2 Peter 2:1-22

False teachers have always been a problem and will always be a problem until we reach heaven’s shores.  We must learn to beware of them and know how to deal with them without becoming anxious and worried about them.  We must always remember that God is in control and that we can trust Him no matter how difficult things may become.  But, we must also be on the alert so we are not lead astray by their teachings.  Peter warns us of some very important truths concerning false teachers.

THE DISTRACTION OF FALSE TEACHERS: The goal of false teaching is to lead others astray.  Sometimes they come from within the group and sometimes they come from the outside but one thing we can be sure of is that they will come.  Satan wants to do all that He can to distract us from the truth of God’s Word and from the priority of God’s work as well as the fulfilling of God’s will.  They usually show up with a wonderful wrapping that looks and sounds good, but it is really just the skin of truth stuffed with a lie.  False teachers don’t usually come out and directly deny or denounce the Word of God; they are usually very subtle and will simply seek to distort the Word of God or distract us from it.

THE DESTRUCTION OF FALSE TEACHERS: God wants us to clearly understand that He will judge and destroy false teachers.  He has done it in the past, He continues to do it in the present and we can rest assured that He will do it in the future.  Their destruction may be delayed, but that does not make it any less certain.  At times false teachers may be emboldened by the fact that God does not always judge them immediately.  They might think that they are getting away with their sinfulness, but God has demonstrated time and time again that He is willing and able to judge with great severity those who rebel against Him and His Word.  Satan and his demons were thrown out of heaven, the entire earth was flooded and Sodom and Gomorrah were reduced to ashes.  God knows how to judge very well and has repeatedly demonstrated that He is committed to doing just that.

THE DESCRIPTION OF FALSE TEACHERS: Peter does not mince any words when describing these people.  In short they are evil, destructive men who follow the instincts of their flesh with no fear of God.  They have now reverence for God or that which is holy and they are basically worshipers of themselves.  Their hearts are full of greed and their actions cause great suffering to all who are infected by their sin.  Perhaps the worst thing about them is that they are not satisfied to simply do and speak evil, but they are determined to drag others down with them.  Sin is their constant companion and they enjoy the company.  For a true believer sin is a constant source of sorrow and regret.  For a false teacher, sin is a source of pleasure that is pursued with an ever increasing appetite.

THE DANGER OF FALSE TEACHERS: False teachers present a great danger to men at every stage of spiritual maturity.  However, the greater the immaturity, the greater the dangers these men represent.  If fact they represent the greatest danger to those who have been exposed to the Gospel and have even been impacted by the Gospel in some way, but they are not truly saved.  True believers can be distracted or even deceived by false teachings but if they are true believers, the Holy Spirit will eventually bring them back in line with the truth.  However, those who are not truly saved can have the seeds of faith completely eradicated from their hearts by false teachers.  This is why true and mature believers must be vigilant to identify, expose, refute and remove false teachers from the life of the church.  They represent a real and present danger to the eternal souls of men.