Peter in 2 Peter 2:1-3 gives an example of the most serious heretical teaching that these false teachers peddled when he says that they even “denied the Lord who bought them.” They denied the cross of Jesus as being necessary for atonement for their sins. Such false teaching comes from “an inadequate view of the Person and work of Jesus combined with a belief that one’s own personal sin doesn’t necessitate the need for the blood of Jesus.” The defective thought is NOT relegated in being wrong about God’s character alone but in NOT understanding who Jesus is in the first place! The essence of heresy can always be found in having the wrong characteristic about God to the exclusion of the RIGHT ONE. What is missing in false teaching is the location of where you view Godly attributes! They can only be understood when we see them from heavens perspective, from the very throne of God! If we are to know the depths of God’s love, mercy, and humility we can only truly do so from the heights of His holiness! No holiness, no sin; no sin, no Savior!!!! Redemption becomes unnecessary and the ministry of Jesus upon the cross an unwelcome tragedy. Peter’s statement is that heresy comes from those who have no vision of God’s holiness and as such have no perception of their need for Jesus’ atonement! Whatever dethrones or disparages the holiness of Jesus will impair and impoverish the person who does! Anything that cheapens Jesus will make us worthless, any teaching that places Jesus as anything less than everything denies Him and is a destructive heresy!
•The first thing we need to realize is that all false teaching is “progressive” as it will eventually “deny the Lord who bought them”. False teaching starts slowly by lessening our focus upon the character and nature of God.
•It can be as simple as an over emphasis upon the Church and what we are doing for God as it removes our attention away from Jesus and what He has done for us and in so doing denies Him being our everything.
•It can also find a foothold by emphasizing Jesus’ “Love” or other attributes while barely mentioning His holiness.
•It can also come in by teaching and churches that place over emphasis upon “end times” scenarios, the gifts of the Spirit, politics, or the state of the fallen world. While not being false teaching or things that we may disagree with it will in-time lead to false teaching because such teaching neglects the ONLY essential, Jesus! And when Jesus is “consistently absent” other things will be missing as well such as our need for His sacrifice and that will be replaced by our faithfulness instead of His! Jesus’ atonement will become, in time, obsolete and antiquated.