January 13, 2019
Morning Service

In the first chapter Peter offered some guidance to the young church to grow in their faith.  He explains that through God’s divine power He has “given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through who the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue.”  Which means God has given us everything we need to have a close, personal, meaningful and fruitful relationship with our Creator.   Peter encouraged us to be diligent to “add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.”  It is more of a journey we take with God rather than a process.  Our journey begins with believing (faith) then grows into living a life of moral excellence (virtue) which is followed by getting to know God for who He really is (knowledge).  We then grow deeper as we begin to surrender our will to His (self-control) along with creating the ability to endure hard times while remaining faithful (perseverance).  Living a life in reverence of God (godliness) leads to treating those around us with respect and compassion (brotherly kindness) and the road ends with our crown jewel as all we do is defined by love.  Here in chapter two Peter now warns of the dangers the young church faces from false teachers.  Peter had heard Jesus tell them about these false teachers.

Mar 13:22-23  For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.  (23)  But take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand.

            Peter knew these false teachers would come and now he is warning the church that they are here.  We have been given “all things” we need to successfully follow Christ and discern when someone is leading us astray.  We have our Bibles and are equipped with the Holy Spirit to guide us to the real truth and to guide us towards truth and to avoid everything else.

 

2Pe 2:1-3  But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.  (2)  And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed.  (3)  By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.

            These teachers began telling people only what they wanted to hear by twisting Christ’s teachings.  They belittle the importance of Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection even bringing question to He deity.  These false teachers would allow and even encourage all kinds of immorality especially sexual sin.  Those who followed them were driven by their own lusts and deceived.  The false teachers looked to gain following (which led to popularity and greater income) by choosing greed over truth at the expense of their followers.  It is one thing to walk contrary to God’s Word and it reaches another level when you teach others to follow you in your rebellion.  These teacher’s actions are not missed by our Lord and their judgment will come swiftly and decisively.  Peter now gives us three examples of that type of judgement. 

 

 

2Pe 2:4-6  For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment;  (5)  and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly;  (6)  and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly;

            Peter here brings up how God brought judgment against the angels who rebelled against Him as He cast them out of heaven and even created the lake of fire for them to spend eternity in.  Punishment was rendered for sin.  He also states of the days of Noah where God brought judgement on a world that “every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”  All but eight people were destroyed in the flood at that time.  Punishment was rendered for sin.  His third example is the destruction of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by fire and brimstone.  The Lord told Abraham he would destroy the cities because “the outcry against them is great and because their sin is very grave.”  Punishment was rendered for sin.  Peter says these are “an example to those who afterward would live ungodly.”  God’s character is Holy, Just and Good and that includes the fact that there is a price to be paid for sin.  Justice prevailed in all three of these examples; the price was paid in full. These false teachers Peter is warning the church about will receive their just reward. But God also knows how to deliver the righteous from this judgement.

 

2Pe 2:7-9  and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked  (8)  (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)—  (9)  then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment,

            God made a way for Noah and Lot to miss these judgments because they distinguished themselves not to be like the world seeking evil pleasures but were seeking after the blessings of God.  Gen. 6:8 says “Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.”  Just as punishment was rendered for sin; grace and blessings was given for righteousness.  God made a way for them to be rescued not because they were without sin, but because they loved God and desired to be faithful to Him.  By giving our heart and life to God we place ourselves in a position of grace rather than judgement.  You should know this verse by heart:

 

Rom 6:23  For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

            The consequences or judgement for disobeying, ignoring or rebelling against God is separation from Him (death).  That is a just punishment given from a Just and Holy God.  Romans 3:23 tells us that we have “all sinned and fall short of the glory God.”  As sinners we deserve for punishment to be rendered from God; BUT.  “But the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Our rescue comes through the person of Jesus Christ our Savior.  He paid the debt of sin for whosoever will believe in Him.  The price of our sin was paid in full by Him upon the cross.  He alone is our Hope and Salvation.  This fulfills the purpose that He was sent to this world.  Jesus summed this all up really well as He spoke in John’s gospel.

 

 

Joh 3:16-21  For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  (17)  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.  (18)  "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.  (19)  And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  (20)  For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.  (21)  But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."

            Peter spoke of the coming judgment of the false teachers and those who choose not to believe in Jesus as their Savior. Punishment will be rendered for sin.  Heb. 9:27 says “It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.  But, God has created a way for those who believe to escape the judgment/punishment through Jesus.  A time of judgment is coming and how it ends for you is up to you.  It is a choice you must make. Will you choose light and life or darkness and death?  I pray you be like Joshua as he proclaimed; “As for me and my house we will serve the Lord.”

 

Heavenly Father, thank You for the perfect plan of salvation and may we all choose You over this evil world.