Title: Characteristics of the Cursed - Part 2

Text: II Peter 2:17-22

FCF: We often struggle knowing who to listen to and when to follow.

Prop: Because false teachers promise what they do not have because they are slaves to their nature, we must remember what we’ve been taught and obey the command we have been given.

Scripture Intro:

[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to II Peter 2.

Last week Peter began a character sketch of the false teachers that will soon be or have already targeted the congregations throughout Asia Minor. He describes them as men who in their arrogance and insolence, irreverently spurn authority. Even authority that is created higher in order. Like fallen angels. But they are also brazen. They flaunt their sin practices and even try to entice others to participate.

It is interesting to note that for Peter discussing these people as false prophets or teachers – he has focused up to this point on their lifestyles and not their actual doctrinal beliefs.

Today he will continue to flesh out who these people are, and we’ll see where he goes.

I am in II Peter 2 starting in verse 17. I’ll be reading from the NET today which is on page 1370 in the pew bible. But you can follow in whatever version you prefer.

Transition:

We have the longer of the 2 part sermons this week. There is much to cover. So buckle up and lets dive in.

I.) False teachers look good on the outside but are empty within, so we must remember what we have been taught and obey the command we have been given. (17-19)

a. [Slide 2] 17 – These men are waterless springs

i. Peter continues his characterization of the cursed by adding two metaphors to describe the third characteristic of these false teachers.

ii. Imagine a dessert place, dry and weary. A land empty of moisture and life.

iii. But you are accustomed to the heat. You are from this area. So, you plan a journey according to where you can get water.

iv. In your planning there is no way to arrive at your destination without stopping at a natural spring. You know it will be crowded but such a spring will sustain you long enough to get to the next city.

v. So, you set out and make your journey. You use your resources you brought without any hesitation, knowing that you will arrive soon at the oasis where you can fill your bottles with the water from the spring.

vi. But when you arrive you find it barren. Empty. Waterless. And has been for some time.

vii. The natural spring – has dried up.

viii. Not only are you unable to fill your bottles, but you don’t have the supplies to get to the next city.

ix. In a word – you are trapped.

x. These men, are springs promising abundant life and providing none.

b. [Slide 3] And mists driven by a storm,

i. This image is less clear.

ii. Either this is reaffirming that they promise something they cannot deliver (like clouds without rain), or it illustrates how they are driven away (by a storm) from the truth because they have forsaken the way of righteousness.

c. [Slide 4] For whom utter depths of darkness have been reserved.

i. Because they have abandoned the way of truth and because they are waterless springs, they have been reserved for utter darkness.

ii. Their judgment will come. Just as the angels who left their place, just as the world in Noah’s day, just as Sodom and Gomorrah. God knows how to reserve the wicked for judgment.

d. [Slide 5] 18 – For by speaking high-sounding but empty words they are able to entice, with fleshly desires and with debauchery, people who have just escaped from those who reside in error.

i. Going back to waterless springs and clouds that promise rain but never deliver, Peter breaks through the metaphor to spell out exactly what he means by that.

ii. The false teachers are charismatic. They are energetic. They have a message that is well articulated and seemingly well thought out. They can “prove” it from the scriptures.

iii. Yet these are empty words. They have no substance.

iv. But if it really is empty and if it is antithetical to what the apostles taught, why are these words, no matter how well spoken, how are they able to entice people?

v. How was the snake able to entice Eve? Pleasing to the eyes, good for the body, and able to make us wise.

vi. What they are offering feeds the basic sin nature we are all born with. It offers something that looks good. Something that is natural and normal. Something that is a great benefit to us individually. But we must reach out and take it ourselves. And to reach out and take it for ourselves, we must violate a command of God.

vii. But the final component here that completes this transaction, is that the people they are able to entice are those who have just escaped from those who reside in error. What does that mean?

viii. Quite simply these are very new believers. Those who have made a profession of faith and have separated themselves from the world.

