Rooted 8 – Be On Guard

The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment, and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority... These are wells without water, clouds carried by a tempest, for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever... But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: "A dog returns to his own vomit," and, "a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire." (2 Peter 2:9-22)

God is just, and He will not clear the guilty—a sobering warning against the destructive heresies of false teachers.

A Strong and Sobering Passage

This is one of those difficult, strong passages where, upon reading it and starting to pull it apart, you realize the heaviness of it. If you've read through the book of Jude—as we did earlier this year—you'll notice that these verses in 2 Peter 2 are very similar, almost word for word. There are three possible reasons: either Jude borrowed from Peter, Peter borrowed from Jude, or the same Spirit inspired both of them to write these things. Honestly, I'm fine with any of those, because what matters is that God in His wisdom determined we needed this twice to grasp the severity and weight of it.

What both Jude and Peter speak of is the heavy reality of the judgment of God. It's never a fun thing to talk about. We love to sing of amazing grace, how sweet the sound—but there is also the reality that because God is just and holy, He will not clear the guilty. As the Scripture says, "Vengeance is mine, says the Lord, I will repay."

God Knows How to Judge

Throughout 2 Peter 2, Peter has been describing false teachers—individuals who creep in unnoticed, who come in secretly bringing seductive and destructive heresies that lead to damnation. He is very serious about this topic, as he should be as an apostle and pastor.

He says the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and trials. We are grateful for that. But it is equally clear that God knows how to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment. God is not afraid to judge. We don't like the idea of judgment—it turns our stomachs, and there is a sense in which that is right. When you study the apocalyptic passages, or the historic "days of the Lord" when God intervened in human history for judgment, it is sobering. There is a prophesied coming great and terrible day of the Lord. This reality should stir in us a desire to see people come to the grace of God so they are not under that judgment.

No Mercy for Wolves Among the Sheep

Peter does not mince words. The J.B. Phillips translation brings it home: "God's judgment is chiefly reserved for those who have indulged all the foulness of their lower natures and have nothing but contempt for authority... these men, with no more sense than unreasoning brute beasts, which are born to be caught and killed, scoff at things outside their own experience and will most certainly be destroyed in their own corruption."

These false teachers follow the basest instincts of their fallen carnal natures. They walk according to the flesh, ruled entirely by their fallen natures, with no Spirit of God directing them. Yet they find their way into churches to masquerade as followers of Christ—wolves in sheep's clothing. They are in every church in some form, sometimes so self-deceived they don't even realize their own nature. John MacArthur said of these men, "These men serve the best when they are dead." It's hard to imagine stronger language in the New Testament.

You might ask, "Peter, where's the grace?" But remember, these teachers secretly bring in destructive heresies that lead many to damnation. Peter was commissioned by Jesus in John 21—"Feed my sheep, tend my lambs." He is a shepherd. And if you want to see a pastor get angry, start messing with the sheep. Pastor Peter is upset about wolves among the sheep. There is no mercy for wolves among the sheep.

They Will Receive the Just Reward

Peter says they "will utterly perish in their own corruption and will receive the wages of unrighteousness." Notice this is an avoidable situation. They will be burned by a fire they themselves set, hung on a gallows they erected, ensnared in a trap they laid. It is not as though God is simply having a bad day and decides not to feel merciful. Thank God He is not like us—there is never a time when He is "just not feeling it." These individuals bring upon themselves the destruction inherent in their own teachings. False teachers will receive the just reward of their destructive false teachings. As the J.B. Phillips translation says, "Their wickedness has earned them an evil end, and they will be paid in full."

This reminds me of Hebrews 10, written to Christians tempted to return to works-righteousness—the very same error these false teachers promote, that the work of Christ is not necessary or sufficient. The author writes, "For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries." The word "sin" there means to continually, perpetually practice sin. To reject the only sacrifice—Jesus—and trample the Son of God underfoot, insulting the Spirit of grace, leaves only judgment. "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."

Following the Way of Balaam

These false teachers, like those who openly carouse in the daytime, have eyes full of adultery and cannot cease from sin. Why can't they cease? Because they have a heart "trained in covetous practices." They have exercised themselves toward sin—they're well-practiced, good at it because they've done it for a long time, and they are often self-deceived about the extent of their own wickedness.

