If This is so…
Confidence in today is largely based upon experiences and lessons from the past.
“I can answer this question because I have seen it before.”
“I can bake this cake because I have done it before.”
“I can climb this tree because I have climbed trees like it before.”
“My daddy can catch me when I jump because he always does.”
Peter appeals to this truth in his second letter when encouraging the believers about God’s ability to save and preserve. The people to whom he was writing were facing tremendous persecution (the colosseum, lit on fire as human torches, and so on) and no doubt their confidence in God’s power was waning. Peter needed to be able to give them something solid and certain that they could grip tightly to in the face of these extreme trials. Mere fairy tales and myths would never offer such hope. Only true accounts of God’s power would bring the required hope. So where does Peter turn?
“For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment; if He did not spare the ancient world when He brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; and if He rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deed he saw and heard) – if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment.” 2 Peter 2:4-9
Peter turns to the book of Genesis to provide true accounts of God’s powerful and sovereign ability to defend the righteous and punish the unrighteous. Peter even uses the statement, “If this is so…”. If we can believe that these are true events displaying the power and sovereignty of God, then we can have confidence that He can still do it today. The converse is also true, however. If we do not believe that these are accurate, historical events then we would not be able to have confidence in God today. If He hasn’t done it before, then why would He be able to do it now?
Satan attacks Genesis to destroy its credibility to ultimately destroy the credibility of God. If we reduced Genesis to mythology and legend, then God’s power is no more real than the mythological power of the Greek or Roman gods. Therefore, God has no real power or sovereignty over today. Therefore, there is no trust in Him and we are left to trust only in ourselves. In doing so, we reject God, walking away from Him and -worse yet- placing ourselves above Him.
But Peter’s message is solid and sure. The events he appealed to (flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, and Lot) are true historical events that happened just as they are described in Genesis. Therefore, we serve and are surrender to the God who is all-powerful, all-sovereign, and all-knowing. I can trust God today because He has been faithful before.
If you’re not sure that God can be trusted, come with us. We have testimony to show and tell! God is on His throne and nothing will ever knock Him off! This IS so!
Praiseallujiah!
Jon
