Click Here to Read 2 Peter 2:4-17

Peter’s warning against false teachers is very sobering.  God has no tolerance for those who willfully lead others away from the truth.  He cites several historical records that show the destruction that awaits such a rebellious soul.  The fallen angels are now in chains of darkness reserved for judgement.  The ungodly world of Noah’s day was completely eradicated from the face of the earth by the flood.  The evil cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were turned to ashes.  God knows the hearts of the wicked and sees their deeds.  These examples serve to show us that for those who know righteousness but turn away from it and lead others away from it, God has destined destruction.

Peter also shows in these examples, though, that God knows how to rescue the righteous who are being tormented by wickedness around them.  God rescued Noah (a preacher of righteousness) and his family because they stayed true to God.  They never allowed the evil that surrounded them to overtake them, they were committed to righteousness.  God rescued Lot by sending angels into the city of Sodom to bring him out before burning it to the ground.  Lot had a righteous heart, and the Bible says he was tormented in his soul by what he saw and heard and by the way people lived their lives full of lust and greed.  God destroyed the wicked but lead Lot to a safe place.

“The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment, and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority.” (2 Peter 2:9-10 NKJV).

The reasoning of a false teacher says that Jesus isn’t going to come back and judge the world, so we are free to live any way we want to.  They influence this reasoning through their own immoral lifestyles and claim that grace gives them the freedom to do so.  But what they are missing is that grace actually enables us to change.  It gives us the strength and the room we need to get out from under sin’s thumb and to live freely in righteousness.  But we do have to change.  When we come to Jesus to be cleansed, we cannot return to the mud pit we came from.  “He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps.  He has put a new song in my mouth – praise to our God; many will see it and fear, and will trust in the Lord.” (Psalm 40:2-3 NKJV).  He sets us upon a rock and orders our steps and puts a new song in our mouth.  We are not to live as we did before.  So be weary of those who say its ok to live in sin because of grace.

“They are spots and blemishes carousing in their own deceptions while they feast with you, having eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin, enticing unstable souls.  They have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children.  They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;” (2 Peter 2:13-15 NKJV).

Peter’s warning about false teachers weighed heavy on his heart and he did not want us to leave ourselves unguarded against these deceivers.  We must acknowledge that deception is lurking about us everywhere trying to taint the truth even just enough to give us a perspective of God that isn’t right.  So how do we protect ourselves?  We don’t know everything, we need teachers.  We need those who do word studies and interpret the different dialects and languages of the Bible to help us understand what we don’t know.  We need those with a lifetime of experience with God to help train and equip those of us who are just beginning our journey.  We need Johns, Peters, and Pauls.  How do we tell the difference between false teachers and honest teachers?  How do we know we can trust how they interpret God’s Word?  Well, Jesus said we would know them by their fruit.  When I think about a fruit tree, lemons for example, one thing really jumps out at me:  It keeps producing more fruit.  If you go out to a lemon tree and pull some lemons off of it, the tree doesn’t just stand bare of lemons.  It produces more.  As long as it is being nourished, it will keep producing fruit.  So, we should be seeing this to be true in those we chose to lead us.  We will never be at a place where we know everything, we will spend the rest of our lives being made into the image of Christ.  Leaders included, we should all be constantly growing, changing, putting out bigger and better tasting fruit.  As we nourish ourselves in righteousness, we can produce righteous fruit to nourish others.

We must also remember what Peter said at the beginning of his letter to us.  We have been given all things that pertain to life and godliness.  God has already given us what we need to know truth.  We have the mind of Christ.  We have the Spirit of God who searches the mind and heart of God.  We have the Word of God and we can trust in His Spirit to illuminate revelation for us.  He has given us the Spirit of wisdom and truth to guide us.  “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.  He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.” (John 16:13-14 NKJV).

Let’s pray.

Father, You have given us a precious gift, Your Spirit, to be our guide through this dark world.  You have provided a way of escape for us from temptation and evil so that we will not be overtaken by it.  You have put your Son, the Light of the world, in us that we may illuminate the earth with Your righteousness.  As we explore Your Word and put our attention on Your Spirit to lead us, we just invite You to speak and impress upon our hearts revelation and knowledge that You wish to give us.  You know what we need, and we forget sometimes that we can bring all of our questions to You, and You will answer us.  You are our Shepherd, and You will never mislead us, forsake us, or abandon us.  Show us Your ways oh Lord; teach us Your paths.  Lead us in Your truth and teach us, for You are the God of our salvation; on You we will wait all the day. (Psalm 25:4-5 NKJV). Amen