PT-4 "It is Offered by False Christians" (2 Peter 2:19-20)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 04/30/2004

My Worship Time                                                Focus:  PT-4 “It is Offered by False Christians”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  2 Peter 2:19-20

            Message of the verses:  “19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. 20  For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning (KJV).”  “19 They promise them liberty. Liberty!—when they themselves are bound hand and foot to utter depravity. For a man is the slave of whatever masters him. 20 If men have escaped from the world’s contaminations through knowing our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ, and then become entangled and defeated by them all over again, their last position is worse than their first (Phillips).”

            I have been quoting from Dr. Warren Wiersbe’s commentary on this section of 2 Peter as he has written some wonderful things in his commentary to help us understand what Peter is writing about.

            “Those who live by God’s truth enter into more and more freedom, but those who live by lies experience more and more bondage, until ‘the later end is worse with them than the beginning’ (2 Peter 2:20).  This reminds us our Lord’s parable in Matthew 12:43-45, the truth of which parallels what Peter has written.  Temporary reformation without true repentance and rebirth only leads to greater sin and judgment.  Reformation cleans up the outside, but regeneration changes the inside.

            “Sinful tendencies do not disappear when a person reforms; they merely hibernate and get stronger.  Holiness is not simply refusing to do evil things, for even unsaved people can practice self-control.  True holiness is more than conquering temptation:  it is conquering even the desire to disobey God.  When my doctor told me to lose weight, he said, ‘I’ll tell you how to do it:  learn to hate the things that aren’t good for you.’  His advice worked!

            “You can expect nothing but ‘false freedom’ from false Christians who offer false promises.  But there is a third reason why this freedom is false.”  That third reason is “It Involves a False Experience,” and we will begin to look at this subject in our next SD as it covers the last two verses of 2 Peter  2.

9/27/2017 8:37 AM