“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness,
but is longsuffering toward us, not
willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2Peter
3:9).
This
verse must be interpreted in context. To whom was Peter writing? Verse one of
chapter one tells. It says, “To those who have obtained
like precious faith with us…” The context is referring to why the Lord
had not yet returned. The answer is that He is longsuffering toward “us.” When
Scripture speaks of “us,” it does not mean “us worldlings” or we humans. It
means we “who have obtained like precious faith.” God is not willing that any
of us should perish. There are those of us who have not yet repented. We must
wait till the full number of God’s elect have repented.
The following Scripture shows that it was and is
the will of the LORD that some should perish.
If someone sins
against a man, God will mediate for him, but if someone sins against the LORD,
who can intercede for him?” But they would not listen to the voice of their
father, for it was the will of the LORD
to put them to death (1 Samuel 2:25 ESV).
The
very reason that they would not listen is that it was the will of the LORD to
put them to death.
