Passage Read: 2 Peter 2-3
Meditation Verse: 2:10
Thought
The core components of these false teachers and false prophets is their devotion to the sinful nature and their rejection of authority. They are so arrogant as to slander celestial beings. They used to be believers or think they were believers, but because of their enslavement to their fleshly lusts, they do not get victory and cannot get victory over sin, so they must attack the authority of God's Word and His faithful messengers. Really, they must attack any authority that opposes their behavior, even as they set themselves up as an authority, which makes them a hypocrite. So that should make them easy to identify: Anyone who excuses sinful behavior rather than preaching against it, and anyone who argues against the teaching of the Bible. They're setting themselves up as a higher authority than men who spoke face to face with Jesus. They're just trying to gain followers for themselves, not caring at all that they're leading others to eternal damnation. They are truly wicked.
Application
The wise are supposed to show their wisdom by their righteous lives, by deeds done in humility. The hallmark of a true believer is humility, submission to God and all He teaches, and to all duly-appointed leaders to do whatever God considers good and right. Anyone who cannot submit graciously to any authority over them is one who struggles with arrogance, who is enslaved to their flesh and eager to cast off restraint rather than condemn their own sinful behavior. If I cannot submit to the authorities in my life, it means I'm also resisting God's authority over me. If I do not humble myself before anyone in any position of authority over me, it means I'm also looking for ways to argue with God. It means I'm on the path to becoming a false teacher or false prophet, to the destruction of myself and others. There are always plenty of people looking to justify themselves rather than God. It's easy to gather a following through rebellious thinking and behavior. The only real defense against such a path is respectful humility toward all authorities and an overriding commitment to doing what God considers good, holy and righteous. If I feel compelled to disobey an authority, it must be to uphold God's Word, not to promote lawlessness, and it must be done such that I continue to honor the one in authority, even to the point of accepting their punishment in humility and support of their authority.