No Wallowing

DEVOTION 2 PETER NO WALLOWING 2 Peter 2:17-22 17 These men are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. 18 For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of sinful human nature, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. 19 They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity — for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him. 20 If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. 21 It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. 22 Of them the proverbs are true: "A dog returns to its vomit," and, "A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud." NIV Here we see the last of the dissertation on the warnings and woes regarding the false prophets and teachers. Can there be any question about who these people are? Can we not see them all around us? It surely also warns us that we need to stay on the right path and not to get distracted by the things of the world, and since early that specific warning about greed, it would be wise for us to see the dangers in getting too involved in the way of the non-believers lust for the accumulation of money based on the trust their have in it for their future. Once we have become born again, do we not attempt to leave behind those bad habits, those sinful desires? We see in here the extreme danger in returning to those same old habits, those same old desires, and not giving any attention to whether that is displeasing to the Lord or not. This would include the act of wanting more and more money, investing in the work of the devil if he promises to line our pockets with gold. This would include returning to any old ways of living. It is certain these false teachers were using God for they benefit rather than being used for His benefit. When we use the scriptures to justify any behavior that is in any way similar to the way of the world, are we not doing the same thing? If we seek out one verse to show that it is alright for us to store up wealth for ourselves, for our old age, are we not in danger of being entangled in the world and overcome by it? There is so much warning in here about not returning to the same ways after being enlightened by the Word of God. It is surely just as the sow after being washed in the blood of the lamb, cleansed of sin, declared innocent but God, and then going right back to sinning, to wallowing in the mud and what is worse is when we use the scriptures to justify our wallowing. It is clear no more wallowing.