ix. Enter the snakes to tempt them with a half step version of Christianity.

x. “You’ve gone too far!” They might say. “You’ve isolated yourself. Don’t worry about these things that the apostles are calling sins. It isn’t like Jesus is going to judge you for them. Remember your sins are forgiven. There is no judgment to come! So, live like you want. Jesus loves you.”

xi. As seasoned Christians we smell the stink of death and the smoke of hell all over such statements. But when you have a young believer, easily influenced, these words could entice them to follow their desires into sin.

e. [Slide 6] 19 – Although these false teachers promise such people freedom, they themselves are enslaved to immorality.

i. Seasoned Christians have no doubt heard this argument countless times.

ii. “God just wants to keep you from all the best stuff.”

iii. “Why does your God want you to be such Puritans!”

iv. “I couldn’t be a Christian, I’d feel too trapped.”

v. Or even today – “Christianity is a religious tool used by white oppressors to keep minorities and women suppressed. We need to break free from Christianity’s chains. Only then will we have a truly free society.”

vi. Yeah – false teachers promise freedom.

vii. But these false teachers offer a freedom that that they do not have themselves. They offer freedom from the law, but in reality, they are slaves to immorality or more likely – depravity.

viii. Enslaved by A sin – sure – but more likely enslaved by a sin NATURE is what Peter is saying.

f. [Slide 7] For whatever a person succumbs to, to that he is enslaved.

i. Whatever overcomes you…

ii. Whatever overpowers you…

iii. Whatever undoes you…

iv. Whatever dominates you…

v. That is your master.

vi. There is no such thing as spiritual freedom.

vii. You are either a slave to your flesh, Satan, sin, and death, inheriting the whirlwind of the wrath of God.

viii. Or you are a slave to Christ and His righteousness, inheriting life and life everlasting.

ix. Either way you are a slave. But as the apostles found… slavery to Christ… redefines the word freedom. Can you call it slavery when it is the best thing that could ever happen to us? Can you call it slavery when it was exactly what you were made for?

x. Is the Phillips head screw a slave to the turning of the Phillips head screw driver? Maybe… but this was the reason that screw was created. To turn with the screw driver and be anchored into the wall.

xi. True freedom only exists in slavery to Christ.

g. [Slide 8] Passage Truth: So, Peter teaches his audience the third characteristic of the cursed. They offer great promises of freedom and comfort, but are themselves enslaved to their own sin nature.

h. [Slide 9] Passage Application: So, Peter’s audience must mark these men, refusing to follow them in their sin, and protecting new believers from their influence.

i. [Slide 10] Broader Biblical Truth: Zooming out to all of scripture we find that false prophets in the Old Testament would frequently tell the King of Israel what they wanted to hear. It made them very popular. In fact, Jonah’s first prophesy was that the northern Kingdom would expand its land. When we studied Jonah in Foundations, we wondered if that was one reason Jonah did not want to preach a message that would lead to the conversion of one of Israel’s greatest enemies. And in the New Testament Paul warns that people in the last days will have itching ears and accumulate for themselves teachers who will tell them what they want to hear. But the warning here is sobering. There is only freedom in knowing and obeying Christ. All other freedoms are false. So when a prophet, preacher, apostle, or seer tells you what you want to hear, what feeds your flesh, what gratifies your natural desires… he is false.

j. [Slide 11] Broader Biblical Application: So CBC, we must be careful to preach Christ and His commands. We must not be too light on sin, for even though we know that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ, we have been predestined to be conformed to Christ and to grow into His full stature. Our goal is perfect submission and flawless obedience. We know we will never achieve it in this life, that is why we must be merciful to one another when we fail. But we also bear each other’s burden in this and help each other to stand and obey again. We also must mark those who encourage us to sin in ways the scripture expressly forbids. Whether through a “new interpretation” of scripture or not using the scripture at all, we must be wary of someone who is light on sin, or who indicates in any way that God is not all that offended by our transgressions. And finally, we must pay particular attention to those who are new believers, young in the faith. They are particularly vulnerable to the lies of apostatizing teachers. Let us grow them in the faith so they may stand firm against the fiery darts of the evil one.

Transition:

[Slide 12 (blank)] Peter has almost concluded his character sketch of the cursed. He has only one more characteristic he wishes to make plain. But in here we find some fairly chilling words.

II.) False teachers are slaves to their sin nature, so we must remember what we have been taught and obey the command we have been given. (20-22)

a. [Slide 13] 20 – For if after they have escaped the filthy things of the world through the rich knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they again get entangled in them and succumb to them, their last state has become worse for them than their first.

i. This is a notoriously difficult verse to consider.

ii. Why is that?

iii. Well in the doctrinal landscape of this country there are very few… remarkably few who would ever say that a person can actually lose or reject their own salvation.

iv. Even some of the most hard-core advocates for human free will would really balk at the idea that once a person is saved, their own will could deconvert or unsave them.

v. So most American or Western Christians would come to this verse and be very uncomfortable with what Peter is saying.

vi. But before we rush to any judgments, let’s dig in.

vii. [Slide 14] If they have escaped the filthy things of this world

1. What could this phrase mean?

2. So first, Peter puts this in an if…then construction. This could set up a hypothetical on Peter’s end, however, the verbs in the sentence do not use the Greek mood that is normally used to set up a hypothetical.

3. So Peter is probably not considering an if…then construction that is improbable or impossible. In fact, he is speaking of a real condition. Something that is fairly axiomatic. It is almost proverbial.

4. Then Peter describes the protasis, that if they after having escaped the filthy things of the world… we’ll pause here. Turn back to verse 4 of chapter 1 with me. Let’s read that together

5. “Through these things he has bestowed on us his precious and most magnificent promises, so that by means of what was promised you may become partakers of the divine nature, after escaping the worldly corruption that is produced by evil desire.”

6. That sounds pretty similar to what he says here of these apostates doesn’t it?

7. Well, just wait, it only gets more difficult…

viii. [Slide 15] Through the rich knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,

1. So, Peter has actually talked about the knowledge of Christ quite a bit so far.

a. In 1:2, Peter wishes for God’s grace and peace to be lavished on his audience as they grow in the rich knowledge of God and Jesus.

b. In 1: 3, Peter says that it is through the rich knowledge of God that God’s power gives all that we need for a godly life.

c. And in 1:8, we are assured that if we can be described with increasing spiritual virtues, we will be kept or protected against being lazy in pursuing the knowledge of Christ and from being unprofitable in our knowledge of Christ.

2. So, what does he say here? That they were able to escape the filthy things of this world through a knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

3. My friends, Peter is using Christian jargon to describe these people. All indicators in this passage point to a person who was genuinely converted to Christ.

4. Peter describes a person who left the filthy things of this world as a direct result of the saving knowledge of Christ.

5. But after doing this…

ix. [Slide 16] They again get entangled and succumb to them.

1. Those same filthy things of the world…

2. That same corruption they escaped by knowing Christ…

3. They once again entangle themselves in them and are defeated or give in.

4. So, Peter’s if…then… presents a person who by the knowledge of Christ has escaped the corruption of sin, only to find themselves in it once again, but not just in it… defeated by it. Succumbing to it. Loving it.

5. If all this is true… what is the REAL conclusion?

x. [Slide 17] their last state has become worse for them than their first.

1. Peter does not elaborate on this statement at all.

2. He simply suggests that as an entrapped and defeated person in the filthy things of this world, they are in a worse predicament now than they were prior to receiving the knowledge of Christ and escaping the filthy things.

3. Peter goes on…

b. [Slide 18] 21 – For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than, having known it, to turn back from the holy commandment that had been delivered to them.

i. What do we make of this statement?

ii. How is it better to be a sinner who never hears the gospel, the holy command to repent and believe on Christ, to be holy, to love God and to love others… how is it better to never hear such things than to hear them, receive them, begin in them, and then turn back?

iii. Peter does not explain. He doesn’t actually give us the answer.

iv. But before we move on, let me just say this.

v. According to what we just saw, Peter is most assuredly teaching, not only that it is possible to be truly saved and reject your salvation… but that to do so, means you will never return from it.

vi. “Ok Chris… where’s the but…”

vii. No buts.

viii. Peter is warning the false teachers, the new believers, and everyone in the churches in Asia Minor about this real truth. There is no forgiveness for someone who receives Christ and is washed from his sin only to return to and be dominated by it.

ix. Like Lot’s wife, who escaped the city but was destroyed because she turned back… so are apostates.

x. Peter stops short of calling these men the elect or children of God… but the description of them before they went back to be dominated by their sin again… is the same description he uses earlier to talk about Christians.

xi. “So… are you saying that the bible doesn’t teach eternal security?”

xii. No. “Whew!”

xiii. What I am saying is, that these two verses do not teach eternal security.

xiv. “Oh boy. So, what does that mean for us? The bible has contradictions? How can the bible both teach that those who are Christians are eternally secure and that those who are Christians can reject their own salvation by going back to and being defeated by their previous sins?”

xv. I am tempted to conclude the sermon here.

xvi. The force of Peter’s words on the original audience would have been like jumping into icy water.

xvii. It would be difficult to achieve that today with our desire to quickly microwave all our problems away.

xviii. To end the sermon here would leave you as uncomfortable as his original audience probably felt.

xix. But Peter concludes his thought in verse 22… and as it is, verse 22 gives us the harmonization we seek.

c. [Slide 19] 22 – They are illustrations of this true proverb:

i. Peter is going to give us a proverb.

ii. He says it is one proverb which means that both statements are actually the same truth encapsulated in parallel illustrations.

d. [Slide 20] “A dog returns to its own vomit,” And “A sow, after washing herself, wallows in the mire.”

i. I have, just, so much to say on this little proverb, that it is a little overwhelming to try to figure out how best to construct my thoughts.

ii. First, this is the 3rd and 4th time in the characteristics of the cursed that Peter has mentioned the animal Kingdom in reference to these men. This is beyond a pattern… this is a thread of Peter’s thought. So, what has he said so far about animals?

1. These men are like animals when they irreverently rebuke fallen angelic beings. Why?

a. They prove themselves to be foolish, unreasoning, and unthinking – acting by nature- on instinct.

b. They submit themselves to the capture and destruction of these fallen angelic beings as they become tools to be used by them and taken in their destruction with them.

2. These men are like Balaam who though claiming to be a seer was more foolish than his donkey who rebuked him for his greed.

3. And now here they are compared to dogs and pigs.

iii. Before we analyze the proverbs themselves, we must make an observation. Throughout the 1st century world, both pagan and Jewish culture considered dogs and pigs to be filthy and appalling beasts. Throughout the scriptures, including in Matthew 7 – dogs and pigs are viewed as wicked or unholy creatures. Creatures that eat garbage and generally are shunned.

iv. So, when we read this proverb don’t think “man’s best friend” and teacup pig ok? Think rats and cockroaches.

v. But what is said specifically?

1. A dog returns to his own vomit.

a. Not being a “dog person” – and I just alienated like half of you. Look I don’t mind dogs… at your house. Anyway – not being a dog person, I wondered… is this true? Is it true that dogs eat their own vomit – often enough to conclude it as an axiom?

b. After a quick google search it was fairly unanimous. Yes. Dogs eat their own vomit. Many sites (that were not Christian sites) mentioned first and foremost that it is actually natural instinct. It is a response to the stimuli. The vomit smells like food so they eat it.

c. Indeed, a veterinarian site, responding to the question “should I stop my dog from eating his own vomit?” stated… no. There is no harm in them doing it. It’s natural.

d. And you wonder why I’m NOT a dog person? I think y’all have more explaining to do