Today's bible reading is a warning about false teaching. False teachers were around in Peter's day and they are here today in the 21st century. Lets read and learn how to know a godly teacher from a false teacher.
Verse 1 False teachers teach lies, they make up stories. They even doubt the things Christ did.
Verse 2- False teachers may be popular. Some are charismatic, charming, they know the right words to say to draw people to them. Today we have TV evangelists and books and the internet. These false teachers know what people want to hear so they preach to the choir.
Verse 3 - the strategy of a false teacher - NLT says "in their greed they will get ahold of your money." That pretty much sums it up well doesn't it? But God will condemn them.
Verses 4-6 God will judge the ungodly. God put the angels who sinned in a dungeon, in the pit of hell, where they will sit until judgement day. They will sit in gloomy pits of darkness. God destroyed the world except for Noah and his family, for they alone were holy. The ungodly people perished in the flood. God destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. And God continues to judge today.
Verses 7-9 God saves the righteous. God saved Lot from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot was sickened by what he saw, and God delivered him.
Verses 10-11 Peter gives a description of false teachers in the next few verses. They are proud and arrogant. God is tough on those who are corrupt and despise authority. Even the angels do not slander God. And angels are more powerful than man.
Verses 12-13 False teachers are like animals, they scoff at things they don't even understand, and they will be caught and destroyed. False teachers may say all the right words but they don't live what they teach. They do evil in broad daylight.
Verses 14-17 False teachers commit adultery with their eyes, and they may physically commit sexual sins too. Their sinful desires are untamed and they bring unstable people with them. False teachers are like Balaam - who had to be kicked like a donkey to bring him back to his senses. These people are useless.
Verses 18-19 Reading the few verses up to this point I'm thinking these people are easy to spot, no problem staying away from them. But verses 18-19 brings me back to reality - I have to be careful and watch out for false teachers for they can lure us into their sinful ways. They promise freedom but really bring slavery. Slavery is anything that controls you. We all are slaves to something. For me - I struggle with weight. I eat healthier these days - have lost some weight but just can't get motivated to lose what I need to lose. And then I feel bad about myself, and that means I am thinking of ME not God. I am a slave to my fat body. Being brutally honest here. I know God loves me anyway :-).
Verses 20-22 And this is like a yo-you diet (fortunately I have never dieted much). It is worse to know Christ then fall away than to never have known him at all. Proverbs say a dog returns to his vomit and a sow that has been washed returns to wallowing in the mud. I think (I hope) this is for a person who knows about Christ but hasn't yet asked Jesus into his heart.
Father God - this is heavy stuff. Some false teachers we can see a mile away and we can say no way won't follow them - but then there are the teachers who know how to appeal to us and say all the right words, and we fall under their spell. We ask for protection today from these false teachers. We ask that you give us major road blocks so that we can tell who the false teachers are. We know that you will deal with false teachers on judgement day. We ask that we stay righteous in your word and I especially ask that I am not blogging any false teachings God. I ask for your blessing and approval as I write what I understand about your word Lord. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
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