2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Oh Friends, this verse of 2 Peter is exceedingly important; one that we should possibly commit to memory and certainly contemplate often. It contains two essential elements; the Lord’s promise of salvation, and our part in that cosmic experience. (smile) Now, regarding ‘The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness,’ Peter is saying that the long wait for salvation and the second coming is not because the Lord’s slack, lazy, slothful, negligent, lackadaisical or lethargic, as most of us consider it to mean, but He’s simply giving us a ‘bligh,’ a long chance, sufficient time to get our house in order and help others get theirs in order too. Remember our mental capacity can only comprehend days and years, but our God, the Supreme Being, thinks and plans in terms of eons. What does the hymn say? A thousand ages in his sight is like one evening, or words to that effect. And think how long it took before the Messiah came. But most of all, consider what He said to Habakkuk: ‘Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.’ (Hab.2:2-3) Yes my Friends, we all know that the Lord doesn’t make idle promises, but this is just another instance of His generous nature, that generosity which we’ve all experienced at one time or another. Note, He told Habakkuk that the date is set, and will surely come, it’s just a matter of when. So people, let’s not fool ourselves into thinking that because it’s taking so long, that the day of judgement and salvation won’t come, for the Lord said definitely, ‘it will not tarry.’ We just have to be prepared and wait till whenever it does come. Bruh Paul also emphasized to the Romans; ‘And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.’ (Rom.13:11) For sure my people! Salvation is closer than in Habakkuk’s time, than in Bruh Paul’s, and also in ours…and it’s getting closer every day. So are we prepared? Remember it can come stealthily, like a thief in the night and catch us unawares. And that’s partly why ‘the Lord is long suffering to us-ward.’ He’s already patient by nature, as Bruh David and Isaiah testify. ‘But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, long suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.’ (Ps.86:15) ‘And therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: For the Lord is a God of judgement: blessed are all they that wait for him.’ (Is.30:18) Yes, He’s given us plenty rope, not to hang ourselves, but because He’s ‘not willing that any should perish.’ He doesn’t want to lose any of His children to the prince of darkness. He told Ezekiel: ‘Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?’ (Eze.33:11) Oh my brethren, what a magnanimous and merciful God we serve! Did that plea reach right down into your very soul and touch the very heartstrings of your being? Well it should have. It just shows the considerable LOVE our heavenly Father bears us, that He could beseech us so poignantly to turn from our wicked ways and live. He just wants nobody to perish, ‘but that all should come to repentance.’ Oh people, how much clearer can the Lord make it eh? He wants all of His children to be saved; to come to repentance by believing in His Son, Jesus Christ, that they may all enjoy eternal life with Him. How wonderful is that eh? However, remember we also have our part to play. The Lord’s given us current believers a chance to repent and follow Jesus, but now we also have the responsibility to tell others the wonderful news; of Jesus dying and paying for our sins. That makes us free! Free from sin, once we believe on His Holy Name! Wow! And all God’s people sang, ‘Thank you Jesus!’ That’s the main reason we’re still here people; to spread the good news of the gospel all over the world. It’s our raison d’etre. Jesus said it: ‘Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.’ (Mat.20: 28) Friends, we don’t need to give our lives, Jesus has already paid for everybody’s sins, but we do need to minister, to witness to others and bring them all, every single child of creation, to Christ, so that they too can receive salvation and life eternal. That’s our heavenly Father’s greatest desire. So let’s get busy with that nuh, for there are still millions of people around the world who haven’t heard the good news of Jesus, and we certainly don’t want them to miss out on the best things ever; salvation and eternal life with Jesus. Much LOVE!…as followers and servants of Jesus…we ought to be busy following and serving him…
Oh Friends, this verse of 2 Peter is exceedingly important; one that we should possibly commit to memory and certainly contemplate often. It contains two essential elements; the Lord’s promise of salvation, and our part in that cosmic experience. (smile) Now, regarding ‘The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness,’ Peter is saying that the long wait for salvation and the second coming is not because the Lord’s slack, lazy, slothful, negligent, lackadaisical or lethargic, as most of us consider it to mean, but He’s simply giving us a ‘bligh,’ a long chance, sufficient time to get our house in order and help others get theirs in order too. Remember our mental capacity can only comprehend days and years, but our God, the Supreme Being, thinks and plans in terms of eons. What does the hymn say? A thousand ages in his sight is like one evening, or words to that effect. And think how long it took before the Messiah came. But most of all, consider what He said to Habakkuk: ‘Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.’ (Hab.2:2-3) Yes my Friends, we all know that the Lord doesn’t make idle promises, but this is just another instance of His generous nature, that generosity which we’ve all experienced at one time or another. Note, He told Habakkuk that the date is set, and will surely come, it’s just a matter of when. So people, let’s not fool ourselves into thinking that because it’s taking so long, that the day of judgement and salvation won’t come, for the Lord said definitely, ‘it will not tarry.’ We just have to be prepared and wait till whenever it does come. Bruh Paul also emphasized to the Romans; ‘And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.’ (Rom.13:11) For sure my people! Salvation is closer than in Habakkuk’s time, than in Bruh Paul’s, and also in ours…and it’s getting closer every day. So are we prepared? Remember it can come stealthily, like a thief in the night and catch us unawares. And that’s partly why ‘the Lord is long suffering to us-ward.’ He’s already patient by nature, as Bruh David and Isaiah testify. ‘But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, long suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.’ (Ps.86:15) ‘And therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: For the Lord is a God of judgement: blessed are all they that wait for him.’ (Is.30:18) Yes, He’s given us plenty rope, not to hang ourselves, but because He’s ‘not willing that any should perish.’ He doesn’t want to lose any of His children to the prince of darkness. He told Ezekiel: ‘Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?’ (Eze.33:11) Oh my brethren, what a magnanimous and merciful God we serve! Did that plea reach right down into your very soul and touch the very heartstrings of your being? Well it should have. It just shows the considerable LOVE our heavenly Father bears us, that He could beseech us so poignantly to turn from our wicked ways and live. He just wants nobody to perish, ‘but that all should come to repentance.’ Oh people, how much clearer can the Lord make it eh? He wants all of His children to be saved; to come to repentance by believing in His Son, Jesus Christ, that they may all enjoy eternal life with Him. How wonderful is that eh? However, remember we also have our part to play. The Lord’s given us current believers a chance to repent and follow Jesus, but now we also have the responsibility to tell others the wonderful news; of Jesus dying and paying for our sins. That makes us free! Free from sin, once we believe on His Holy Name! Wow! And all God’s people sang, ‘Thank you Jesus!’ That’s the main reason we’re still here people; to spread the good news of the gospel all over the world. It’s our raison d’etre. Jesus said it: ‘Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.’ (Mat.20: 28) Friends, we don’t need to give our lives, Jesus has already paid for everybody’s sins, but we do need to minister, to witness to others and bring them all, every single child of creation, to Christ, so that they too can receive salvation and life eternal. That’s our heavenly Father’s greatest desire. So let’s get busy with that nuh, for there are still millions of people around the world who haven’t heard the good news of Jesus, and we certainly don’t want them to miss out on the best things ever; salvation and eternal life with Jesus. Much LOVE!…as followers and servants of Jesus…we ought to be busy following and serving him…
SCRIP-BITS 