… they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning.
Summary: Peter continues his discourse on the consequences of being a false teacher. There is a ‘red line’ that is crossed when they drag others down with them.
Are you better off now than you were a year ago? I hope so! Life has a certain progression to it. As we learn, we gain experience, and we also (hopefully) gain wisdom and knowledge. It is wisdom and knowledge that make us valuable in business and life. As we gain value, things improve for us.
Some people do not seem to learn. They insist that life should conform to their desires. It should be easy. It should be fun. They should not have to work.
I know a man who works hard (when he works) and is pleasant to be around. He seems to have a natural intelligence even though he is not well educated. He is physically strong, and so most of his income is from hard, physical labor.
Somehow, he is always desperate for money. He likes to go to the casinos, and he likes to smoke cigarettes. His love life involves drifting from one relationship to another. The only thing certain in his life is the uncertainty he faces every morning.
He seems to like it this way.
Sadly, he is never better off for having earned a good day’s wages. At the end of the day, he is worse off than he was at the beginning.
The false teacher does the same thing. They have tasted the freedom that comes with knowing Jesus, but at the end of the day, they return to the corruption they are comfortable with. Why? Why would anybody do that?
It is not mine to know or to judge their fitness for heaven, and for that, I am glad. It is mine to judge behaviors (Luke 12:57) and with God’s help, to discern what is right. God gives us wisdom if we ask (James 1:5). There is no excuse not to have the wisdom we need.
Our journey in faith sometimes brings us into contact with people who are false teachers. We may not recognize them at first. We may try to follow their teachings. But God is faithful, and if we are attentive to his Spirit and his Word, the truth will put us back on the right course. Sometimes that means leaving people behind.
As hard as it is to walk away, when we do, we leave behind a question mark: Why did they leave? The correct answer might lead someone else to the right answer about life.
If we are to follow Jesus, we have to cut the cords that bind us to the world. We have to let go of what the world offers. When we turn our eyes on Jesus, we turn them away from heresies, fabricated stories, and self-indulgence.
The person who goes back chooses a hard path. The person who goes back and teaches others to do the same crosses a red line. As Peter says in verse nine, “…the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment.” And their punishment? “Blackest darkness is reserved for them.” (2 Peter 2:17)
The man who is trapped by poor choices and bad habits might still end up in heaven. The Lord’s mercy is beyond measure. But the man who perverts the Word of God is playing with fire; eternal fire.
Application: Ask God for wisdom to follow his teachings and avoid false teachers.
Food for Thought: How does walking away from a false teacher serve God’s purposes?
Looks like everyone left the blog…….
We are supposed to lift up and encourage fellow believers not people who lead the children of Christ in the wrong direction.
Mr. T,
Some days are busier than others. I am glad you are here! (Or were you making a point about false teachers?? 🙂 )
Semper Fi Dog!
How does walking away from a false teacher serve God’s purposes?
I think don’t you initially walk away. At first you assume the best, a Christian who has gotten something wrong can be corrected. So you take Matthew 18 into action. Through that process they have the option to listen, hear the gospel of truth and to change. If they don’t, their fruit will show them to be false.
Then walking away at that point is protecting yourself, perhaps your family, and could make others question why this teacher doesn’t have your support. Then they too have the option to choose truth.
A —
Exactly right. There is a process. There are attempts to discuss, to find common ground. The good teacher embraces these and uses them for ‘teaching moments.’ The false teacher is offended personally because their authority is being questioned.
We do not walk away in a huff. Rather as you point out, for spiritual protection of self and others. I love that you point out, “Then they too have the option to choose truth.” Sometimes it takes that kind of wakeup call to open people’s eyes.
To walk away from error is one thing. But to walk toward the truth is another. Sometimes people leave a cult only to embrace atheism or another cult. We need to walk in the truth. Jesus is truth. His word is truth. If we are walking toward and in Jesus, according to His word, then we are walking the right direction. Check out 2 John; 3 John 1: 4.
Rich,
Well said! Walking in truth is the path we want to be on.
I like that thought of always keeping our eyes on Jesus. Always moving closer towards Him.
11-27-2021, 2 Peter 2:20d, How does walking away from a false teacher serve God’s purposes?
Jesus has very clearly given us our priorities in Matthew and Mark.
Matthew 22: 37-39, Mark 12:30-31, And He said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
To accomplish these, I beleive we must by the power of Christ,
“ Seek first the Kingdom of God and all His Righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” Matthew 6:33
Me fooling around with false teachers will only detract from the mission I have been given by Christ, and ignore God’s clear instructions to avoid them. So I walk away.
1 Corinthians 5:11; 2 Thessalonians 3:6, 3:14-15; 2 Timothy 3:5;
2 John 1:10-11, Romans 16:17-18.
Ron,
Great reference verses!
You make an interesting point if I understand you correctly: If the Enemy detracts us from God’s work, he has won the scrimmage. It is best of we stay on task.
You Got It!
Mr T saw it also. Marines are trained to always remember their primary objective, always remain focused in their assigned sector of fire.
Your correct Ron. But sometimes it’s so distracting when you feel like you can take on the enemy. You take one step off your mission and find out it’s an ambush or a trap. Kinda ironic how you train to fight but then a successful mission is no shots fired, nobody knows about you.
You got it Mr T, and we all go home!
👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