Lesson 20

Second Peter

Warning against dangers facing the Church

 

2:8  Parenthetical Amplification – the basis of Lot’s oppression

We noted last week that in Genesis 19 Lot hardly comes across as a righteous man; godliness was not a consistent mark in his daily conduct.

But in his standing before God he was a justified man (“righteous,” occurring three times in 2 Peter 2:7-8, is dikaion, “justified”).

 

2:8 (for by what he saw and heard that righteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day by their lawless deeds),

 

- by what he saw and heard have 2 nouns in the dative instrumental describing the means of oppression

 

What Peter is describing here is that the gross sexual immorality of homosexuality was flagrant, it was in your face in that it was practiced openly hardly behind closed doors.

 

while living among them  this phrase makes it clear that this was not a temporary or transient thing for Lot.

 

- felt his righteous soul tormented the imperfect active indicative of  basani,zw

describes any severe distress affliction, torment, harass

 

That he was tormented indicates that he still had some N&S consistent with DVPT. Believe that he learned DVPT while with Abe as they had Bible study.

 

Application:  Just because someone has gone totally negative to truth, rejected BD, rejected face to face teaching doesn’t mean that they will reject all areas of DVPT.

 

day after day by their lawless deeds   a;nomoj e;rgon  refers to the activity of the society of Sodom and Gomorrah that it was totally apart from the divine norms and standards and the LDE. 

 

2:8 (For by sight and hearing that righteous man (Lot) while living among them was torturing his righteous soul day after day by their lawless deeds.)

 

Summary 2:8

1.  Question we must ask?  Why would Lot, a believer, a righteous man , chose to live in an environment which was a constant source of mental anguish, torture for him?

2.  Answer: To gratify his monetary, materialistic lust pattern of his sin nature which was in rulership.

 

3.  He continually made the choices to put himself and his family in Sodom.   Gen 13:1-14

 

4.  Even after he was warned by the angels to leave he was reluctant!    Gen 19:12-18

 

5.  When someone is ruled by their sin nature as Lot was they will readily compromise and overrule divine norms and standards and associate with any form of evil if they are convinced that it will further their own desires.

 

6.  The rise of negative volition to DVPT and being ready to compromise truth to advance their sin nature lust patterns is a characteristic of the last days of the church age.  2 Tim 3:2

 

7.  We must be on guard not to let the legitimate details take precedent over our on going spiritual advance and resultant inheritance in Christ.

 

8. This demands self discipline, diligence towards the Word and its application in your life.

-  1 Cor 9:24-27 strong exhortation by Paul to master the details of life and exercise self discipline to achieve the goal, imperishable wreath,  blessing or rewards at the JSC. 

-  1 John 2:15-17   Separation from the World;  Evidence for walking in the Light 

-  Worldliness is a mindset, a way of thinking not impacted by the Word of God.

 

9. Some illustrations from Lot and the judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah:

a.  The judgment was sudden and unexpected by the masses of people.

b.  Lot was blessed by his association with Abraham a grace oriented believer Gen 19:19.

c.  Even as a reversionistic believer Lot was delivered as will be those who are negative and apathetic towards the Word in the last generation of the Church age, those described as spiritually asleep in 1 Ths 5:10, they also will be delivered from the great judgment of the Tribulation by the Rapture.

 

Rabbit Trail

1 John 2:15-17   Separation from the World;  Evidence for walking in the Light 

 

Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

 

 

Do not love the world   should be - Stop loving the world,

 

If we're to stop loving the world, kosmoj,  we need to know just what  the world is!

 

Is worldliness what we do or is it the way that we think?

 

World, kosmos [kosmoj], has several uses in Scripture;

1. a completely non-moral meaning; the physical world

   Mt. 13:35,38; John 17:5

 

2.  A definite moral meaning/use of all who are unbelievers  John 7:7; mass of humanity not related to Jesus Christ. 

John 1:29; 3:16; 15:18;  1 Cor 1:20  all who are antithetical to God;  stand in opposition to God

 

It is also used of a philosophy or way of thinking, the mindset of any one who is untouched by the Word of God;

1 John 4:5

 

So worldliness is cosmic thinking, cosmic values; cosmic opinions; cosmic aspirations; all that comes together to make up ones norms and standards untouched by the Word of God.

 

 

 

 

What are some of the elements of Worldliness?  What is its make up?  the elements of this world?

1. It is Ordered by Satan.   2 Cor. 4:4;  John 12:31; 14:30;    1 Jn 5:19

 

 

 

2. It has men/mankind as inhabitants/subjects;  Eph. 2:2

 

3. The world has standards; it has a philosophy, wisdom.  norms/opinions  1 Cor 2:6

 

 

 

 

 

Worldliness is an organized and attractive system of ideas, concepts, attitudes, and methods which Satan uses to compete with God's expressed viewpoint of how people are to live on planet Earth.