Patient for Our Sakes

“The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.” 2 Peter 3:9

I hear a lot of talk about the “last days,” that the end of the world is near, and that Jesus is coming back soon. The truth is, we’ve been in the last days for over 2,000 years. On the day of Pentecost, after Jesus ascended to heaven and the Holy Spirit was poured out like fire, Peter stood up to preach. He started by saying, “What you see was predicted long ago by the prophet Joel: ‘In the last days,’ God says, ‘I will pour out my Spirit upon all people’” (Acts 2). Basically, Peter was saying, “If you’re wondering about the last days, well, they start now.” And 2,000 years later, we are still living them out.

At some point, Jesus will return, but until then, we can all be thankful that God is patient for our sake. He has delayed the end of time to allow hearts to be turned toward Him. God is not sitting in the heavens waiting for the moment when He can strike judgment on mankind. Although judgment day will come, God does not want anyone to be destroyed. Because of His divine patience, He is allowing more and more people the opportunity to turn to Him. 

I don’t know about you, but I am so thankful that God is patient. One translation says he is long-suffering. I attended church my entire life but didn’t turn the keys of my life over to God until I was in my early 20s. God was patient for my sake. He didn’t get irritated because I couldn’t seem to get my act together. And that is a very good thing.

But He was not just patient for my sake. His patience is extended to all mankind. The fact that we are still here tells us that He is allowing more time for people to receive His free gift of eternal life through Christ. He isn’t really being slow about his promise to judge mankind. He is being patient.