Author: John Johnstone

Sermon: Sunday, 10th May, 2026
Speaker: John Johnstone
Scripture: 2 Peter 3:14-18

Our studies in 2 Peter are drawing to a close with just five more verses to go. And these last five verses contain five exhortations – five things which God is urging us to do in our lives. All of these commands of God flow out of the truth that our lives are not our own to do with as we please; rather, we are made by God, and for God, and will be held accountable to God on the day when Jesus returns to earth at his Second Coming. We looked at these great truths before; God will judge the living and the dead; the earth will be purged with fire and then God will renew the earth with a magnificent and perfect world – heaven on earth. This will be the home of righteousness, and no impurity or sin will ever enter it. This future world, our forever home, ought to shape our present lives now.

1. Pursue holiness

Because we are destined to live in a world of perfect righteousness, we should prepare for that life by pursuing holiness now. ‘So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.’   (2 Peter 3:14) We’ve seen this phrase before in Peter’s letter; ‘make every effort.’ This means we need to give ourselves fully to the lifelong pursuit of becoming more and more like Jesus each day in our characters. We’re not supposed to be lukewarm in following Jesus, or moderate or just follow him when we feel like it or when his views align with our own. This is something full-on and God calls us all to follow Jesus with rigour and energy and enthusiasm and diligence. Make every effort. Do you do this? Will you do this?

Before take-off, an astronaut prepares and trains hard because he is going somewhere with entirely different conditions. Astronauts spend long hours in enormous underwater training pools because water partially simulates weightlessness. They practice movements that would seem unnatural on earth because they are preparing for another environment. The Christian learns holiness now because we are preparing for a world where righteousness is natural and sin is foreign. Astronauts follow disciplined routines: exercise, endurance training, technical study, repeated simulations. They do this, not because discipline earns them a trip to space, but because they are going there. Christians do not pursue holiness to earn a place heaven (we cannot earn that), any more than an astronaut trains to earn a trip to outer space. They train because the destination is already set. Holiness is training for our eternal home.

Yes, we know we can never reach perfection until Heaven. But Peter says we are to strive to ‘be found spotless, blameless.’ This is another way to command us to be like Jesus, by following him closely and doing the things he did. He is our example. Peter describes Jesus in the same way: ‘For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.’   (1 Peter 1:18-19) This means that in every area of our lives, at work and home and church and at leisure, we are to continuously practice getting rid of things which displease God and implementing that which pleases him. Peter describes false teachers as ‘blots and blemishes’ who just follow their own evil desires. (See 2 Peter 2:13) Friends, just because you have a desire to do something does not make it right. We all have evil desires and when they come, they must be resisted, and resisted in the strength of God.

‘… make every effort to be found spotless…’   (2 peter 3:14) We will be found by God himself, when he returns. How will he find you? What sort of person will you be? Will he find you pursuing selfish desires building up your own empire? Or will he find you busy with the Kingdom of God? Imagine you are going to a wedding in a week’s time and come out with a massive spot on your face. You’d do all you could to get rid of it. You don’t want to spoil the photos! Or the grey hairs come and we might dye them. How much more should we get rid of moral spots in our lives!

Imagine students in a flat getting an inspection from their landlord. Wouldn’t they want to impress so that they can get their deposit back, or stay there the following year? The person in charge is returning, and they want things to be in order when he does come. ‘And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming.’   (1 John 2:28)

Michael Green: ‘All down through the ages it has normally been the case that men who have their hope set on the returning Christ have lived holy and attractive lives.’

Michael Green: ‘There is, moreover, one further quality which the expectation of Christ’s return should bring, a deep sense of peace. The Parousia (2nd Coming) will be a day of vindication. It is by allowing his mind to dwell on the return of Christ that the Christian will regain a sense of balance and proportion, however difficult his present circumstances, and the peace which passes all understanding will take root deeply in his heart’.

In other words, we can enjoy peace now knowing that when Jesus comes back, he will right all wrongs and set things straight. We don’t need to carry that burden.

2. Make the most of your opportunities to tell others about Jesus

‘Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation…’ &nbsp: (2 Peter 3:15) As we saw last time, the reason Jesus’ return has been delayed is not because of slowness on God’s part, but to give sinners the space and opportunity to turn from their evil ways and seek God’s forgiveness through Jesus Christ. So, when you go to work tomorrow, and interact with unbelievers, God is giving you an opportunity to share with them, before it is too late for them. This is a sobering thought and a considerable responsibility for us. ‘And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.’   ( Matthew 24:14)

Here is a simple question: are you praying for opportunities to speak to other people about Jesus? What about the 10 people we are praying for on our bookmarks?

Angus Macleay: ‘Peter’s priorities are godliness and the gospel. We are to get ourselves ready to meet Christ and help others get ready to meet him too’.

3. Be lifelong students of the Bible

Peter mentions the writings of the apostle Paul in such a way that it is clear they were already regarded as part of holy Scripture: ‘… our dear brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom that God gave him.’   (2 peter 3:15) It’s also fascinating to read that Peter found some of Paul’s writings hard to understand – perhaps he is thinking of parts of Ephesians or Romans! This should make us think, if even the apostle Peter had to wrestle with Paul’s writings in order to truly understand them, how much more ought we to do the same.

We need to have a life-long devotion to deep Bible study. We will get very little from the Bible if we merely dabble in its teaching now and then. If we want to grow in any field of expertise, whether at work or a hobby, it always takes a lot of effort. It requires work and study. Why should growing in the knowledge of God be any different? We don’t just wake up one morning with an amazing Bible knowledge. This is another reason why the practice of family worship is so key for our children, so they grow up with a broad understanding of the Word of God.

4. Don’t get sucked in to false teaching

‘His [Paul’s] letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.’   (2 Peter 3:16) Be warned: many people twist the Bible. They all offer all kinds of things in order to justify their own positions, and repeat arguments they’ve heard, but to distort God’s truth is a serious business. For example, people say things like ‘Jesus never said anything about gender dysphoria or homosexuality or premarital sex’ as if that means Jesus approves of such things. This is twisting Scripture. Why? Because Jesus says, ‘Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.’   Matthew 5:17-18) In other words, Jesus agrees with all the Old Testament teaching on gender and sexuality. ‘Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position.’   (2 Peter 3:17) Let’s be honest, we are surrounded by moral teachings which are contrary to Jesus’ teaching and Biblical teaching and are under enormous pressure to cave into the popular views of the age. Peter is saying to us – the Bible is God’s Word, so study it closely and do not deviate from it. Be steadfast in the truth of God.

5. Grow in grace and knowledge

‘But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.’   (2 Peter 3:18) When babies are born, there is a natural expectation that they need to grow and develop. They need milk and love and exercise and warmth to do so. They experience different things, learning to crawl and then walk. The same is true in the spiritual realm. We are born again as brand-new Christians. But then we must grow and continue to grow. And to do so we need spiritual nourishment, protection, exercise and knowledge.

Ultimately, this growth comes from God, but we need to consider what makes us grow, what conditions are necessary, and then ensure that we are found in places which will nurture our growth. If we do not take this seriously in an ongoing way, then we will stagnate spiritually and experience stunted growth.

We don’t often think about this, but even Jesus had to grow in grace as a human being. This means we can look to see how he developed and model ourselves on that. He is both our example of spiritual growth and our source of power (by his Spirit) for growth. ‘And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.’   (Luke 2:52) As Jesus grew in grace, he developed more and more of the fruit of the Spirit in his life. And we also see him developing in his obedience. Yes, he always obeyed his Father, but this obedience culminated in his obedience to death, even death on the cross. This leads to a crucial question – how did Jesus grow in this way?

In one sense, the answer is not ‘rocket science’. Jesus grew as he searched the Scriptures, as he devoted himself to prayer to his Father and through Christian fellowship. Of course, if we are to grow in grace, we must focus on exactly the same things. Jesus’ grasp of the Bible is seen in his temptation in the wilderness. As Satan tries to tempt and trap Jesus, how does Jesus respond? With Scripture! He quotes again and again from Deuteronomy.

It is clear he loved the Word of God and memorised it. Most of us will be familiar with the way Jesus had regular periods of prayer in his own life, in spite of being busier than any one of us here.

S Ferguson: ‘There were times of intercession – there was so much for which he had to pray. But there were also times of fellowship and loving communion with his Father… in prayer, Jesus drew on the resources of God… As he kept his heart in tune with God, his love and devotion to him gained in energy and power.’

And through the gospels, we see Jesus choosing 12 apostles to be his companions, taking them with him, asking them for prayer support and sharing his life with them. We also see Jesus enjoying the Christian company of Mary, Martha and Lazarus.

S Ferguson sums up the channels of Jesus’ growth beautifully:

‘Knowledge of God’s Word; communion in God’s presence; fellowship with God’s people. These are the means by which Jesus grew in grace. Have we begun to use these same means?’

‘But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever! Amen.’   (2 Peter 3:18)

Sermon: Sunday, 3rd May, 2026
Speaker: John Johnstone
Scripture: 2 Peter 3:8-13

Why is what we believe so important? It is because our beliefs are what lead to our behaviours. Our Biblical convictions are the foundations of our character. Let’s keep this connection between our beliefs and our behaviours right at the front of our minds this morning.

In 2 Peter chapter 3, there’s a helpful contrast made between the false teachers and the true disciples of Jesus. The belief of the false teachers is that Jesus is not coming back again. There is no Second Coming. And this leads them to evil behaviours – to sexual immorality and following their own evil desires. They live as if they have no accountability. In contrast, true Christians believe in Jesus’ promise that he shall return to judge the world and save his people. This belief leads to the behaviour in verse 11; we want to live ‘holy and godly lives’. What a difference in behaviours! And it is our beliefs which make all the difference. This contrast makes it clear that we must make sure we believe that which is true and good.

Let’s briefly recap what we looked at last week. Peter explains to us that the false teachers mock and deny the reality of Jesus’ future return so that they can continue living in their sins. They prefer to live in the darkness and do not want to come into the light as then their deeds will be exposed. Peter proves from Scripture that God has intervened in judgment throughout history and has the power to do so again. He has the right to judge us all because the is the Creator and Sustainer of all things. God, then, has both the right and the power to judge. No one else does. The false teachers had been claiming that life on earth is cyclical and will just continue as it always has done. But they are wrong. Jesus’ delay in coming back as Saviour and Judge does not mean that he is not coming at all. He will come at exactly the right time. We just don’t know when that is.

This leads to the question: why has Jesus not yet returned? Perhaps you have thought about this question too. After all, the earth is full of human beings who are killing and exploiting one another. There has been 100 million people killed in war in the 20th century alone. If God cares and is all-powerful why would he not come back and stop all the evil immediately? Why is he taking so long? Is he too weak to act? Is he disinterested? Has he forgotten us? In this important section of 2 Peter, Peter outlines 2 reasons Jesus has not yet returned.

1. God does not look at time in the same way that we do

‘But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: with the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.’   (2 Peter 3″8) In other words, it might seem from a human perspective that God is taking far too long to usher in his justice, or it might seem like he will never get around to answering the cries of injustice from his people and righting all wrongs. But we must try and see this from God’s perspective; from God’s perspective it is not so very long.

My view of time has changed over the years. I cannot believe I will be 50 in a few weeks. When I was younger, I remember people saying that time seems to go faster the older you get and I think this is true. I cannot believe I will soon just have one of my children at home. Where does all the time go? With God, he exists outside of time, and for him, 1000 years is like a blink of an eye. From God’s perspective, there is no slowness or tardiness or indifference.

