Even denying the Master

2 Peter 2 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. ² Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; ³ and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

⁴ For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment; ⁵ and did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; ⁶ and if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example to those who would live ungodly lives thereafter; ⁷ and if He rescued righteous Lot, oppressed by the sensual conduct of unprincipled men ⁸ (for by what he saw and heard that righteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day by their lawless deeds), ⁹ then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment, ¹⁰ and especially those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt desires and despise authority.

Daring, self-willed, they do not tremble when they revile angelic majesties, ¹¹ whereas angels who are greater in might and power do not bring a reviling judgment against them before the Lord. ¹² But these, like unreasoning animals, born as creatures of instinct to be captured and killed, reviling where they have no knowledge, will in the destruction of those creatures also be destroyed, ¹³ suffering wrong as the wages of doing wrong. They count it a pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are stains and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, as they carouse with you, ¹⁴ having eyes full of adultery that never cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having a heart trained in greed, accursed children; ¹⁵ forsaking the right way, they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; ¹⁶ but he received a rebuke for his own transgression, for a mute donkey, speaking with a voice of a man, restrained the madness of the prophet.

¹⁷ These are springs without water and mists driven by a storm, for whom the black darkness has been reserved. ¹⁸ For speaking out arrogant words of vanity they entice by fleshly desires, by sensuality, those who barely escape from the ones who live in error, ¹⁹ promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved. ²⁰ For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. ²¹ For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them. ²² It has happened to them according to the true proverb, “A dog returns to its own vomit,” and, “A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire.”

In yesterday’s text Peter said:   we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. (2 Peter 1:16)   Not only was Peter an eyewitness to the majesty and the miracles of Jesus, he was also among those who knew Him most intimately and those who were continually sitting under Jesus instruction and teaching. Today’s text begins:  But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; and in their greed they will exploit you with false words.   In these few verses, Peter addresses things which we see in the church today. We do see the greed of some who in the name of the gospel exploit people with false words. We do see that the way of truth is maligned. The way of truth is not either this way or that way. It is not a debatable path. Jesus says: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (John 14:6)    The way of truth is the Lord Jesus Christ. It is He, Christ Himself who is maligned because many follow their sensuality. Peter warns of destructive heresies. Today we see those on every side accusing others of heresy. Peter says:  even denying the Master who bought them.  No one who professes to be a Christian, a follower of Christ would fully deny the Master. Yet when we create our doctrines and our teaching based on only one aspect of God and Christ’s character, we do deny a part of Him. If we follow and teach a doctrine that looks only on righteousness, justice and judgment of sin, we deny the love, the mercy, the grace and compassion of the Master. James 2:13 says:  Mercy triumphs over judgment.  Jesus says:  “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” (Matthew 5:7)   It is because of God’s love, His mercy, His compassion and grace that Jesus came. Jesus is the revelation of God’s character of love, mercy, grace and compassion. To deny that is to deny Jesus. If on the other hand we follow and teach a doctrine that looks only on love, mercy, grace and compassion without regard for righteousness, justice and God’s judgment against sin, we also deny Christ. If there were no judgment against sin, Jesus would not have had to endure the cross. To deny that there is judgment against sin is to malign the way of truth.   

Peter, who was a witness of the majesty of Christ and who was taught by Jesus Himself says:  For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment; and did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; and if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example to those who would live ungodly lives thereafter; and if He rescued righteous Lot, oppressed by the sensual conduct of unprincipled men (for by what he saw and heard that righteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day by their lawless deeds), then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment, and especially those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt desires and despise authority. Jesus Himself, the revelation and the demonstration of God’s love says:    “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’” (Matthew 7:21-23)   Peter says:  For speaking out arrogant words of vanity they entice by fleshly desires, by sensuality, those who barely escape from the ones who live in error, promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved. For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them. It has happened to them according to the true proverb, “A dog returns to its own vomit,” and, “A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire.”   If we have known the love and grace of God, through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, if we have known the way of righteousness, having the righteousness of Christ through the finished work of the cross, how could we ever deny the justice of God and His judgment against sin? How could we use the grace of God to justify following our own lust and sensuality? How could we be those who would malign the way of truth and deny the Master?

Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ; precious Holy Spirit thank You for Your love, compassion, mercy and grace. Thank You for Your righteousness, justice and for Your judgment against sin which was fulfilled in the cross. Thank You for the words of those who were witnesses of Your majesty and who knew You intimately.    Amen.