Warnings Concerning False Teachers

Transcript

GRM 822
12/1/2002
Warnings Concerning False Teachers
2 Peter 2:1-22
Gil Rugh

We looked into the Word in Philippians 3 this morning and what I referred to as the theological version of Paul's testimony. We'll be looking in Acts 22 at one of the historical versions. There are three records of Paul's conversion, three records of his testimony, if you will. A recounting of his coming to know the Lord. In the book of Acts, all have a historical emphasis. The one in chapter 22 an emphasis on the Jewishness of Paul and his conversion, if you will. I Timothy chapter 1 gave a short version of his conversion. In Philippians chapter 3 Paul approaches his conversion not from the historical facts of it but from the theological truths of his conversion. In that context we noted that he began chapter 3 of Philippians by exhorting the Philippians to be rejoicing and then also exhorting them to beware of the dogs, of the evil workers and to beware of the mutilation, the false circumcision.

I want to look with you this evening at II Peter 2, where Peter gives an extended discussion of false teachers in a chapter that is very similar in content to the book of Jude. I just want to highlight some of the matters in this chapter. Several years ago, we worked through the details of this chapter and we're not going to do that in our study together this time. But I want to highlight some of what Peter has to say about the matter of false teachers and false doctrine.

You know, when you stop and consider the Scripture it is filled with warnings. One of the difficulties about the prophetic Old Testament is that there is so much emphasis on sin, so much warning of the dangers of false doctrine, false teaching and that carries over into the New Testament as well. Here in Peter's second and last letter, if you will, he's doing what Paul said he was doing. When Paul wrote Philippians 3 remember he said I'm reminding you of what I told you. But I don't consider it a burden because it's a safeguard for me to repeat these things. In II Peter 1 verse 13 Peter said “I consider it write as long as I am in this earthly dwelling to stir you up by way of reminder. As I do this knowing that my physical death is imminent. The Lord has revealed that to me.” Verse 15, "I will also be diligent that at any time after my departure you may be able to call these things to mind." Peter is saying I'm not telling you anything new, but I want to impress it on your hearts and minds again. A significant portion of this letter is taken up with warning them about false teachers.

In chapter 2 verse 1 Peter says that "false prophets arose among the people just as there will be false teachers among you." It is a settled fact of Scripture that God's people will be repeatedly and constantly infiltrated by false teachers and false teaching. That was true of God's people Israel in the Old Testament. There were false prophets that plagued Israel throughout their history and "there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies." That's not just a future matter. When Jude writes he said that this infiltration had already taken place and that among believers there were heretical teachers that had been accepted and even welcomed in among believers. Here they are going to secretly introduce destructive heresies. How do you secretly introduce a heresy that is destructive to the Body of Christ? Well, you cover it over to make it look genuine, right? How do you use counterfeit money, if you are going to use it? You make it look as genuine as possible when we talk about false teachers and false doctrine. We have to constantly remind ourselves that these are individuals who will be making themselves appear to be genuine. There will be appealing things about them, but they are going to be infiltrating the Church with heretical teaching, heresies.

Even going so far as denying the Master who bought them. And the sovereign Lord, the despot, is the word here for Master. It comes down to they really end up denying Jesus Christ. How can you infiltrate among believers and secretly the kind of teaching that when it is examined in the light of Scripture really is a denial of Jesus Christ. But under the inspiration of the Spirit, Peter says that is to be expected. Will they be successful? Verse 2, "Many will follow their sensuality." Not a few, many will follow their sensuality. "Because of them the way of the truth will be maligned and in their greed they will exploit you with false words." In their greed they will exploit you with false words. They really are making merchandise of believers. They are profiting from believers. Their doctrine and their teaching is such that what they are really doing is making a good living. If you listen very much and I hope you don’t, but you do become exposed to these kinds of teachers both on radio, television, some of their writings and I am sometimes amazed at how much of the truth they can present. Yet at other times how much of the truth they can really deny. I say this is a confusing mixture to sort out. Because if I focus on what I agree with them I think we've got a lot in common biblically. But when I focus on their errors biblically, I think we have nothing in common really and that's the confusing thing about these false teachers. Now you wrap that in a package of an appealing personality . . . A man as we'll see in a moment who would seem bold, even daring, in his ministry and we think well, we have something here.

