3Dear friends, this is now the second of two letters I am writing to you, in which I have been trying to stimulate your pure minds by reminding youG5026G1208G1992G27G1125G2235G1125G5213G1722G3739G1326G5216G1506G1271G1722G52802to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the commandment of our Lord and Savior spoken through your apostles.G3415G4487G4280G5259G40G4396G2532G1785G2257G652G2962G2532G49903First of all you must understand this: In the last days mockers will come and, following their own desires, will ridicule usG1097G5124G4412G3754G2064G1909G2078G2250G1703G4198G2596G846G2398G19394by saying, "What happened to the Messiah's promise to return? Ever since our ancestors died, everything continues as it did from the beginning of creation."G2532G3004G4226G2076G1860G846G3952G1063G575G3739G3962G2837G3956G3779G1265G575G746G29375But they deliberately ignore the fact that long ago the heavens existed and the earth was formed by God's word out of water and with water,G1063G5124G846G2309G2990G3754G3056G2316G3772G2258G1597G2532G1093G4921G1537G5204G2532G1223G52046by which the world at that time was deluged with water and destroyed.G1223G3739G2889G5119G2626G5204G6227Now by that same word, the present heavens and earth have been reserved for fire and are being kept for the day when ungodly people will be judged and destroyed.4G1161G3772G2532G1093G3568G846G3056G1526G2343G5083G4442G1519G2250G2920G2532G684G765G4448Don't forget this fact, dear friends: With the Lord a single day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a single day.G1161G27G2990G3361G5209G2990G1520G5124G3754G3391G2250G3844G2962G5613G5507G2094G2532G5507G2094G5613G3391G22509The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some people understand slowness, but is being patient with you. He does not want anyone to perish, but wants everyone to repent.G2962G1019G3756G1019G1860G5613G5100G2233G1022G235G3114G1519G2248G3361G1014G5100G622G235G3956G5562G1519G334110But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief. On that day the heavens will disappear with a roaring sound, the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done on it will be exposed.G1161G2250G2962G2240G5613G2812G1722G3571G1722G3739G3772G3928G4500G1161G4747G3089G2741G1093G2532G2532G2041G1722G846G261811Since everything will be destroyed in this way, think of the kind of holy and godly people you ought to beG3767G3956G5130G3089G4217G1163G5209G5225G1722G40G391G2532G215012as you look forward to and hasten the coming of the day of God, when the heavens will be set ablaze and dissolved and the elements will melt with fire.G4328G2532G4692G3952G2250G2316G1223G3739G3772G4448G3089G2532G4747G5080G274113But in keeping with his promise, we are looking forward to new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home.G1161G4328G2596G846G1862G4328G2537G3772G2532G2537G1093G1722G3739G2730G134314So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to have the Lord find you at peace and without spot or fault.G1352G27G4328G5023G4704G2147G846G1722G1515G784G2532G29815Think of our Lord's patience as facilitating salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him.G2532G2233G3115G2257G2962G4991G2531G2257G27G80G3972G2532G2596G4678G1325G846G1125G521316He speaks about this subject in all his letters. Some things in them are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, leading to their own destruction, as they do the rest of the Scriptures.G5613G2532G1722G3956G1992G2980G1722G846G4012G5130G1722G3739G2076G5100G1425G3739G261G2532G793G4761G5613G2532G3062G1124G4314G846G2398G68417And so, dear friends, since you already know these things, continually be on your guard not to be carried away by the deception of lawless people. Otherwise, you may fall from your secure position.G5210G3767G27G4267G5442G3363G1601G4879G4106G113G1601G2398G474018Instead, continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus, the Messiah. Glory belongs to him both now and on that eternal day! Amen.G1161G837G1722G5485G2532G1108G2257G2962G2532G4990G2424G5547G846G1391G2532G3568G2532G1519G165G2250G281