God intervened before in human history, notably when He sent the flood (3:5-7) and the Bible teaches that since God visited this world in judgment before, He can (and in fact will) visit us in judgment again (3:3-7).

1. GOD IS GIVING SINNERS TIME TO REPENT (3:8,9).

1. One of the differences between a lost man and a saved man is that the lost are "willingly ignorant" (3:5) but the saved are not to be ignorant (3:8).
2. How are we to avoid the pitfalls of ignorance? By staying in the Word of God. Here Peter is alluding to Ps.90:1-4.
3. God has His own schedule and He is always right on time (3:8,9; cf. Gal.4:4).
4. God is not limited to time the way we are – God is eternal; God is timeless. God does not live in a sphere of time the way we do. He does not reckon according to yesterday, today, and tomorrow. God is able to expand a day into 1,000 years or compress 1,000 years into one day.
5. The reason Christ has not returned yet in judgment is that He is giving men time to repent (3:9, 15a). He gave the ungodly time to repent back in the days of Noah (I Peter 3:20) and He is given men time today. Now is the time to repent.
6. A basic Biblical principle is that God is "not willing that any should perish" (3:9; cf. Ezek.18:23,32; 33:11; I Tim.2:4).

2. GOD’S JUDGMENT WILL COME UNEXPECTEDLY (3:10-13)

1. In the Bible, the expression "as a thief in the night" refers to unexpected judgment (3:10; cf. Matt.24:42-44; I Thess.5:1-4; Rev.3:3; 16:15).
2. Another Bible teaching is that this old world is going to blow up. I remember an old song, "What Are You Going To Do When the World’s On Fire?"
3. Did you ever stop to think: Why would any one want to get so attached to something that will blow up some day?
4. People put these silly bumper stickers on their cars saying, "Love Your Mother," with a picture of so-called "Mother Earth" – they do not realize that they are worshipping the creation rather than the Creator. Many of the environmental fanatics are nothing but pagans, heathens, and idolaters.
5. "The day of the Lord" (3:10) refers to any period when God moves in judgment. It is often used in the Old Testament to describe any time when God punished evildoers and triumphed over His enemies (cf. Isa.2:12; 13:6,9).
6. The JW’s teach that this world will be an eternal paradise. They are sadly mistaken – this world will be blown to pieces in some sort of nuclear holocaust – one that God either instigates or allows to happen (3:10; cf. Isa.65:17; Matt.24:35; Heb.1:10-12; Rev.21:1,2).
7. I read that when the USA dropped the atom bomb on Hiroshima, the temperature at the center of the blast was officially estimated at 60 million degrees centigrade (127,200,000 F), i.e., THREE TIMES THE TEMPERATURE OF THE SUN, and 10,000 TIMES THE TEMPERATURE OF THE SURFACE OF THE SUN! And it will be worse when God sets this world on fire.

3. GOD’S DAY OF JUDGMENT SHOULD MOTIVATE US TO LIVE GODLY LIVES (3:11-18)

1. First we saw the unexpected visitation ("as a thief in the night").
2. Then we saw the unprecedented conflagration (the whole world on fire).
3. Next comes the unanswered interrogation ("What manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness" – 3:11b).
4. Holiness and godliness is missing in many churches and Christian homes and Christian schools. Many believers are listening to the same trashy rock (rap, disco, r&b, c&w) music that the world listens to. Many sit mesmerized in front of the boob tube for hours, but never read the Bible.

On the table side by side,
the Holy Bible and the TV Guide.
One is well worn but cherished with pride;
not the Bible, the TV Guide.
One is used daily to help them decide;
no, it isn’t the Bible, it’s the TV Guide.
As pages are turned, what shall we see?
It doesn’t matter, turn on the TV.
Confusion reigns; they can’t all agree
on what they should watch on the old TV.
So, they open the book in which they confide;
no, not the Bible, the TV Guide.

The Word of God is seldom read,
maybe a verse as they fall into bed.
Exhausted and sleepy, and as tired as can be,
not from reading the Bible, but from watching TV.
So then back to the table, side by side,
the Holy Bible and the TV Guide.
No time for prayer, no time for the Word;
the plan of salvation is seldom heard.
Yet, forgiveness of sins, so full and so free,
is found in the Bible, not on TV.

5. "The day of God" (3:12) refers to the eternal state. "Hasting unto" (3:12) = "hastening the coming" (Scofield margin). The "elements" (3:12) refer to atoms.
6. Again Peter confirms that God’s delay in judgment is to give men full opportunity to be saved.
7. Notice that Peter refers to Paul’s epistles as "scripture" (3:15,16).
8. "Seeing ye know these things" (3:17) ought to affect the way we live.

1. Oftentimes when we read the Bible, future cataclysmic events seem very far away, but consider this:
2. The rapture is imminent; therefore the events described in the book of Revelation could commence immediately.

1. The wrath of God will be poured out on this wicked world (Rev.6:12-17).
2. No more wind (7:1), "hail and fire mingled with blood" will be cast upon the earth (8:7), devilish locusts let loose upon the earth to torment the unsaved (9:1-12), "noisome and grievous sores" upon unbelievers (16:2), etc.

3. God’s judgment is coming, we need to be ready – it is plainly taught in every book of the Bible.