People who always think they’re right might not be the best person to follow off a sinking ship.
2 Peter 2:17-19
Just because someone thinks they’re right, doesn’t mean they are.
We all know people like that – ones that think they’re always right. I’m not sure if they think that way because they truly believe they’re always right or if they’re just trying to make you think they are.
Either way, I find them hard to tolerate.
Why?
Because I know it can’t be true. After all, if I can’t be right all the time, then no one else gets to either. So there!
Today’s Tiny Words. Big Life. Bible verses are very powerful and shows us how to respond when we’re attacked by those who claim the truth when their words are full of lies. Our reading today finds us smack in the middle of the Apostle Peter giving a well-deserved tongue-lashing to boasters, liars, and blasphemers. According to Peter, these people are “unreasoning animals, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you.”
Back in 60-70 A.D., the church was being invaded by false teachings and Peter was calling them out.
Today is no different. We see false teachings everywhere we turn. It seems that nothing is beyond the reach of people who will intentionally distort the truth to feather their own cap.
Remember today’s post about being on a sinking ship?
False teachers are like the sharks that circle the ship, spreading lies and distorting what God has called us to do. They swim around, waiting for someone to believe the words they say and jump into the water.
Regardless of whether they actually believe the false teachings they espouse, they’re nothing more than mouthpieces of the Evil One, who lurks in the depths, waiting to drag you into the dark abyss.
Sometimes, our lives can seem like we’re on a sinking ship. Whether it’s our jobs that have become too demanding or our finances are out of control, we take our eyes off of Jesus and can’t see a way out. We feel alone and forget that our Father in Heaven is steering the ship and we will not drown.
The Tiny Words. Big Life. takeaway is this: Pray for discernment to know the truth. Pray for courage to refute those that cloud the vision of truth, whether intentionally or not. Pray for the comfort and knowledge of the Holy Spirit, who is always by our side.
So, when you find yourself on that ship and the waves are pounding away on every side, don’t panic and follow the false teachers that tell you they can save you. Don’t listen to those that say they’re right – that they know a different way to escape.
Instead, call on the name of Jesus and step out onto the water – just like Peter did!
2 Peter 2:17-19
17 These people are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. 18 For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of the flesh, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. 19 They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for “people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.” 20 If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning.