Tag: 2nd Peter 2
Don’t go back to the world!
Scripture reading for November 16th: 2nd Peter 2
Key Scriptures for over-comers: 2nd Peter 2:20-22 “If the have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and 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 goes back to her wallowing in the mud.””
Peter warned believers against entanglement in the world that was being promoted by some false teachers working in the church to deceive. By going back to the world, those who had been saved and knew Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior could place themselves in a worse situation than they were before salvation. Willful sin after knowing truth is a dangerous thing. The deception of assuming salvation and living in known sin leaves no room for repentance! Their state is worse than when they were ignorant.
Observations for over-comers: If we return to our old way of life before salvation we place our eternal souls in grave danger! “(There are) . .those who are pure in their own eyes and yet are not cleansed of their filth”. (Proverbs 30:12)
Danger: False Teachers!
Scripture reading for November 17th: 2nd Peter 2
After complacency and failure to grow in grace, a second danger Peter was concerned about was false teachers. The devil has always tried to steal the believer’s faith and move them away from the simplicity of faith in Christ Jesus and grace.
“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 shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.” (2nd Peter 2:1-3)
Peter warned the Church about the false teachers introducing destructive “heresies”. A heresy is a teaching that is designed to split the body of Christ. It is a teaching that denies the Lord Jesus as the only way of salvation or provides an alternative to faith in Christ’s blood and body to atone for sins. They make up doctrine and stories that contradict the Word of God. This insures the destruction of the false teachers and those who follow them! Peter warned that many would follow their shameful ways and would bring the cause of Christ into disrepute! How true this was and is today!
God is not sleeping or winking at these sins in His Bride, the Church! He will come at an hour when they don’t expect and bring swift destruction on them! Oh Church, wake up!