By Kevin Harris, Pastor of Illawarra Community Baptist Church of Dapto, NSW
The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished.
2 Peter 2:9
In this passage the Holy Spirit discusses apostasy coming to Christendom. He says ‘among you’ in verse one, indicating that professing Christians will fall away from the truth. This prophecy has been fulfilled. We see serious apostasy in ‘mainline’ Protestant churches, as well as Baptist churches.
Beginning in verse 4, He shares three examples of how God has dealt with the ungodly in ancient times. The point is in verse three: ‘whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not.’ God will judge the ungodly.
While explaining the third example of God judging the ungodly, that of Sodom’s overthrow, He takes an extra few moments to mention how He delivered righteous Lot (verses 7 and 8). You will recall that God refused to destroy Sodom until His righteous ones were caught away from harm’s way.
Then in verse 9, He extrapolates a principle. God knows how to rescue the godly out of testings and trials, and to keep under guard the unrighteous for the punishment of hellfire.
As we think ahead to the coming Tribulation, the greatest time of testing this world will ever see, we apply this principle to God’s people. We will not go through the Tribulation. God will rapture His people first before pouring out His wrath on a wicked world.
Father, I rejoice that Your Son already suffered my punishment on the cross. My sins were paid for, and by Your grace I am no longer under Your wrath. Thank You for the delightful prospect, seen throughout Scripture, that You will take us home to be with You before unleashing Your wrath on this polluted world. Until then, help me to be Your faithful ambassador, living a righteous life that honours You. I thank You and ask these things in the Lord Jesus’ wonderful Name, Amen.
Kevin Harris is pastor of the Illawarra Community Baptist Church in Dapto, located about 15 minutes south of Wollongong, NSW.