2 Peter 2:20-22

2 Peter 2:20-22

For if after escaping defilement of the world in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, and they are conquered after becoming entangled in these things again, then the latter state has become worse than the first!  For it was better for them to have not known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment that was being handed over to them.  This proverb of truth has happened to them in connection to this: “After a dog returns upon its own vomit; and after a sow bathes it goes into a wallowing of filth.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

I’m going to try and reconstruct Peter’s argument in these verses a single layer at a time.  First of all, Peter makes it known that the people about whom he is talking are in fact people who know about Jesus.  It is one thing to talk about people who live according to the ways of the world and know no other way.  But Peter is speaking about people who have the knowledge of Jesus Christ.  These are people who have heard of God’s grace.  They have felt His forgiveness.  They have felt the presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives.

Can you say that each of these things are true for you?  Have you experienced the knowledge of Christ?  Have you felt the leading of the Holy Spirit in your life?

Second Thought:

The people that Peter is talking about do not just know Christ.  In fact, these people have fallen astray.  They have stopped following Christ and have slid back into a place of sinful pursuit.  But let’s be clear here.  Peter isn’t talking about just anyone who has sin in their life after knowing about Christ.  That’s all of us, after all!  We all struggle with sin even after coming to know Christ.  What Peter says is that these are people who have once more become conquered by their sin.  They are no longer resisting the sin in their life, the sin is dominating their life and calling the shots.  Everyone will wrestle with sin for this entire life.  Peter is speaking about those who forget to wrestle anymore and allow themselves to become enslaved to their sinfulness once more.

Why do you think it is important to continue to wrestle with your sin?  Have you ever been tempted to stop resisting the sin in your life and to stop considering it as sinful?

Third Thought:

Now that we are clear about whom Peter is talking, we can hear two harsh sayings.  First, Peter says that it would be better for them to have never heard about Christ in the first place.  Peter isn’t saying that evangelism shouldn’t happen so that people can stay in ignorance.  What Peter is saying is that there is a serious difference between being guilty of ignorance and being guilty of intentionally embracing known sinfulness.  The ignorant at least have an excuse.  The second teaching that we get from Peter is that this is a common enough occurrence that there is a proverb written about it.  Human beings have a habit of resisting for a while until their resolve breaks.  Then they capitulate and find themselves embracing what they should not.  We like to think that we have a strong will as human beings, but we do not really.  We have a strong will for a time.  But many human beings have a limited will that wears out over time.

Where are you susceptible to having your will worn down so that you capitulate?  Why is it important to remember that we all face such a temptation?

Passage for Tomorrow: 2 Peter 3:1-3