2 Peter 2:1-2, 17-22
“But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. These people are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of the flesh, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for “people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.” If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,” and, “A sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud.”” 2 Peter 2:1-2, 17-22 NIV
I have quite a challenge before me. It is my heart today to encourage from what in my opinion, is the most unpleasant portion of the whole letter of 2nd Peter. It may be one of most unpleasant passages in the New Testament. But I believe God has preserved it in His Word for us because He loves us. He cares very much that we remain faithful to Jesus Christ our whole lives long, growing in Him all along the way, and receiving a full reward in heavenly glory. And so, He has led Peter to write these hard words for our eternal good. Peter had written to his brothers and sisters (and we are just that) to urge them to stay true to the faith in Jesus Christ as they had been taught it and to carefully build upon the foundation of the faith in the way they had been instructed. He told them this because he wanted to assure them of their sufficiency in Christ. If they have placed their faith in Jesus, there was nothing than anyone could offer them that was more than what they already had in Him. He said that because of their relationship with Jesus they already had “all things that pertain to life and godliness” (1 Peter 1:3). By God’s grace, they were already sufficiently supplied in Christ with all they needed to be everything that God wanted them to be. We see here in these scriptures that first, he says that they are “wells without water” you see them from a distance, and you think that they have refreshment to offer. You become thirstier and thirstier as you draw near them and hear their promises. You dip in, but to your disappointment, you find that there’s nothing there but dust. The promise sounded so good, but the well only proved to be dry. When I read this, I think sadly of all the people whose hearts have been hardened to spiritual things because of an encounter with the offer of the cults. Such people often come away so disappointed and disillusioned by being sucked in by phonies that they no longer want to even hear about spiritual things anymore. Second, he says that they are “clouds carried by a tempest”, or “mists driven by a storm”. Clouds are temporal. They are easily blown away in the wind and vanish. And these false teachers are like clouds in a strong wind. The tempest blows and they’re gone. They can’t be counted on. You try to put your trust in them and when you think you need them most, they’re missing and have moved on. They have no firm rooting in God whatsoever. It’s a harsh thing to say but when it comes to false teachers, they’re in it for what they can get. Just take away whatever it is they want, and they’ll quickly hurry on to someplace else for fresh victims. Now let me close with another important warning. I don’t believe that is passage is meant to give us permission to go around speaking evil of those who we think of as false teachers. I believe that Peter if he had wanted to could have named names. But we should note carefully that he didn’t do so. And perhaps neither should we. Let’s not go around calling people dogs and pigs. That can be a very ugly and unbecoming thing for a follower of Jesus to do. If we hear false teaching, and if we see someone leading others down a path of sin, then by all means let’s call them on it. Let’s not be silent. Let’s be faithful to confront falsehood with the Word of truth. But let’s also be careful how we speak of those who while in error are nevertheless made in the image of God as well. Let’s leave the eternal judgment to the rightful Judge and pray for those souls of those in error. God may still grant them repentance, and make them into brothers or sisters in Christ. But the thing that I believe this passage is meant most of all to encourage us, that we must not listen to them in their error. Peter, in this passage, shows us their true nature. Don’t give even the slightest little bit of validity to the teaching of those who offer you something other than the truth of God’s Word. There is no other way than the way God has provided us through Christ. Don’t look to such teachers for spiritual insight, don’t be drawn to their offers of freedom, don’t listen to their self-help and enlightenment programs, and don’t look for anything of saving grace from those who have knowingly reject the truth. They can only deceive you, rob you, and drag you further and further from God’s blessings. Instead, trust completely in the reliable Word of God, join your brothers and sisters in Christ in wholeheartedly pursuing the faith once delivered to the saints, and rejoice confidently Jesus alone as your all sufficient Savior. You’ll never go wrong if you do!!!
Father thank You for this day how good it is to receive the warnings about false teachers and the destruction they can do to those who are not properly secure in the Scriptures or are new to the faith. Lord let Your abundant blessings flow from the windows of heaven upon my friend and family today. Lord give us a discerning heart and the desire to learn Your Word and apply its truth in our lives. Lord we pray that in Your grace, You would use Godly men and women to pluck some brands from the fire and teach the truth to those that are dead in their sins and without hope in the world. Lord thank You that it is not Your will that any should perish, but that all would come to a saving knowledge of You. Daddy we love You amen. Be a blessing. Love ya !!
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