God Keeps the Godly

2 Peter 2:5-9

2 Peter 2:9 (NKJV) …then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment.

This verse comes at the end of a paragraph that begins with 2 Peter 2:4 and must be understood in that context. In this paragraph, Peter tells us that God cast certain angels into Tartarus (hell), where they are held under punishment for the final judgment.

After telling us about these angels, Peter tells us about two men who God kept from destruction. Noah and Lot differed in their occupation and circumstance, but God rescued them when others were judged.

First, Peter talks about Noah. This is the “Noah and the Ark” Noah.

A couple thousand years after God created humankind, humanity had become so corrupt that God decided to destroy every living thing on earth. However, one man was faithful to God. Noah was the one righteous man on all the earth. So, God had Noah build an “Ark” (a really big boat), and with that boat, God preserved Noah and enough of every creature to give the world a fresh start. 

Here is what Peter tells us about these events.

2 Peter 2:5 (NKJV) …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

God did not spare the ancient world. All the people alive at that time perished in the flood and are now in Hades (hell, but not the same as Tartarus) waiting for the final judgment. However, notice what the text says about Noah. He was “a preacher of righteousness.”

I get the impression that if measured by numbers, Noah was not a successful preacher. However, the Bible tells us a couple of things about Noah. First, in Genesis 6, when we are introduced to Noah, the Scriptures say:

Genesis 6:8 (NKJV) But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.

And then, the Scriptures give us the reason that Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.

Genesis 7:1 (NKJV) Then the Lord said to Noah, “Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation.”

Finally, we see in Hebrews 11 that Noah was a godly man of faith.

Hebrews 11:7 (NKJV) By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

Noah spent over one hundred years building the Ark. During that time, God waited. He was waiting for Noah. Hebrews 11:7 tells us that Noah building the Ark condemned the world. His example of unwavering faith in God, although it did not persuade people, left those around him with no excuse. One aspect of this condemnation is that Noah was divinely warned. I want to show you two verses that apply to this subject.

First, Amos 3:7 says:

Amos 3:7 (NKJV) Surely the Lord God does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.

And Second:

John 16:13 (NKJV) 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.

From Amos 3:7 and John 16:13, we understand that God tells His people what is to come. In Noah’s case, Noah was given instructions to build an Ark because a flood was coming. There is no way Noah could have known a deluge was coming apart from God revealing it to him. Noah believed God and made preparations. The process of building the Ark took over one hundred years, but Noah never wavered. That faith saved Noah. 

In our day, we anticipate the return of our Lord Jesus. By reading Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and Revelation, we can get a good picture of what is to come. And, we have been warned to be ready. We are not called on to build boats but to remain faithful to Jesus and to be about God’s work. And like during Noah’s time, God is waiting. He is waiting while we tell people about Jesus. We, as a people (as disciples), are called to be His witnesses to an ungodly world.

The people that ignored Noah continued life as usual, so they were caught completely by surprise. It is the same in our day. The signs of the times indicate that the Tribulation (something God made known to us) will be coming upon the earth very soon. And, most people are not aware and will be caught entirely by surprise. Their destruction will come upon them seemingly out of nowhere.

However, it is not so with us. We have nothing to fear because the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptations. The world around us may be apathetic and not listen to our warnings, but that does not mean we should stop preaching. WE have nothing to fear, but the WORLD should be terrified because something worse than the flood is coming.

Noah serves as an example of someone the Lord kept from temptations in a world filled with wickedness. A second person Peter speaks of is Lot. 

Lot was Abraham’s nephew. Abraham was a man of faith, and because Lot stuck with Abraham, we know that Lot was also a man of faith. When Abraham left his home and moved to a land neither had seen, Lot packed up and went with Abraham. No other relatives (brothers, cousins, sisters, etc.) followed, just Lot. 

Lot and Abraham both kept sheep and other livestock. God blessed them and caused their herds and flocks to grow. Soon they had so many possessions between them that the land could not support both of them. Because of this, their herdsmen began to bicker over grazing and water rights. So, Abraham suggested to Lot that they split up. Lot looked at the Jordan valley, which was lush and green in those days, and decided to move there. 

Peter tells us that Lot was a righteous man, and yet, he chose to live in an ungodly city. (They didn’t have internet service out in the country?) When God delivered Lot from Sodom, He told Lot to go into the mountains, but Lot said,

Genesis 19:18–20 (NKJV) ¹⁸Please, no, my lords! ¹⁹Indeed now, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have increased your mercy which you have shown me by saving my life; but I cannot escape to the mountains, lest some evil overtake me and I die. ²⁰See now, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one; please let me escape there (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live.

I do not know what Lot feared, but he definitely was afraid to live in the mountains. So, this may have been why Lot chose to live in Sodom.

Whatever the case, Sodom was wicked in the extreme. Let’s read what Genesis tells us about Sodom.

Genesis 13:13 (NKJV) But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the Lord.

Here God says the men living in Sodom were “exceedingly wicked.” (I think that means very bad!) Lot was a righteous man, and yet he chose to live in the middle of such wickedness. He did not avoid the society of Sodom, but he did not join them in their sin against the Lord.

The wickedness got so bad that God decided to end it. He burnt it. He rained fire down from heaven and turned the whole city to ashes. 2 Peter tells us that God did this as an example to those who would live wickedly later. However, God does not destroy the righteous with the wicked. So, He sent angels who literally pulled Lot out of the city before burning it.

For whatever reason, Lot chose to live in cities, and the willful rebellion against God tortured him. In the Genesis account, we see that Lot had “sons-in-law” in the city. From this, we gather that Lot and his family were accepted as part of the community. How could Lot have lived among and shared life with these people without caring? Of course he cared! That is why his righteous soul was tortured. Lot lived differently because he was a righteous man. However, his righteous life did not have enough influence to save even his sons-in-law. 

Here is what Peter tells us about this incident.

2 Peter 2:6–8 (NKJV) 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; ⁷and 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)

First, we see that Lot was oppressed by the filthy conduct. The word translated here as “oppressed” is elsewhere translated as “exhaust by labor or suffering,” “wear out,” or “overpower.” Peter explains Lot’s suffering more by saying Lot “tormented his righteous soul from day to day.” The word used here for “tormented” means to interrogate a person by torture and it is also used of the waves “battering” the boat the disciples were in on the Sea of Galilee.

The torment for Lot was seeing and hearing their lawless deed. From day to day, he saw and heard what the people in his city were doing. It was heavy upon him. 

Our world is not different from Sodom and Gomorrah. Look at how Romans 1 describes our world.

Romans 1:18 (NKJV): For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 

Romans 1:28–32 (NKJV): ²⁸And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; ²⁹being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, ³⁰backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, ³¹undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; ³²who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.

God’s messengers grabbed Lot’s hand and took him out of the city so that he would not perish with the ungodly. Before that happened, Lot tried to warn people, but they would not listen. When Jesus returns, He is going to catch us up to meet Him in the clouds. Just like Lot, we will literally be lifted out of the destruction to come.

Each of us must choose. We can choose to be a part of this world and its destruction, or we can choose to be saved.

All it takes to be saved is to talk to Jesus. Just tell Him you want to be saved. He does the rest. 

Sadly, like in Noah’s day and Lot’s day, very few will actually be saved. Not because God is unable, but because people are unwilling.

Angels Who Sinned, 2 Peter 2:4

Angels Who Sinned 

2 Peter 2:4

By way of review, we should consider what subject 2 Peter is addressing. The main subject is the gospel of our salvation; the Apostle Peter wrote this letter to the Church to ensure that we remain strong in the faith and faithful to the gospel. In chapter one, he confirms the solid foundation upon which our beliefs are built, and then, in the opening verses of chapter two, he warns of false teachers. False teachers are a certainty; false teachers will be among us until Christ returns.

In chapter two, verse three, he says of false teachers, “…for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.” 

2 Peter 2:3 (NKJV) 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.

The verses following this declaration cover the subject of the judgment and destruction of false teachers. The judgment and destruction of false teachers are one and the same. In other words, the judgment of false teachers has already been decided, and the judgment is their destruction.

However, Peter assures us that their destruction has not been idle. This assurance is necessary because it appears to the human eye that their judgment is idle—[Idle means motionless (at rest); doing nothing (inactive)]. If we look back through history, we see many false teachers that have lived long lives, and some of these have had plenty of money. It is just as 2 Peter 3:4 says. People adopt the attitude that says, “Ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.”

In answer to such thinking, the Holy Spirit, through the Apostle Peter, gives us four examples of situations where judgment seems to wait. Today, we are going to look at the first of these examples. We are going to consider what Peter says about angels who sinned.

2 Peter 2:4 says:

2 Peter 2:4 (NKJV) 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;

First, we will need to consider who we are talking about. Who are these angels? 

Understanding what Peter is saying about these angels will help us figure out who these angels are. First, they were cast down to hell in the past. Second, they are in chains of darkness. And, finally, they are reserved for judgment.

When the Bible says they were “cast down to hell,” it uses the word “Tartarus.” In other places, the Bible uses the word “Hades” to speak of the place where the unrighteous dead await the final judgment. Then, the Bible uses the word “Gehenna” to refer to the lake of fire where death, Hades, and the devil will be thrown after the final judgment. Thus, three different words are translated as “hell.”

Tartarus is a special holding place for angels (demons) who did not stay in their own realm but committed a particular class of sin. Jude references the sin and the holding place of these demons when it says:

Jude 6 (NKJV) And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day.

Since these demons are in chains of darkness, they cannot function in or disturb our world. As 2 Peter 2:4 says, they are reserved for judgment. They, like all of creation, await the final judgment. At that time, these particular demons will be cast into the lake of fire along with the devil, death, and Hades.

Peter says that these angels sinned and are held, reserved for judgment, nothing more. However, Jude adds to this that these angels (demons) did not keep their proper (own) domain and then says they left their own “abode.”

A domain is a realm, a place that a king or prince has dominion over. An abode is a dwelling place or house. The word for abode that is used in Jude 6 is also used in 2 Corinthians 5:2.

2 Corinthians 5:1–2 (NKJV) ¹For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. ²For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation [abode] which is from heaven,

These demons did not stay in their own abode. In Corinthians, “abode” is used of the human body. (The root word is “oikos,” which translates as “house.”) Therefore, we can assume that the demons mentioned in Jude did not stay in the body they were created with.

In addition to their abode, Jude 6 says that these demons did not stay in the “proper realm.” The realm spoken of here is the unseen realm where spiritual beings dwell. The spiritual world is the proper realm or domain of spirit beings.

According to Ephesians 6, the spiritual realm has principalities and powers, a hierarchy, of spiritual beings. For example, in the Old Testament, we see these spiritual beings interacting with God. Job 1 says:

Job 1:6 (NKJV) Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them.

Looking at this verse, we see beings called “the sons of God,” and these beings are of the same “kind” as Satan. The text says, “…and Satan also came among them.” 

Humans are called sons of God. In Exodus 4:22-23, Israel is called “My son,” and in Matthew 5:9, peacemakers are called “sons of God.” Both angels and people are called sons of God because we are all created by God and bear His image. But, we should not let this confuse us about the identity of these angels. 

Genesis 6 gives us this account:

Genesis 6:4 (NKJV) There were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.

In this verse, the “sons of God” refer to angelic beings (demons). These are the beings to which both 2 Peter 2:4 and Jude 6 refer. These angels deserted their proper realm and took on a physical form that was not the abode they were created with, and they reproduced with human women. As Genesis 6:4 tells us, this action created the mighty men of old, the giants. The ungodliness of men and this intermixing of spirit beings with humans (hybrids) are given as the reasons God destroyed all life with a flood.

Angels have no chance for redemption. Therefore, these human offspring of angels had no chance of redemption. It was Satan’s purpose to destroy the plan of God, and God allowed Satan this attempt in order to show the extent to which God will to go to keep the redeemed for Himself.

This determination of God is what 2 Peter 2:9 is referring to when it says:

2 Peter 2:9 (NKJV) then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment.

The flood is proof of this statement. God destroyed all life except Noah and locked up the angels that stepped over the line. With the destruction of all life, the pollution of humanity by unredeemable hybrids was stopped. 

God made these details known to us to teach us what Peter says in 2 Peter 2:9. “The Lord knows how to deliver the godly and to reserve the unjust under punishment.”

This is why I use Jude as the doxology most Sundays.

Jude 24–25 (NKJV) ²⁴Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, ²⁵To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen.

These verses make an essential point. Namely, glory, majesty, dominion, and power belong to God. As much as we do not acknowledge this is the extent to which we fall prey to the sin of the devil, which is pride.

In Romans 1, when the Bible tells why God judges men, it says they refuse to acknowledge Him. 

2 Peter 2:10 says that false teachers are presumptuous, driven by lust, despise authority, and run on instinct like brute beasts. This is what refusal to acknowledge God looks like. And, the scriptures use the angels who sinned and the flood to show us the extent to which God will go to keep the righteous for Himself and reserve the ungodly for judgment.

There is a truth inherent in the fact that God is the creator of all things. That truth is:

Romans 11:36 (NKJV) For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.

Maintaining the truth, avoiding false teachers and salvation start with acknowledging God.

I am not going to ask you if you acknowledge God. What I am going to ask is in what part of your life do you not acknowledge God? Where do I hide that sin that is more valuable to you than God?

If you do not repent of these sins as the Holy Spirit reveals them to you, please realize that you are toying with destruction. 

For the child of God, the one who has called on the name of the Lord, the physical body of the unrepentant will be destroyed. For the one who has not called on the name of the Lord for salvation, your soul is destined to be destroyed. 

Take a moment to pray and ask God to reveal His heart and your heart, to make known to you the way of life.

Sealed, Ephesians 1:13-14

 

Ephesians 1:13-14

Ephesians 1 repeats “in Him” several times. Verse 7 says, “In Him we have redemption through His blood.” Verse 11 says, “In Him also we have obtained an inheritance.” And then, verse 13 starts with, “In Him you also trusted.” All of these references speak of the blessings that God has bestowed upon us in Jesus Christ our Lord. “In Him” means “In Jesus.” 

Let’s read Ephesians 1:13.

Ephesians 1:13 (NKJV) In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise

The gospel of our salvation spoken of in this verse is the truth “that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3 gives the account of a religious scholar and leader, Nicodemus, coming to Jesus. Nicodemus acknowledged that Jesus was a teacher sent from God. And Jesus cut right to the chase. He said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3)

We must talk about two things in this statement. First, the point of God sending Jesus was that we (humans) could see (enter) the kingdom of God. And second, the whole deal rests on being “born again.” The word translated as “born again” means “born from above” (above, as in heaven). 

Jesus explains to Nicodemus that being “born from above” is as simple as believing in Jesus.

When Ephesians 1:3 says, “…in who also, having believed…” it refers to being “born from above” by believing in Jesus. However, Ephesians 1:3 adds to this truth by explaining that having believed in Jesus, we were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.

To be sealed is to be marked as someone’s property and also signifies the full authority and backing of the owner. This happens when we are “born from above” and is a work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit marks us as God’s property. Romans 8:16 tells us:

Romans 8:16 (NKJV) The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.

Ephesians 1:13 tells us that the “Holy Spirit of promise seals us.” In several places, Jesus promised the Holy Spirit. John 16 explains some of that promise.

John 16:7–13 (NKJV) ⁷Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. ⁸And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: ⁹of sin, because they do not believe in Me; ¹⁰of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; ¹¹of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

¹²I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. ¹³However, 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.

This is a long quote but an important one. It is to our advantage that we have the Holy Spirit and not the physical presence of the Lord that the disciples experience. This is hard to comprehend, but we have the very person (Spirit) of God living in us and teaching us all that we need to know. 1 John 2:27 says we need no one to teach us because we have the Spirit. Acts 1:8 tells us that He is the power of God living within us.

The promise of the Holy Spirit, like the gift of His Son, is an outpouring of the tremendous love and grace of God. Being “born from above” is accomplished by the Holy Spirit who comes to dwell within us. However, that is only the beginning. An additional meaning of the gift of the Spirit is explained in Ephesians 1:14.

Ephesians 1:14 (NKJV) who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

This verse says that the Spirit is the guarantee of our inheritance. In other words, knowing we have the Spirit assures us that we are God’s children, belong to the kingdom of God, and have an eternal home in the heavens.

Just as the Spirit teaches us, empowers us for witness, and testifies to our spirit that we are children of God, He also is given as a deposit or surety on our estate in God’s kingdom (our inheritance).

These are glorious truths and great blessings from God our Father.

False Teachers

 

2 Peter 2:1-3

We can have tremendous confidence in the word of God. The Bible has stood the tests of time. It has proven itself to be reliable. However, in Peter’s day, as well as in our day, there were continual assaults on the truth. Peter wrote his two letters to ensure that we are strong and can stand up against the attacks that are sure to come.

Jesus compared our lives to a house. We are all building a house. Every house must have a foundation, a surface upon which it is built. In Jesus’ example, we either build on a rock or on sand. The house built on the rock can stand even though storms assault the structure. However, the house built on the sand cannot stand up when tested by the storms of life.

The foundation on which we build is a matter of life or death. If we build on sand, we will suffer destruction. If we build on the rock, we will live forever, having gained an abundant entry into God’s kingdom.

Can I appeal to you to pay close attention? Nothing is more important than your eternal soul. Nothing is more significant or essential to your life than your relationship with the God who made you. Today, I will show you from 2 Peter 2:1-3 three ways the wrong foundation destroys people.

I will state it again; religion is one of the most powerful influences in the world; only God is greater.

One of the names of the devil is “Apollyon,” which means “destroyer.” However, he does not drop bombs or build tanks. He deceives. His deceit and lies are behind the death and destruction in the world. The way he destroys is through lies and deception. Jesus said the following about the devil:

John 8:44 (ESV) He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

The destroyer is a liar and the father of lies. 2 Peter 2:1-3 tells us three ways our faith is attacked by lies.  The first way is through heresy.

2 Peter 2:1 says,

2 Peter 2:1 (NKJV) 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.

The false prophets spoken of in this passage refer to people who, during Old Testament times, proclaimed themselves to be prophets but did not have a word from God. God knew these liars would show up, so He prepared for them in the Law saying:

Deuteronomy 18:20–22 (ESV) ²⁰But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.’ ²¹And if you say in your heart, ‘How may we know the word that the Lord has not spoken?’— ²²when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him. 

These rules were not followed, and it led to the destruction of Israel. In 2 Peter 2:1, Peter says, “But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you.” There is no question that false teachers are among us. Jesus warned of false teachers, saying,

Matthew 7:15 (NKJV) Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.

Please notice that Jesus says these false teachers are “ravenous wolves.” A wolf is not looking out for the best interest of the sheep. A “ravenous” wolf is greedily grabbing all the sheep he can get.

Jesus says they come in sheep’s clothing. They look and sound genuine. They even go through some of our best seminaries, write some of our best-selling books, and pastor some of our largest churches. Jesus says to “beware!” We must be on the lookout. Look again at what Peter says about these false teachers.

2 Peter 2:1 (NKJV) 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.

False teachers “secretly” bring in destructive heresies. Secretly bringing in false teaching is the sheep’s clothing part of their act. 

However, Jesus said:

Matthew 7:15–16 (NKJV) ¹⁵“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. ¹⁶You will know them by their fruits.

Just as Old Testament false prophets were known by their inaccurate predictions, false teachers are known by their fruit. In addition, Peter adds another sign of a false teacher. 

2 Peter 2:1 (NKJV) 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.

They deny the Lord who bought them. Changing or reinterpreting the truth about Jesus is one of the most destructive forms of deceit, and it is the first indication that a religious group is false. 1 John 4 makes this the issue in testing if a spirit is from God.

1 John 4:1–3 (NKJV) ¹Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. ²By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, ³and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.

The spirit of the Antichrist is already in the world. Consider the results of his work. Peter says those led by this spirit who introduce destructive heresies “bring swift destruction on themselves.” Peter calls them “destructive heresies” because they destroy both those who follow and teach them.

Building your life on the wrong foundation is fatal. While the faulty foundation can be fatal physically, of more concern is that the lousy foundation can be fatal eternally. Building on the foundation of false teachings is the first way Peter mentions. He next mentions sensuality.

2 Peter 2:2 says:

2 Peter 2:2 (ESV) And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed.

Sensuality is the source of false teaching. One definition of the “sensuality” we are speaking of is “outrageous conduct, conduct shocking to public decency.” This behavior represents a rejection of restraint. In other words, such teaching rejects those parts of doctrine that interfere with our flesh and the fulfillment of our desires. These desires can take the form of the lust of the eyes, the lusts of the flesh, the boastful pride of life, or any combination of these three.

As Peter speaks of this problem more, he says:

2 Peter 2:18–19 (NKJV) ¹⁸For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error. ¹⁹While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage.

In this passage, we see that we can be “lured” away through the lust of the flesh. The desires of our flesh are a terrible taskmaster. These appetites are never satisfied. For example, I ate this morning, but I am already hungry again. Our flesh is never satisfied. We always want more, and if we give in, we will be overcome.

In his warning about false teachers, Peter says, “And many will follow….”

2 Peter 2:2 (ESV) And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed.

In chapters one and two of 2 Peter, he uses the word “follow” three times. In 2 Peter 1:16, he says, “For we did not follow cunningly devised fables.” In 2 Peter 2:2, he says, “And many will follow their sensuality.” And, in 2 Peter 15, he says, “They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness.” 

We must be careful who we follow. To follow is to imitate. We learn to walk, speak, and dress by imitation. Most of what we know we learn by imitation. We Americans pride ourselves on our individualism and consider it a virtue to be independent thinkers. It does not occur to us that in doing this, we are just imitating our culture. 

The only one worth imitating is Jesus Christ. Following anything or anyone else leads to destruction. And imitating anything or anyone other than Jesus will lead to the results Peter speaks of. He says, “…and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed.” 

You may not be concerned about the way of truth being blasphemed as long as you are happy and fed. But consider what Jesus said:

Matthew 18:6–7 (NKJV) ⁶“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin [stumble], it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. ⁷Woe to the world because of offenses [stumbling-blocks]! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!

Causing the way of truth to be blasphemed is causing people to stumble. Such stumbling blocks keep people from accepting Christ and bring judgment on the one through whom the stumbling blocks come. 

Sensuality is the second way our foundation can be destroyed. The third way is covetousness. This is found in 2 Peter 2:3.

2 Peter 2:3 (NKJV) 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.

Another word for covetousness is greed. Greed has no place in the kingdom of God. We are commanded to love our neighbor as ourselves, and we are commanded to seek His kingdom and righteousness first. These two things rule out greed. On top of this, “Thou shalt not covet” is one of the ten commandments. God forbids covetousness.

We must be careful of false teaching because if we follow it, we will be exploited. Paul speaks of these false teachers in 2 Corinthians 2:17.

2 Corinthians 2:17 (NKJV) For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ.

“Peddling” the word does not quite capture the meaning of the Greek word Paul used. The word “καπηλεύω” means to “act as an unscrupulous merchant.” Examples found in ancient documents are wine merchants who add water to wine, silver that is mixed with less valuable metals, and any merchandise that is doctored for profits’ sake. This is what 2 Peter means when he says, “They will exploit you with deceptive words.” False teachers change the gospel and doctor the word of God in order to make money. 

Peter's words about destruction are sobering. False teachers destroy the foundation of those who follow them, but they too will be destroyed. God says their judgment is not idle. That means God is working on it, and God working on anyone’s destruction is terrifying.

We have looked at three things that can destroy our foundation. They are heresy, sensuality, and covetousness. I am going to take you back to where Peter started. To avoid this destruction it is necessary for us to:

2 Peter 1:5–7 (ESV) ⁵…make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, ⁶and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, ⁷and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.

Chosen

Ephesians 1:4-5

Ephesians 1:3 tells us of the heavenly riches with which God has blessed us. We have trouble finding words to express the riches and meaning of “every spiritual blessing.” God held nothing back, even giving His own Son for our sake.

Ephesians 1:4 says:

Ephesians 1:4 (NKJV) just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 

This verse begins with the conjunction “just as.” The meaning of this “just as” can be stated as “in conformity with” or “to the extent that,” and therefore, it is argumentative. In other words, the statement that follows is offered as proof. One proof of the tremendous blessings that God has given us is that He has chosen us in Jesus before the foundation of the world.

Being chosen is a blessing and a tremendous demonstration of God’s love and grace, but it is not a reason for us to boast as if we somehow merited this or were chosen because of our own unique value. If we boast, it is only in the cross of Christ. Jesus is all our hope and righteousness. It is all because of Him. Jesus said, 

John 6:37, 45 (NKJV): ³⁷All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. John …⁴⁵It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me.

God choose all who come to Jesus for salvation, and no one comes unless God chooses him. However, we must not assume that we can understand this process. Jesus uses the same word for “chose” as is used in Ephesians 1:4 when He says:

John 6:70 (NKJV): “Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?”

The more we partake of the grace of God, the more responsible we are to answer for the blessings He has given. According to Ephesians 1:4-5, God has chosen us for three things.

1. That we should be holy and without blame before Him in love
2. That we should be adopted as sons 
3. That would should be to the praise and glory of His grace

First, we are made holy and blameless by the blood of Jesus, and not by our own works. However, God has set us apart for Himself (this is the meaning of “holy”). And as His people we are to be holy as He is holy. We are to imitate Him. So, although we are not saved by our own righteousness, we are to seek to be perfected in love and grow to be more like our Lord Jesus Christ.

Second, we are predestined to the adoption as sons and this is according to the good pleasure of His will. John 1:13 tells us:

John 1:13 (NKJV) who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

We are prone to take too much credit for ourselves and to worship men instead of God. If a preacher has unusual talent we give the man much credit and forget that the person can do nothing apart from Christ. We need to give credit to the Holy Spirit and recognize that God is at work. Everything we have and all the talents we bring to the table are gifts from God. We cannot take credit for our adoption as sons or our home in the Father’s house. We were predestined for these things according to the pleasure of His will, not because we wanted these things.

God has done all of this for the praise of the glory of His grace. Ephesians 1:5 says that it was the grace of God that made us accepted and this was done to show the glory of God.

God has made men for various purposes. He endures with much patience some who are rebellious in order to show the riches of His kindness toward others. Romans 9:22-24 says:

Romans 9:22–24 (NKJV) ²²What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, ²³and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory, ²⁴even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?

God is at work in us to conform us to the image of Christ. For us, this means that we should make every effort to be holy and blameless before Him in love, live as His children, and praise and extol His name at every opportunity, living a testimony before all people.