Day 2434 – Exhortation to Spiritual Maturity – An Expose of Counterfeit Communicators– 2 Peter 2:1-3

Welcome to Day 2434 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Day 2429 – An Expose of Counterfeit Communicators – Daily Wisdom Putnam Church Message – 07/28/2024 Denunciation of False Teachers – An Expose of Counterfeit Communicators- 2 Peter 2:1-3 Last week, we learned That prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. God’s Word is the Source of Truth; we should drink from it daily. If you miss any messages, you can watch them online on our FaceBook page or at PutnamChurch.org. Today’s passage is 2 Peter 2:1-3, on page 1894 of your Pew Bibles, and I will read it from the NLT for the clarity of flow. 1 But there were also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach destructive heresies and even deny the Master who bought them. In this way, they will bring sudden destruction to themselves. 2 Many will follow their evil teaching and shameful immorality. And because of these teachers, the way of truth will be slandered. 3 In their greed they will make up clever lies to get hold of your money. But God condemned them long ago, and their destruction will not be delayed. Chances are we’ve all been victimized by a con artist at some time in our lives. Perhaps more than once! Maybe it’s been years ... or maybe it was only yesterday. It could be as harmless as losing your spare change playing a rigged game at a carnival. Or it may be as disastrous as losing your retirement in an investment scam. It’s possible that the deception nearly cost you your sanity, as we personally experienced. For us, it was partners in our computer business who were less than ethical, which resulted in forcing us to close our computer business in 2001 after 18 years and having to start over again. Of all the cons to which we might fall prey in this world, the most damaging is the deception of religious phonies. Swindlers of this kind deal in counterfeit truth, an imitation meant to fool the unsuspecting. Every day, peddlers of falsehood receive nodding approval on social media, television, bookstores, on the silver screen—and, unfortunately, behind pulpits. Counterfeit truth is big business. Look at all sorts of media today that keep us riled up and fearful to keep us watching and their advertising revenue flowing. Today, ministries have been formed to counter counterfeits and challenge the charlatans. Books that catalog and refute cults are often massive and can only treat their false teachings in a summary manner. In 2 Peter 2, that rugged apostle candidly describes false teachers who traffic in religious things but lack authentic faith. Appearing to be resourceful and honest, they are empty and deceitful. Claiming to offer answers and hope, they bring lies and despair. Pretending to proclaim reliable information, they use the same words as believers but a different dictionary. And acting like those who have embraced Christian freedom, they are enslaved by corruption and seek to enslave others. They may look like they are succeeding, and the heretics’ score may be much higher than the saints. But in reality, they are merely heaping up judgment for themselves in the coming day of wrath. Peter wrote this letter to remind believers of sound teaching, to encourage diligence in the faith, and to...