Study Desk

Grace and peace be given to you more and more, because you truly know God and Jesus our Lord.

Jesus has the power of God, by which he has given us everything we need to live and to serve God. We have these things because we know him. Jesus called us by his glory and goodness.

and to your knowledge, add self-control; and to your self-control, add patience; and to your patience, add service for God;

and to your service for God, add kindness for your brothers and sisters in Christ; and to this kindness, add love.

My brothers and sisters, try hard to be certain that you really are called and chosen by God. If you do all these things, you will never fall.

Jesus heard the voice of God, the Greatest Glory, when he received honor and glory from God the Father. The voice said, "This is my Son, whom I love, and I am very pleased with him."

No prophecy ever came from what a person wanted to say, but people led by the Holy Spirit spoke words from God.

When angels sinned, God did not let them go free without punishment. He sent them to hell and put them in caves of darkness where they are being held for judgment.

And God punished the world long ago when he brought a flood to the world that was full of people who were against him. But God saved Noah, who preached about being right with God, and seven other people with him.

And God also destroyed the evil cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them until they were ashes. He made those cities an example of what will happen to those who are against God.

Every time they look at a woman they want her, and their desire for sin is never satisfied. They lead weak people into the trap of sin, and they have taught their hearts to be greedy. God will punish them!

But they do not want to remember what happened long ago. By the word of God heaven was made, and the earth was made from water and with water.

And that same word of God is keeping heaven and earth that we now have in order to be destroyed by fire. They are being kept for the Judgment Day and the destruction of all who are against God.

The Lord is not slow in doing what he promised—the way some people understand slowness. But God is being patient with you. He does not want anyone to be lost, but he wants all people to change their hearts and lives.

In that way everything will be destroyed. So what kind of people should you be? You should live holy lives and serve God,

as you wait for and look forward to the coming of the day of God. When that day comes, the skies will be destroyed with fire, and everything in them will melt with heat.

But God made a promise to us, and we are waiting for a new heaven and a new earth where goodness lives.

Dear friends, since you are waiting for this to happen, do your best to be without sin and without fault. Try to be at peace with God.

Remember that we are saved because our Lord is patient. Our dear brother Paul told you the same thing when he wrote to you with the wisdom that God gave him.

He who gives life was shown to us. We saw him and can give proof about it. And now we announce to you that he has life that continues forever. He was with God the Father and was shown to us.