Pastor Chris’ Corona Quarantine Epistles to the Flock of AIC Ngong Road, in Dispersion and Isolation. 171st Edition.
Dear Children of the New Covenant,
We conclude our discussion about false teachers in today’s passage (2 Peter 2:20-22) with a sobering reminder that, as in the words of the Lord Jesus, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 7:21). There are many who claim to be his servants, who do not belong.
Reversal (v. 20). People who were once identified as Christians, who seemed to have abandoned the “pollutions of the world” have regressed to the mud they had left and have sunk deeper into it than they had been, before. This is the unfortunate reality for those who forsake the faith. As we shall see, this is because their faith had no roots, to begin with, and was a superficial display, at best.
Regret (v. 21). To clearly understand the gospel message, to leave one’s worldly ways and to adopt a Christian way of life and then abandon it is the most destructive path anyone can take. It would have been better for the person to have remained in the world than to go back after proclaiming allegiance to Christ. The reason for this is that it proves an unfortunate fact:
Return (v. 22). Two unsavory examples are given, to illustrate the situation. One is a dog that returns to its vomit and eats it again. As disgusting as this is to us, it quite natural for a dog. That is its nature. The other example is a sow that is washed, only to wallow in the muck again. We obviously will be repulsed by such behavior, but again, it is quite natural for a pig.
These two illustrations have one message in common, that we will behave according to our nature. This clearly indicates that the false teachers were never transformed into Christlikeness. That further shows that they were never true believers, because “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Those false teachers just went back where they belonged. John says of them, “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us” (1 John 2:19).
It should not surprise anyone that false teachers are often immoral, greedy, and proud. They are exhibiting the qualities of the kingdom to which they belong. Beware, false teachers!
Your Loving Pastor Chris.