Dear Christian friends:

One of the most important teachings of the Bible is that our Lord Jesus Christ will come again. All people will see Him come with great glory and all the angels. All people both the living and the dead will gather before Him and He will judge all: believers to heaven and unbelievers to hell.

On that day the world here will be destroyed. Peter writes of it here in our text, verse 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 done in it will be laid bare."

This is called the Lord's Day. On that day all will honor Him, both believers and unbelievers. Jesus will receive the full glory due His name.

Some wonder if it will every happen. Some scoff and say this, verses 3-7, "Above 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 ancestors 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 came into being 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 the ungodly."

God's reckoning of time is not like ours, verse 8, "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."

But God delays this great day because of mercy, verse 9, "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."

But the Lord's Day will come as a surprise to man, verse 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 done in it will be laid bare."

So, how should we live and wait for it? We should be found blameless, verse 11, "Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives."

So we wait for the Lord's Day with hope and joy, verse 14, "So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him."

Amen.