3My dear friends, this is now the second letter I have written you. In both letters I have tried to arouse pure thoughts in your minds by reminding you of these things.G5026G1208G1992G27G1125G2235G1125G5213G1722G3739G1326G5216G1506G1271G1722G52802I want you to remember the words that were spoken long ago by the holy prophets, and the command from the Lord and Savior which was given you by your apostles.G3415G4487G4280G5259G40G4396G2532G1785G2257G652G2962G2532G49903First of all, you must understand that in the last days some people will appear whose lives are controlled by their own lusts. They will make fun of youG1097G5124G4412G3754G2064G1909G2078G2250G1703G4198G2596G846G2398G19394and will ask, "He promised to come, didn't he? Where is he? Our ancestors have already died, but everything is still the same as it was since the creation of the world!"G2532G3004G4226G2076G1860G846G3952G1063G575G3739G3962G2837G3956G3779G1265G575G746G29375They purposely ignore the fact that long ago God gave a command, and the heavens and earth were created. The earth was formed out of water and by water,G1063G5124G846G2309G2990G3754G3056G2316G3772G2258G1597G2532G1093G4921G1537G5204G2532G1223G52046and it was also by water, the water of the flood, that the old world was destroyed.G1223G3739G2889G5119G2626G5204G6227But the heavens and the earth that now exist are being preserved by the same command of God, in order to be destroyed by fire. They are being kept for the day when godless people will be judged and destroyed.G1161G3772G2532G1093G3568G846G3056G1526G2343G5083G4442G1519G2250G2920G2532G684G765G4448But do not forget one thing, my dear friends! There is no difference in the Lord's sight between one day and a thousand years; to him the two are the same.G1161G27G2990G3361G5209G2990G1520G5124G3754G3391G2250G3844G2962G5613G5507G2094G2532G5507G2094G5613G3391G22509The Lord is not slow to do what he has promised, as some think. Instead, he is patient with you, because he does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants all to turn away from their sins.G2962G1019G3756G1019G1860G5613G5100G2233G1022G235G3114G1519G2248G3361G1014G5100G622G235G3956G5562G1519G334110But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief. On that Day the heavens will disappear with a shrill noise, the heavenly bodies will burn up and be destroyed, and the earth with everything in it will vanish.G1161G2250G2962G2240G5613G2812G1722G3571G1722G3739G3772G3928G4500G1161G4747G3089G2741G1093G2532G2532G2041G1722G846G261811Since all these things will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people should you be? Your lives should be holy and dedicated to God,G3767G3956G5130G3089G4217G1163G5209G5225G1722G40G391G2532G215012as you wait for the Day of God and do your best to make it come soon - the Day when the heavens will burn up and be destroyed, and the heavenly bodies will be melted by the heat.G4328G2532G4692G3952G2250G2316G1223G3739G3772G4448G3089G2532G4747G5080G274113But we wait for what God has promised: new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness will be at home.G1161G4328G2596G846G1862G4328G2537G3772G2532G2537G1093G1722G3739G2730G134314And so, my friends, as you wait for that Day, do your best to be pure and faultless in God's sight and to be at peace with him.G1352G27G4328G5023G4704G2147G846G1722G1515G784G2532G29815Look on our Lord's patience as the opportunity he is giving you to be saved, just as our dear friend Paul wrote to you, using the wisdom that God gave him.G2532G2233G3115G2257G2962G4991G2531G2257G27G80G3972G2532G2596G4678G1325G846G1125G521316This is what he says in all his letters when he writes on the subject. There are some difficult things in his letters which ignorant and unstable people explain falsely, as they do with other passages of the Scriptures. So they bring on their own destruction.G5613G2532G1722G3956G1992G2980G1722G846G4012G5130G1722G3739G2076G5100G1425G3739G261G2532G793G4761G5613G2532G3062G1124G4314G846G2398G68417But you, my friends, already know this. Be on your guard, then, so that you will not be led away by the errors of lawless people and fall from your safe position.G5210G3767G27G4267G5442G3363G1601G4879G4106G113G1601G2398G474018But continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory, now and forever! Amen.G1161G837G1722G5485G2532G1108G2257G2962G2532G4990G2424G5547G846G1391G2532G3568G2532G1519G165G2250G281