Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures.

2 Peter 3:14-16

I’m sure you’ve heard this more than once, but when we see the word “therefore” it is helpful to look back at the preceding thought for context. We saw this yesterday, but 2 Peter 3:13 states “But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.”

So while we anticipate the coming of the new heavens an the new earth, Peter tells us to live each day as if it is our last so that we can be found :without spot of blemish” at the return of Christ.

In the next couple of verses, Peter makes reference to the writings of the Apostle Paul whose letters were circulating in the churches of the first century. It reminded me of the challenge often heard from skeptics regarding the Scriptures, and in particular, the New Testament. Some scoff at the New Testament saying that it was written centuries after the last apostle died and those writings cannot be taken seriously.

Earlier in his letter, Peter declared, “For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty”(2 Peter 1:16) and ” no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21). And here, Peter, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, referred to Paul’s writings as Scriptures with as much authority as the Old Testament.

We can depend on God’s word and we should live accordingly.