2 Peter 3:17 – Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.

Hello readers, taking a break from Job to look at the error of the wicked that the Bible speaks of in 2 Peter 3 as quoted above. To understand what the error of the wicked is, we need to get some context by going back to the start of the third chapter. Peter knew he was going to die soon at the time of writing this, so there is an urgency in what he wrote, he wanted us to know some things. And we know truly that it is God who wants us to know things. That’s why we’ve got the Bible, so we can KNOW. This is how chapter three starts…

2 Peter 3:1 – This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance:

So what did Peter want us to know and remember? There is a lot of referring back to history in Peter’s second epistle. Learning from history is important, as history is a teacher. The Bible is full of history so that we can learn the lessons God wants us to learn … for our good. Peter warned that in the last days there would be an attitude of time goes by, life continues, and where is God? People talk like this today, it’s the “they’ve been saying Jesus has been coming back for hundreds of years” mentality. It can seem like life keeps going on as it always has and always will and God is nowhere. That we think that life is going like it always has shows a distinct lack of regard for many past events where God has judged his creation. But as time goes by it can seem that God is not there. Days follow weeks follow months follow years follow decades … where is God? But don’t be found not ready against the future … Jesus exhorted his disciples to watch and pray, and they failed because the flesh is weak. Jesus warned against thinking that He delays and tarries and then living wickedly as a response. Don’t live like God doesn’t exist and it’s not really all true. How oh how and why oh why do we live like God’s word isn’t really true and Christ’s return isn’t really imminent?

You know the unsaved think the same way and Peter wants us to think back to Noah’s flood. As time goes by people (evil people with agendas and lives and motives that may be well hidden to us but not to God), well these people are going to say where is the promise of his coming? People scoff today because it seems like God is nowhere. Things are just going on the way they naturally do. Everything can be explained by science and natural causes. But Peter wants us to remember a time where the flood of Noah’s day came and remember that God has the power to and has and will judge his creation. “Science” so called has attacked Noah’s flood, and it has put it in to our minds the mentality of “it would’ve happened anyway” and everything has a natural scientific explanation, no God required.

Peter wants us to remember and know so that our faith does not fail. Jesus said to Peter … Peter when thou art converted, strengthen the brethren. This is what will strengthen you, realizing that God is right on time, his word is true, we can trust, we should trust it! You see, God is going to test our faith. Our faith is on show before the world. God gives us a chance day by day to choose to believe him, to choose to take him at his word. He’s looking for someone who will do just that. This world is looking on, they’re watching, we are Christ’s representative on earth… ambassadors as the Bible puts it. But if you somehow get it in your mind that God isn’t real and he isn’t coming, or it seems so far away, or you start to doubt the truth of God’s word … you’re likely to start living like the devil. How easily it can turn to just head belief, to intellectual assent, to religion… we just do the required, but our heart and our life isn’t lived like God is the Lord.

Noah’s flood proves the authority and power of God and his word … and that’s why it’s so attacked. If it happened, the consequences are massive. It would require us to change the way we live knowing there is a God in heaven who judges sin, who doesn’t compromise on his holiness. So that’s why it’s so disputed, despite the overwhelming evidence for it from fossils to rock layers to flood legends. It’s because they are willingly ignorant the Bible says. Why? Well it’s because they are walking after their own lusts. You see it always comes back to our sin. People love their sin and will defend it and justify it and excuse it. But consider why we should live like Noah’s flood happened, and that God keeps his word. Jesus when speaking a parable said this in Matthew 24…

Matthew 24:48 – But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;

Matthew 24:49 – And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;

Matthew 24:50 – The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,

Matthew 24:51 – And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Peter in his final written words wants to tell us one more time … look guys God’s word is true. He was there on the Mount of Transfiguration, but he points us to something even more sure … the word of God. Peter says that God says what he means and means what he says. Yes there will be people disputing it, yes people will want to make you doubt it, yes you may doubt it yourself… things just seem to keep going the same old way … but look back … Noah’s flood! Peter calls the readers to remember the flood of Noah’s day which was very similar to the days we live in today. They scoffed at a coming flood much like people scoff at coming judgement today. There is an attitude of “all things continue as they were from the beginning”… God doesn’t judge, God doesn’t exist, it’s all myths and fables. Yet Peter said we have not followed cunningly devised fables, we have the most sure thing in existence that will be around when heaven and earth aren’t … the word of God. Peter warns us to remember that God DID judge and destroy the old world. Only eight people from that world survived. The generation of Noah’s day hadn’t seen a flood before, so they lived a wicked life not thinking God could or would intervene. It’s not different today, another generation arises that has not seen, that has not learnt, that thinks they know better, that says God has forsaken the earth.

So what is the error of the wicked? Well the wicked make a critical error. They don’t believe God’s word. That’s the error. Live a life with that fundamental error of unbelief and that will set the whole course of your life. It will lead you in wickedness. They don’t think God can and does judge the world. They don’t think he carries through on what he says. They interpret the apparent lack of existence of God in their minds as him not existing, when it’s just the longsuffering of God waiting, just as it did in Noah’s day. It is an error to live like God doesn’t exist or his word is not true. God’s given us many examples, many warning, just as Peter references… he spared not the angels, he spared no the old world, he spared not Sodom… he didn’t even spare his own Son for our sakes! .. what makes you think you’re so special to be spared where others have not been?

What an error it is to ignore the truth of God’s word. That’s the error the wicked make. Because you are wicked, there is only one who is not, who did no sin, that is Jesus Christ. You, me, everyone require his righteousness imputed to us by faith to be acceptable in the sight of God. But if you live a life not believing in Jesus Christ and his written word… then your life is in error. That fundamental error will lead you away from truth, from righteousness, from light, from true life. And the wicked make that error, because they do not believe, because they love their sin. You see, those scoffers in 2 Peter walk after their own lusts, that’s why people really don’t believe, because they love their sin. It’s a pretty simple truth. If you reject God, you are in error, if you dispute God’s word and choose your own way, that way is in error… and it’ll lead you to the lake of fire. God has warned us, Peter warned us … the Bible says “seeing as ye know these things” … don’t be led away with the error of the wicked. Read 2 Peter 3 and KNOW THINGS … Jesus said he said what he said that we might be saved. Your life doesn’t have to be an error, you can know the truth and it will set you free … the word of God.

Blog Bible Bible Study Christ Christian Faith God Gospel Holy Spirit Jesus Lord Religion Salvation Saved Spirit