In the Lord of the Rings, the wizard Gandalf says to Frodo: ‘A wizard is never late, Frodo Baggins. Nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to.’ How much more can this be said of God. Adam and Eve (and all humanity) received a promise from God in Genesis 3:15 that one day someone would come to crush the head of Satan. It took thousands of years to happen. But it happened. Abraham and Sarah are promised a child in their old age. It took 25 years and they grew impatient, but it happened. We need to learn an important practical lesson here: we need to trust that God’s timing is different from ours. And we need to trust that even when it seems like our prayers are not being answered, they are. Will you trust that God’s timing is better than yours?

Why has Jesus has not yet returned? There is an even more fundamental reason.

2. God is patient, and longs for the guilty to turn to him in repentance

This is a most wonderful truth. This means that Jesus has not yet retuned in order to give those on the earth the space and the opportunity to turn from their rebellion and turn towards God in repentance and faith, in order to be saved. This speaks to us of the very heart of God; in God’s heart there is a longing for the guilty to come to repentance. We should think about the patience of God more than we do.

Let’s pause here to listen to some other Bible passages which speak of God’s patience.
‘And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, ‘The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished…’   (Exodus 34:6-7) What is the context of this verse? God had set his people free from slavery in Egypt and provided them with food and water, but they had responded with rebellion, complaints and even worshipping a golden calf. In spite of such a wicked response, we hear of the Lord’s compassion and patience. He is slow to anger.

Even at the very beginning, God promised Adam and Eve that if they ate from the tree they would surely die. And they did. But God delayed his judgment to give them space to repent. And before sending the flood in Genesis 6, the Lord waited 120 years, and during those many decades, Noah preached to his neighbours.

Stephen Charnock: ‘God sends heralds before he sends armies.’

God always warns before he judges, so that he will not need to judge, if people repent and believe. Such patience! In Isaiah we vread how judgement is not God’s preferred action: ‘The Lord will rise up as he did at Mount Perazim, he will rouse himself as in the Valley of Gibeon — to do his work, his strange work, and perform his task, his alien task.’   (Isaiah 28:21)

‘For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to anyone.’   (Lamentations 3:33)

‘This is good, and pleases God our Saviour, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people.’   (Timothy 2:3-6)

‘Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign Lord. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?’   (Ezekiel 18:23)

Let’s go back to the false teachers. They want us to think that God is not really concerned with what is happening here on earth. We might as well live us we please, they say. But nothing could be further from the truth. God’s delay is because he is so deeply concerned with human beings. With wonderful and undeserved patience, he is waiting for people to repent before it is too late.

Imagine a tour guide in Edinburgh with a bus full of Japanese tourists. The tourist are meant to be back at the bus by 4:30 pm. Half of them do not return in time. What does she do? Does she drive off? No, she sends a few people out to look for those lagging behind. She delays the departure by over an hour so that as many people as possible can make it back to the hotel. She is determined to help as many people as possible. In a sense, that is what God’s delay is like. Eventually, time will run out and judgment will come. But the Lord delays, giving us every opportunity to make it to Heaven.

Thomas Adams: ‘The patience of God is greater than the wickedness of man.’

3. Getting right with God is an urgent matter

If you are not yet a Christian, understand that now is your opportunity to turn away from your rebellion against God. Now is your chance. Take it. Get on your knees and pray for forgiveness and God will forgive. Whatever you do, do not take God’s patience for granted. For one day, it will come to an end. Listen to Paul’s words in his letter to the Romans; ‘Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realising that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?’   (Romans 2:4) Let’s be clear about this marvellous truth: in God’s heart there is a longing for the guilty to come to repentance. Friends, if that’s what God’s heart is like, then our hearts ought to be like that too. Are you slow to anger? Are you quick to forgive? Or are you prone to holding a grudge? Let’s mirror our God.

