False teachers always have an angle that slants in their favor. And the teachers Peter warned his readers about were coming into town for personal profit.

2 Peter 2:3
And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

The word “exploit” literally means “to sell.” These deceivers were all about selling themselves with winsome personalities and made-up stories. Remember, the people they were exploiting lived during a stressful time. Persecution was coming. The hearers were facing imprisonment, torture, confiscation of property, and death. These imposters used deception to wedge their way into the emotions of the vulnerable congregation. Certainly, their sin would catch up with them. Condemnation hung over their heads like a sword ready to release its fury. But in the meantime, many would “follow their depraved conduct” and bring “the way of truth into disrepute.” (2 Peter 2:2 NIV).

Believers, we must stand firm in the truth. We must know what we believe and why we believe it. We must have a mental “truth screen” through which we pour everything we hear and read, so the truth will come through and saturate our lives. Errors will get caught in the screen and can be discarded. This “truth screen” is developed by reading and studying God’s Word. So, what are you waiting for?

Lord, give me the desire and discipline to be in your Word every day. I want to read, study, and apply your written Word—your love letter—to me. Help me develop a “truth screen.” I don’t want to fall for persuasive error. In Jesus’ name. Amen.