good morning, Zane.

Hope your morning includes some good WHOLESOME church exposure. If you read today’s passage in 2 Peter 3, along with my little attempt at processing it below, you’ll understand my wording—and sense of urgency.

Wow! 19” of snow dumped at Mt. Hood Timberline within the last 24 hours! How can I stay home with information like that?! I already know what Tazzy and Smokey would say if I asked them if they’d like to do that run between Timberline and Government Camp.

I cut up a bunch of small Black Locust logs yesterday—with the wind blowing in my face—so that while cutting with the mill I’m fighting a sawdust blizzard. I’m still extracting sawdust from my nose, eyes, ears, etc. I even discovered a piece of Locust bark that made its way all the way down to the bottom of my underpants

Blessings on your day. Love and prayers—Tua/Ray.

PS: To some of you who receive these posts besides Zane, I admit that I’m being a bit presumptuous by simply sending them along to everyone on my old recipient list. So please, by all means, if, for any reason, you do not wish to be on that list, let me know so I can update the list accordingly. Thanks.

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 of the physical universe 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.”