They’re on their way to destruction. That becomes a strong emphasis through chapter 2. False teachers may be successful in deluding people. They may even lead some believers astray and into confusion, but they are on their way to destruction. The end of verse 1, "They are bringing swift destruction upon themselves." The end of verse 3, "Their destruction is not asleep." So, their end is appointed. But they do damage on their way to hell, and they do damage to the Church of Jesus Christ. Because of them the way of the truth is maligned, blasphemed, spoken against. They bring disrepute upon the name of Christ because they name his name and yet they themselves are hucksters.

Then what we have are examples of God's judgment that demonstrate that He will bring destruction upon apostates, but He will bring deliverance to His people. Even those false teachers infiltrate among believers and with them other unbelievers will infiltrate. We see this in the rolling over of many of the denominations. Where you had false teachers infiltrate, then you have nonbelievers come in among the Body and pretty soon that church, that group of believers, has really become predominantly a group of nonbelievers. But God is never confused, and He will sort it out. He will deliver his people and He is working to bring them to his appointed goal - the glory of His presence. He is also bringing these apostates to their appointed goal.

Examples of destruction - the angels who sin. A reminder that no one is above judgment. Even the angels who sin were judged, and hell was prepared for the Devil and his angels Jesus said in Matthew 25. The angels didn't escape judgment. We ought not to be deluded into thinking any human will escape judgment. These men think that they will, but they won't. In the days of Noah, the unbelieving world was destroyed by the Flood. Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by the fire of God. But there was deliverance. In the days of Noah, the ancient world was destroyed by the Flood, but Noah and his family were saved. "He did not spare," verse 5, "the ancient world but he preserved Noah and seven others." Verse 6, "He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction." Verse 7, "He rescued righteous Lot," a man not untainted by the vile world around him." His family suffered terrible consequences, but God delivered Lot.

So out of the whole world, there's only seven people. That's all right. God saves the seven and destroys all the rest. In the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah God intervenes to save Lot and his daughters. His wife doesn't make it. What's the conclusion? Verse 9, "The Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation and keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment.” There it is. God is doing two things. He knows how to rescue the ungodly, to preserve and keep them and also to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment.

He's going to move on in verse 11 and really down to the end of the chapter and he gives an extensive description of these false teachers and something of their character and behavior, conduct. It's really important we see them as God says they are. They've been some remarkable things that have taken place in our day and one of those that impresses me greatly is how the Church of Jesus Christ has opened its arms to those who clearly are heretics, joining hands with them. This is an amazing thing. I still don't understand it. You wonder are we dealing with believers at all who are comfortable in this kind of environment, joined supposedly in ministry with these kinds of people who are clearly heretics, clearly denying the foundational truths of the Word of God. It gets confusing, C you say well, wait a minute. What is it? You don't want to be sitting there deciding that everybody is not a believer. Some of these seem to be believers but how can they be joined with this, and it is confusing. You know what happens? That happens long enough in great enough numbers, we begin to weaken in our determination to remain true to the Word of God. We decide look, we can't be so narrow. We can't be so hard. Yet the Spirit of God through Peter makes clear what the character of these individuals really is.

Verse 10 he's talking about those who are kept under punishment for the day of judgment "especially those indulge the flesh and its corrupt desires, despise authority." He selects two characteristics of these false teachers. They indulge the flesh and its corrupt desires. They're fleshly people. Present participle here pictures them as constantly going after the flesh. What kind of things? Well, the works of the flesh in Galatians 5 would be some of the things that would be characteristic of these people. That's the realm in which they live. That's the pursuit of their lives. They also despise authority. He's going to give examples of that. They really are men who reject authority and that is part of their appeal. They come on as though they are a unique class of people. They stand apart. They seem to imply that they walk in this special zone, you know, of a relationship with God that is above and beyond what normal Christians have. They seem so confident in that, but they are really manifesting their rejection of the authority God has established.

They're called daring and that's what we are picturing here. They are daring. They have a boldness, a brazenness. One of those things that does appeal is a confident, just set and sure and so people think well, maybe I can trust him. I mean would he be so sure if he wasn't right. They are daring, they are brazened, and they are self-willed.

"They don't tremble when they revile angelic majesty." Here's an example. One of the characteristics of these false teachers is they want to act as though and demonstrate that they have power over angels. I was watching one of them in the last couple of weeks and he's walking back and forth, ranting and raving about the Devil and demons and . . . I think boy, this is some mighty, powerful person. Yet really the mark of a false prophet, false teacher. Someone who's rejected God's authority. It doesn't mean that we submit to the authority of fallen angels, but we respect the fact that they have been created by God and given certain authority, certain power, and thus they are due certain respect. Not given honor in the sense that we would obey or submit to them but the respect that would come.

In Jude 8, a very similar section to this in Jude, indicates that angels are in view and particularly fallen angels. Look at verse 11 here in Peter. “Whereas angels who are greater in might and power do not bring a reviling judgment against them before the Lord.” Jude gives an example of that, and even unfallen angels give due respect to fallen angels because of the creating work of God, even knowing that those fallen angels are destined to an eternal hell. We respect the fact that they have been created by God with certain power. They are given certain respect. Sort of like you might have an ex-President. You give him respect not because he is the President but because of the position that was his. There is that in that angelic realm even among unfallen angels in respect of fallen angels.

False teachers display their daringness, their brazenness. They are willing to take on the Devil face to face. You know you hear them saying we are not afraid of you Devil. We have power over you, and we cast you out of here. We command you to do this. They are ranting and raving and they are just demonstrating what? Their great power over the Devil? No, they are demonstrating that they are apostates who despise angelic authority. They have a brazenness, not a holy boldness but a daring brazenness like people do in sin. They often are brazening in their sin. That's not something to be respected. In Zechariah 3:1, we are not going to take time to go there with just overviewing some of this, but the angel of the Lord says to Satan, "The Lord rebuke you, Satan. Indeed, the Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebukes you." A recognition of Satan's position and power and there is a respect there.

Going on verse 12, "They are like unreasoning animals." Remember that we alluded to this when we looked at Philippians 3 where Paul referred to false teachers. Beware of dogs, those scavenger dogs of the Middle East in biblical times. They are animal like. Here they are like unreasoning animals. They have no ability to reason and think in the spiritual realm. Understand in spite of their boldness, in spite of the way they talk, in spite of the appealing way that they can communicate, they have no more understanding of spiritual things than the squirrel running around in your backyard. They are like unreasoning animals. You say well boy, they seem . . . sometimes they . . . and it does. It's amazing. But you can take a parrot and make him talk. It doesn't mean he understands anything. They are parroting out things they have learned. I was watching one and I was amazed how he could call Scripture and quote it, Old and New Testament alike. He didn't have to turn. He's just sitting there, and he'd say something and . . . He was raising money and why you ought to send. But man, he would quote these portions from the Old Testament and from the prophets and jump to the New Testament and he's just reciting these things. He wasn't reading a prompter because he'd close his eyes and he'd be quoting that Scripture and you know; I think amazing. I wouldn't want to get in, you know, a Sword drill where you had to quote Scripture with him. I'd feel like I'd be at a disadvantage. But he really doesn't understand anything.

He is like an unreasoning animal. "Born as creatures of instinct to be captured and killed, reviling where they have no knowledge, will in the destruction of those creatures will also be destroyed." Three times in three verses in this context he talks about how they revile, they blaspheme. They don't understand and so they talk against spiritual things. "They will in the destruction of those creatures be destroyed." They are just like animals. Animals are born to die. In spite of what people think and say and our relationship to animals and their supposed closeness to us. Animals are animals and people are people. The animals have no life after death. I know you know that, and I know it's hard to think your favorite dog is not going to be there. But we know there's not. The comparison here is like animals. These false teachers are born for destruction. They don't understand. They go through life without any spiritual knowledge and understanding; and in the destruction of those creatures, they'll also be destroyed. Two things could be possible here. Could be the comparison they're like the animals and like the animals they'll be destroyed. Or it could be "these creatures" could be referring back to the angels that they reviled. In Jude's parallel we know it seems in the context here he's talking about fallen angels because that's who they revile. These false teachers parade around as though they had some kind of power over the Devil, over the demonic world. We know in Matthew 25 verse 41 “Jesus said, depart from Me you cursed ones into the fire prepared for the Devil and his angels.” The destruction of those creatures, the fallen angels. But these men thought they had such power over them they themselves are going to suffer the same destruction.

"They suffer wrong," verse 13, "as the wages of doing wrong." They count it a pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are stains and blemishes reveling in their deception, as they carouse with you." The wages of sin is death. "They are suffering wrong as the wages of doing wrong." That's their destiny. The soul that sins, it shall die. They count it a pleasure to revel in the daytime. In other words, there is a brazenness. We talk about today - coming out. What we really are saying is people become more brazen in their sin. So it is characteristic of those who have rejected the living God. There is a brazenness about them.

Amazing thing is here we are talking about false teachers. You see men and women, like the Jezebel, and the churches in Asia in the opening part of Revelation, they are tolerated. Now note what he says here at the end of verse 13, "They are stains and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions as they carouse with you." They're reveling in their deception. It's saying these men are operating out of deceit. Sometimes we ask, do they really know they're being deceptive. Well, this would indicate they do. They are twisting and distorting the Scripture. Maybe they don't. Maybe they are self-deceived. They still revel in those deceptions. How proud they are of their teaching. I mean, get this book. I've written this book to help you and it's deceptive.

It's a delusion and yet you'll note the end of that verse, "they are stains and blemishes as they carouse with you." That word "to carouse" you know in Jude, the parallel here, in Jude 12 the reference is to the love feasts that were practiced in New Testament times. Remember in I Corinthians 11 where they had a meal along with their observance that we call communion. Paul there addressed some of the abuses. In Jude 12 he says these false teachers were being welcomed to share in these love feasts which were memorials of the death of Christ and his coming again and they do it without fear. I take it that's probably what is in view is Peter talks here. Rather than they carouse with you they are feasting with you. I mean sure. These false teachers are just welcomed as part of the group. They are stains. They are blemishes. I want you to note. He's not just describing the character and conduct of false teachers. He's describing the character and conduct of false teachers as they have infiltrated the church and are being welcomed. I mean this just amazes me. I cannot comprehend it in one sense.

I get these brochures that I refer to you sometimes on pastors' conferences and leadership training for pastors and that and I am just appalled at the mixture. Out and out heretics and apostates and men who claim to be preachers of the Gospel and here they are coming to the conference. We'll all be there. You can learn how to have a more effective church. I think what in the world. There are stains and blemishes. They are welcome here. What do they do? They have a growing, developing influence among believers because if they are comfortable with them, we begin to think well then, they mustn't be so bad. It just is remarkable. Not new. Keep in mind Peter wrote this almost 2000 years ago under the inspiration of Scripture. I don't want to act like oh this is a unique thing in our day, but it is just as tragic. I'm trying to bite my tongue to not give specific examples.

"They have eyes full of adultery," verse 14, "that never cease from sin; enticing unstable souls, having a heart trained in greed, accursed children; forsaking the right way they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness, but he received a rebuke from his own transgression; for a dumb donkey, speaking with a voice of a man, restrained the madness of a prophet.

You know the sad thing in verse 14 is they entice unstable souls, those who aren't firmly grounded and routed. They begin to think, well maybe there's something to this. You know you look, and you see their programs, you listen to their teaching and if you are not grounded and careful to evaluate pretty soon unstable souls are swept away, caught up in their net. I don't think just unbelievers can be entangled in this. Believers not well grounded. You say we'll don't you see we'll what's the problem here. Aren't you making something out of nothing. I don't think that's what they really teach. I think you are making more of . . . Well, wait a minute. Let's look at what they really teach. Let's examine it step by step and point . . . Oh, you know, don't want to get into all that. So, we are in trouble. Somebody says here can you give me five tens for this fifty. This fifty doesn't look very good. Ah, don't worry about that. Don't get into the details. It's the same size, isn't it? It has a fifty on it, doesn't it? Well, that's good enough, isn't it? I guess so. You'd say you are really stupid. I've got a whole stack of fifties for you. But we come to our theology, and we tend to operate like that. We know that the con men of the world even outside the religious realm often have the most engaging personalities. They are likable people. They seem to be able to make us feel at ease. Our guard is down so we are more susceptible. That's what we're talking about. He gives an example. That's Balaam. Here's a man, a false prophet, a man who did receive revelation from God and he just couldn't give up the opportunity to make money on this deal. He was a cursed man, and you know, even a dumb donkey had to set him straight. They are like unreasoning animals. When it got down to the bottom line, Balaam repeated but what he had been told from God, but he understood nothing. They are like unreasoning animals and when you get to Balaam even a dumb donkey has to bring correction to his life, and he is destroyed with the unrighteous when God destroys them as counted in the Old Testament.

Now what he is going to do beginning with verse 17 is use a couple of metaphors to show that these teachers really have nothing to offer. They really have nothing to offer. I keep referring to them in making examples, but I don't encourage you to read them or watch them. I do it primarily to be aware of what's going on and my responsibility as an elder along with other elders to be aware. But I shared with you before at one time I was in a doctrinal program in a school that I thought was just the kind of mixture we are talking about, and I couldn't stay. I had to tell the dean I couldn’t stay. Why can't you stay? It's wonderful to have you in the program. You bring a dimension to our program. Well, I wasn't really that wonderful. I had to think, you know, I might come out like you. I can't stay.

We want to be careful we don't dapple with things thinks we're all right. It's safe. Oh yea, I'm solid. I can just open myself up to these things. You know what will happen? Pretty soon I find myself thinking that makes some sense. I don't want to underestimate the Devil and his ability to bring confusion to my life if I open myself up to him. I think we ought to be very careful about exposing ourselves to these things and how we do go about it when we do evaluate them and so on.

Look at what they are. Verse 17, "They are springs without water.” You know in parched land of Palestine a spring that had no water was a source of bitter disappointment. It offered something, it promised something that they so desperately needed but it didn't have it. Remember Jesus told the woman at the will in John 14, "Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst. But the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life." These false teachers don't really have the water of life. They can't satisfy, if you will, the thirsty soul. They promise something they are not able to deliver because it's not in their possession. They themselves are dry. You know in John 7:37 and 38 Jesus talked about those who believed in Him would receive the Spirit and the Spirit would be like a river of water flowing out of their innermost being. They are men that parade around, that talk, that boast great things, but they have nothing. They are springs without water. Mists driven by a storm. Jude calls them clouds without water. The point here of the mist driven by a storm, there's no stability of these men. They pick up on whatever is in. They are carried about here and there. They pick up their doctrines not from the work of the Spirit enlightening their understanding through His truth but whatever they grab on to. They have nothing. "For whom the black darkness has been reserved." You know I think one of the most awful descriptions of hell is this: “the blackest of darkness." You know, hell will be the suffering of fire forever. You know with that will be the intense isolation and loneliness of the endless suffering in hell. Repeatedly Scripture tells us that hell is the black darkness. Jesus referred to this description a number of times. Matthew 8:12; 22:13; 25:30. That’s their destiny. Ah well, all my friends will be in hell. That may be but you won't know them because you are going to be in the blackness of darkness suffering horribly in the black darkness forever and ever.

That's where these men are going. Again, I remind you the concern of Peter as the Spirit directs him in the writing of this, it's these kinds of men that are being welcomed at the love feast of the Church. There are stains and blemishes on those feasts, men who were on their way to the black darkness of hell and we have their arms around them, not expressing the love of Christ in calling them to repent and believe the Gospel but as those they were fellow companions in the Gospel. What an awful picture of a lack of discernment in the Church.

"For speaking out arrogant words of vanity." And you note again that these men for them is reserved or has been reserved. Perfect tense, something in the past and it's a settled state, if you will, for them. They have reserved for them. And incidentally in I Peter 1:4 it's the same word in the perfect tense regarding our treasure in heaven. Our inheritance has been reserved in heaven, settled and secured there. Well, these false teachers also have an inheritance, if you will, something reserved for them, but it's the black darkness. "And yet they are speaking out arrogant words of vanity." They are boastful, empty talkers. This word for arrogant was only used twice in the New Testament. Once here and once in the parallel passage in Jude 16. It means that which is overgrown or swollen beyond its natural size. Jude 16 says they speak arrogantly, flattering people. We are gullible about this. We all know what it's like. You are determined, you are going to stand and then this person starts to flatter you and say good things about you, and you just think I just don't know that I . . . you know . . . sure. I mean, you have that to say about me and put our arms around each other. They speak out arrogantly words of vanity." It's emptiness. These are men who really, remember, don't know anything. They are like unreasoning animals when it comes to spiritual things. They really don't know truth. Now it doesn't mean that they can't pull together pieces of truth and give it out. I mean you have to be impressed in the temptation of Christ in Matthew 4 the Devil is really about to martial Scripture and bring it out pretty effectively. “Cast yourself from the temple after all the Scripture does say that He'll give His angels charge over you least you dash your foot.” Good Scripture. Yes, that's right. We ought not be deceived in thinking that the Devil and his servants aren't masters at using Scripture. But it's emptiness. It's not the proper use of Scripture. It's the misuse of Scripture.

