Today’s devotion included 2 Peter 3:7-9. It teaches us about the importance of the context in Scripture.
“But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:7-9. (Emphasis is added.).
Arminians love to isolate and take this last sentence “not wishing any to perish” out of its context in Scripture. Out of its context, it may seem that the Arminians are right. It may seem that God loves everyone, made equal provision and opportunity to allow everyone to be saved, and that God is just waiting with His arms folded to see who will come to repentance and be saved. However, this is wrong. 2 Peter 3:7-9 should not be interpreted that way.
Even in the immediate context of just what is quoted above, we see that God has reserved the heavens and earth, for the day of judgment and for the destruction of ungodly men. God does not love ungodly men. God does want them to perish.
Just one verse further out, but in the same context, we are reminded of the flood and how God destroyed the whole world except righteous Noah and his family, a total of only eight souls.
In the prior chapter, 2 Peter 2, we see a passionate and stirring reminder of how God is not hesitant to punish the ungodly. “For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment; and did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; and if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example to those who would live ungodly lives thereafter; … then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment,” 2 Peter 2:4-9. (Emphasis is added.).
So, whom is Peter addressing? Peter states: “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9. (Emphasis is added.). Who is this “you”?
The start of 2 Peter answers this question. Peter is writing: “To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ” 2 Peter 1:1. Peter is writing to the Elect, the righteous, and the saved. Peter is writing to Christians. Just as no one would interpret just two verses later “seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness” 2 Peter 1:3 as applying to everyone, but only to Christians, we should not apply 2 Peter 3:9 to everyone, but only to Christians. In other words, the Lord is patient toward His Elect and does not wish any of His Elect to perish.
In conclusion, the heart of the doctrine of salvation in Reformed doctrine a/k/a Calvinism is the Five Points of Calvinism a/k/a “TULIP”, and in the heart of “TULIP”, there is the “L” of “Limited Atonement”. If we waiver after reading verses like 2 Peter 3:9 and think that God loves everyone, then we will likely waiver in unbelief at “Limited Atonement” and wrongly think: “No, because God loved everyone, Christ died for everyone.” Such unbelief will likely spread to the rest of “TULIP”, and we may wrongly think: “Well, if God loved everyone and if Christ died for everyone, then God’s election must be conditional and based on His foresight of who would believe in Him.” “TULIP” is then plucked pedal by pedal, until you have no flower but the stem of a belief that man is sovereign in this area of salvation and in determining for himself whether or not he will be saved and that God is just waiting to see which men will repent and be saved. However, if one considers the context in Scripture of 2 Peter 3:9 (and other verses for that matter), then one is less likely to make such errors.
Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions 