DAY #340 2 Peter 2:1-22

Point Loma fell short of the national title last night. They lost 2-0. I am so very proud of all the girls. Way to go Katie Pedlowe.

The end of chapter 1 leads into the topic of his letter. Peter had explained that God had worked through humans to give his words to people. At the same time, however, evil was at work. The true prophets spoke and wrote God’s words, but there were also false prophets in Israel. In Old Testament times, false prophets contradicted the true prophets (see, for example, Deuteronomy 13:1-5; 1 Kings 18:19; Jeremiah 23:16-40), telling people only what they wanted to hear. These “false prophets” did not speak God’s words, and they brought messages to make the people and the kings feel good. They distorted and disguised the truth of God and His word. Scripture explains that these false prophets would face God’s judgment (Deuteronomy 18:20-22).

These false teachers had joined the Christian community and seemed to be part of it, but they later denounced Christ and tried to convince others to do the same. Despite the certainty of their destruction, the false teachers, unfortunately, will be successful in two areas. First, many will follow their evil teaching and shameful immorality. Such practices were common in pagan societies and often were part of pagan religions. Popularity was certainly not the right criterion for the truth. Second, Christ and his true way will be slandered. They would discredit the Christian gospel taught by Jesus Christ, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Peter spared no words in his condemnation of the false teachers. He exposed their prime motivation—greed. Only money, not truth, mattered to them. Students ought to pay their teachers, but these false teachers were attempting to make more money by making up clever lies—distorting the truth and saying what people wanted to hear. The teaching that people can live as they please without fear of punishment would be very popular!

Their destruction may not arrive immediately, but when it comes, it will be swift and certain. The teachers may seem to get away with their exploitation for a while, but God had condemned them long ago. Peter explained to the believers that God’s promises were sure, no matter how long they had to wait for them.

If some people still did not believe in future judgment and punishment, Peter gave examples of how God had judged evil in the past. He pointed out that God did not spare even the angels when they sinned.If God did not even spare his angels, neither will he spare the false teachers.
The angels who sinned were thrown into hell. That phrase in Greek is one word (used only here in the New Testament), literally meaning “to cast into Tartarus.” In Greek mythology, Tartarus, located in the lowest part of the underworld, was the place of punishment of rebellious gods and the departed spirits of very evil people. These angels were imprisoned in this hell, in gloomy caves and darkness. False teachers will face the same judgment as the rebellious angels.

Another example of God’s certain judgment of evil is the vast flood that destroyed the whole world of ungodly people. Peter referred to the Flood three times in his two letters. God did not spare the ancient world—for the great sinfulness of all mankind led him to destroy the entire rebellious civilization. Yet even as God was destroying all the sinful people in Noah’s day, he powerfully protected Noah and his family of seven (Genesis 8:16).

A third example of God’s certain punishment of evil is the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Genesis 18–19 describes the sinfulness of these cities and Abraham’s effort to keep them from being destroyed. When not even ten righteous people could be found in the cities, God destroyed them by burning them to heaps of ashes and swept them off the face of the earth (Genesis 19:24-25).

Peter explained that the horror of these cities’ ending is an example of what will happen to ungodly people. Great will be the suffering of the ungodly; their ending will result in punishment, gloom, and banishment from the presence of God. In our day, God’s punishment on the unrighteous seems less of a preaching and teaching priority. Do we, like the false teachers, think we have outgrown this clear doctrine of Scripture? We have a lot of emphasis on tolerance of others and the self-help benefits of the Bible, but we must not dilute God’s clear words of warning. To turn away from God is to turn to ruin. From such ruin, there will be no escape. Don’t neglect teaching about God’s judgment.

These teachers had been so obvious in their sinfulness that it was shameful that any of the believers should follow them. These men were so arrogant, however, that they did not even attempt to cover up their behavior, making them no longer fit to be with the Christians. Thus the false teachers were a disgrace and a stain among them, ruining the Christians’ gatherings by their very presence. Clearly, Peter had no soft words for these false teachers, no excuses for their behavior. Their sinful words and actions came from deep within; their thoughts and motives were evil.

These teachers who were leading Christians away from the faith were filled with pride, immorality, sensuality, greed, lust, blasphemy, slander, and self-will. No wonder Peter called these men doomed and cursed.

SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)

Slowly, little by little, imperceptibly at first there has been an erosion of the value of truth in our society. We don’t value truth like we used to. Today many people claim they don’t even know the difference between right and wrong. Some even go as far to say there’s no such thing as truth.

Listen to what Jesus said in John 8:31-32 - “If you hold onto my teaching….then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free” He’s talking about The Truth will set you free. Not a truth, not any truth, not the truth you make up for your own agenda. That’s not the truth that sets you free. It is THE TRUTH that sets you free.

Postmodernism, relativism, is built on the idea there are no absolute truths. In postmodernism, in relativism, what’s happened is people now value tolerance more than they value truth. It’s more important to be tolerant than it is to be truthful. In fact, if you are truthful then you are considered intolerant. And how dare you say that something is always right and something is always wrong. That’s intolerant and that’s being judgmental.

Folks, that’s nonsense. All ideas are not equally valid. There is right and there is wrong. There is truth and there are lies.

What happens when we throw out truth and replace it with tolerance? Our culture unravels, business unravels, schools, families, marriages unravels. Folks, when we throw out truth, our life unravels,

Three signs of truth decay in our culture. #1. Immaturity.

Immaturity happens when we give up on truth and we value tolerance more than truth. In many ways our society is getting more and more immature. When there’s no right and wrong when there’s no standard of true and false then we all act in irresponsible ways. I can blame other people for my problems. There’ s no right or wrong. I can be disorganized. I can be lazy.

I can pass the buck and expect other people to take care of me all of my life, which is what immature people expect. I can expect the government to solve my problems because I’m not responsible. That’s immaturity.

The Bible says this in Ephesians 4:14,“Let us be no longer like children forever changing our minds about what we believe because someone else has told us something different or has cleverly lied to us and made the lie sound like truth.” Folks, the ability to know the difference between right and wrong is a mark of maturity. It’s what every parent hopes for in their kids.

The second sign of truth decay - #2. Immorality.

Immorality means = no morals. It means I do whatever I want to do. If there is no standard of right or wrong then anything goes.

The Bible tells us back in the book of Judges (17:6. 21:25) - “Everyone did as they saw fit.” In other words everyone did their own thing. It sounds like our culture today. If there’s no standard of right or wrong, anything goes. When there’s no truth and I become the center of the universe, well then, I’m very preoccupied with me, I’m self-centered, I worry about my pleasure, my goals, my getting ahead. I don’t really care about anything else.

Listen to Ephesians 4:19 “They don’t care anymore about right and wrong and they’ve given themselves over to immoral ways. Their lives are filled with all kinds of impurity and greed.” They say, I don’t care what God says. If there’s no right or wrong, I’ll just do what I want to do. God says sex is only for marriage. If there is no truth - I’m going to make up my own truth. I’m going to do what I want to do. That’s one of the lies we tell ourselves – do whatever feels good. No one will ever know.

Let me tell you how truth decay works. When you do something wrong - every time you do it - it gets easier. The first time you do something wrong it really bugs you and you feel bad about it. All kinds of warning lights go off in your life. But the more you do something it becomes easier and easier. All of a sudden it just doesn’t bother you any more. You start rationalizing things. You become de-sensitized to wrong. You believe all sorts of lies. I’m not hurting anybody. It’s not becoming an addiction…..

Here’s a third sign of truth decay #3. Idolatry

When I don’t know right from wrong, when I don’t know the truth, then my priorities and my values and the things I worship get out of whack and get really messed up. I Idolize things like wealth or success. I idolize physical beauty or athletic ability. I idolize intelligence, popularity, possessions, power – whatever. Or I idolize any number of different things, which may not be wrong in themselves, but they don’t deserve worship. They don’t deserve to be number one in your life.

Today because truth decay is taking place in our culture and wrong things are now becoming right and right things are becoming wrong. Good is bad and bad is good. Today we turn criminals into celebrities. Gangsters are held up in high esteem. Our values are upside down.

We kill unborn human beings and think nothing of it, yet we go ballistic over protecting parasites and insects. What’s the logic of that one? The Bible says this in Romans 1:25 “Instead of believing what they knew was the truth about God they deliberately chose to believe lies. They worshipped the things God made but not the Creator Himself.” Here’s the question for you personally: is there anything in your life that has become more important than God? In any area of your life, have you exchanged the truth about what God says for a lie. Examine yourselves. Examine the Word of God. Hold unto the truth and it shall set you free.

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” James 1:22 (NIV)