“And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep. For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment; if He did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes He condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; and if He rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked (for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard); then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment.” 2 Pet. 2:2-9
Devotional Thought For The Day
The concern is about how to preserve the “righteous,” those who know and believe God’s love for us in Christ Jesus, who know also the way of love and are compelled to true and genuine love in thought and conduct [that which is in accord with God’s Word], from succumbing to the deceit and wickedness of the “world of the ungodly.” One horrible consequence of the fall of Christians into the immoralities of their day is that “the way of truth” is then subject to blasphemy – Christ is associated with these immoralities as if He makes no distinction in regard to the wickedness of sin. This is horrible when we consider what He suffered for these sins and for this wickedness when He made atonement for the sins of the world on the cross. It is also horrible in that this phenomena turns “the way” into another form of worldly darkness, so that those who are yet to know the truth become confused, and are able to use the weakness of “the church” to dissuade themselves and others from repentance, confession, and taking refuge in the gracious mercy of God, His salvation. That this is horribly contrary to the will of God “Who wills all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” [1 Tim. 2:4] should be apparent to all. Lord, have mercy!
So Peter reminds us – from the accounts of Holy Scripture – that God is not partial, that He will fulfill His Word and His will when it comes to those who fully capitulate to the wretchedness of our fallen sinful nature. He reminds us of two other prominent “believers” [righteous people, repentant sinners who were justified by faith in the promises of God’s gracious mercy and salvation] who lived in terribly ungodly times and places – Noah and Lot, and how God both sustained them in faith and ultimately “rescued” them when He brought just destruction upon these recalcitrant reprobates. What should compel all of us to take care that we remain in repentance and faith, allowing the glorious and gracious love of God to continue its work of restoration and renewal within us, is the certainty of God’s Word of judgment in regard to human sin and rebellion. He “did not spare the angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell,” and “He did not spare the ancient world . . . when He brought a flood upon the world,” and He turned “the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes” when “He condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly.” The fact that He is patient, not desiring the death of the wicked, so that His judgment is somewhat delayed, should not weaken us with the false rationale that He is not all that concerned about immorality and godlessness, that it is safe for us to participate in “moderation.”
How are the “godly” and “righteous” described as they have to live out their lives in the midst of such sensual wickedness – which includes greedy exploitation, drunkenness, and devotion to pleasure, including sexual immorality? Lot is described as being “greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked” of his day and time, his fellow citizens. In fact, he is described as “tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard.” The realities that Peter described remain accurate to this day – that some within the church “follow their sensuality” and are exploited with false words, while others are distressed, plagued, afflicted, and even tormented by what we see going on around us – including especially the erosion of the integrity of the church [both liberalism and legalism] . The same continuum exists within the visible church to this day – those advocating continued faithfulness to God’s Word, in repentance, faith, and proper conduct in keeping with God’s definition of love, and those advocating that the church become more “modern,” more in tune with the world around us, eroding and negating the call to repentance, true faith, and decent behavior, sucking people back into the darkness of “the world of the ungodly.” We should beware and understanding. Lord, have mercy.
Such times and such realities require that we take care to remain close the Lord, close especially to His Word, the Holy Scripture. For against all odds “the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials” as He keeps the unrighteous – the impenitent, unbelieving, and unregenerate – “under punishment until the day of judgment.” Yes, faithfulness to the Lord brings “distress” and even “torment” to those who know and believe the truth, who live in genuine repentance, faith and knowledge of God’s wondrous goodness and love, and who seek to live that love in their daily lives. But the alternative, God’s judgment of destruction and eternal torment is far worse! And if we capitulate, we are collaborating with the darkness, and participating full bore with the rebellion, the downward spiral of moral decay and rot. No one who truly knows what Christ has done for us, who knows God’s patient and merciful love, could stand to be part of this. So we pray that God sustain us as He did Noah and Lot, and that He also rescue us when His judgment comes to destroy the incorrigibly wicked and rebellious. Lord, have mercy!
Prayer For The Day
Dear Lord Jesus, You know the great dangers and darkness that we live within – having experienced them firsthand. You also know our weaknesses, that only You can sustain us and keep us from falling. As you have rescued and preserved us to this day, we pray that You would continue to shepherd and guide us as we also distress and torment over what we hear and see going on around us. Thank You for Your assurance that all will ultimately turn out well for us as we continue to walk humbly and confidently in repentance and trust in Your gracious mercy, forgiveness, and love. Amen.