…so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position.
Summary: Peter warns us against letting our guard down.
This passage finishes Peter’s thought when he started his warning. He does not want us to “fall from [our] secure position.”
It sounds a little odd to suggest that someone could fall from a secure position, but it happens all the time. One example that comes to mind is a business that is built on a solid financial footing and then overextends itself. They were in a secure place but decided to take a risk.
Suppose someone is walking along the edge of a cliff. They have a secure place to walk, but wanting a better view, they leave the trail and walk out to the edge of the cliff. Maybe they can walk back or perhaps they fall. The risk increases the closer we get to the edge.
As Christians, we have a secure position in Christ, but that does not mean we cannot take a risk. Peter has warned us that there will be false teachers. Is a believer who follows a false teacher taking a risk? Peter seems to think so. He then warns us about scoffers that come. Is letting a scoffer shame is into denying Christ a risk? Mmmm… Could be.
Charles Templeton is a famous example of someone who had a secure position in Christ who then turned his back on him. Templeton was co-founder of Youth For Christ International and later preached alongside Billy Graham as a crusader for Christ. Fourteen years after the founding of Youth for Christ International, he left the ministry and left the faith.
Imagine standing beside Billy Graham preaching to thousands of people at a time and then, many years later, writing a book about no longer believing in God. Does the name “Judas” come to mind?
I suspect that his fall from faith was not instantaneous. It likely began with little things. Perhaps it was being unwilling to forgive a disagreement? Possibly his faith was built on human theology rather than Scripture? I am only guessing, but it seems likely that Satan found some weakness and exploited it. Which brings us to the question, “What is the ‘error of the lawless’?”
The “lawless” are those without the law. And what is the law? Under the New Covenant, Jesus asks that we love one another as he loved us (John 13:34, 15:12, 15:17). So it would seem that the ‘error of lawlessness’ is not loving as God loves us. Remember, we are not talking of emotional love here, although that may be part of it. To love as God loves is agapé; a selfless giving for the benefit of another.
It does not take much to lead us down the path of “me first” and the find we have slipped off of the edge of the cliff. Once again I am reminded of Peter’s words offering the way of staying focused on God and not letting lawlessness carry us off: Faith + goodness + knowledge + self-control + perseverance + godliness + mutual affection + love. (2 Peter 1: 5-7)
Application: Understand that there are serious consequences to ignoring Peter’s advice.
Food for Thought: How does the error of lawlessness carry us away?
01-24-2022, 2 Peter 3: 17b, How does the error of lawlessness carry us away?
RIGHTEOUSNESS, Websters Dictionary:
PURITY OF HEART and moral integrity of life; CONFORMITY OF HEART and life to the divine law, holy principles and AFFECTIONS OF THE HEART, and conformity of life to the divine law.
A contrite heart or spirit is when our inner person or will has been broken so we no longer run after the things we want, but surrender to the things that God wants. Our broken heart or will says I will no longer do this my way or on my terms but I will surrender to His ways.
We are carried away from righteousness and into lawlessness the moment we take our eyes off the Lord and allow anything to contaminate a contrite heart toward God. Just as Peter walked on water as long as he kept his eyes on the Lord.
John 14:21 “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
If we do worship Him we WILL keep His commands, and only if we keep His commands can we be loved by Jesus, the Lord God Almighty.
Ron,
Excellent meditation! Thank you.
I have been pondering the concept of authority this weekend. We each have authority over our own lives. Surrendering to God is realizing that our authority is limited, weak, imperfect. Then we can submit to God’s authority.
Totally Jeff, Thanks!
I like the illustration you gave of walking from the safety of the path to the edge. Having hiked once or twice I can relate to this scenario. What also comes to mind is that sometimes its hard to find your way back to the path because once you have ventured out onto the edge because your perspective changes. Its easy to become disoriented. You might find yourself walking the wrong way or on the wrong path. I believe that is how the error of lawlessness can carry us away. It is important to think about what your are doing, and where it fits into God’s plan.
Romans 6:19 “I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.”
Chris,
I can relate to going down the ‘wrong path’ too. 🙂 There are lots of ways to go wrong and only one way to go right: to follow Jesus.
Romans 12:1-2
Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
Usually when I see these verses we’re looking at what we’re supposed to do, but today I’m going to look at what we’re not supposed to do.
I’d argue that being conformed to this world is how I’ve might be carried away.
Conform: to comply with, to behave according to, to agree, to be similar.
The direct opposite of living as a holy sacrifice.
What does that look like? Valuing the world or people above God. Saying by action that their laws are higher than His, their ways are higher than His, to copy them instead of trying to copy Christ, being accepted by sinners and accepting them and their behavior.
The error of lawlessness is only a danger if we agree with it and live by it.
A-
Excellent meditation! Thank you!!
I appreciate all the comments and verses. I will add James 1: 13 – 15. We are carried away by our sin being unchecked which leads to death (spiritual death I believe is in view).
According to Strong’s, the Greek word for lawless in the 2 Peter passage can also mean unrestrained, licentious or unprincipled. When we are lawless we are refusing to submit to the Lord and are in rebellion. We are unrestrained. This is the same attitude as the Antichrist in the last days. 2Thessalonians 2: 3 – 12. As believers we have a different fate if we truly are in Christ. But we can still rebel against God in the moment (sin) and pursue our own way. It always comes with destructive consequences for ourselves and/or others.
Repentance and walking in the Spirit on a minute to minute basis is a guard against lawlessness. There is no lawlessness in or law against walking in the Spirit and it bears good fruit. Galatians 5: 22 – 23.
Rich,
I appreciate the reference to James 1:13-15 —
“ When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”
I also appreciate the deep dive into the meaning of “lawless.” Well done!
Thank you!