January 28, 2024
Morning Service

In chapter 1, Peter encouraged the young church to build upon their foundation of faith adding virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love.  He says each of us need to be diligent about this growth remembering where we came from, but always moving to where we want to be in our faith.  He also told us the Holy Spirit equips us by “giving us all things that pertain to life and godliness.”  It is the Spirit of God within us that allows us to know God through the Word which man may have penned, but it was inspired by the Spirit.  As we begin the 2^nd chapter, Peter turns to the danger that is emerging inside the church itself; false teachers.  He sat under Jesus’ teachings as He warned them that this day would come.  This teaching was part of what is called the “Olivet discourse,” where the apostles asked Jesus about future events and Jesus spoke openly to them about false prophets, the time of Tribulation, and His Second Coming.

Mar 13:21-23 "Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'Look, He is there!' do not believe it.  (22)  For false Christ’s and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.  (23)  But take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand.

          Jesus knew there would be a future time where persecution and trials would begin to come from within the church rather than from the outside.  The danger in this is that these false prophets “sound” religious and even use scripture to make their points, but are able to “deceive, if possible, even the elect.”  We must be diligent to know the Word and learn to listen to the Spirit within us to protect us from this deception.  Peter describes these false prophets and uses history to teach us about them.

2Pe 2:1-3 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.  (2)  And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed.  (3)  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.

            These teachers were denying either Jesus’ deity or His humanity.  They taught and encouraged all kinds of immoral and sexual sin to make their teaching enticing to the listeners.  In other words, encouraging them to do whatever they wanted with no consequences.  Their goal as verse 3 tells us was their covetousness, or greed.  They wanted to profit from their ministry through deception at the expense of those deceived.  This is something that Jesus, during His ministry here on earth, spoke out boldly against.  It angers the heart of God for men to seek their own glory at the expense of others.  Peter now shines a light upon that these false prophets will not go without paying a price for their sin that draws others down with them.  Paul tells us that we will “reap what we sow” (Gal 6:7).  Sow deception and you will reap judgement.  Their judgment for this sin “does not slumber,” but they “bring on themselves swift destruction.” Notice the root cause of the judgment, they bring it on themselves with choices they make to disobey God.  He now gives us examples of this from the past.

2Pe 2:4-9 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;  (5)  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;  (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;  (7)  and 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)—  (9)  then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment,

            Verse 9 tells us to two things the Lord is able to execute; deliverance and punishment.  We will look at punishment first and come back to deliverance. Peter here uses examples from the OT scriptures to show the church that God is a righteous God and He will judge those who choose to disobey and bring just punishment upon themselves. Remember in chapter one Peter told us that the scriptures were a “light that shines in a dark place” revealing Truth to us; he is showing us the righteousness of God.  He first speaks of the revolt within heaven itself led by the angel of light Lucifer who tried to overtake the throne and sit upon it himself (Isa. 14).  Judgement came quickly as all those angels who revolted were cast from heaven and the lake of fire was created for them to spend eternity in as punishment.  Judgement of God was executed and disobedience punished bringing “swift destruction.”

            The second example is one we all are familiar with the story of Noah and the flood (Gen. 6).  God saw the people He had created had forgotten about Him and “every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”  They chose to embrace the pleasures of the world they lived in and to ignore God bringing judgment upon themselves.  He allowed them 120 years to repent as Noah preached while building the arc, but they ignored the message of salvation.  Judgement came to all of them as only Noah and his family were saved.  Judgement of God was executed and disobedience punished bringing “swift destruction.”

            Peter’s third example came in the time of Abraham as God brought judgment upon the evil going on in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. In that culture their sexual sin was rampant and they ignored God’s call to righteousness choosing rather to worship the pleasures of the flesh.  Abraham bargained with God to spare them if he could find just ten righteous men, but they were not to be found.  God’s judgement was executed and disobedience was punished bringing “swift destruction” with fire and brimstone.  Peter, through these examples, proves his point in verse 9 that God is able to execute judgement on those who choose to walk in disobedience.

 Now back to the first part of that verse “the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations.”  He is a God of judgement, but He is also a God of deliverance.  At the time of the flood, Gen. 6:8 says “Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” Noah chose to live as a “just man, perfect in his generation” and God knew him.  Noah revealed his faith through obedience in building the arc, despite not understanding fully what was about to happen.  God created a way for him to be delivered from judgement and live; He makes a way where there is no way.  In the time of Abraham, his nephew Lot lived within the evil cities, but retained his righteousness and honor of God.  With imminent destruction coming, God sent two angels who ended up dragging Lot and his family out of the city and delivered them from the fiery judgement of God .  He makes a way where there is no way. Our God is a God of righteous judgement for those who choose a road of disobedience and also a God of deliverance for those who choose to place their trust in Him.  David summed up these attributes of God very well in the Book of Psalms:

Psalms 34:15-22 The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry.  (16)  The face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.  (17)  The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles.  (18)  The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit.  (19)  Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all.  (20)  He guards all his bones; Not one of them is broken.  (21)  Evil shall slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous shall be condemned.  (22)  The LORD redeems the soul of His servants, and none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned.

            His eyes are upon us who have chosen to trust in Him.  His ears are open to our cry.  He is near when our heart is broken.  He saves those with a contrite spirit.  Many are our afflictions, but the Lord delivers us out of them all!  “The Lord redeems the soul of His servants, and none of them those who trust in Him shall be condemned.”  What does He redeem us from and how?

Rom 6:23For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

            God redeems us from the judgment and punishment (death/separation from God) we deserve because of our sins.  Sin separates us from God and brings judgement upon us.  One day for those who die in their sins a just punishment is coming.  His judgement will be executed and they will forever be separated from the Lord.  But God makes a way where there is no way.   He delivers those of us who choose to trust in Him as their Savior from the judgement of our sin through Jesus Christ our Savior.  He makes a way where there is no way.

 

 Joh 3:16-17 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  (17)  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. (redeemed/delivered)

            God delivers us from His righteous judgement through Jesus paying for our sins upon the cross.  The Lord is able to bring judgement upon those who choose disobedience bringing just punishment upon them.  He also is able to bring deliverance upon those who choose to follow Him.  Which one applies to you this morning?  God is patient, not willing that any should perish.  I urge you today choose deliverance, choose salvation, choose redemption, choose life, choose Jesus!