We noted last week that God warns Christians of false prophets and teachers even inside Christian churches!
False teachers will (from 2 Peter 2):
interpret the Bible out of context
say there are many ways to get to heaven, not just Jesus Christ
promise a cure-all for all problems
find excuses not to obey the Bible
take advantage of people for their own pleasure
focus on what feels good
Does God really have to tell us that there will be false teachers? False teachers are so prevalent today in all types of media; and we are hearing more and more of them in churches. God’s Word is true; when He said there will be false teachers, even inside churches, there will be false teachers!
Why does God tell us? – to warn us! Our job today as Christians is to watch out for these false teachers and avoid them!
Now, should we be discouraged about God allowing these false teachers around us?
Let us learn, be warned, and actually be encouraged from 2 Peter 2 what God will do with false prophets and teachers! Please open your Bibles to 2 Peter 2…
Let us pray our prayer of commitment to God’s Word shall we……..
Instead of reading the entire chapter again, let us read the passages relating to God’s judgment of these false teachers. Let’s start with me v3-9…..
What will God do to false prophets and teachers?
v3: false teachers will be condemned and destroyed. In other words, God will put away and eventually get rid of false teachers.
How do we know God will do this? God gives examples of what He has done in the past! God has a proven record!
Is it interesting that over and over again God reveals His proven record but yet people still disobey God, including us!
And so, what did God do so far regarding judgment of sin?
v4: God sent sinful angels to a place called hell.
There are a couple of things we can note from this verse:
1. Angels in heaven sinned against God.
Angels were created with free will and many rebelled against God! We can note God’s love (giving created creatures free will) but also His holiness and power!
The rebellion against God was led by Satan who disobeyed God in heaven; many angels followed Satan; the Bible tells us that these sinful angels are called demons and some of them are allowed to roam the earth but many are locked up in a place called hell at this time; God does tell us that in the future He will release these demons on the earth as part of judgment on sinful man. Trust Jesus Christ and escape this judgment!
What else can we note from v4? There is a place called hell; and what can we note about this place?
2. Hell is a real place:
• full of gloomy dungeons!
• a holding place for judgment!
• where demons are!
What other examples does God give which tells us He will do what He says about judgment?
v5: God drowned all ungodly people with a worldwide flood; only 8 people were saved.
v6: God burned to death all ungodly people in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.
As God judged the ungodly in the past, God will certainly judge the ungodly of the present and future!
God tells us in 2 Peter how God will judge the ungodly:
v9: it is a continuing punishment
Read along with me now v12-13….
v12: like wild animals, the ungodly will be caught, destroyed, and perish!
v13a: will be given the same harm they have caused.
v13c: are blots and blemishes.
Let us read v17-22 to finish the chapter….
v17b: blackest darkness are reserved for them. How dark is dark?? God is serious about judgment! Darkness is not enough for false teachers
v22: will wallow in their own filth!
What Biblical principles from these passages can we apply to our lives today?
1. God will do what He says!
Let us always meditate day and night on who God is and what He says!
2. God is Holy and will always judge sin!
There are always consequences to sin (disobeying God)!
Jesus suffered and died for all our sins; and our sins negatively impact our own lives and lives of others!
And those who do not believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior will face eternal judgment of sin along with satan and all the demons.
3. The final judgment for all unbelievers of Jesus Christ is to a real place called hell, where there will be eternal torment.
Believe and trust in Jesus Christ right now if you have never done so!
Let us close by noting God’s warning in v20-22; read that again with me….
God’s warning are for those who would choose Christianity only for a short time; the warning is for those who do not persevere in their faith in Jesus Christ; likely it was just head knowledge of Jesus Christ and not really a trust of Jesus in the heart.
Yes, we must know who Jesus Christ is intellectually, but not taking action or persevering in what we know is really not saving faith. What we should know intellectually is that Jesus Christ is Savior and God. What we must do with our knowledge of Jesus Christ is to persevere in living out that knowledge. Let us cite again Hebrews 12:1-2, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith…
4. Live everyday a life focused on Jesus Christ! (Hebrews 12:1-2)!
Remember this, for you, who believe and persevere in Jesus Christ, you will have the opposite of what is reserved for false teachers!
As a Christian growing in your relationship with Jesus Christ, instead of being condemned and destroyed, you will be honored and live forever with God in heaven!
Instead of continued punishment, as a maturing Christian you will receive endless blessings!
Instead of being caught and destroyed, as a maturing Christian you will handled with great care and perfected!
Instead of receiving harm (even though you have caused some), as a maturing Christian you will receive perfect healing!
Instead of being a blot and a blemish, as a maturing Christian you will be a shining star!
Instead of being in the blackest of darkness, as a maturing Christian you will be in constant glorious light!
Instead of forever wallowing in filth, as a maturing Christian you will be forever feasting in a great banquet!
