So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.
2 Peter 3:14 NIV
Peter warned his readers that there would come a time when people would deny that Christ was returning. A return that would bring judgment and reward, as well as a new creation. They would see no reason to believe that the world would not continue long into the future, just like it has in the past (2 Pet. 3:3-4).
But the Lord is returning. And when he does, the creation as we know it will come to an end (2 Pet. 3:10, 12). But its destruction makes way for a new heaven and earth. A place where righteousness dwells (2 Pet. 3:13). This is the eternal home we look forward to as followers of the Lord Jesus. It is where our hope lies.
So, Peter tells us, since this is the great hope we are looking forward to as believers, how should we live now while we wait? He tells us to make every effort to be spotless, blameless, and at peace with God. To make every effort means this is my greatest priority; it is what my life is centered around. To be spotless and blameless is to be unstained by the world, separated for God’s service. And to be at peace with God means walking with him through each day and in all that I do.
The eternal home I look forward to is not just something for the future. It should have a significant impact on my life now. Leading me to make every effort to honor my Lord in this life so that, in the end, I will hear him say to me, “Well done, good and faithful servant! Come and share your master’s happiness!” (Matt. 25:21).
