Thursday, November 28

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2019

"These people are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of the flesh, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity -- for 'people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.' If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning." (2 Peter 2:17-20)

"Because I love your commands
more than gold, more than pure gold,
and because I consider all your precepts right,
I hate every wrong path." (Psalm 119:127,128)



Happy Thanksgiving! May God bless your continuing times with your loved ones over the coming days.

Today's reading from 2 Peter 2 highlights the dangers of false teachers and the fruit of their teaching. Their destructive heresies would cause others to stumble, bringing deception instead of truth. Their teaching would undermine the true Biblical teaching about Christ and His completed work on the cross, "even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them. Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute." (2:1,2) Peter explains that these teachers will act with impure motives, potentially greed. (2:3)

Peter wisely brings these warnings to his readers, recognizing that their popularity would rise in moments of struggle. As Peter explains, the greed inherent in their motives could seep into their teaching. In essence, their teaching promised comfort rather than the cross. Yet, as we read later, that false gospel of greed would erase the freedom that the true Gospel brings, enslaving people in depravity. (2:19)

Practically speaking, how may we avoid the potential traps set by these false teachers? According to the U.S. Treasury, in order to identify counterfeit bills, detectors should first have knowledge of genuine currency and a genuine note for comparison. Similarly, we determine spiritual falsehood by first knowing and comparing them with the truth. By extension, we must study and ingest God's Word so that we may compare the many claims that we hear and read daily with the truth. In other words, when we are faced with a claim, we may ask the simple question: "Does this idea or concept square with Biblical teaching?" If not, we should reject the teaching as potentially damaging to our integrity and well-being.

Our annual Bible-reading journey makes us ready to identify false teaching because of our exposure to the truth. May we cling faithfully to the One Whose truth will indeed set us free.


Lord God, thank You for the genuine Word that You have given us. Help us to hide this Word in our hearts so that we may evaluate different claims in light of its truth. Give us wise and discerning hearts so that we may embrace You and Your everlasting goodness instead of the fleeting pleasures of sin. In Jesus's mighty Name, amen.


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