2 Peter 2 reminds me of being exposed in a flash. I was in 9th grade, and had finished wrestling practice just in time to catch the end of the basketball game. I quickly showered and pulled on some gym shorts. I stood at the locker room entrance directly under the backboard feeling pretty cool. Two buddies came out behind me. They laughed and pointed toward the cheerleaders. While I was distracted, someone yanked down my shorts. I was standing there in my birthday suit, in front of most of the school. Today’s lesson is about falling for deception. Peter offers a dire warning to the cocky new believers about “false prophets among the people… They will secretly introduce destructive heresies.” Many of these deceivers used church gatherings to find their victims. They offer self-serving lies to the unguarded. Pete adds, their “depraved conduct… will bring the way of truth into disrepute.” This is a dual warning to protect the reputation of the church, and at the same time avoid compromising situations. Peter says they will deny “the sovereign Lord.” Rather, “In their greed” these false teachers will “exploit you with fabricated stories.” New believers enthusiastically accept tantalizing ideas without testing the source. The naive are easily misled by those that seem experienced.
Peter points to examples of God protecting the innocent from destruction. From the beginning, God judged evil when necessary. “For if God did not spare angels when they sinned” and “if He did not spare the ancient world when He brought the flood…” the implication is that when judgement comes, it is dramatic. He continues: “but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness.” Peter reminds us that God also “rescued Lot, a righteous man.” He says “the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials.” There is a difference between being momentarily deceived and intentionally continuing to pursue depravity. Lot put his family in jeopardy because he wanted to stay near the bright lights of the city. God eventually removes His hand of protection from “those who follow the corrupt desire of the flesh and despise authority.” He calls them “Bold and arrogant.” He warns that the path of iniquity can lead to places that are beyond return. There is always hope for salvation, but many poor decisions can leave us out in the cold. Some blame God’s standards for their shame. Peter says “these people blaspheme in matters they do not understand.” Lingering around temptation can cause insensitivity to the Spirit of God. Without true wisdom and our conscience, we become “like unreasoning animals, creatures of instinct.” Sin is our natural fallen state.
Peter closes the chapter with a critical study of these false teachers. He begins by urging us to look at their lives, not just what they promise. They “carouse in broad daylight… reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you.” Genuine salvation produces gratitude and generosity; beware of takers. He describes their “eyes full of adultery” and called them “experts in greed.” Finally, Peter says they are not what they first appear. “These people are springs without water… They promise… freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity.” They wait in the fringe for those who have not put on the full armor of God: “by appealing to the lustful desires of the flesh, they entice people who are just escaping.” Peter knows that some will be pulled back into their old lifestyle and “they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning.” It is harder to escape sin’s grip a second time. Old habits are hard to break and willpower is not enough. Peter quotes from Psalm 26 to describe the ugly truth about the attraction of the flesh: “A dog returns to its vomit” and “A sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud.” Friend, test all instruction against God’s Word.