For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment; if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)-- if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment.
Many popular preachers do not like to talk about sin. Joel Osteen admitted that on the Larry King show. He wants to show people the goodness of Christ and allow that to draw people to God. There are also many ministers who have never discovered grace. They only preach about laws and rules and judgment. You'd think God is mad at everybody all the time.
2 Peter 2 is aimed at keeping me from being a heartless pastor. It aims to keep me from playing games in the pulpit. It aims to keep my sermons from dissolving into pep-talks about the power of positive thinking. It aims to make me earnest about my calling, angry about false teaching and to grieve over the destruction of the ungodly. This chapter is no accident in Holy Scripture. It is the Word of God and “is profitable for teaching, reproof, correction and training in righteousness” that all of us might become very zealous to confirm our call and election.
Notice the three examples of destruction. God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell. The meaning of the Greek word is “the lowest pit”, putting them into gloomy dungeons, or chains of darkness, to be held for judgment. God gave fallen angels’ destruction and further promise of the lowest hell.
Charles Spurgeon reminded us of some warnings that believers are to take to heart. Angels were supernatural beings. We understand that Lucifer was the highest angelic created being next to the God. He was very beautiful and yet with rebellion in his heart fought against God's authority. There was cosmic conflict but apparently angels were allowed to pick sides. Some chose Lucifer who was thrown from heaven along with the fallen angels. The point is this - if God created angels supernaturally and they fell into sin and then judgment, what about us? They dwelt with God and witnessed His glory, righteousness, and purity yet they sinned.
We certainly cannot take pride in our positions, family background or anything else - rather only in the saving work of our savior. "Let him that thinks he stands take heed unless he falls." (1 Cor. 10:12.) All of us can be led astray if angels can be.
Peter uses two other illustrations of judgment. God brought destruction to the world of Noah which is similar to today with sin and debauchery - filled with pornography, incest, child abuse, murder, gambling drunkenness, injustice, drugs, abortions, pleasure seeking indecency, money hungry, stealing and selfishness. It grieved the Lord that He created man and so there was vast destruction, but only after years of warning and preaching by Noah about the coming destruction. Matthew tells us that’s the way it will be before Jesus comes again. People will ignore the warnings and continue to live in sin and ignore God.
The last illustration of destruction is the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot was in the cities filled with sin. He was removed before the main destruction came upon those towns. How are we any different than Sodom and Gomorrah? Billy Graham said that unless God brings judgment upon America, he will have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah, for there is not a thing that we are not sanctioning or allowing and even promoting in our country now that they weren't judged for with fire.
If the angels were judged and Noah’s world was judged and Sodom was judged for their sin, what makes us think God will not judge us today for our sin? No angel refused grace, no angel turned down the loving offer of Jesus; no angel ever refused the mercy of God. In the day of Noah and Sodom and Gomorrah, people did not know what we know today. How much more will judgment fall, if we do not repent and turn to Christ the only One who can save us? Some of us have been living lives contrary to God's ways. Some of you have been saying no to Jesus Christ long enough and we have warned you, like Peter does about following false teachers who tell us there is some other way to be saved than faith in Christ and what He did for us on the cross.
False teachers will believe, will ruin people and bring them to destruction. It will not be just the leaders, preachers, and writers who accepted falsehood, but all who follow them as well.
Joseph Stalin was going to be a clergy man and a seminarian in the Greek Orthodox church, until he was blinded by the atheistic communistic doctrine and killed more people in his years than Hitler. Hazael the servant of Israel's King was approached by the prophet and warned that he would take the throne from his master. Hazeal responded "Is thy servant a dog that he should do such a thing?" He was told he would. His reaction was "Never, not me." Yet history shows he was worse than a dog, he suffocated his master with a wet cloth, carrying out with eagerness all the deeds of barbarity which the prophet foretold. Judas was counted as one of the 12; knowing Jesus, eating with the Master, listening to His teaching, and participating in the miracles, but Satan entered him. He betrayed the Lord, committed suicide in his remorse, and apparently was unforgiven.
Destruction comes to those who dwell in sin.
Dale
