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Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders. I want to encourage you to think in a way that is pure. 2 I want you to remember the words the holy prophets spoke in the past. Remember the command our Lord and Saviour gave through your apostles. 3 Most of all, here is what you must understand. In the last days people will make fun of the truth. They will laugh at it. They will follow their own evil desires. 4 They will say, ‘Where is this “return” he promised? Everything goes on in the same way it has since our people of long ago died. In fact, it has continued this way since God first created everything.’ 5 Long ago, God's word brought the heavens into being. His word separated the earth from the waters. And the waters surrounded it. But these people forget things like that on purpose. 6 The waters also flooded the world of that time. And so they destroyed the world. 7 By God's word the heavens and earth of today are being reserved for fire. They are being kept for the day when God will judge. Then ungodly people will be destroyed.
8 Dear friends, here is one thing you must not forget. With the Lord a day is like a thousand years. And a thousand years are like a day. 9 The Lord is not slow to keep his promise. He is not slow in the way some people understand it. Instead, he is patient with you. He doesn't want anyone to be destroyed. Instead, he wants all people to turn away from their sins.
10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar. Fire will destroy everything in them. God will judge the earth and everything done in it.
3:1–10 Jesus had promised to return to earth. For many years after Jesus' resurrection, believers expected that he would return very soon. Then some believers began to doubt that he would come back. Some people made fun of believers for thinking that Jesus would return. Peter explained that God isn't slow to act or unable to keep his promises. Instead, he is patient. God chooses to wait. He wants people to repent and to turn away from their sins. He is giving everyone the opportunity to turn back to him. Peter described judgement day coming like a thief. Jesus had also talked about it like that in Luke 12:39. Peter described God's judgement like fire that destroys the heavens and the earth. He was talking about the kind of fire that melts gold and makes it pure. The book of Malachi also talks about this kind of fire (Malachi 3:1–3). The fire would burn away everything in the heavens and the earth that opposed God.
11 So everything will be destroyed in this way. And what kind of people should you be? You should lead holy and godly lives. 12 Live like this as you look forward to the day of God. Living like this will make the day come more quickly. On that day fire will destroy the heavens. Its heat will melt everything in them. 13 But we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth. Godliness will live there. All this is in keeping with God's promise.
14 Dear friends, I know you are looking forward to this. So try your best to be found pure and without blame. Be at peace with God. 15 Remember that while our Lord is waiting patiently to return, people are being saved. Our dear brother Paul also wrote to you about this. God made him wise to write as he did. 16 Paul writes the same way in all his letters. He speaks about what I have just told you. His letters include some things that are hard to understand. People who don't know better and aren't firm in the faith twist what he says. They twist the other Scriptures too. So they will be destroyed.
17 Dear friends, you have already been warned about this. So be on your guard. Then you won't be led astray by people who don't obey the law. Instead, you will remain safe. 18 Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Glory belongs to him both now and for ever. Amen.
3:11–18 Peter told the believers how they were to live while they waited for Jesus to return. They were to live holy lives. This included being at peace with God. It included staying away from false teachers. Instead they must hold on to true teaching like Peter and Paul taught. Peter's teachings agreed with Paul's teachings. Holy living included knowing Jesus the Lord and Saviour more and more. Then believers would feel God's grace more deeply every day. The believers were to do all these things as they looked forward to Jesus' return. Jesus isn't coming to destroy the world. He is going to judge it and make it pure. That is why Peter spoke about a new heaven and a new earth. He was talking about the new creation. Believers must wait with hope and patience for God to keep this promise.