April 1, 2023: 2 Peter 2:12 - False Teachers will Perish in Their Own Corruption
“But these, like natural brute beasts made to be caught and destroyed, speak evil of the things they do not understand, and will utterly perish in their own corruption…” - 2 Peter 2:12
In this Scripture verse, Peter continues describing the consequences of being a false teacher. He compares them to “natural brute beasts.” Humans are made in the image of God and are given a brain and a conscience, and the Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin:
“And when He [the Holy Spirit] has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world [Satan] is judged.” - Jesus Christ; John 16:8-11
There is a good article on gotquestions.org that explains the difference from having a guilty conscience and being convicted of our sin by the Holy Spirit (see: https://www.gotquestions.org/conviction-of-sin.html). The article states:
“The word convict is a translation of the Greek word elencho, which means “to convince someone of the truth; to reprove; to accuse, refute, or cross-examine a witness.” The Holy Spirit acts as a prosecuting attorney who exposes evil, reproves evildoers, and convinces people that they need a Savior.
”To be convicted is to feel the sheer loathsomeness of sin. This happens when we’ve seen God’s beauty, His purity and holiness, and when we recognize that sin cannot dwell with Him (Psalm 5:4). When Isaiah stood in the presence of God, he was immediately overwhelmed by his own sinfulness: “Woe to me! . . . I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips . . . and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty” (Isaiah 6:5).”
However, false teachers, as Peter discusses, have abandoned not only their conscience but also have completely ignored the convicting of the Holy Spirit. They are acting like animals that are driven by their natural brute instincts. What does “brute” mean? Dictionary.com provides several definitions:
Characteristic of animals; of brutal character or quality.
Not characterized by intelligence or reason; irrational.
A brutal, insensitive, or crude person.
When we abandon God, we become like animals, fearing not any consequences of our actions. Doesn’t society today tell us that we are animals created over millions of years by the process of evolution, and not made purposely by God and in His image? Does not our society today act and behave like animals, driven by impulses and feelings instead of using our God-given brains and feeling conviction by the Holy Spirit to see that we need to turn to Jesus and be led by His commandments which are to protect us and enable us to live as civilized human beings?
In 1963, the US Supreme Court made school-sponsored prayer and Bible readings unconstitutional. In 1980 the Ten Commandments were removed from public schools. Instead of man wanting to be led by God, man commanded that our society would be led by man, and look at the utter failure of that. When man takes God out of its culture and society, it sets them up for implosion, and that is exactly what we are seeing not only in America but also in American churches today. Thousands are closing each year, and a recent Barna poll reported that only 4% of Americans hold a Biblical worldview (see: https://www.arizonachristian.edu/2023/02/28/biblical-worldview-among-u-s-adults-drops-33-since-start-of-covid-19-pandemic/). Is it any wonder why churches are closing when many pastors no longer preach the full word of God and Scriptures that illustrate time and time again what happens when man decides to take control and leave God out of everything and the resulting societal, moral, and spiritual collapse? Today, we have pastors who are speaking evil of the word of God because it goes against what society is holding up as acceptable and right in its eyes but is wrong and sinful in the eyes of God.
Let’s revisit this statement from gotquestions.org: “To be convicted is to feel the sheer loathsomeness of sin.” In our God-rejecting society today, we not only NOT loathe sin, we wholeheartedly embrace it and we wrap it up in feel-good words to make it acceptable and that which everyone must approve of. We call adultery an “affair,” the murder of an unborn baby a “choice,” lying as “misrepresented,” stealing as okay as long as it’s under $1,000, rioting and burning down cities as “our right to protest,” and other sexual sin as “I was born this way.” All the while, for those of us left who DO believe in the word of God and have chosen to accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, we are mocked and scoffed and called narrow-minded, even sadly by some in the churches, and some are even called “domestic terrorists.” Today, we see pastors who are embracing what God calls evil and mocking and turning away from what God calls good. They do this at their own peril, “and will utterly perish in their own corruption.” They can fool themselves, they can fool those who attend their churches, but they cannot fool God.
If you are reading this and you have not made a decision to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior, I urge you to consider your future. Are you guaranteed another minute of life? What would happen to you if you died today? Do you know where you are going when you die? As we get older, we realize just how short our life here on earth really is, and each day of life truly is a gift from God. We are rapidly heading toward a time of tribulation that will come upon the earth for a period of seven years that is prophesied in the Bible. Jesus Himself spoke of this coming time period to His disciples when He was asked by them about the signs that would signal His return to earth at His second coming and of the end of the age. He told them:
“For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.”
What we are witnessing in the world today Jesus described as the “beginning of sorrows” or birth pangs; it is nothing compared to what is coming. If the events we are witnessing are rocking you to your core, be prepared, for we have seen nothing yet compared to what is coming. I strongly urge you to consider your life. Are you prepared for what is coming? The only thing that matters is that you get saved by Jesus and when you do, instead of seeing His wrath, you will receive His love and mercy, His free gift of salvation of sins. He is perfect and holy and will judge the wicked in all their unrighteousness, and nothing and no one, including Satan and all who choose to follow him, will be able to stop Him. Don’t be deceived by the world that says God doesn’t exist and Jesus isn’t the only way to heaven. Don’t be deceived by false teachers who preach lies and deception. Call out to Jesus and ask Him to save you. He will. ✝️