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Not Willing That Any Should Perish (2)

Last time, we saw that the Arminian and free offer view of II Peter 3:9 (that God desires to save absolutely everybody) makes Peter agree with the scoffers that Christ is not coming back. For, if Christ delays His return so that everybody head for head will be brought to repentance, then His second coming will never happen.

But who then are the "any" of II Peter 3:9? Three lines of argument lead to the same conclusion, that they are the beloved people of God.

First, we should notice the word "us-ward" in the text: "The Lord ... is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." The apostle refers to the same people as "us-ward" and "any." The Lord is longsuffering to us and so is not willing that any (of us) should perish. The "us" are referred to as "beloved" in the previous verse: "But, beloved, ... the Lord ... is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish" (8-9). Against the dark backdrop of the destruction of the world and His fearful judgment upon the ungodly, the Lord assures us four times in II Peter 3 (1, 8, 14, 17) that we are His "beloved" people, loved with the everlasting, irresistible, gracious love of God, according to our eternal "election" (1:10).

Second, Peter explains that the "longsuffering" of II Peter 3:9 is not an ineffectual wish of God to save everybody, for a few verses later he tells us that "the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation" (15). Here Peter teaches that those to whom God is longsuffering are saved. This is an established fact to be reckoned as a first principle in understanding God’s longsuffering: "account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation" (15).

Third, we should note the preposition taken by "longsuffering" in II Peter 3:9. Sometimes "longsuffering" takes the prepositions "upon" or "towards." Here "into" is used. Literally, the text reads, "the Lord ... is longsufferinginto us-ward." This indicates the closest possible connection between God’s longsuffering and us, such that God’s longsuffering grabs hold of us and effects our salvation.

Now we are ready to answer the question: Why did Christ not return, say, in the year 99 or 872 or 1356 or 2003? The answer is that some of God’s elect people had not yet been born and called. Only when the last member of Christ’s body is added, only when the last living stone is fitted in God’s temple, only when all the sheep are called, will Christ come again. When the bride is made ready, the bridegroom will come!

Remember too that the salvation of each member is necessary for the rest of the elect, for the church is an organism. Either all are saved together or all perish together, for, if one is lost, all are lost.

God’s "promise" and "longsuffering" and "will" are that none of His people "perish" but that "all ... come to repentance" (9). Through the preaching of the gospel, all the elect are gathered and then (and only then) does Christ return to judge the ungodly and renew the creation. Be patient for the coming of the Lord draws nigh!

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Additional Info

  • Volume: 9
  • Issue: 15
Stewart, Angus

Rev. Angust Stewart (Wife: Mary)

Ordained - 2001

Pastorates: Covenant Protestant Reformed Church of Ballymena, Northern Ireland - 2001

Website: www.cprf.co.uk/

Contact Details

  • Address
    7 Lislunnan Road
  • City
    Ballymena
  • State or Province
    Co.Antrim
  • Zip Code
    BT42 3NR
  • Country
    Ireland
  • Telephone
    (01144) 28 25 891851

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