Suppression: The mockers (3:3-4) suppress the truth. They foolishly deny the authority of the word of God by which the world was made, by which also it was destroyed with the flood. They were the first reconstructionists. They opt for a different historical narrative and reject the spoken word (of creation and judgment) as well as the written word (by which we know these accounts). They do this to legitimize their sin (3:3) and deny divine accountability. They refuse to repent. But their refusal won’t change reality. What God says always comes to pass. Christ is coming and so is His recompense (Matt. 16:27).

Repentance: Peter’s message of repentance is for the people of God. While unbelievers reject the message of repentance, believers take heed to it and pursue a life of repentance.[1] The narrow pathway to heaven is paved with stones of repentance. All who perish refuse to repent and they avoid this road. All who are saved faithfully trod this path.[2] The Christian life is not a carefree stroll through the park but one of blood earnestness (1:10) to mortify the flesh and to pursue holiness.[3] The rest for the soul Jesus gives is found under His yoke, not apart from it (Matt. 11:29). Like Jesus said, Peter calls us to repent with our eyes fixed on heaven (3:13; cf. Matt. 4:17). We are not fools duped by the false teachers. As Jesus taught us, we “strive to enter through the narrow door” (Lk. 13:24) and we walk the narrow way to life (Matt. 7:13-14).

[1] Luther affirmed this in the first of his 95 theses: “When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, ‘Repent’ (Matt. 4:17), he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.” “Repent” in Matt. 4:17 is imperfective.

[2] Continual repentance does not mean we continue in the same sins with remorse and confession but without change or growth. All true repentance bears visible change (cf. Luke. 3:8; 3:10-14; Matt. 21:28-31; Acts 26:20).

[3] Cf. Rom. 8:13; Col. 3:5. Luther’s third thesis echoes this idea: “Yet it [repentance] does not mean solely inner repentance; such inner repentance is worthless unless it produces various outward mortification of the flesh.”