The Doctrine of Last Things (2 Peter 3:10–14) Sermons from the Baptist Faith and Message
Sermon #13 of 19 Sermons on The Baptist Faith and Message
The Baptist Faith and Message sets forth "certain definite doctrines that Baptists believe, cherish, and with which they have been and are now closely identified." You may read The Baptist Faith and Message on SBC.net. This sermon series by Lucien Coleman originally appeared in Proclaim! magazine.
Introduction: Several years ago a supermarket tabloid announced that the end of the world would come in the year 2000. In those closing years of the second millennium, we witnessed a repetition of the panic that swept across Europe as the year 1000 approached, when people ran through towns and villages shouting that the world was coming to an end?
What can we know about the end of the world?
For dependable answers, Christians should turn to the Bible rather than to tabloids, talk shows, or sensational paperbacks.
The King Is Coming
In the Scriptures, the end of this world order is inseparably bound up with the coming of Christ in power and glory. Biblical writers refer to this awesome event as “the day of the Lord” ( 2 Pet. 3:10 ).
New Testament writers adopted the Greek word parousia to describe the coming of Christ. Among the Greeks, parousia was the technical word for the arrival of an emperor or king in a town or province. The word also was used to mark the invasion of a province by a conquering general.
The parousia of the conquering Christ will mean nothing less than the end of history, as the King of kings demonstrates His eternal victory in the salvation of those who have faith in Him and the destruction of those who rebel against him.
Day of Judgment - In the day of the Lord, Christ will come to judge the living and the dead ( Matt. 25:31–32; Acts 17:31; 2 Cor. 5:10 ).
T. W. Manson pointed out that biblical eschatology (the doctrine of last things) “arises from the clash of what is with what ought to be.” As we look out on our world, we see so many things that “ought not to be.” Evil people prosper; good people suffer; power falls into the hands of violent men; sin seems to run rampant. But in the day of the Lord, the righteous Judge will close the gap between what is and what ought to be. On that day, all accounts will be balanced once and for all.
Christ the Criterion
Christ will be both the judge and the criterion by which all will be judged. This is the meaning of John 12:48. This truth is laid out even more succinctly in John 3:18.
The Future Shapes the Present
Since the beginning of the Christian era, self-styled prophets have attempted to schedule the end of the world. But Jesus clearly stated that this is not our business (Matt. 24:42; Luke. 12:40 ). New Testament writers referred to the end of time, not to provide a schedule for the future, but to point out the eternal consequences of what is done in the present ( 2 Pet. 3:11; 1 Pet. 5:8–9 ).
Conclusion: The Bible underscores this profound truth: The day of the Lord will come. Some will wonder why it is so long in coming, but it will come. Some will scoff at the idea of its coming, but it will come. Some will not be ready for it and will put it out of their minds, but it will come.
Scripture quotations marked HCSB are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible ®, Copyright ©1999,2000,2002,2003 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.
About Professor Coleman
Professor Lucien Coleman retired in 1993 after twenty-seven years of teaching Religious Eductation at Southern Seminary and Adult Education at Southwestern Seminary. Before teaching served as a pastor in Kentucky. He holds degrees from Southern Seminary and the University of Kentucky. He and his wife, Bobbie, live in Parker County, Texas. They have three children, fifteen grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.
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