“If by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes He condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly” (v6).
Has someone ever given you directions using landmarks that aren’t there anymore? “Take the highway until you come to where the K-Mart used to be.” Chances are I’ve never been here before, so I’m pretty sure that I don’t have a clue where the old K-Mart used to be. Here in his second letter, Peter gives us important directions using a couple of important landmarks that aren’t there anymore. Sodom and Gomorrah. You may have heard of them. He uses them as the third of four examples from Genesis of how God will most certainly deal with evil in the world. First, it’s fallen angels (Gen 6:1-6; 2Pet 2:4). Batting second is the Great Flood (Gen 6:8-13; 2Pet 2:5). Next up is Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 19:23-28; 2Pet 2:6). He wraps it up with Lot’s rescue (Gen 19:1-22, 29; 2Pet 2:7-8). If you have any doubts about God’s ability to come to the rescue and punish sin, flip back to the first book of the Bible for a quick review.
This is a big deal because Pete is warning his readers about a team of false teachers who have snuck into local churches and are tearing them apart from the inside (2:1-3). In his prequel, the threat came from outside the fellowship. The followers of Jesus faced tremendous prejudice and persecution from society and the government. But this time, it’s an inside job. Here, the former fisherman not only issues a red alert about these spiritual snake oil salesman but reassures folks that God can and will punish them. If they have any doubts about that, just drop by Sodom and Gomorrah to see how those folks are doing. Oh, that’s right. You can’t. They don’t exist anymore!
The book of Genesis tells the horrific story of these twin cesspool cities (Gen 18:20; 18:22-33; 19:1-14). There’s no real need to go into gory detail. Let’s simply say they weren’t exactly Mayberry and Mount Pilot. These cities steamed with all sorts sexual sin. Jesus’ little brother Jude wrote about them too. “Just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire” (Jude 7). Folks may have been hot to trot but that was nothing compared to fire God rained from the sky when He nuked the cities.
Pete’s not just bringing up sex to get people interested in his warning. These false teachers have done that already. They used sex to sell their message and it worked (2:2). The apostle sounds the alarm to let everyone know that by sleeping around, they are headed away from Jesus, not towards Him. Let’s be clear. God is no prude when it comes to sex. It was His idea! But He designed it for a husband and wife. Anything outside of marriage perverts His plan. Anything outside of marriage does tremendous damage to those involved. God is 100% in favor of sex. As long as you’re married, go for it. Enjoy it. Get it on. But outside of marriage, it’s like fire outside the fireplace. It kills and destroys. Just ask the folks of Sodom and Gomorrah. Oh, that’s right. You can’t. They don’t exist anymore.
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