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judgment-seat of Christ—and the appearing? Peter says they

had not followed cleverly imagined fables; the Person was

enshrined in his affections.

So as Peter closes the epistle he says all these events are

going to take place, “wherefore, beloved, as ye wait for these

things, be diligent to be found of him in peace, without spot

and blameless”. There is the bearing of the judgment-seat of

Christ; there is the bearing of the rapture, and of the

appearing; the bearing of new heavens and new earth, upon

the saints; “as ye wait for these things, be diligent to be found

of him in peace, without spot and blameless”.

May the long-suffering of our Lord not be taken advantage of,

as it has been publicly, but may we be diligent as we wait. The

certainty of them, beloved, is maintained in our hearts by the

Holy Spirit of God. We could never be maintained apart from

that. Apart from the Spirit’s grace and power in our hearts we

would say, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? Things are

pretty much as they always were’. But by the Spirit we wait in

hope, and as we wait let us “be diligent to be found of him in

peace”.

Peter’s final exhortation to the saints is, “Ye therefore,

beloved, knowing these things before, take care lest, being led

away along with the error of the wicked, ye should fall from

your own stedfastness—but grow in grace, and in the

knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be

glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen”. May it be so

with us, for His name’s sake.

Address at Buckhurst Hill

31 December 1988