The Reason for their Reviling (2 Peter 2:10)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 04/11/2004

My Worship Time                                                                Focus:  The Reason for their Reviling

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  2 Peter 2:10

            Message of the verse:  “10 and especially those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt desires and despise authority. Daring, self-willed, they do not tremble when they revile angelic majesties,”  “10 But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities (KJV).”

            One of the things that I have been studying in preparation for my teaching the book of Revelation in our Sunday school class is a paper that was written by my former Pastor and wonderful friend, Dr. Jack Jacobs.  The paper talks about the differences and similarities of those who follow Covenant Theology and those who believe in Dispensational Theology.  One of the differences has to do with Adam, and in my study of this paper I am reminded of the truth that everyone who is born has the sin nature of Adam, and because of that we all want to do things that go against what God desires for us to do.  It is only through what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross that a person can be born-again through repentance and acceptance of this free gift of salvation that we will then have a desire to follow what God desires us to do and not what the old nature desires for us to do.  Now we still have the flesh which wants us to do what is wrong, but we also have the Holy Spirit living in us who causes us to want to do what is right before God.  The people whom Peter is talking about in this passage have not received the free gift of salvation and therefore they desire to indulge in the things of the flesh as both the NASB and KJV of the Bible shows us. 

            Our society today teaches us to do our own thing, do it at any cost to others, not worrying about the consequences that will follow.  Things in our country are getting worse by the day as we see this world winding down and the flesh, that old nature has much to do with that as people today care little about government, a government that was founded on the principles of God and His laws, and I suppose that is the reason that people do not want to follow our laws anymore.

            Peter talks about pride and presumptuous people as they are actually daring and bold in doing what is wrong, not caring for the consequences which will ultimately follow.  They are “self-willed” which according to Dr. Wiersbe “means they ‘lived to please only themselves.’  They were arrogant and would even defy God to get what they wanted!  Proverbs 21:24 describes them perfectly.  While outwardly, they appeared to serve God and minister to the people, inwardly they fed their own egos and feathered their own nests.”

            He goes on:  “In their arrogance, ‘they are not afraid to speak evil or dignities [glorious ones].’ While the immediate reference is probably to ‘exalted ones’ in places of authority, the angels may also be in view here, since in the next verse Peter referred to the angles.  These apostates revile even the angels!  And they do not even tremble when they do it!  They are so secure in their pride, that they even dare God to judge them.”  I have to say that this will surely happen when they meet God at the Great White Throne Judgment in the future.

9/7/2017 9:26 AM