Peter says they have "gone astray, following the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness." This comes from Numbers 22. As Israel journeyed toward the promised land through Moab, King Balak feared them and sought to hire Balaam the prophet to curse them, offering him the diviner's fee. Balaam asked God, and God said, "You shall not go... for they are blessed." But Balak raised the price, offering to fill Balaam's house with silver and gold. Balaam, loving the wages of unrighteousness, asked God again. This time God said, "Go"—not because He changed His mind, but because He set Balaam on a path of judgment for the desire of his heart.

The next morning Balaam saddled his donkey, and God set an angel with a drawn sword in his path. Balaam, blinded by the love of unrighteous gain, could not see it—but the donkey could. Three times she turned aside to save him, and three times he struck her. Finally the Lord opened the donkey's mouth, and she said, "What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?" Astonishingly, Balaam answered the donkey: "Because you have abused me. I wish there were a sword in my hand, for now I would kill you!" Then the Lord opened Balaam's eyes, and he saw the angel and fell on his face.

As Peter says, "A dumb donkey speaking with a man's voice restrained the madness of the prophet." Balaam was mad—he had lost it—because the wages of unrighteousness blinded him. So it is with false prophets. They have no view of the hidden realm. They don't see eternity, they don't see the angel with the sword of judgment awaiting them down the path, because they are blinded by the love of earthly gain.

An Empty but Attractive Message

Peter continues: "These are wells without water, clouds carried by a tempest, for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever." They look the part but lack what is essential—like a well in a dry land that holds no water. They are aimless and lost, like clouds driven by a storm; it would be foolish to navigate your life by them.

False teachers preach an empty but attractive message. It sounds high and spiritual; they pepper it with bits of Scripture taken out of context, so it seems they're teaching the Bible. And it appeals to the carnal desires of our flesh. Their message is not freedom from sin in the grace of God, but freedom to sin under the grace of God. They use the true language—God is gracious, loving, compassionate, He forgives—but twist it to say you can continue in your sinful pattern because grace abounds. Yet Paul asked in Romans 6, "Shall we sin that grace may abound? God forbid! How shall we who have died to sin live any longer in it?"

Eternally Secure in Christ

Peter says, "While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption... For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning."

These striking words have caused much consternation about losing one's salvation, since Peter seems to describe someone who had been saved. There are hard passages like this—we'll wrestle with similar cautions in Hebrews next year, Lord willing. But I will say this: you are eternally secure as you abide in Christ. If you're in Christ, you're eternally secure—there is no better place to be, for He is our refuge and strength, the rock that is higher than I.

These false teachers, however, lead people outside the protection of Christ's grace to follow another way, and those people become entangled and overcome by sin. Their latter end is worse than their beginning because they know of God's grace yet think it permits them to remain in life-dominating sin. But Titus 2 reminds us, "The grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age." God's grace teaches us to be better people. Amazing grace—I once was lost, but now am found, no longer walking in those things.

Be On Guard

"It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness," Peter writes, "than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them." Like the dog returning to its vomit and the washed sow to the mire, they return to what they were. We must be on guard against the destructive heresies of false teachers, no matter how attractive they may be.

How do we do that? In 2 Peter 3, Peter writes of how some twist Paul's words—and the rest of the Scriptures—to their own destruction. "Untaught and unstable people" do this. Even Peter found some of Paul's writings hard to understand, so we're in good company. He concludes, "Beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness... but grow in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

I can think of no better way to grow than through a systematic, prayerful reading and study of the Scriptures. This is why we go verse by verse, chapter by chapter. But 45 minutes on a Sunday is not sufficient. Read the Scriptures regularly and prayerfully. When you read things you don't understand—so did Peter—read them again and again, pray for understanding, and ask an older brother or sister in the Lord, or consult a faithful commentary. Grow in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever. Amen.

Closing Prayer

Father God, I thank you for your word. It is rich, and sometimes it is heavy with strong words, but Lord, we thank you that your yoke is easy and your burden is light, and that in you we find rest for our souls. We pray, Jesus, that you would help us to know and understand your word, your will, and your nature, and that we would follow you with passion and diligence. Teach us by your Spirit through your word throughout this week, and help us to be lights shining your grace to those in need. We thank you that you have given us your grace to set us free from sin, to follow you, a living God. We praise you, Jesus. It's in your name that we pray. Amen.