God’s Patient Delay: Why Is He Waiting to Judge?

The Mockery We Face Today

This passage is remarkably relatable to what Christians face today. The world openly mocks followers of Christ with the same skeptical questions Peter predicted: “Where is He? Nothing has changed. If God was going to judge sin and return in glory, wouldn’t He have done it by now? Everything continues just as it always has.”

The mockery comes from two sources. Part of it stems from the darkness of sin clouding their understanding of Christ and His ways. When sin dominates someone’s life, it distorts their ability to perceive spiritual reality (2 Corinthians 4:4). They look at the world through lenses tainted by rebellion and see only what confirms their unbelief. Another part of the mockery flows from their desire to live as they choose without the thought of possible consequences. They’re not genuinely seeking truth—they’re justifying the lifestyle they’ve already chosen. God’s patient delay, rather than prompting gratitude, becomes ammunition for their scorn.

Peter warns us: “scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts.” Notice the connection—their mockery isn’t intellectual skepticism but moral rebellion. They question God’s promises not because the evidence is lacking but because accepting those promises would require changing how they live. It’s easier to mock than to repent.

Willful Forgetfulness

But Peter identifies something deeper than ignorance: “For this they willfully forget.” The issue isn’t lack of evidence—it’s deliberate rejection of evidence. People actively explain away or forget God’s clear involvement in the affairs of humanity throughout history. They construct elaborate theories to avoid the obvious conclusions that would demand their surrender to God’s authority.

Consider what they’re willfully forgetting. First, the complete creation of the world in just six days. “By the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water.” God spoke, and the universe came into existence—order from chaos, life from nothing, beauty from void. This wasn’t a gradual, naturalistic process requiring billions of years. It was a direct, powerful, and purposeful divine action demonstrating God’s absolute sovereignty over creation (Genesis 1:1-31).

Second, they forget the complete alteration of the original creation by the worldwide flood. The earth was split, the atmosphere shifted significantly, and the world we now inhabit is fundamentally different from the pre-flood world (Genesis 7-8). This wasn’t a local event or mythological story—it was global judgment that transformed the planet’s geology, climate, and very structure. God proved He could and would intervene dramatically in human history to judge sin.

The scoffers’ claim that “all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation” reveals their willful blindness. All things have not continued unchanged—God has already dramatically intervened once to judge sin through water. And He’s promised to intervene again, this time through fire. God’s patient delay doesn’t mean He’s forgotten or changed His mind. It means He’s giving time for repentance before final judgment falls.

The Promise of Fire

God promised He would not destroy the world by flood again (Genesis 9:11). However, He has also determined that the end of sin and the world will come in the form of fire upon all who do not believe in Him. “The heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.”

Just as the flood judged a world that had become utterly corrupt, fire will judge a world that has rejected God’s final offer of redemption through Christ. The same Word that created the universe and sent the flood now preserves the world for a determined end. God’s patient delay isn’t cancellation of judgment—it’s postponement until the appointed time.

For scoffers, this should be sobering. The fact that judgment hasn’t fallen yet doesn’t mean it won’t fall. God’s patience extends to an appointed time, and His justice will not be thwarted. Every day of God’s patient delay increases either the opportunity for repentance or the accumulation of judgment for those who refuse to turn to Christ.

The Reason for Delay

But here’s where God’s character shines most brilliantly: “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.” God’s patient delay is not weakness, forgetfulness, or inability to act. It’s longsuffering love.

Just as God has faithfully fulfilled every promise throughout history, He will also fulfill this final judgment. But He is longsuffering and patient with mankind so that He can call and redeem His people to Himself. He delays His judgment out of love for His people until each of His children has believed in His Son for salvation. This is the heart behind God’s patient delay—not indifference to sin, but compassion for sinners.

Peter reminds us that “with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” God doesn’t experience time as we do. What feels like an agonizing delay to us is a measured moment in eternity to Him. He’s not anxiously wondering if He should act yet—He knows exactly when the last person will repent, and He’s patiently waiting for that moment.

Two Applications

For the scoffer, God’s patient delay is a final mercy. Every day you wake up without judgment falling is another opportunity to repent and believe. Don’t mistake patience for approval or delay for dismissal. The flood came exactly as God said it would, though people mocked Noah for a century. Fire will come exactly as God promises, though people mock believers now. Use this time wisely—it’s a gift of grace from a longsuffering God who desires your repentance, not your destruction.

For the believer, God’s patient delay is both comfort and urgency. Comfort, because we know God’s timing is perfect. He’s not late—He’s right on schedule, waiting for the last of His children to come to faith. When you wonder why Jesus hasn’t returned yet, remember: perhaps He’s waiting for someone you know to repent. Perhaps He’s waiting for someone you haven’t even met yet who will come to faith through your witness. God’s patient delay means His plan is still unfolding, and you have a role to play in it (2 Corinthians 5:20).

But also urgency, because time is genuinely running out. Every generation should live as though Christ could return at any moment, because for each individual, death makes Christ’s return irrelevant—judgment is certain whether by fire from heaven or by our final breath. We must tell others about Christ while time remains. God’s patient delay gives us opportunity to be ambassadors, pleading with others to be reconciled to God before the day of grace ends.

Living in the Delay

So how do we live in this season of God’s patient delay? First, don’t grow weary or cynical. The scoffers’ questions can sometimes echo in our own hearts: “Is He really coming? Will things ever change?” Yes, and yes. God keeps His promises. Just as surely as the flood came, fire will also come. God’s patient delay will end at precisely the right moment.

Second, use the time well. Share the gospel. Live righteously. Grow in grace. Every day of God’s patient delay is another day to advance His kingdom and point others to Christ. Don’t waste the mercy you’ve been given by sitting idle while the world rushes toward judgment.

Third, remember why He waits. God’s patient delay flows from His longsuffering love and His desire that none of His children should perish. When you’re tempted to ask “Why hasn’t He returned yet?” remember that His patience has given you time to mature, opportunities to serve, and perhaps people you love additional time to repent. Thank Him for His patience, and align yourself with His heart for the lost.

The world may mock. Scoffers may question. But we know the truth: God’s patient delay is not weakness but mercy, not forgetfulness but love, not slowness but longsuffering grace toward those He calls His own. And when the day of grace ends and the fire falls, all will see that the Lord was never slack concerning His promise—He was simply, gloriously patient, waiting for the last of His children to come home.

Reflection Questions

1. How do you respond when skeptics mock the idea of Christ’s return or God’s judgment? Does this passage equip you to answer both the intellectual and moral aspects of their objections?
2. In what ways have you personally benefited from God’s patient delay? How many years of mercy did you experience before coming to faith?
3. Does knowing that God delays judgment out of longsuffering love for His children change how you view the current state of the world? How should this truth affect your evangelistic urgency?
4. If Christ’s return were to happen today, who in your life would you wish had more time to repent? What’s stopping you from sharing the gospel with them now, during God’s patient delay?

Prayer

Consider God’s perfect balance of justice and mercy in His patient delay. Thank Him for the time He’s given you and others to repent, and ask Him to help you use this time wisely to advance His kingdom.

Want to keep studying 2 Peter? Explore the full devotional series here 2 Peter Devotional Series ↗.