Why is there so much urgency to get right with God now? As we’ve said, God’s patience with us will not last forever. He does give us space to repent, but if we stubbornly refuse it might be too late to do so. Getting right with God is also urgent because we do not know when Jesus will return. It could be very soon. We do not know. But what we do know is that he will come unexpectedly. ‘But the day of the Lord will come like a thief.’   (2 peter 3:10) Thieves never announce the time they are coming to our homes. They don’t give advanced warning: ‘lock your windows and doors as I am coming on Friday at 11 pm’. You could die any day. Jesus might return at any time. All this means one thing: you need to get right with God now.

4. What will happen on the Day of the Lord?

‘The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.’ (2 peter 3:10) This is highly cataclysmic and apocalyptic language describing the end of the world. It is as if the very sky will be rolled up like a blanket. And the sun, moon and stars will be burned up.

It reminds me of the words in Isaiah; ‘All the stars in the sky will be dissolved and the heavens rolled up like a scroll; all the starry host will fall like withered leaves from the vine, like shrivelled figs from the fig tree.’   (Isaiah 34:4) What does it mean that the earth will be laid bare? I think it might be referring to the purging of the whole earth with fire. It is a reminder of how temporary everything on the surface of the earth actually is. Remember the words of Jesus to Peter in : ‘Jesus said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.’   (Matthew 19:28) This purging is positive Yes, the earth will be destroyed by fire but then it will be renewed. It will exceed our best imaginings and will be free from evil and sin and suffering and Satan and cancer and fear and coffins and tears. It will be wonderful.

Let’s conclude thinking through some of the implications of the Day of the Lord. There are many. It means history is not going round and round in endless circles. It is moving towards Christ’s appointed end- the renewal of all things- a perfect people in a perfect world with our perfect God.

God’s judgment of the earth is not merely destructive, but rather restorative. The fire of God is not presented as cosmic vandalism, but as the holy cleansing that prepares for the ‘new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells’.

Believers need not fear the final Day. For those united to Christ, the Judge is also the Saviour who bore our judgment already. The Day of the Lord is therefore both solemn and hopeful.

This future hope ought to fuel our perseverance. Peter is writing to suffering and pressured believers. The promise of a righteous new creation strengthens endurance amidst injustice and decay.

God’s final purpose is a world where righteousness dwells. Not merely where righteousness ‘visits occasionally’, but dwells. Our longing for holiness, justice, peace, and communion with God will finally be satisfied.

Sermon: Sunday, 26th April, 2026
Speaker: John Johnstone
Scripture: 2 Peter 3:1-7

Is there a final day of reckoning for all human beings or not? Is there a day of Judgment? Will Jesus come back to save those who trust in him and punish those who reject him?

Here are some more connected questions. Does it really matter how you live your life? Does it matter what you do when no one else is watching? Will there be ultimate consequences from God for how we live? Is there justice in the universe, or do our evil deeds not really matter? Should we just live life pleasing ourselves and eat, drink and be merry or should we live to please God. Can we ignore God and his ways and get away with it? These are weighty questions. But that’s because we’ve arrived at a weighty passage in 2 Peter 3. Ultimately, it all boils down to this: either we will all be judged by God, in which case our relationship with him is vital, or there is no ultimate judgment, in which case our actions have no lasting consequences.

Both cannot be true! What is the truth? Jesus says to Pilate: ‘Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.’   (John 18:37)
He also says, ‘Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.’   (John 5:28-29) Friends, Jesus is coming back both as Saviour and Judge.

How many CCTV cameras are in the UK? Over 5 million. That’s one for every 13-14 people and one of the highest proportions in the world. This means that, in urban places, you are very rarely out of view for very long. Imagine that for one week all surveillance disappeared. What would happen? Crime would spike overnight. It’s a sad but well-known fact that without accountability, people start doing what they want. This means that the presence of these cameras does change our behaviour much of the time. We know they are there and bring accountability, so we are less likely to commit crimes. But here’s the thing- there is no there is no blind spot with God. There are no gaps in coverage. There is no forgotten footage.

