Series: 2 Peter
Title: God Spared Not Angels
Text: 2 Peter 2: 4
Date: March 11, 2012
Place: SGBC, New Jersey
2 Peter 2: 1: But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 2: And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. 3: And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. 4: For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
“If God spared not the angels that sinned,” he will not spare any man who sins, though they appear as angels of light, God will “cast them down to hell.”
What a solemn subject for every teacher in every capacity: husbands before our households, parents before our children, believers before our neighbors, and especially teachers in the church.
Proposition: Above all things it is preeminently important to ABIDE in the truth of God.
Divisions: I. A look at these angels that sinned, God’s judgment upon them II. A few words of comfort and encouragement for the believer
I. THE ANGELS THAT SINNED
Angels sinned, a host of heavenly angels, even that chief one we now know as the devil. These were spirits created by God. They were created good, holy, with God in heaven. But these angels rebelled against God. What was the sin in heaven that caused this? The Lord said,
John 8: 44: Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. 45: And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.
He abode not in the truth. God in heaven made known the truth of the Gospel to the angels—
· The truth of Christ Jesus the Son of God himself
· The truth that God would save chosen sinners by the work of Christ Jesus.
· The truth that the Son of God, would take the nature of Man
· That he would glorify God—declaring him just and the Justifier—and that Christ Jesus would redeem each one for whom he died
· And that Christ was and would be exalted head over all angels and men.
Hebrews 1: 4: Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. 5: For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? 6: And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him. 7: And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire. 8: But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. 9: Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows….13: But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool? 14: Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?
Hebrews 2: 5: For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak. 6: But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him? 7: Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands: 8: Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him…
But Satan and the fallen angels did not abide in the Truth. Pride would not let them bow to Christ Jesus knowing he would be exalted above them in our human nature. Satan led these angels in rebellion against God.
We see the judgment of God upon these rebellious angels—(2 Peter 2: 4)
· God spared not the angels that sinned
· But cast them down to hell
· And delivered them into chains of darkness
· To be reserved unto judgment
The Holy Spirit draws a parallel between false teachers and those who follow them with these fallen angels.
Like as the fallen angels sinned so the false teachers. The damnable heresies of men exalts man rather than God. That is why the doctrines of men are called the doctrines of devils. The devils doctrine is: Luke 19: 14…”We will not have this man to reign over us.” “When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”
Like as the fallen angels were cast down to hell, delivered unto chains of darkness, so false teachers and those who follow them are cast down.
Like as the angels are reserved unto the day of judgment so the unjust are reserved unto the judgment of that great day.
What a solemn warning, brethren! All men that have heard the truth, even professed to believe on Christ, and afterwards deny Christ Jesus are represented in the same desperate case
Hebrews 6: 6: [It is impossible] If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
Hebrews 10: 26: For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, 27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. 28: He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: 29: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
II. COMFORT FOR YOU WHO BELIEVE ON CHRIST
Let him that glories glory in the Lord. We owe all to his grace. God chose us in Christ before he made the world. We are separated only because God separated us by his electing grace. If God did not choose us—since we are conceived in sin—we surely would not have chosen God (Ps 51:5)
And by that very Truth that the fallen angels despise, we who abide in Christ have something angels never had:
Hebrews 2: 16: For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.
· He made himself of no reputation
· He came and fulfilled the righteousness of the law on our behalf
· Justified us and made atonement for us
Oh, we do not want our will to be free from God’s keep hand. We see what angels did when God left them to their will. We saw what Adam did left to his will—both in a perfect state and perfect environment. Shall we who are sinners be thought to do anything less? “The carnal man is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be”. “The natural man receiveth not the things of God…”
Brethren, by the grace of God we are, and we want to be, continually, inseparably united with Christ by his blessed Spirit. We want our will to be inseparably united in subjection to God’s will and kept in subjection to him by the Spirit of God. God does so by his power!
· Thy people [chosen, elect and precious to God]
· Thy people shall be made [made righteous in Christ our Righteousness, born anew of the Spirit of God]
· Thy people shall be made willing [willing to submit to Christ in his Preeminence over all, willing to ever look to him for grace to help in time of need]
· When do we experience this work of grace?--in the day of thy power…
Our gracious Father made a covenant of grace with us ordered in all things and sure—by the blood of Christ Jesus. And he keeps us by his Word of truth:
1 John 3: 9: Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
We are made “members of his body, of his flesh and of his bones;” but our confidence is not in ourselves it is in God’s grace. It is only by God’s unchanging grace and power that we are kept in the day of temptation—v9: the Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations
My brethren, ever depend upon the grace of our God to keep us from falling. A sinner saved by grace never arrives at some lofty position so that we can stand without God’s keeping hand of grace. That goes for each of us. We must have the truth of the gospel. Put no confidence in our flesh: in ability, or office, or learning or service or experience
1 Corinthians 10: 12: Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
We see the example before us, brethren? These were angels in heaven dwelling in that Light which no man can approach unto, now they are in chains of darkness.
Let men cry up free will, let men promise liberty that is nothing but the bondage of Satan and darkness--this is our cry:
Psalm 27: 9: Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.
And the God of all grace promises for the sake of Christ Jesus our Righteousness that he shall keep the weakest of his children.
CHRIST AND CHRIST ALONE SHALL HAVE THE PREEMIENCE. And he must have it in every aspect of every believer’s life. If we even begin to think otherwise we are already entangled.
Let us therefore ever follow Christ, “Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;…[like] Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.” (Heb 12: 15-16).
Jude 1: 24: Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, 25: To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen!