“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
Second Peter 3:9
Usually it is only the “not willing that any should perish” part of that verse that many quote, without explanation. And it sounds really inviting that our sovereign God is waiting on someone. Even though, He waits on no one to fulfill His promises or purpose. We cannot slow the last days down or speed them up, even for a second. A recently posted podcast was titled “Prophecy is Accelerating.” No, it is not. It is exactly as God ordained it to be. It may only seem to be accelerating because so much is converging that it is hard to keep up with on a day-to-day basis. But God will not be slack in gathering His elect for the Church, and at His own speed.
But what is the verse really saying?
The first thing that should be recognized in this chapter is to whom Peter is addressing. Second Peter 3:1 tells us, “This second epistle, Beloved…” He is addressing the saved, not the “they” in verse 5 which identifies the “scoffers, walking after their own lusts”, as found in verse 3. More specifically, in First Peter 1:2 he writes to the “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ…” How much clearer can that be to those who wrongly take a universal approach to salvation and specifically to particular redemption? But those are mocking the “promise” of the return of the Lord, since it has not happened. He says that they are “willingly ignorant”, which tells us that they choose to not know something such as he wrote concerning the creation and the flood (vs 4, 5). How often do we see people today who are “willingly ignorant” because they refuse to study God’s Word or only listen to what their denominational slant is on doctrine? Peter also mentions a future judgment and punishment by “fire” reserved for “ungodly men (verse 7)”. In the next verse, he once again addresses the “beloved” advising them to “be not ignorant” as it pertains to God’s “divine measurement of time.” God is not on our time; we are on His time. If the scripture says that “The Lord is not slack” (verse 9), that means exactly what it says, but He is not waiting on us to do anything. Too often so-called Christians act as if our sovereign God is impatiently waiting while wringing His hands in hopes of man making some unbiblical “decision” to “let Jesus in their heart.” The Arminian needs to read John 3:8, “The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the spirit.” So, what is He “not slack (about) concerning His promise?” God will save His elect. And it is by His Will. But man is still responsible and God still uses men for His purpose.
Peter writes that His non-slackness “is longsuffering to us-ward (2248).” Simply put, that means us, we or our. It is not universal. It does not mean every person that has lived or will live. It is specific. It is limited in number. And that is followed by God “not willing that any should perish.” This is the specific part of the verse that so many people, Arminians in general and prophecy teachers, as well, take out of context because of the urgency of end time events and what may happen on God’s schedule. But that part of the verse comes down to understanding what “not willing” means. First of all, it is an insult to our sovereign God to think and teach that He cannot save someone if He so chooses. Secondly, it is an insult to our sovereign God to think and teach that man makes the final “decision” in his personal salvation. The “us-ward”, the “any”, and the “all” in that verse are the elect of God. They are not free feeding goats ignoring God’s efficacious call. They are sheep. In John 10:16 it states, “And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.” “Other sheep” that He is “not willing that any should perish.” The word other is “allos”, meaning others of the same kind. In other words, sheep, not goats, that are elect unto God, not man.
So, the preachers and teachers who use that verse are correct when they use it in the context in which it was written. But to say that God is not willing that any person who has ever lived to perish while there are those in total darkness now awaiting their final trial is misleading and just not true. What does that say about God’s perfect Will? It says that it is not perfect and that His sovereignty is questionable. But God’s Will is perfect; and He is sovereign.
