April 16, 2023: 2 Peter 2:22 - A Dog Returns to His Own Vomit and a Sow to Her Mire

“But it has happened to them according to the true proverb, ‘A dog returns to his own vomit,’ and, ‘a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.’” - 2 Peter 2:22

We can fool people. We can fool ourselves. But we can’t fool God. Though we may look like Christians, dressed up for Sunday service, carrying our Bibles as we walk into church, singing along with the worship team, agreeing with the pastor during the sermon; though we may check all the boxes that we have in our minds of what a Christian should look like on the outside, if we haven’t believed in Jesus as our Savior in our hearts, inevitably we will fall back into our true nature, our sinful nature. This is also true of pastors and Bible teachers in churches who have not been saved by believing in Jesus Christ; their hearts are owned by the god of this world and not by Jesus. But God sees what we can’t see, He knows what we can’t know:

“I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.” (Jeremiah 17:10)

“But the LORD said to Samuel, ‘Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.’” (1 Samuel 16:7)

The Bible tells us in the latter days, some will turn away from the faith:

“Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.” (1 Timothy 4:1-5)

We are definitely seeing this in our world today. It is almost a weekly occurrence that we read of another pastor, worship team leader, Christian singer, or some other prominent church leader who has publicly renounced their faith, sometimes in order to live a lifestyle of which God calls sinful. Why? Because they never believed in, trusted in Jesus with their heart. If we don’t trust in Jesus with our heart, we are one hundred percent at risk of being pulled back into the pigsty, where we can wallow in the mire of our sin. Sadly, this happens time and time again. We heed the advice of the god of this world, who tells us, “Listen to your heart,” and we ignore what the Bible tells us about our heart:

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9)

“Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.” (Proverbs 4:23)

The Bible tells us that if we seek God with our heart, we will find Him:

“And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13)

The Bible tells us, “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9) We are born again, and we are a new creation. We can trust in Him in all things, and let Him guide our thoughts and our ways and not let our feelings direct us:

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Our heart is no longer held in bondage to sin by the god of this world, but we are set free and made new by the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Until this transformation is made within our hearts, we are not saved by Jesus, and like dogs whose stomachs are upset, vomit up their food, and then eat of that disgusting vomit, we return to our disgusting sin, living like an animal instead of the special creation God made us to be. However, once we are saved, our treasure will not be in this world but in Him:

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Jesus Christ; Matthew 6:21)

May we truly love God with all of our heart, never turning away from Him:

“Jesus said to Him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the first and great commandment.” (Matthew 22:37)

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Jesus Christ; Matthew 4:8) ❤️✝️