I am sure that you are familiar with the story of little red riding hood. The wolf disguising himself as Little Red’s grandmother seeks to take her for a meal. But as cleverly as he was disguised there were tell-tale signs that he was not grandma. The eyes, the snout, the teeth, were dead giveaways that something was amiss in grandma’s house.
In this passage of Scripture Peter lets us know that there are going to be dogs and pigs roaming around the church pretending to be sheep. But there will be sure signs they are not because, try as they might, eventually they will bark or oink and the farce will be revealed. By the way, in case you didn’t know, sheep do not bark nor oink.
And so the key idea that Peter brings to us here is that these false teachers seek to appear as true believers. But there are key areas in which it is evident they fall short of true conversion.
I. They Despise Spiritual Authority
The first atrocity that these false teachers commit is that they despise spiritual authority. In verse 10, Peter says that these false teachers do not tremble when they revile angelic majesties. The angelic majesties are demonic hosts whom these false teachers order around as if they themselves were in charge of them. In verse 11, Peter notes that even the righteous angels who are greater in power than these false teachers (and maybe even than these demonic beings) do not use their power to speak evil against these creatures. They look to the Lord for His authority over these creatures.
But Peter says these false teachers despise angelic majesties. They are speaking in their own authority against these demonic beings. They minimize the power of these spiritual creatures because they are showing their rejection of the ultimate spiritual authority, God and His Word. Verses 11-13 show us the true estimation of their own authority.
A. They are powerless in spiritual matters
First, we see that they are powerless in spiritual matters. In verse 11 Peter says, “Whereas angels who are greater in might and power do not bring a reviling judgment against them before the Lord.” What is going on? They miss the true source of power or authority. Jude gives an example of this in verse 9 of his letter when he says, “But Michael the Archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare to pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you.” The most powerful angel didn’t seek to come against the devil in his own strength but looked to the Lord for the strength to defeat him.
These false teachers are powerless in spiritual matters because they miss the true source of power. They claim that they themselves have the real power. Perhaps you have encountered some of these false teachers. They claim to be able to defeat these demonic hosts through the power of their own words. Benny Hinn, only one of such false teachers, says that he faces devils as the Son of God. But what is the truth about this?
B. They are ignorant in spiritual matters
Not only are the powerless in spiritual matters but secondly, Peter says that they are ignorant in spiritual matters. In verse 12 Peter says, “These, like unreasoning animals, born as creatures of instinct to be captured and killed, reviling where they have no knowledge.” You see they make statements that have no basis in spiritual reality because it is contradictory to the Scripture. Some of these teachers claim that you should ask the demons themselves as to how to cast them out. Where have you ever seen Jesus or the apostles speak with a demon to find out what they should be doing? It’s not found in the Bible. And since Satan is the father of lies, Jesus and the apostles never sought to let them speak because their word carried no authority behind it.
These false teachers revile where they have no knowledge. Such speech by these people shows that they do not understand what the Scripture says. And the reason, if you remember, is that they have never submitted themselves to God or the Bible as their authority. They are seeking, like Satan was, to be their own authority. And because of this they are ignorant in spiritual matters.
C. They are consigned to the same fate in spiritual matters
Thirdly, we note that they are consigned to the same fate in spiritual matters. They are going to receive the same punishment as their demonic counterparts, who are helping them to deceive others. At the end of verse 12 and the beginning of verse 13 Peter declares, “[They] will in the destruction of those creatures also be destroyed, suffering wrong as the wages of doing wrong.” These false teachers will perish in torment along with the demonic beings because they are simply receiving their pay for their wrongdoing.
Now here is a question that we must ask ourselves, “Why then are they appearing as religious people?” Satan is using them as his dupes to lead others away from the Scripture. The Apostle Paul, in 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 says, “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness.”
Satan knows he can lead more people astray if he cons people to think they are following God rather than following him. The Apostle Paul noted in 2 Thessalonians 2 that people are going to be deceived by false signs and wonders. Why? They did not receive a love of the truth. They would rather follow along with these false miracles than follow the truth of the Scripture. The only way a person is not going to be led astray by false teachers is through loving the truth found in the Scripture. You have to be in this book checking what everyone says and not take their word for it. You must even check my words against the Scripture.
