2 Peter 2:21b — The Ring

… than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them.

Summary: Marriage is a metaphor that is used many times in the Bible. As we work to understand Peter’s words, it helps to turn to that metaphor once again. 

If Satan wanted to sow discord in the Body of Christ, he could hardly do any better than having false teachers teach destructive heresies. As we discussed earlier, Satan was the first one to introduce a destructive heresy. He questioned God’s word and sowed doubt in the mind of Eve. Then he offered a plausible-sounding alternative that led to the sinful state of the world.

God’s plan for the redemption of his creation was both elaborate and costly. It involved raising up a nation of people to be his alone. He then had to teach them about his ways, and the cost of disobedience. Finally, he became part of his creation, submitted himself to human authority, and allowed his Son to be sacrificed for the sins of all mankind throughout all of history. In return for this sacrifice, God provided a path for redemption (John 3: 16): belief in his Son, Jesus Christ.

What a costly gift! All of history has been centered on the sacrifice of God’s Son. Everything leading up to the cross pointed to God’s plan for redemption. Everything after the cross pointed to God’s gift of salvation.

Imagine for a moment, a man falling in love with a woman. He courts her, pays attention to her, and gives her gifts. Eventually, the day comes when he proposes marriage. As a sign of his love, he gives her a ring with an expensive diamond mounted in the finest gold.

Now imagine that the woman accepts the man’s proposal, puts the ring on her finger, and continues to see all of her former boyfriends. She attends all the parties and flirts with all the guys. She shows no restraint when it comes to indulging her desire for attention and affection. What do you suppose will happen to her betrothal?

The man who loves her is not a fool. He desires to be the center of her life. She wants to be the center of everyone’s attention. She likes him, but she cannot limit herself to just one man. The wedding never happens.

The ‘sacred command’ that Peter refers to is the ring God offers to each one of us. He wants to be the center of our lives. He wants to pour himself into us. He wants the fulfillment that we see in the most perfect of human love stories.

This is hard for us to accept and understand. We are not worthy of his love. We have nothing of value to offer him except ourselves and our devotion. That is all we have to offer. The false teachers that Peter talks about are unwilling to submit to God’s love. It is as if they see what is happening; they know God is courting them, and they reach out for the ring. But they do not give their heart in return.

The heart of the false teacher is everywhere but where God is. They pretend to belong to God because being seen as God’s servant opens doors. They step into the spotlight and try to steal away the love people bring to God. The false teacher is not just a woman who wants to play the field while she wears a man’s ring. The false teacher plays the field and teaches others to do the same thing.

She knows the rules and flaunts them. She knows God and yet withholds her heart from him. She is a bride who is not a bride. She is a disaster waiting to happen, and though she thinks she has covered her tracks, God sees everything.

Application: Think about yourself as the bride of Christ. 

Food for Thought: What do you think Peter means by “sacred command”?