Remember God’s Justice

I pray it’s not too late for our generation.

As with the example of Noah, Peter then shows the proof of God’s justice to protect the righteous by explaining how God delivered Lot. Again, similar to Noah, Lot likely isn’t called “righteous” (v. 7) because he was completely upright but because he was a good man in comparison to the men of Sodom. He also may be categorized as such by virtue of his obedience to God’s instructions during the judgment (cf. Gen 19:1-22). Don’t forget that Peter’s purpose here is not to set these men up as examples of justification before God but to give evidence that God is perfectly able to punish the ungodly while at the same time saving the righteous.

Peter then adds another new component in this third example. He highlights the effect the unrighteous culture was having on Lot. He describes him as “distressed by the depraved behavior of the immoral” (v. 7). The description suggests that his moral compass was “knocked about” by his exposure to his erotic atmosphere, to the point that he became dull to sin and apathetic about God’s standards. Lot’s waning faith is unpacked for us a bit more in verse 8: “For as that righteous man lived among them day by day, his righteous soul was tormented by the lawless deeds he saw and heard.” What Lot saw and heard day in and day out took its toll on him. The exposure to the “lawless deeds” of the unprincipled people of his city literally tortured his spiritual nature. Lot was wearing down when God rescued him.

This commentary in 2:7b-8 about Lot’s weakening defense likely is included for a couple of reasons. First, Peter wants to warn his readers about passive exposure to wickedness, especially of the sexual nature (see 1 Thess 4:1-8).

The portrayal of Lot provides a warning to a generation of people who will view without protest television material that, a generation ago, they would never have considered seeing at a movie. (Vaughn and Lea, 1, 2 Peter, 173)

We’ll never completely be able to avoid hearing and seeing everything that’s evil. But the default response to that predicament is not to throw up our hands and welcome the world into our lives and homes. When that happens, we stop crying out to God for his deliverance. Instead, we need to run from godlessness (cf. 1 Cor 6:18; 10:14; 1 Tim 6:11; 2 Tim 2:22), partly because of its devastating effects on our spiritual sensitivity and defenses. We must avoid settling in to our cultural climate. The biggest danger many of us face as believers is not being martyred for our faith but having our faith dulled by exposure to wickedness.

Second, Peter knew his readers could identify with Lot because they were getting frustrated and discouraged by the need to resist the false teachers. Many of them were wearing down, just as we do in our sensual culture. Peter wanted to encourage them and us with a reminder that God has a spotless track record of protecting his people during such trials and temptations. So this description of Lot’s injured faith provides a perfect segue to what Peter says next.

2 Peter 2:9-10a

I did my undergraduate degree in secondary education with a major in English and a minor in math. At the time, I was preparing to teach and coach in a public school. While I enjoy math, I have to be honest and say that the primary reason I went that route for my minor was because I felt it gave me the best chance of getting a job. But I did like grappling with all the axioms, theorems, postulates, corollaries, and hypotheses that guide the field. I especially liked the logic of rules that involved “if-then” statements, or conditional statements. My favorite was “If A=B and B=C, then A=C.” The part after the “if” (A=B and B=C) is called a hypothesis, and the part after the “then” (A=C) is called a conclusion. The conclusion (“then”) flows directly from the validity of the hypothesis (“if”).

In 2:9-10, Peter draws a conclusion to his long “if-then” statement that he began back in verse 4. Beginning there and going through verse 8, he basically says, “If God didn’t spare sinning angels, and if he didn’t spare the ancient world but preserved Noah, and if he obliterated Sodom and Gomorrah but rescued Lot, THEN . . .” And his conclusion, marked by “then” at the beginning of verse 9, flows directly from the validity of his hypothesis: Because God—in his justice—has both punished the wicked and preserved the righteous in the past, he can be trusted to do the same in the present. Peter knew his readers were getting frustrated and discouraged in their ongoing attempts to resist the false teachers, so he encouraged them by reminding them of God’s sovereign help for the righteous in times of trial and adversity. Today we have the same confidence. God will provide help to protect the righteous from trials, and at the same time he will continue to preserve the godless for torment.

The first part of Peter’s conclusion is that God’s track record proves he “knows how to rescue the godly from trials.” He picks up the word “rescue” from the discussion of Lot (v. 7), which carries the same idea as “protected” in reference to Noah (v. 5). Two particular explanations about the rest of the statement help us understand what it says. First, the “trials” here are external circumstances, not internal desires. Our internal desires for evil are the result of our sinful hearts (cf. Jas 1:14) and need to be crucified (cf. Col 3:5). But God uses external circumstances to mature our faith and develop our endurance (cf. Jas 1:2-4,12). Second, the preposition “from” (ek) is best understood to mean “out of” instead of “away from.” While God will never tempt anyone to sin (cf. Jas 1:13), he never promises to protect us from ever facing trials. In fact, he uses them to accomplish the purposes like the ones mentioned above. And he always protects us in the midst of these trials by providing grace sufficient for each one (cf. Jas 1:5; see also 1 Cor 10:13).

Equally as important as noticing what this statement says is noticing what it does not say. It does not say God always protects his children from harm and even death. Peter’s conclusion is that God’s track record proves that he “knows how” (v. 9) to rescue his children from trials, not that he always chooses to do so. In the New Testament the term trials most often refers to tests a believer experiences as a result of embracing the gospel of Christ and advancing his mission. Jesus actually viewed his entire life as being characterized by such trials (cf. Luke 22:28; cf. Jas 1:2; 1 Pet 1:6). He said his followers would experience the same, sometimes even to death (cf. Matt 10:17-18,21-22; 24:9; Mark 13:9,12-13; Luke 21:12,16,17; John 15:19-20; 16:2; Rev 2:10). While Christians aren’t immune to these trials, however, God does promise to give us everything necessary for us to emerge with our faith intact and our salvation untouched. Following Christ sometimes will bring physical harm, emotional stress, economic deprivation, and even physical death; but the sovereign, wise, and good God will always provide us with a “way out” so we can emerge in a better spiritual state (Moo, 2 Peter, 116).

Putting all this in context, Peter wants to encourage his readers amid the biggest danger in any time of trial, that of apostasy (Luke 8:13; 22:28). Noah and Lot passed this test with flying colors. When the dust settled, they alone stood among the scoffers. Peter wanted us to know that God is faithful and promises to protect his children when they face such temptation (cf. Rev 3:10). He obviously isn’t suggesting that God gives us a pass on facing any trials. He’s just finished talking about how both Noah and Lot lived among the wicked and were confronted by evil people. Neither is he trying to say that true believers (the “righteous”) never sin or that they never get killed along the way of righteous living. He simply wants to comfort us with the truth that God will protect his righteous ones from committing apostasy. When all is said and done, he won’t let us forsake him (Schreiner, 1 and 2 Peter, 343–44).

Before leaving this section, let’s take a moment to behold the beautiful picture of the gospel we find in this text. Peter doesn’t use examples of self-made, sinless men who earned God’s protection. Like Abraham, these men weren’t free from sin (see Gen 9:18-28; 16:1-6; 19:1-38). Peter never says that God rescued Lot because he was a righteous man. In fact, Lot comes across as just the opposite—a man of the world who strayed a long way from the God of his fathers (see Gen 13:10-14; 19:16). He probably shouldn’t have even been in Sodom in the first place! Although he was hospitable while there, he was weak and morally depraved (Gen 19:6-8). He was so invested in the city that he had to be dragged out when God’s judgment fell (Gen 19:16). If that wasn’t enough, after he left he proved himself to be a drunk (Gen 19:33,35)! Suffice it to say that this brother isn’t a picture of what most of us think of when we think of righteousness!

Neither Noah nor Lot brought anything to the table by which they could rescue themselves or earn God’s favor to do it for them. Their rescue operations were entirely due to the unmerited favor of God, which he shows to men because of what he is, not because of what they are or do (M. Green, 2 Peter, 124; cf. Gen 19:16,19). Both Noah and Lot evidently received by faith God’s judgment and instructions (cf. Gen 15:6; Rom 4:3,20-24), and therefore his righteousness was credited to them. God imputed his own righteousness to them because they trusted him.

What a great picture of the gospel! Jesus doesn’t save us because we’re all cleaned up and deserve his salvation but because we simply act in faith on what he has done for us. So Noah and Lot—like Abraham—are Old Testament illustrations of justification by faith. Like the apostle Paul, they can be said to have been “found in him, not having a righteousness of my own from the law, but one that is through faith in Christ—the righteousness from God based on faith” (Phil 3:9). Peter wanted his readers to know that it would not be by virtue of their inherent goodness that God would deliver them from their present trials or from the condemnation that he will bring on the ungodly. Instead, it will be because of their “knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord” (2 Pet 1:2).

Protecting the righteous in the midst of trials isn’t the only thing God’s track record proves he can do. Peter concludes he’s also capable of keeping the unrighteous on track toward final judgment. God knows how “to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment” (v. 9). The verb in this phrase is a present participle and can be interpreted at least two ways. Some believe it suggests that those who die outside of God’s protection experience torment while they are waiting for the final judgment. In other words, they’re in the process of being punished as they await the “day of judgment,” or the final judgment at Christ’s coming (Vaughn and Lea, 1, 2 Peter, 174; cf. Luke 16:19-31). Others note that the present participle in Greek doesn’t always indicate current activity. So the statement could simply mean that God holds the unrighteous for the day of judgment, at which time they will be punished (Davids, Letters, 232). Theologically, the two interpretations aren’t mutually exclusive. Both can be true. God can be keeping the unrighteous for the day he will judge them in the end; in the meantime, he’s holding them in some kind of temporary torment.

Actually, a third consideration is possible, which also is compatible with the others. Peter could be referring to God’s judgment against sin in this life. Three times in Romans 1, Paul asserts that God “delivered over” sinful people to the consequences of their sin (Rom 1:24,26,28). Having turned from the true God to worship idols, they were handed over to sexual impurity, unnatural passions, and depraved thinking. Because these people chose their own way instead of God’s, he allowed them to continue down their own path to its disastrous end. Maybe Peter is thinking about this kind of present judgment. Sin always has terrible consequences for the health of mind and body, and that’s a form of punishment (Moo, 2 Peter, 113–14). Regardless of whether it’s one or more of these interpretations, the language here is terrifying. Those who reject God and his ways are doomed for torment.

Under the inspiration of the Spirit, Peter further specifies those who experience this “both now and then” torment. He says they are “those who follow the polluting desires of the flesh and despise authority” (v. 10). To “follow” was to “go after the flesh” and had as its objects two particular sins. To lust after “polluting desires” is synonymous with sexual immorality; and to despise “authority” refers to rebelling against God, whether through rejecting the gospel, church leadership, or just God in general. Possibly the reason Peter includes these qualifications is to set his words in context and ensure his readers know he’s speaking of the false teachers in their midst. After all, the contexts of both Peter and Jude indicate that sensuality and rebellion were the dominating characteristics of these peddlers of destruction (see Jude 7-8).

The gospel of Christ shows up not only in God’s protection of his children but even here in this terrifying pronouncement of impending judgment. Peter doesn’t imply that the false teachers will be punished immediately. After all, the angels, the flood generation, and Sodom and Gomorrah weren’t condemned the moment they began to sin. They lived in their rebellion for various periods of time before they were punished. God never wants us to be discouraged or wonder if he is faithful simply because he allows the godless to prosper for a season. What he wants is for us to remember that he graciously gives people plenty of time to repent before their judgment (Schreiner, 1 and 2 Peter, 344; cf. Gen 15:16; Exod 34:6; Ps 86:15; Rom 9:22; 1 Tim 1:16; 1 Pet 3:20). Peter will say as much later in his letter: “The Lord does not delay his promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance” (3:9). The life, death, and resurrection of Christ are all clear demonstrations of God’s patient heartbeat for the lost to repent.

While Peter wanted his readers to know the destiny of the false teachers who were harassing them, the Holy Spirit wants us to remember what awaits all who reject the gospel. If God didn’t even spare sinning angels, what makes anyone think he will give a Get Out of Jail Free card to those who follow the company of false teachers today who deny a fixed and final judgment and whose lives and ministries are characterized by sensuality and greed (Helm, 1 & 2 Peter, 226–27)? The horror of Peter’s words compels us not only to stay the course of following the way of the prophets and apostles as recorded in the Bible, but his words also compel us to infiltrate every tribe and nation and tongue to warn them of God’s terrifying judgment and offer them his glorious gospel.

For most people in our culture today, the concept of eternal punishment is a tough pill to swallow. The British agnostic Bertrand Russell wrote,

There is one very serious defect to my mind in Christ’s moral character, and that is that he believed in hell. I do not myself feel that any person who is really profoundly humane can believe in everlasting punishment. (Why I Am Not a Christian , 17)

Philosopher John Hick said hell attributed to God “an unappeasable vindictiveness and insatiable cruelty” (Death and Eternal Life, 200). Even professing Christians aren’t immune to the sentiment. Clark Pinnock, a supposed evangelical scholar, asked,

How can Christians possibly project a deity of such cruelty and vindictiveness whose ways include inflicting everlasting torture upon his creatures, however sinful they may have been? Surely a God who would do such a thing is more nearly like Satan than like God. (“The Destruction of the Finally Impenitent,” 246–47)

These are merely representative of the widespread rejection—both inside and outside the community of faith—of the doctrine of God’s wrath.

But like it or not, God’s condemnation is real and necessary because it’s rooted in his justice. It has rightly been said that the seriousness of a crime is measured not only by its inherent nature but also by the one offended. Our sin has offended the Creator of the universe who is eternal, almighty, glorious, and holy. Consequently, our punishment has to correspond to that offense. And God’s justice demands that he not let us off the hook. He “will not leave the guilty unpunished” (Exod 34:7) but will give the unrighteous exactly what they deserve (cf. Lev 26:27-28; Isa 3:11). As the righteous Judge, he will one day call every creature to account (Gen 18:25; Heb 9:27; 1 Pet 4:5; Rev 20:14). For Christians, Jesus Christ has incurred God’s wrath against sin and met his righteous requirement in our stead. When we remember God’s justice, we remember his gospel. So now as his redeemed we can find comfort and encouragement in his justice—justice that not only assures us that he’s executing a plan for punishing the wicked but that also gives us strong help in our struggle for Christlike living in a secular world.