In so doing, "speaking out arrogant words of vanity, they entice . . . " A word that was used in verse 14. "Enticing unstable souls." It's the word to lure like you would use bait on a fishhook to lure the fish. Enticing - catching with bait by fleshly desires. That's the bait that's used, the things that appeal to the flesh. By sensuality. You know, who doesn't want to be rich. I wouldn’t like to have more money. I mean would like to have more money just so I can help the church. Uh hmm, sure you would. Sure, I would and maybe we would. Sometimes the Lord does give us more. But do they appeal? Send money and it will be multiplied to you a hundredfold. Just like the widow who first helped the prophet and made him the cake and after she had given it to the prophet then it was multiplied to her so many times. First you have to give to me but it's really for you. And on these kinds of things go and things that appeal. You know, if they were going to heal my body, I don't have to be sick. It's not God's intention for me to suffer. Those appeal to me. Those are things that appeal. Quite frankly we like to hear. Maybe there's not a hell. There's an erosion now among evangelicals as we have talked about it. Some leading figures among evangelicals have come to the conclusion that there not an eternal hell. That concerns me. That is a doctrine that appeals to the flesh. We'd all like to think there's no hell, even as believers. Sometimes you think hell is so awful, so terrible. I hate to think of loved ones and friends and family who will spend an eternity in that black darkness of fiery torment and so someone comes along, and you know, I think have an explanation. You understand that hell is not eternal. That does appeal to the flesh. It's contrary to the Scripture. All of these things have their impact. They're using their teaching of grace to allow for sin. They entice by flesh desires of sensuality, "those who barely escape from those who live in error, promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption." Part of the characteristic of these false teachers as Jude says they are ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness. You know, grace doesn't mean you are free to do whatever you want. Grace means you're free to do and be whatever God wants. But they expand grace to enable us to mean that we are enabled now, and it is all right to indulge in things that are not proper and not fitting. You know these men are promising freedom. They are slaves of corruption. Their situation is the same. Good talking doesn't change reality. They are promising something they themselves don't have. As they are there speaking so boldly and confidently about the freedom in Christ, they themselves are slaves of corruption. They have never been set free. We are taken back because when a person speaks very confidently and boldly about freedom in Christ, I think you are supposed to know something about it. But he's really a slave of corruption. Because by what a man is overcome that is by . . . by this he is enslaved, the end of verse 19. So that dominates them. They are greedy, they are selfish, they are men of the flesh.

He concludes this by, "If after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ . . ." Now that doesn't mean they are truly saved, but it does mean they have come to be exposed to the knowledge of the truth. One of the clearest examples of this was some tapes listen to by several of us here at the church by a man I would call a leading heretic of our day. I have to say in these tapes I have never heard anyone who did a better job of explaining the foundational doctrines of the Scripture than he did. He made reference to the fact there are some people who think I do not know these doctrines. He walked through the biblical reformed Calvinist doctrines and explained them as well or better than I can. I think this is amazing. He escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, but he had stopped short of true saving in him. We have a booklet on this particular man and in that booklet, I evaluate his own writings to show he doesn't believe in sin the way the Bible teaches. He doesn't believe in salvation the way the Bible teaches it. He doesn't believe . . . In all these things he really denies. But if I gave you this set of tapes and didn't tell you who it was, you'd say, wow, I'd like to get more of these man's tapes. He's a heretic. He's on his way to the blackness of darkness and he's one of the most popular speakers around in some of the evangelical conferences and some of the leading evangelicals speak at his conference. We say how can this thing be?

He has escaped the defilement in that he has come to the knowledge and can give it out. That's why they are accepted in the Church. "They are again entangled in them and overcome in the defilements of the world. The last state of them has become worse for them than the first." What does he mean? Verse 21, "It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it to turn away from the holy commandment delivered to them." They've escaped the defilements of the world. They claim to be free. They are offering freedom to others. They claim to know Jesus Christ. The Judaizers were like that, remember. Acts 15 they claimed that faith in Christ was essential and necessary, and they had it. But it was not enough. That's these kinds of teachers that we're talking about. They claim to know Christ as Lord and Savior.

Verse 21, "It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment delivered to them." The way of righteousness. We talked about the way of truth. Remember you enter the narrow gate. You travel the narrow way to life. It's just not a single event, our salvation. Our salvation has a beginning point. That beginning point is the beginning of a way, a road, a life that is lived. They have known the way of righteousness, but they have rejected it.

