Most people find the last words of others interesting. When an important person leaves a powerful position, he gives a final address. When people die, we often ask, “What were his final words?” Even criminals, when they are executed, are asked if they have any final words. Those words are faithfully reported in the press. For various reasons, we are drawn to the last thoughts of people, even if we did not know them personally. One reason, no doubt, is that those words reflect what that person thought was important.

Recently, I considered Peter’s last words to the Church. After writing 2 Peter, he was martyred for the faith. So, the book contains his final words. In it, there is a heavy emphasis on false teachers. Peter warns his readers about the dangers of such men. These teachers denied that the Lord was coming back to establish His kingdom. As a result, they promoted a sinful lifestyle, especially when it came to sexual immorality. If we could summarize what they were saying, it would be something like this: The Lord is not coming back, so eat, drink, and be merry.

When we come to the very end of 2 Peter, it’s as if a reporter puts a microphone in Peter’s face and asks if he has any final words. Peter had just explained that the Lord will indeed return, at a time we do not know. He will destroy this present creation and create a new and eternal one in which righteousness dwells (2 Pet 3:10-13).

Then, Peter tells his readers his final thoughts. In a very real way, these readers were his family. He writes to them: “Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found in Him in peace, without spot and blameless” (3:14). If church tradition is correct, very soon after writing these words, Peter was crucified by the Roman authorities.

What he said here was clearly important to Peter. The word therefore leads to a kind of summary of what he wanted them to know. We could say it points to what he deemed to be the most important point of his final letter.

In the immediate context, he obviously points to what he has just said: Christ is coming back. Don’t listen to the false teachers. He will establish His kingdom. This world is passing away.

Since it will be a righteous kingdom, the lifestyle of those false teachers was in direct contradiction to the kind of eternity believers will experience. The attitude of “eat, drink, and be merry” was a terrible philosophy to live by.

Instead, we should make it our goal—we should be diligent—to please the Lord with our lives. Peter says we should be diligent to be in peace when He returns. This probably refers to being in fellowship with our fellow believers. The false teachers were a threat to that peace, as they wanted to sow discord among believers.

If believers, through the power of the Spirit, live righteously, they will stand before the Lord “without spot and blameless.” This cannot mean sinless perfection, since that is not possible as long as we live in these bodies of flesh. This is clearly a reference to living a life empowered by the Spirit, which is one that will gain the Lord’s approval when He returns.

The readers knew they had eternal life and would live with the Lord forever. But they also knew about eternal rewards. In fact, Peter began this final letter to them with that theme (2 Peter 1:6-11). Peter was telling them to live their lives in such a way that the King would reward them when He comes. They had the opportunity to be great in the kingdom.

What were Peter’s final words? The Lord and His kingdom are coming soon. Live in light of these wonderful truths and thus gain His approval. If you do, He will reward you.

The world is usually fascinated by the last words of men. Peter’s last words are an exception. Like the false teachers of his day, the world of our day considers them the words of a fool.

We know better. We would be wise to constantly remind ourselves of what he said. They are some of the most important final words ever given.