"... Christians are to “look forward to” or “watch expectantly for” this day. This means keeping it in their awareness, and living in the light of it. For the New Testament writers eschatology determined ethics. That is, what one believed about the return of Christ would determine how one lived. If people have the lively expectation that Peter wants them to have, then they would live a holy life, whatever the immediate consequences, for they would be so expectant of ultimate reward that temporal losses would make no difference. Yet Christians are also to “speed” the coming of that day. Jesus himself told his followers to pray for that day, for the Lord’s Prayer contains the line “Your kingdom come.” Furthermore, the church prayed “Maranatha” (1 Corinthians 16:22), translated in Revelation 22:20 as “Come, Lord Jesus.” But Peter probably is referring to something more than prayer. There was a strong Jewish tradition based on Isaiah 60:22 (which in the Septuagint uses the same word for “speed” used here) that the coming of Messiah was held back by the sins of the people and that repentance would hasten this day. Peter appears to agree with this ..."