When will Christ return? Although the false teachers of Peter's day thought that His delay meant He would not come back, Peter reminds his readers that God's timing is not our own.
Just as the flood came without warning, so Jesus will return like a thief in the night (2 Peter 3:10). Therefore, we must be ready at any moment, not presuming upon God’s patience, but living in light of our eternal home He is preparing for us.
How do we recognize false teachers? Many of them are in our own churches, and they seem to be a part of the body of Christ. But there are distinguishing factors, and Peter discusses those marks in chapter 2 of his epistle.
There is a huge difference between the fate of the false teachers and the fate of the righteous. While He brings judgment on the false teachers, God has given His children an undefiled and unfading inheritance.
What do "magic-eye" pictures have in common with false teachers? Both, in some sense, are counterfeit images—they fool us until we get a clear picture of them.
In spite of our many advancements in this world, we are in a dark place. The world is engulfed in spiritual darkness, and counterfeits abound. But when Jesus comes again, the darkness will be no more.
Jesus is full of the glory Peter witnessed at the transfiguration. But even more significantly, He is the one who chose the way of suffering on the way to that glory. He is the one whose cross preceded His crown.
Peter wanted his readers to grow in faith and in confidence in their calling, and he left them a last will and testament in this epistle to plead with them to live for what really matters.
The best antidote for heretical teachings and spiritual counterfeits is a firm grasp of biblical truth and growth in the personal knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Where do we find truth, and how does if affect us? The book of 2 Peter affirms the truth of the Word of God and shows how God has given us all the resources for righteousness that we need in Christ.