Beware Dark Clouds of Lawless Deceivers

2 Peter 2:12-17 

12 But these, like natural brute beasts made to be caught and destroyed, speak evil of the things they do not understand, and will utterly perish in their own corruption, 13 and will receive the wages of unrighteousness, as those who count it pleasure to carouse in the daytime. They are spots and blemishes, carousing in their own deceptions while they feast with you, 14 having eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin, enticing unstable souls. They have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children. 15 They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; 16 but he was rebuked for his iniquity: a dumb donkey speaking with a man's voice restrained the madness of the prophet.  17 These are wells without water, clouds carried by a tempest, for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.

The self-willed and self-seeking who spurn God and what He made to be good, these are like wild animals whose end is to be caught in their sin and put down (in the burning lake) for their utter corruption by sin.  Because they cannot understand apart from God’s regeneration, they take pleasure only in what pleases themselves with wild abandon in broad daylight.  They will come among us as dirty spots of corrupt deceptive teachings while lustily desiring and attempting to trap those not set firm in understanding their own faith.  These know how to desire what does not belong to them as they carouse under the curse of sin.  Since these have abandoned the way of righteousness, they are lost outside of the flock and headed for destruction.  These may be stopped as Balaam by a talking donkey as led by God in His sovereignty to restrain the madness of their false teachings, for God will keep them from entirely leading His chosen children astray.  As it is written here, the ungodly false teachers are empty clouds which bring no nourishing rain, but scattered storms heading for a deeper darkness and punishment as is reserved for them forever.  These are hard sayings when we consider we are to love our enemies and proclaim the good news that some may be saved, yet we need to be aware that many are not His sheep and will continue to carouse in the midst of God’s people to mislead and cause us to sin when possible.  Understanding the truth and living God’s word and by His will for His glory are the defenses required.  We are to speak truth with love and be used as God rescues the perishing, but must also be harmless as doves while being wise to the wolves among us.