2 Peter 3:13 KJV
[13] “Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.”
The opening word, “nevertheless,” is important. It acknowledges everything that has been said leading up to this verse. Peter has revealed a great deal about the last days. However, for the believer, the future is not defined by loss, but by fulfillment. God’s plan does not end in destruction but reveals new heavens and a new earth.
Our hope is anchored in the phrase, “according to His promise.” This hope rests entirely on the character of God. Throughout the Bible, God is revealed as One who keeps His word. His promises are steady, trustworthy, and unchanging. In a world filled with many broken promises, we live securely knowing that God will bring to pass what He has promised.
Our responsibility is to look for the promises that God has made. The Devil will try to discourage us from doing that. He cannot eliminate God’s promises, but he will attempt to divert our eyes away from them. He wants to rob us of victorious lives.
Consider how this applies to daily life. If we truly anticipate something, it influences our priorities, our decisions, and our attitudes. It shapes the way we live and how we think. Living our lives in light of God’s promises causes us to loosen our grip on what is temporary. We must still live responsibly and engage with the world around us, not sticking our heads in the sand and becoming ignorant of current events. But the circumstances of this world do not define who we are and how we live. Our sense of identity and security shifts from this present age to the promised one.
This hope produces faith regardless of the difficulty. We know that trials, disappointments, and uncertainties do not disappear, but they do not overtake us. You see, the promise of a new heaven and a new earth doesn’t minimize present pain, but it assures us that pain will not have the final word. One day we will live in a world where all of creation is in alignment with His will. Everything in the new world will reflect God’s character. It will be a world filled with holiness, love, truth, and justice. What a glorious day that will be when we see the fulfillment of this promise! The world we live in today is a constant reminder that things are not as they should be. We know that Adam and Eve changed everything that terrible day in the garden. Yet we are not without hope because we look for a new heaven and a new earth.