February 4: 2 Peter 3

SO, WHAT Would Motivate Us to Pursue Revival?

Faithfulness will always be the first prerequisite of the watching, waiting, and praying believer looking for the Lord’s return.

Kaiser Jr., Walter C.. Revive Us Again . Christian Focus Publications. Kindle Edition.

“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace.” (2 Peter 3:10-14, ESV, emphasis mine)

“You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.” (2 Peter 3:17-18, ESV)

He (Peter) assureth them of the certainty of Christ’s coming to judgment, against those scorners who dispute it; warning them, from the long patience of God, to hasten their repentance: he describeth also the manner how the world shall be destroyed; exhorting them, from the expectation thereof, to all holiness of life; and again, to think the patience of God as tending to their salvation, as Paul wrote to them in his epistles.

Commentary on the Whole Bible, Thomas Coke

From as far back as I can remember, especially as a young child, I heard frequently about the soon return of Jesus Christ in the clouds to judge the world. I was both terrified, thinking that I might not be ready, and troubled, thinking that I would not have time live and enjoy life, that it would be cut short by His return. Such is the thinking of a child. Now days, I find myself praying, “Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus.”

We have what Peter calls in 1 Peter 1:3 “a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” This inheritance is “imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you.” This forms a strong motive for service and sacrifice now, knowing that whatever we have to give up here to serve the Lord, He will more than repay at the last day.

Jesus put it this way:

““Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also…. No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” (Matthew 6:19-24, ESV)

“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18, ESV)

As the song reminds us, “it will be worth it all, when we see Jesus.”

CHORUS:

• It will be worth it all
• when we see Jesus!
• Life’s trials will seem so small
• when we see Christ.
• One glimpse of his dear face,
• all sorrow will erase.
• So, bravely run the race
• till we see Christ.

Find the complete song lyrics here: https://lyrics-on.net/en/1001873-it-will-be-worth-it-all-lyrics.html

Another song that emphasizes this is Heaven Changes Everything, by Big Daddy Weave. Listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUG7Ub_fvWw

All our efforts for spiritual service will be handicapped and seriously curtailed in their real impact when judged by the standards of the resurrection power of Christ if we do not soon experience a genuine Holy Spirit-attended revival.

Kaiser Jr., Walter C.. Revive Us Again . Christian Focus Publications. Kindle Edition.