Patience=Salvation

2 Peter 3:15-16
and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you read the first sentence? Here is how my thought process goes when I read something like this:

- OK, this is a command, so I'm very interested in what it has to say to me, knowing that knowing and obeying scriptural commands is an act of love and joy as I follow after Christ.

- It starts with the word "and", so I need to remind myself of the previous section.

2 Peter 3:14
Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless,

So, basically, as I'm awaiting Christ's return I should be found "saved", and living like the new creation that I am by avoiding all sin.

- The command is to regard something. OK, what does it mean to regard something. I think it means to think about something in a specific way, but I'll check the original Greek word to make sure that it's translated well here in the NAS. "Hegeomai" means to think or consider, so this looks to be a good translation. So verse 15 is another thing to think about or consider as I'm awaiting Christ's return.

-The command is to regard "the patience of our Lord" as salvation. What patience? Backtrack to verse 9.

9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

This aspect of our Lord that Peter describes here is to be understood by Christians to be part of the working out of the salvation of mankind. This is the conclusion to this entire line of thought that began with the scoffers in verse 5. The scoffers were obviously causing some Christians to doubt whether or not Christ was coming back as he promised he would. Peter reassures us that he most certainly is, and we are not to interpret a seeming delay for a lack of concern for the suffering of the believers. We must regard this "delay" as an act of patience and a very much intentioned part of God's plan to save those who he intends to save before ushering in the final judgement and the Kingdom.

In verse 16, Peter comes full-circle; getting back to the main point of the letter. That is to expose false teachers and encourage and remind Christians what is important.

Coming Up: As we finish up 2 Peter, all that is left are two more commands and a prayer. We'll take them one at a time.