Reading: 2 Peter 2:17–22
God’s wondrous blessings to you. Our text for today is a sobering aid that speaks to the dangers and emptiness of false teachings. What can at first glance appear lovely, engaging, and life-renewing often is another shallow teaching to appease the flesh. Sometimes these false teachings are more cleverly disguised, perhaps even offered as a Christian way. Do not be fooled—those who are not slaves to Christ are slaves to their sinful nature, the sinful world, and the devil.
There are millions of ways to sin, but only one way to escape it. That path is “through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (v. 20). The knowledge of our Savior is a wonderful, blessed guide that does not lead to a vain life but instead points us to the One who has fulfilled the whole of the Law for us in His amends for our wretchedness. Our Lord desires that we meditate on His teaching day and night, not straying from it into mires of corruption and sensual passions. May God grant that we would be made wise unto salvation from this holy knowledge.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, You alone are the living wellspring of good teaching. Help us to seek out Your wisdom in avoiding sin and Your blessed Gospel with which you grant us righteousness. Give this to us so that we would dwell in Your righteous ways and lead others there to be eternally sustained through You, O Wellspring of salvation; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Hymn
Watch! Let not the wicked world
With its lies defeat you
Lest with bold deceptions hurled
It betray and cheat you.
Watch and see
Lest there be
Faithless friends to charm you,
Who but seek to harm you. (LSB 663:3)
Nate Konkel (Sem II, CTSFW)