The apostle Peter has been
warning the church against false prophets who would bring in
“damnable heresies” among them. He has given three
historical groups of people who were judged for following false
teaching as examples of God's punishment for straying from the truth
– the fallen angels, the ungodly in Noah's day, and the people in
Sodom and Gomorrah. In verses seven and eight of chapter two Peter
mentioned “just Lot” who escaped the latter judgment, and
in verse nine Peter shares the difference between the “godly”
and the “unjust”. We read:
The Lord knows how to
deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto
the day of judgment to be punished:
Peter
begins this verse with, “The Lord knows how to deliver the godly
out of temptations,” We should pay particular attention to this
portion of this verse because we find that God is knowledgeable about
how to save those who trust in, rely upon, and cling to Him “out
of temptations” which in this instance is “the trial
of man's fidelity, integrity, virtue and constancy”. It implies “an
enticement to sin whether arising from the desires or from the
outward circumstances”. As we noted in verse eight the word “vexed”
means “to be tried and tested”, and Peter who knows what it meant
to be tested and fail was an expert on what it means to be delivered
“out of” temptations.
The verse goes on to say, “and
to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:” In
contrast to the godly being “delivered out of
temptations” the ungodly God
will “reserve”
which means “to attend to carefully, take care of, to guard”
the “unjust” which are those “who violate or has
violated justice, the unrighteous, sinful, and those who deal
fraudulently with others, deceitful.” Notice too that these
“unjust” ones are not just reserved unto nothing and for no
reason, but they are reserved unto “the day of judgment”
which is “a separation, a sundering, a separation, a sentence of
condemnation, damnatory judgment, or condemnation and judgment.”
This “day of judgment” may seem far off, but the
consequences of it are to be “punished” which means “to
lop or prune, as trees and wings, to chastise, or correct”.
Although it may appear for a time that those who are “unjust”
are getting away with their evil deeds, God will have His day with
them, and O' what a dreadful day that will be.
As we consider the gravity
of the words we have just read, perhaps we too should take the time
to discover once again into which group we belong. Would we be
considered to be the “godly” or the “unjust”?
We know by Peter's words that the Lord is able to deliver and reserve
those within whichever group we may find ourselves, but obviously we
want to be in the group in which He delivers out of temptations.
Maybe the best way to end the study of this verse is to bow our
heads, seek God's face, and ask Him to give us the grace to be found
in the group of the “godly”. And Lord Jesus, so we all
pray, in Jesus' name, amen.
Next
time we see how the ungodly behave, so read ahead, and we shall join
together then.
Until
tomorrow...there is more...
Look
for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From
Generation to Generation” and the new marriage book “So, You Want
to Be Married” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ;
www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore
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