2 Peter 2 Devotional

Rescued in a Corrupt Age

“if all this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment.”2 Peter 2:9 (BSB)

This is one of the sternest chapters in the New Testament. Peter warns that false teachers will slip into the church, deny the Master who bought them, and exploit people with smooth words out of greed (2:1-3). They promise freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption, because a person is enslaved to whatever overcomes him (2:19). Peter does not soften what awaits them.

He points to history to show that God judges. He did not spare angels who sinned, the ancient world in the flood, or Sodom and Gomorrah (2:4-6). But in each of those scenes God also rescued. He preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, along with seven others, and he rescued Lot, who was tormented by the lawlessness around him (2:5-8). So Peter draws the conclusion: the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for judgment (2:9). Believers living among voices that twist the truth are not left to defend themselves alone. The God who brought Noah through the flood knows how to bring his people home.

To think about: Which voices around you promise freedom but lead somewhere else, and how does God's rescue of Noah and Lot steady you?