"They turn from the holy commandment handed on to them." That holy commandment is the Gospel which requires holiness without which no man will see the Lord. The holiness of life that Peter has talked about in first epistle in chapter 1. In Matthew and we don't have time to look at all these references there's that emphasis. You know exposure to the truth is a serious matter. It is a condemning matter if it is not received and believed. A person who hears the truth and rejects it is in a much worse position and condition before God than a person who has never heard. We say well it'd be better not to hear. But faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. There's no opportunity to be saved apart from hearing the truth. But for one to hear the truth and reject it. Remember, Jesus said it would be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than the cities in which He ministered because they have greater light. Thus, greater accountability and thus greater condemnation.

Here in Peter, just back up a few pages to Hebrews just one passage. Hebrews chapter 10, look at verse 29. It talks in verse 28, “Under Moses law you died without mercy when two or three witnesses bore testimony against you. How much severe punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified and has insulted the Spirit of grace." He's writing to Jews who are in danger of all their knowledge of stopping short of truly believing in Christ. The writer to the Hebrews says this is a fearful condition you're in because from God's perspective you deserve a more severe punishment because you are trampling under foot the Son of God. You have had Him presented to you, you have heard the truth and you say it's not for me. That's trampling under foot the Son of God. You are regarding as unclean, if you would really appreciate the seriousness of this, the blood of the covenant, the death of Christ, provided for the new covenant and our salvation. You are insulting the Spirit of grace. You are spitting in the face of the Spirit of God, if you will, to use that picture. You are insulting him, rejecting the offer that he has brought to you. Come back to Peter. That's what we're saying here about these false teachers. They have escaped the defilements of the world and they have come to the knowledge of Christ, the truth of the Gospel has been presented to him, the way of salvation is before them, they turn back. It would have been better that they had never known the way of truth, than to have heard the Gospel and rejected it.

Then you have that striking picture. "It's happened to them according to a true proverb, 'A dog returns to its vomit,' and 'a sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire.'" A dog is a dog. It's a disgusting picture. It makes you sick, doesn't it? A dog returns to his own vomit. Ahhh. You can wash up a pig but what do you have? A washed-up pig. Given the first chance what's he want to do? Get back in the mire. That's where these false teachers reveal. Their character never changed. They like their sin. They like the flesh. That's where they live. They are there by their nature and by their choice.

Indicates the futility of moral reformation kinds of works. Again, we don't have time to go into that, but Jesus talked about that. You know, you cast a demon out of man, and he comes back, and he finds the place is cleaned out. He just brings more demons that are worse with him. Moral reformation can't clean up a life. You need regeneration. These false teachers, they can quote verses, they can talk convincingly. They are still unreasoning animals. They are still dogs that will return to their vomit and pigs that will go back to the mire. We say this is an awful, ugly picture. I take it we ought to keep it's ugliness before us otherwise we begin to think these men are not so bad; and you know there can be some elasticity here and you know, well yes, but. Yes, but. We here in the evangelical Roman Catholic dialogue. Well, we don't agree on the issues of salvation but there's enough agreement for us to work together and pretty soon people have gotten confused on what we don’t agree on salvation. Now the distinction is blurred, and it goes on and on and on. All we have to do is come back and read and say wow not my favorite portion of Scripture I guess but one of the very necessary portions of Scripture. Does that mean we're the only ones right? No. But it does mean as the people of God we are to exercise the discernment that is revealed here and praise God. Our eyes have been opened not because we are better than these but because God's grace has been bestowed upon us to open our blinded eyes to see and believe the truth. That truth is to be precious to us and is to be the controlling influence in our life and the ministry of the church of Jesus Christ. Let's pray together.

Thank you, Lord, for Your truth. Thank you, Lord, for the very graphic portion of Your Word we've just considered. Unpleasant in many aspects but necessary. Lord may Your truth be precious to us. May You be precious to us. May our love for You be a passion. Lord, may we have a love for the lost, a desire for their salvation. Lord, may we have an intolerance toward those who would corrupt your truth that those who would present themselves as friends who really do not know you. May we be careful. May we be discerning so that the Gospel which is the power of our God for salvation might continue to go forth in its purity by Your grace to transform lives, to make men, women and young people new creatures in Christ and bring them to maturity in that new life. We pray in Christ's name, amen.