“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.”

The second reason the Lord delays His coming is that He wants to see more people come to Himself.

The Lord is not slack concerning His promise.

The word “slack” means to hesitate, linger, or delay; this is the only occurrence in the New Testament. God is not tardy with keeping His timetable for the earth. He does not loiter in heaven when it comes to fulfilling His promises.

Peter here presents a magnificent view of God. His delay does not flow from unwillingness or impotence to fulfill His promises. The Lord’s motivation centers on a willingness that none perish.

PRINCIPLE:

We can hold God to His promises because He is faithful to His promises.

APPLICATION:

God is not culpable in His dealing with the world. He has His timetable for transacting with the world. There is an immense difference between God’s timetable and man’s timetable. We cannot impose our timetable on Him. What men count tardiness is something else entirely. It is incredible how God is exceedingly patient with the world.

None of us like to wait for someone late. God has never been tardy once in all His infinite years. Everything in the plan of God comes precisely when He wants it to arrive. We need to follow this characteristic of God in our lives. Some women jump into bed with a guy just because she fears time is slipping away. Promiscuity, however, is dangerous to her soul. It will put scar tissue on her relation to God.

Jesus is not dilatory in His coming. No one diverted Him on Mars. No, it is simply not the right time for Him to come. You would not have come to Christ if He had come a few years ago.

Nu 23:19, “God is not a man, that He should lie,

Nor a son of man, that He should repent.

Has He said, and will He not do?

Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?”

Ro 4:20-21, “He [Abraham] did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, ²¹and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.”

When we claim God’s promises, we need to hold Him to His Word.