January 1, 2012
Evening Service

II Peter 2

 

1.     This morning Peter encouraged us to grow in Christ.  Putting on the 7 attributes of :

• Virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly love, and love.

2.     Establishing again his authority, and building our faith the Jesus is the Lord, by his witnessing the transfiguration on the mount.

3.     Then he closes chapter 3 by again telling us that the Word of God came from Holy men of God, speaking as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

 

Let’s see what chapter two holds in store for us:

 

2Pe 2:1-22  But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 

• Heresy = an opinion," especially a self-willed opinion, which is substituted for submission to the power of truth, and leads to division and the formation of sects.
• Paul and Silas was thrown in jail by the Jews because they were teaching contrary to the law of the Jews.
• The Sadducees were called a sect, as was the Sect of the Nazarenes.
• However, Peter tells us what these false teachings were, denying the Lord that bought them.

(2)  And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. 

• Pernicious = Destructive; tending to injure or destroy. Evil examples are pernicious to morals. Intemperance is a pernicious vice.
• These type of teachers will not receive the engrafted Word.  We see this condemned in the book of Revelations when the Lord rebukes those who accept the teachings of the Nicolaitans.  Who taught it was alright to live riotously, and frivously.
• They claim to be followers of Christ but their lives say otherwise.  

(3)  And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. 

• These false teachers will take advantage of the people, and take all they can from them.
• However, Peter says their judgment lingereth not, and their damnation awaits them.

 

NOW PETER USES 3 EXAMPLES:

1.    (4)  For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; 

• Peter is referring to this event:  Jud 1:6  And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.

2.    (5)  And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; 
3.    (6)  And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an example unto those that after should live ungodly;  (7)  And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:  (8)  (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds); 

 

 

 

 

Remember Jesus said the world would be in this state upon His return: 

Luk 17:26-30  And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.  (27)  They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.  (28)  Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;  (29)  But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.  (30)  Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.

VS (9)  The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:  (10)  But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government.

• Do we see how careful we must be with our attitude about our government?  And as corrupt as it is, we would think we would have every right to speak out against it.  I’m just saying we need to be very careful in our actions, do what the Lord told us to do, and pray for our leaders.

Presumptuous are they, self-willed, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities. 

• Where are we to draw the line?  Our talk must be one of love, and concern, but not speaking evil of anyone.

(11)  Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord. 

• When I came to this statement I remembered a statement in Jude, where it spoke of Michael the Archangel disputing with the devil concerning the body of Moses.  When I went there to look at it I couldn’t believe the similarity of the two chapters, II Peter 2, and Jude 1.   Please take time to examine, and compare these two chapters.

(12)  But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;  (13)  And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you; 

• To feast with you means at your fellowship meals, and the Communion .

(14)  Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: a heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children: 

• Very strong words.

(15)  Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;  (16)  But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbade the madness of the prophet. 

• Another example in the O.T. 

(17)  These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest: to whom the mist of darkness is reserved forever.  (18)  For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.  (19)  While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. 

• If you possess the Spirit of God, and lean on Him, you will not be brought into bondage.  It is just when one completely gives up following the Lord, and is overtaken by his fleshly lusts.  Our walk with God is a constant life of overcoming.

 

 

 

 

 

 

NOTICE.

(20)  For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.  (21)  For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.  (22)  But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire. 

 

Escaped the pollutions of the world;;

THE POLLUTIONS OF THE WORLD.5: Gal 5:19-21  Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,  (20)  Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,  (21)  Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

 

Peter is saying if we turn back into the previous life, and don’t strive to go forward, it would be better for us to have never been delivered in the first place.

 

I have been comparing Peter to a coach, Peter is hard, so I must compare him to Bob Knight.

 

Peter cares for all Christians, but his approach is very stern, and sharp.  He does this under the direction of the Holy Ghost, Whom doesn’t want anyone lost.