2002-01-01
Good Morning Faithful Ones,
The next section of Peter’s letter dealing with false teachers focuses on the consequences of their actions. Today’s passage is 2 PET 2: 17-22. “These men are like dried-up springs, like clouds blown along by a storm; God has reserved a place for them in the deepest darkness. They make proud and stupid statements, and use immoral bodily lusts to trap those who are just beginning to escape from among people who live in error. They promise them freedom while they themselves are slaves of destructive habits-for a person is a slave of anything that has conquered him. If people have escaped from the corrupting forces of the world through their knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and then are again caught and conquered by them, such people are in worse condition at the end than they were at the beginning. It would have been much better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than to know it and then turn away from the sacred command that was given them. What happened to them shows that the proverbs are true: ‘A dog goes back to what it has vomited’ and ‘a pig that has been washed goes back to roll in the mud.’“
We mustn’t lose sight of the fact that Peter was writing to people of the early church whose faith was being challenged by persecution coming from the evil Roman emperor, Nero. God inspired him to present compelling reasons why people should be steadfast in their faith. We all might like to think only about the positive aspects of this subject, but remaining grounded in reality demands that the negative side of the picture be understood too, i.e. the consequences of rejecting one’s faith and engaging in activity that would damage the faith of others. The need to understand both sides of this coin lends credence to criticisms of some church pastors who refuse to do this in an effort to garner a larger audience. Our Lord Jesus understood the need for examining the whole picture when He told the Parable of the Sower in MT 13:1-8 and explained it’s meaning in MT 13: 18-23. MT 13: 3b-8, “One there was a man who went out to sow grain. As he scattered the seed in the field, some of it fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some of it fell on rocky ground, where there was little soil. The seeds soon sprouted because the soil wasn’t deep. But when the sun came up, it burned the young plants; and because the roots had not grown deep enough, the plants soon dried up. Some of the seed fell among thorn bushes, which grew up and choked the plants. But some seeds fell in good soil, and the plants bore grain: some had one hundred grains, others sixty, and others thirty.”
When we go on to read MT 13: 18-23, it becomes clear that Christ was speaking in terms his listeners could understand about the nature of the faith of different kinds of people. “Listen, then, and learn what the Parable of the Sower means. Those who hear the message about the Kingdom but do not understand it are like the seeds that fell along the path. The evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in them. The seeds that fell on rocky ground stand for those who receive the message gladly as soon as they hear it. But it does not sink deep into them, and they do not last long. So when trouble or persecution comes because of the message, they give up at once. The seeds that fell among thorn bushes stand for those who hear the message; but the worries about this life and the love for riches choke the message, and they do not bear fruit. And the seeds sown in good soil stand for those who hear the message and understand it; they bear fruit, some as much as one hundred, others sixty, and others thirty.”
What happens to all but the seeds sown in good soil stands as a lesson to us of the consequences of not being courageous and steadfast in our faith. There is a discipline which God is teaching us to remain in His word, to live according to His teachings, to remain in active two-way communication with Him through prayer, to share His teachings with others who will listen, and never to do anything that would diminish the faith of another person [see RO 14: 13]. It is important that we understand just how dire the consequences are of making ungodly choices in our lives. That is why Scripture writers have been God-directed to speak about what is involved in second or spiritual death. Gehenna (Hell) has been described as a place “in the dark” where one will “cry and gnash his teeth” [MT 22: 13], where “worms that eat them never die, and the fire that burns them is never put out” [MK 9: 48], “eternal fire” burns [MT 18: 8], and “the lake of fire and sulfur where people are tormented day and night forever and ever” [REV 20: 10]. This is the place that God has prepared for those who make a lifestyle out of rejecting Him. People who end up there will be awake and feel the pain, regret, and misery of their circumstances eternally.
Gehenna differs from Sheole [Hades] where people are “asleep” awaiting the final disposition of their spiritual lives. An example here might be found in 1 THESS 4: 16b, “Those who have died believing in Christ will rise to life first..” Competent theologians, including Les Feldick, have described the place where Christ descended for three days after his death as divided into “paradise” and “torments.” When Christ was on the cross being crucified, He spoke to the thief hanging beside Him who came to faith, saying “I shall see you in paradise” [LK 23: 43]. Paradise is the place where those who died in faith await the resurrection of the just. Torments, on the other hand, is the place where those who had died in unrighteousness await the resurrection of the lost. They will go to the lake of fire at the time the final judgment is accomplished.
Peter speaks this way in today’s passage, quoting PR 26: 11 in 2 PET 2: 17, not to depress the early church or make them feel hopeless, but to encourage them to realize that remaining in faith in Jesus Christ is the escape route from such an awful fate as second death. We should take comfort in knowing this in our own lives. That is why this message written as far back as 64-65 AD applies so well to our lives today.
PRAYER: O Lord, there are lessons that You have for us that are hard to hear. Yet, they are necessary for us to realize the extent of the grace that You offered us in the death of Your Son on the cross. We don’t like to think about the negative consequences of abandoning our faith or doing something that will cause others to make unrighteous choices. You demonstrate Your righteousness by punishing those who, by their lifestyle, reject Your magnificent grace [see RO 3: 26]. If You didn’t do this, mankind wouldn’t take Your teachings seriously. When You make us aware of the negative consequences of unrighteousness, You cause us to want to choose a life “in Christ.” That is because You have so much love, patience, and compassion for Your children. By trusting and obeying You, remaining steadfast in our faith in spite of challenges to it, You shower blessings on us through Your grace. We humbly offer You our gratitude and praise. We dedicate our lives to Your honor and glory. We pledge to offer Your our worship and adoration forever. In Christ’s name, amen.
Tomorrow, we will begin looking at what Peter had to say about the promise of the Lord’s coming, His second advent, as discussed in 2 PET 3: 1-4. When I was writing today’s message, HE 4: 15 came to mind. “Our High Priest [Christ] is not One Who cannot feel sympathy for our weaknesses. On the contrary, we have a High Priest Who was tempted in every way that are, but did not sin.” This is important for us to bear in mind when we realize that God was preparing His Son to open the heavenly Holy of Holies to us and to personally take our prayers to the Father. How can we miss the profound love that both the Father and the Son have for us? We are a blessed people! My husband, Peter, and I also send you our love too.
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn