For Peter the number one enemy of the church is the lust of the flesh.  We can be spirit filled, born again Christians preaching the gospel, sermonizing, and evangelizing and still be consumed by lust.  The minister can have forsaken the right way and have gone astray following the way of Balaam who loved the wages of unrighteousness (2Pt215) and while they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption (v19).  It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness then to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. (v21)  Ministers who are in it for money, fame, success, attention, and flattery may be in for a big surprise.  Peter is stating in no uncertain terms that the wages of sin is death and no one is exempt, not even the tele-evangelist.   

            St. Paul in his second letter to Timothy states that God has not given us a spirit of fear, so Peter is not advocating a spirit of fear, but he is warning the church that the dog can return to his own vomit again (v22) and that the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.  So if you are prone to lust and do not take appropriate action, you are in great danger of damnation, and for that, you should fear God.  If you are in ministry and have eyes full of adultery, if you are in ministry and are enticed by fame and popularity, if you are in ministry and are occupied by wealth and fortune, you are in grave danger according to Peter's perception.  If you have a problem with the flesh it is more important to deal with that problem then ignoring it for the present glory and receiving eternal damnation in the end. 

            Peter begins his second letter saying that we should be partakers of the divine nature having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust and we are to add.  We are to add virtue to faith, knowledge to virtue, temperance to knowledge and so forth (2Pt1:4-7)  It is clear from Peter's perception that there is work to be done for the born again, spirit filled Christian.  “Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free” (Jn8:32) Sanctify them through thy truth.  Thy word is truth. (Jn17:17)  Since we were in the world before we received Christ, after that experience with Christ, there is work to be done to get the world out of us.  The lusts of the flesh must be crucified and we must be free of spiritual torment.  That work takes time and diligence and prayer.  We are all called to ministry whether with family, friend, or neighbor, but we must be good witnesses as well.  That may mean postponing the present opportunity until we clean up our act.  Take heed from Peter!

amen