14 Therefore, beloved, as you anticipate these things, make every effort to be found at peace—spotless and blameless in His sight.

15 Consider also that our Lord’s patience brings salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom God gave him.

17 Therefore, beloved, since you already know these things, be on your guard so that you will not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure standing.

18 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 3:14-15, 17-18

2 For you are fully aware that the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.

4 But you, brothers, are not in the darkness so that this day should overtake you like a thief.

5 For you are all sons of the light and sons of the day; we do not belong to the night or to the darkness.

8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and the helmet of our hope of salvation.

— 1 Thessalonians 5:2, 4-5, 8

Thoughts on Today’s Reading

Grace, peace, and joy from the Lord Jesus to you.

Peter urgently called for believers to grow in grace and to live holy lives as they await Christ’s certain return. Unbelievers who ignore God’s creation and record of involvement in this world will scoff at this promise. Paul, in his epistle tot eh Thessalonians, made this same point when he spoke of the day of the Lord. Believers must consider these realities seriously, aware of God’s judgment and the end of the world. God’s people face this day with faith, love, hope and urgency. Destined for salvation, not wrath, we are to live in the light, not in darkness.

The day of the Lord will reap judgment for unbelievers and deliverance for believers. As God’s people, we are to live holy live and guard against wrong teaching. Life with God includes continuous growth and fresh experiences of His grace. Knowing that God rules the world and eternity offers us vibrant hope and confidence. The certainty of the Lord’s return compels us to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord, seeking God, living differently, and sharing His message in urgency with the world until Jesus returns.