The Everyday Prayer

Re:Verse passage – 2 Peter 2:17-22 (day seven)

For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them. vs 21

Will there be false teachers in heaven? To say yes is to diminish the importance of teaching sound doctrine. To say no is to deny that these pastors or teachers ever knew the Lord at all. There are some false teachers who vehemently and un-repentantly are leading people astray. Others appear to have known the Lord at some point and have found themselves straying off course. It causes us to reframe the question: is it possible for someone to stray in their faith so far as to lose their salvation?

To put it bluntly: can you lose your salvation?

My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. John 10:29

When you make Jesus the Lord of your life, and the Holy Spirit regenerates your soul, there is nothing anyone can do to steal your salvation. Not even the devil himself. If you have tasted and seen that the Lord is good, you will never be the same again. It is possible to slip up. It is possible to fall into sin, but a person who has truly tasted the goodness of God will never forget that taste and will always be drawn back for more.

Re:Verse passage – 2 Peter 2:17-22 (day six)

Peter describes the false teachers as “springs without water.” They looked life-giving, but when thirsty souls came close, there was nothing to drink. Their words promised wisdom, but they delivered only emptiness.

Kingdom life, on the other hand, flows with the living water of Jesus. It’s the life that refreshes, restores, and gives hope to weary people. When the Spirit fills us, we don’t just speak truth—we become channels of His grace.

The question is not whether you look like a spring, but whether living water actually flows through you. Are people left thirsty after encountering you, or do they taste something of the goodness of God?

Jesus said, “Whoever believes in me… rivers of living water will flow from within them.” Let’s live as people whose lives overflow with His presence.

Re:Verse passage – 2 Peter 2:17-22 (day five)

 “These people are as useless as dried-up springs or as mist blown away by the wind. They are doomed to blackest darkness.” 2 Peter‬ ‭2‬:‭17‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Don’t you just love Pastor Peter’s heart?  We see that fiery emotional personality that first appeared in the gospels. Early as he just started following Christ, Peter was always ready to jump out, call out, and leave out- impetuous, reactive, and often uninformed. “Ready, Fire, Aim!!”

Yet God has redeemed his will, his heart, and his emotions. So that Peter’s passion and energy are used for God’s glory and effective ministry. Instead of being just an attacker, Peter is now also a protector. He is looking out for these new christians. He is caring for them as they begin to grow in the gospel. His attention is on both the false/fake teachers as well as the vulnerable christians. God has grown and shaped Peter’s heart and life. May The Spirit do that same refining work in us that we might be honed and shaped for service and ministry in the Kingdom of God!!

Re:Verse passage – 2 Peter 2:17-22 (day four)

…promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved.

A common mark of false teachers is that they portray their teaching, their way of life, or the product they’re pushing, as one that will bring you freedom. It might be the freedom to do what you want without consequences, the freedom to pursue worldly things without constraint, the freedom of sexual expression, or the freedom from the restrictions of traditional morality.

Americans might be especially susceptible to this. Freedom is kind of our whole schtick, isn’t it? If something is painted as a constraint to our freedom, we naturally want to cast it off.

Peter reminds us that Jesus also taught about freedom, but the freedom we see him offering looks very different from the false teachers described here. The freedom we’re offered through Christ is the freedom from sin, the freedom to serve, the freedom from fear, the freedom to approach the throne of God with boldness, the freedom to pursue a holy life, clothed in the righteousness of Christ.

This is true freedom. Be wary of messages that promote a kind of “freedom” that looks and sounds different from that of Christ, whatever the source. Galatians 5:1, “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.”

Re:Verse passage – 2 Peter 2:17-22 (day two)

 These are springs without water and mists driven by a storm, for whom the black darkness has been reserved. v. 17

Promises given by false teachers will always be what you want to hear. They will always guarantee success, happiness, or gain. That is why they are so popular. We don’t want to hear about struggle, about sacrifice, or about self-denial. Those things don’t get votes, they don’t excite the masses, and they don’t fill seats, but they are often the reality of any believer’s journey. I don’t want to paint a picture of a dire strife-filled existence in Christ, but I want my teachers to be honest about what it means to put your faith in something eternal rather than something temporal. We may not get the brass ring we are reaching for here on earth, but each follower of Christ WILL achieve the eternal glory of life with Jesus. Is your faith dependent upon whether you get wealthy? Are you needing some material gain in order to serve the body of Christ? This kind of thinking will only end in disappointment. Our gain is Jesus. This will be sufficient.

Re:Verse passage – 2 Peter 2:10-16 (day seven)

[…] to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment,  and especially those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt desires and despise authority. vs 9-10

False teachers are wolves in sheep’s clothing. They are crafty and cunning. They say things that make you feel good. They tickle your ears and scratch your itch. They will have a large following and will seem prosperous, but God tells us that their judgment is coming!

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. James 3:1

But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. Matthew 18:6

God takes His teaching seriously. Teaching to tickle ears may please the masses, but they are not pleasing the Master. All of us as Christians should not take this warning lightly. We are all called to lead and teach. Whether it is a small group, large group, or just our family, we are all responsible for passing on the Promises of God. Who are you aiming to please through your teachings?

Re:Verse passage – 2 Peter 2:10-16 (day 6)

The false teachers Peter describes were proud and arrogant, despising authority. Pride always begins with the same lie whispered in Eden: You don’t need God. You can decide what’s good on your own. But humility is the joyful posture of remembering that life, meaning, and goodness begin outside of us, in God Himself.

Life in the Spirit begins here. The humble heart knows that every breath, every insight, and every step of wisdom is a gift. It’s not self-deprecation; it’s dependence. It’s Adam and Eve before the fall—walking with God in trust. The proud say, “I’ve got this.” The humble say, “I need You.”

When we live in humility, we make space for the Spirit to lead, teach, and bear fruit in us. That’s where true freedom begins.

Re:Verse passage – 2 Peter 2:10-16 (day five)

Words are an invaluable treasure in God’s economy. He spoke the world into existence (Genesis 1). His Son is often referred to as The Word (John 1). He has intentionally chosen to reveal Himself in the scriptures (John 5). If words are that important and significant to the Lord, they should be to us as well. What and how we read and listen are important. Being intentional to “hear” what is being said (preached) is crucial. That is one of the “litmus tests” Peter prescribes in pointing out false teachers- their words. 3 times (revile) in this short passage, Peter points to what is being said (or not said) as a telling indicator of a false teacher. We must listen, read, and hear with supernatural discernment that comes from the Spirit. Wanna spot a fake?  Want clarity on their heart?  Want guidance on whom to trust and follow?  Pay attention to their words.  “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” 1 John‬ ‭4‬:‭1‬ ‭ “But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil.” 1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5‬:‭21‬-‭22‬