“But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.”
and bring on themselves swift destruction
“Bring” means to bring something upon or make answerable. False teachers bring destruction upon themselves. They made themselves answerable to God.
“Swift” here indicates these false teachers will face imminent ruin. It is coming soon.
Their self-deception led to their spiritual ruin (2 Pe 2:3; 3:16). They will eventually be condemned to hell for all eternity. They will bring a state of ruin upon their souls.
Apostates bring upon themselves damnation. They destroy their eternal status with God through their teaching. God does not send us to hell without the cooperation of our wills. When you land in hell, you will know you sent yourself there. Do not blame it on the church or others. Blame it on yourself.
PRINCIPLE:
Ultimately, it is we ourselves who choose hell.
APPLICATION:
Destruction comes on souls not because they misbehave but because they straight-arm the Lord Jesus’ death for their sins.
We do not say if we have a severe illness, “I will go to the doctor as soon as I feel better.” If we do, we are a nut. Severe pain recommends us to our physician. Neither do we say, “As soon as I straighten out my life, then I will come to Christ.” No, we go quickly to the Physician who forgives our sins. We do not construct a moral life and then become a Christian; we become Christian, and then Christ changes our lives.
Come to Christ. What do you have to lose? You tried everything else, and that did not work. Everything else is secondary and peripheral.