II. They Distort Holy Living
The second atrocity these false teachers commit is that they distort holy living. This is what Peter discusses in verses 13-16. And in these verses there are three ways that they distort holy living.
A. They mistake frivolity for fellowship
The first way they distort holy living is they mistake frivolity for fellowship. Peter finishes verse 13 by saying, “They count it a pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are stains and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, as they carouse with you.” There are those in Christianity today who are simply at this to have a good time. There is a neglect of discipline in their Christian lives. They think that this is supposed to be one big amusement park ride. They miss passages such as 2 Timothy 3:12 that says, “All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” Or as Paul said in Acts 14:22 to encourage the Christians there, “through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.” And can we forget the response of Peter and John who were beaten for speaking about Christ when the Scripture said, They went on their way “rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name.”
How does that compare with Moshe pits in supposed Christian concerts, which instead of promoting Christian unity produces physical harm and in some cases emotional turmoil to say it mildly. Or what about supposedly Christian events where hard alcohol is served in celebration? There is a rage and raucousness associated with these gatherings in which everything is treated without regard to the holiness of God.
This frivolous behavior is simply a copying of the world’s attitude and adding the name of Christianity to it. Constantine did this very thing in the fourth century when he “Christianized” the Roman world. He took the pagan festivals and turned them into “Christian” celebrations. But what he was left with was hardly Christian. There is a vast difference between joy in Christ and, as John Bunyan called it in Pilgrim’s Progress, seeking “Vanity Fair.”
Friends, let us see our lives as serving a serious purpose. We must see ourselves with a purpose to glorify God by our lives in the midst of a crooked world. Not serving God with a life that lacks joy or suppresses joy. For joy is a fruit of the Spirit. It is produced by the working of the Spirit of God in our lives not by serving up worldly delights that amuse our hearts but do nothing for the soul.
I think this is the mistake of these false teachers. They do not have this abiding joy in Christ and so try to stir it up by various experiences. Let’s get people excited about this or that. And they substitute fun for joy and wonder why they must make the events bigger and greater and more exotic each time. It is like the amusement parks that each year must come up with a faster or bigger rollercoaster or one with more turns or more G-forces. Woe to the church that cannot keep up with bigger and faster and more exciting.
But this is not how it is to be in the Christian realm. The truth of the Word ought to become our joy as the Spirit of God reveals to us the awesome beauty of God in His sanctuary. If we will only quiet our hearts long enough to come into God’s presence and experience real joy. And this joy will remain through all the seasons of life. Most people think that life should be one adventure after another. But most of life is un-extraordinary. Much of the Christian life is serving God quietly. There will be time of difficulty and persecution but Paul said that we must learn to work with our hands in all quietness. And we must learn to have this joy in God during the turbulent times and during the quiet times. God must be our stay and we must not confuse frivolity with fellowship.
B. They mistake self-gratification for soul cleansing
The second way these false teachers distort holy living is they mistake self-gratification for soul cleansing. In other words they see this life as “all about them.” In verse 14 Peter notes their conduct, “having their eyes full of adultery that never cease from sin, enticing unstable souls.”
Peter is describing these individuals as those whose chief desire is fulfilling the lust of their flesh. Their eyes of full of it and they carry it with them in their minds wherever they go. Peter says that they never cease from sinning. Unfortunately they are not content to wallow alone in their sin but they are looking for unstable individuals to bring with them into their sin. The word “entice” that Peter uses is a fishing term. These people are seeking to lure others into their wicked schemes. They are setting the bait to trap those who are unwary of the schemes of these false teachers.
Jesus sent the apostles out to become fishers of men. But this was to draw people to Jesus Christ for holiness and purity. These false teachers are seeking to draw people into sexual immorality and debauchery. There is a very clear line marked between those who are genuinely seeking to minister and those who are seeking to take advantage of others who have not yet been grounded in the Christian faith.
I think that this should also serve as a warning to anyone here who is not grounded in the truth of the Scripture. If you are not steadfastly clinging to the truth of God’s Word you may be led astray by those who would take advantage of you. So let me say be careful because dogs and pigs come dressed in sheep’s clothing. And they will seek to drag you into moral disrepair.
C. They mistake greed for God
The third way these false teachers distort holy living is they mistake greed for God. From the end of verse 14 to verse 16 Peter describes these false teachers as making money their god. He portrays them as, “having a heart trained in greed, accursed children; forsaking the right way, they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness but he received a rebuke for his own transgression, for a mute donkey, speaking with a voice of a man, restrained the madness of the prophet.”
Peter mentions those who have in their heart to get financial gain even if it means doing so in a garb of religion. He refers to a man named Balaam who was well known as someone who could bless or curse individuals in the name of God. If you want to read the whole story you can look in the book of Numbers 22-24. As one of the local kings sees the nation of Israel spreading out before his land he calls for Balaam to come and curse them. But God tells Balaam not to go with these men. When others come from that king promising him more money, even though God told him no the first time he asks God again. And so God tells him to go but only say what God says. When God would not allow Balaam to curse the people of Israel, Balak refused to pay Balaam. But, though God had refused to allow Balaam to curse them, still Balaam had such a desire for this money he gave the king a plan by which he could ruin the nation of Israel and thereby claim the prize.
These are the wages of unrighteousness that Peter mentions. Balaam didn’t care how he got the money. And if he appeared as a religious person to do it that was fine too. There are people today who are in the disguise of religious teachers seeking to profit financially from those to whom they “minister.” I remember Pastor McFarland telling me, not too long ago, that when he first went to Virginia, one seasoned pastor took him aside and said, “You get everything you can out of these people.” He couldn’t believe such words coming out of the mouth of a supposed man of God.
I can remember too in my early days as a Christian, I was completely innocent about anyone seeking to take advantage of anyone else in a Christian church. After all, hadn’t I been born again and hadn’t my heart transformed? Well it didn’t take too long to realize that there were pigs and dogs in sheep’s clothing.
Now I am going to mention a name and say some things about a pseudo company and I hope it doesn’t offend you. But there was a gentleman in my church while I was in college. He was one of the assistants to the Sunday school teachers. He was involved in Amway. If you’ve never heard of Amway it’s a multi-level marketing company that doesn’t really sell any products. They just get other people to sell for them who get other people to sell for them who get other people to sell for them. And the person who gets the most people to sell for them without ever really selling anything gets the richest. And I think it is one of the biggest curses that ever proffered itself within the church. Now that the air is cleared about Amway I’ll finish my story. Well his greed for money got in the way of his ministry and he had some of the students in the Sunday school classes as his cronies, who were pretending to sell products, but were really trying to get other people to sell products for them.
This man approached me about this “great opportunity” and in my innocence I took a couple of tapes from him about this Amway. What I heard floored me. These people were speaking about this company as if it were their god. One person spouted off about how a friend’s life was wrecked because he refused to become part of Amway. And it was all about the salvation offered in Amway. I may have been a new Christian but the Spirit of God who dwelt in me told me that He wanted no part of that greed-ridden culture. These false teachers mistake greed for God. In reality greed is their god. They are not here to serve but to be self-served.
III. They Disguise Their True Character
The third atrocity these false teachers commit is they disguise their true character. Their true character, however, is exposed by three features of their lives. Peter observes this in verses 17-22.
A. By empty words
First, their true character is exposed by empty words. Verses 17-18 denote this. There he says, “These are springs without water and mists driven by a storm, for whom the black darkness has been reserved. For speaking out arrogant words of vanity they entice by fleshly desires, by sensuality, those who barely escape from the ones who live in error.” These are words devoid of true godliness.
Peter describes these individuals as producing empty words. Like a dry well in a Middle Eastern desert so these people offer no refreshment to weary and worn travelers. Like mist blown about by the wind of a past storm, offering the hope of a revitalizing rain and yet bringing none so these false teachers divulge words that proclaim much ado about nothing.
They say things like, “The solution for your problem is you need to love yourself.” The Bible looks at it in a different light. We are to love our neighbor as ourselves. This shows that we already love ourselves too much and need to direct that love toward others instead of being self-centered. Or perhaps they will say, “You need to forgive yourself.” I think the Scripture says that only God can do that. Our forgiveness only comes on the basis of Christ’s work on the cross. Our sin is against God. We can’t arbitrarily forgive ourselves. It is not ours to forgive. But understanding and accepting God’s forgiveness through the cross will heal your life.
These words that they give out offer no real hope for a person. In verse 18 Peter calls them arrogant words of vanity, or empty words. They are words devoid of true godliness. They will not promote authentic godliness but self-centeredness. These two are opposites. You cannot be self-centered and God-centered at the same time. This is why the Christian world is being duped as it is inundated by books on self-esteem, self-confidence, etc. We make progress in the Christian life when we esteem God and place our confidence in Him. Do we really believe any more the words of Paul when he says that, “In my flesh dwells no good thing?”
It is the words that exalt God and humble us that are profitable words. Others are empty words.
B. By empty promises
Secondly, the true character of these false teachers is exposed by empty promises. In verse 19 Peter says that they are, “promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved.” These false teachers make promises that are devoid of real power. They promise freedom. But it is a “freedom” that is really slavery. The sexual revolution of the 60’s and its issuance of free love turned out to be an enslavement of people. It was a promise of freedom that never materialized. What was result of this failed 1960’s experiment? The 70’s reproductive freedom of Roe v. Wade. After all, if you are going to have the former “freedom” then you need some solution to the responsibilities that “pop up.” And we can see the continued consequences.
And probably the deadliest of all of these so-called promised freedoms, which is the root of all the others, is freedom from God. But you cannot have freedom when you run from the One who created you. He created you for the sole purpose of knowing and honoring Him. And attempting to liberate yourself from Him will only bring you misery and distress.
And ultimately this is the empty promise of these false teachers. Because the god that they present in not the God of Scripture. He is the god of self. And wherever you have the will exalted you have Satan working behind the scenes enslaving people by another Gospel which is really not another.
C. By an empty life
Thirdly, the true character of these false teachers is exposed by an empty life. Peter discusses this in verses 20-22. This is a life devoid of authentic change. And there are three earmarks of this empty life (They are not in your bulletin but are described by each verse).
1. They offer incomplete repentance
The first earmark of the false teachers’ empty life is they offer incomplete repentance. This is expressed in verse 20. “For if after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first.
These false teachers came to know Jesus Christ in a superficial way. Their knowledge of Him caused them to initially turn from the defilements of the world. They knew enough about Christ to cause them to seek to restrain their debasing desires. But since they had not been truly converted the pleasures of sin once again became to them the greater draw.
We might equate this to flying. We might try to jump off a small porch to catch some air and fly. And though we might know some elementary principles of aerodynamics the pull of gravity will drag us to the earth unless our nature is changed into that of a bird.
2. They conduct willful rejection
The second earmark of this empty life of the false teachers is they conduct willful rejection. In verse 21, Peter says. “It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than having known it to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them. These individuals turned away from Christ and the Gospel. How did we ultimately know that these have been false teachers? They turn away from Christ and the Scripture and from other believers. They reject willfully what they had once appeared to embrace. And in this way their own ultimate doom is sealed.
Peter says that a person who has even rudimentary knowledge of the Gospel and turns away from it will experience an even greater judgment than if they had never known it at all. Greater light brings greater responsibility.
3. They show no sign of regeneration
Thirdly, the last earmark of this empty life of the false teachers is they show no sign of regeneration. In verse 22 Peter notes, “It has happened to them according to the true proverb, ‘A dog returns to its own vomit,’ and ‘A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire.’” Like we who cannot fly as a bird, or like the sheep that goes “woof” these false teachers show that they had never been changed by the grace of Christ. They had never been born again into the family of God. They never humbled themselves to accept Christ as the payment for their sins. Why can we know this? Because, as the Scripture says, when God begins a good work in us He continues it until its completion in the day of Christ. But these false teachers return to the place from which they came. They no longer show any sign of interest in the Christian life. They finally take off the sheep’s clothing and head back to the doghouse or the sty.
The question we must ask as we conclude this message and this chapter is, “Why has Peter taken so much time (these 22 verses) to describe and denote these false teachers?”
1) To expose them for what they are. To show their true characteristics so we wouldn’t be surprised.
2) To protect the true believer from being deceived by those who would claim to be Christians but are simply dogs and pigs in sheep’s clothing.
3) To cause the believer to look to God since as we noted last week, God knows how to rescue the godly from temptation.