For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them. It has happened to them according to the true proverb, "A DOG RETURNS TO ITS OWN VOMIT," and, "A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire."
(2 Peter 2:20-22, NASB)
What about those who’ve learned of Jesus and have heard God’s truth? And they’ve gained “knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Maybe they’ve gone to church. Maybe they’ve even joined a small group. But somehow, the world entices them yet again.
I experienced this when, after asking Jesus to come into my heart at six, I allowed the abuse I endured to take me away from my faith. While it wasn’t exactly the world that pulled me away, I fell into its grasping claws for a while. For about 20 years, in fact. Praise God, this prodigal daughter found her way back to truth, and the last almost 17 years have been an amazing journey of seeking and finding God’s will.
But there are those who turn completely away from that truth. For whatever reason, they have found the attraction of the world so seductive, they fall into a “state worse for them than the first.” They, as Peter illustrated with graphic words, embrace the world like a “dog returns to its own vomit.” Gross, but true.
I have to wonder at the state of their heart. And I have to pray they’ll find their way out of the muck and recognize the world really has nothing of worth to offer. Absolutely nothing.
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