2 Peter: Week 5 (Wednesday 3rd November 2021)
(from www.insightforliving.org.uk)
Chapter 2:4-11
The Heart Of The Matter
In our study of Peter’s second letter, we have arrived at an extremely serious section. This should not surprise us in light of our study on false teachers. It would be easy to think that those who are guilty of deceit and exploitation, greed, and destruction do all kinds of damage yet suffer few consequences. After all, how often are we aware of the pain and suffering of the unjust? More often, it seems, it is the godly who suffer while the ungodly virtually get away with murder! Not so! And passages of Scripture like 2 Peter 2:4 – 11 assure us that the punishment of evildoers will be both swift and sure. But our God is just. While His anger is not spared when it comes to judging the wicked, His compassion is not withheld regarding His own. As we shall see, the same God who deals severely with wrong is faithful to rescue those who belong to Him.
Discovering The Way
1. Two Sides of the Same God
Jeremiah provided a beautiful picture of God’s compassion in Jeremiah 12:15 and Lamentations 3:21 – 23. But Paul and the writer to the Hebrews offered a dreadful picture of God’s wrath in Romans 2:1 – 3 and Hebrews 9:27.
2. Judging the Wicked (2 Peter 2:4 – 6, 9 – 11)
God’s righteous character demands that He punish all who persist in their rebellion to Him, whether angels or humanity.
3. Rescuing the Righteous (2 Peter 2:5, 7 – 9)
God’s righteous character also demands that He save all who come to faith in Him, just as the biblical accounts of Noah and Lot illustrate.
Starting Your Journey
As we think about the compassionate and judgmental character of God, we should always remember these two facts. First, God’s compassion will result in the rescue of all believers. Second, God’s judgment will result in the punishment of all unbelievers.