A fiery judgement

March 8, 2021 (Tuesday)

I like the message that “God is love.” I love the image of God being “Abba, Father.” However, there are times and places when God has judged. The implication is that God still judges and God will judge.

Peter gives us a rundown of some of these times. 2 Peter 2:4 reads, “For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment.” [ESV] This reference appears to be about fallen angels already in Hell and not the current crop of demonic forces. We do not know what or when occurred to create this situation.

Peter continues, “if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly.” [2 Peter 2:5 ESV] This event is documented in Genesis 6 and following. The actions and thoughts (plans) of humanity at that time was “evil all the time” (see Genesis 6:5). God essentially hit the “reset button” on humanity at that point.

The third example of judgment is found in the next verse, “if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly.” [ESV] The historical understanding of this situation is God judged these cities

for their sexual behavior. These cities are an (one) example of what God is capable of when provoked.

Angels are chained in gloomy despair of Hell. The world, bent on complete ungodly behavior and thought is drowned in a flood. Cities so twisted they can only be purged by fire. Believe it or not, these are the actions of a loving and merciful God. If God had not judged the angels, imagine what evil would be loose in the world. If God had not reset human history, the humanity would be completely lost. If God had not judged the cities, then there would be no safe place in the world.

Yet, with this judgment there is hope and mercy. Using Lot as an example, Peter declares, “if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked … then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials.” [2 Peter 2:7, 9a ESV] Throughout the history of the world, God’s people (Israel and the Church) have maintained an expectation of escape.

Continuing the discussion in the next chapter, Peter expands the expectations, “But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.” [2 Peter 3:7 ESV] There will come a day of judgment. There will be a destruction of the ungodly. Justice will finally be served in a fiery end.

For now, there is a reprieve. “He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.” [Psalm 103:10 ESV] I suspect that means we have some sort of buffer from the over-all effects of our behavior. This is precious time, not to be wasted, to set our lives in order under the submission of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Yes, God loves us… but there is a point… an inescapable date with judgment we will all face. Will that judgment be “well done” or “depart from me?”