‘His eyes are on the ways of mortals; he sees their every step.’   (Job 34:21)

1. A truth to remember

Peter is once again reminding God’s people of something really important: Jesus is coming back and you will have to give an account of your life to him. Why is Peter so concerned to remind us that Jesus is indeed coming back? It’s because there’s a battle for our minds going on all the time.

There are scoffers who say the idea of final judgment is just nonsense. (2 Peter 3:3) We are surrounded by such people in Scotland today, so it would be easy for us to go with the flow and just believe we can live any way we choose. Because so many people mock the idea that Christ will come again in glory and power, and because so many people are just ignorant about this fact, we urgently need to remind ourselves of this core truth.

It is famously expressed in the Apostles’ Creed, a short and simple summary of our faith: ‘On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead’.

‘Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking.’   (2 Peter 3:1) If Jesus is returning, then we ought to consider that every day.

In verse two, Peter reminds us to recall the words of the prophets. What did they say in the Old Testament about Jesus’ return? There are too many passages to turn to, but let’s focus on one example.

In Isaiah chapter 66 we read: ‘15 See, the Lord is coming with fire, and his chariots are like a whirlwind; he will bring down his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. 16 For with fire and with his sword the Lord will execute judgment on all people, and many will be those slain by the Lord…
18 And I, because of what they have planned and done, am about to come and gather the people of all nations and languages, and they will come and see my glory…
22 ‘As the new heavens and the new earth that I make will endure before me,’ declares the Lord, ‘So will your name and descendants endure. From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come and bow down before me,’says the Lord’.

In verse two, Peter also speaks of a command given by Jesus through the apostles. I think in the context of Jesus’ Second Coming, this is likely his general command to be holy as he is holy. If there is a day of reckoning, then surely this ought to motivate us to live carefully day by day, in God’s strength.

Why do we need to come to church regularly and keep reading the Bible? To be reminded of the truth. This morning, we are being reminded that the Day of the Lord will bring salvation and judgment. Why do we need reminders? Because like it or not, we get moulded by the culture around us, and our culture is one where increasingly God is being squeezed out of society quite deliberately. Don’t think that fails to have an impact on you. It will cause the faith of many to wobble. We’ll get so caught up living in the here and now and living for material things that we’ll forget the unseen realities. Many Christians are already becoming embarrassed about talking about Jesus’ first coming, and what that means, far less his Second Coming. Mockery is designed to silence us.

Peter is reminding you and reminding me that Jesus is coming back. What difference will it make to keep the 2nd Coming in our sights? Consider 2 Timothy: ‘Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.’   (2 Timothy 4:8) We should long for Jesus to return. Do you?

Lord Shaftsbury was a 19th-century evangelical aristocrat who was driven by his faith in Christ and his belief in Second Coming. What difference did it make to him? He limited child labour in factories and founded Ragged Schools for the poor. At the end of his life he said: ‘I do not think that in the last 40 years I have not lived one conscious hour that was not influenced by the thought of our Lord’s return.’ I wish I could say the same.

2. A warning that we will be mocked

In verse 3, Peter says ‘above all’ – in other words, this is a really important warning: ‘Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come.’ Peter does not say scoffers ‘might’ come.

I was recently reading about how Jesus was mocked before his crucifixion. He was taunted and spat upon and dressed up like a king in order to be ridiculed. ‘They clothed him in a purple robe and went up to him again and again, saying, “Hail, king of the Jews!” And they slapped him in the face.’   (John 19:2-3) We are Jesus’ followers and can expect many to mock us for standing up for truth.

What will these mockers say? ‘They will say, ‘Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.   (2 Peter 3:4) In other words, they are saying: ‘The sun rose this morning and will set this evening just as it did yesterday and just as it will do tomorrow.’ This is the mockery of ‘naturalism’ – a world without God. This is a circular view of history which expects the seasons to go round and round forever. But history is not circular. It is linear – it has a beginning when God Creator the Heavens and the earth and it will have an end point when Jesus returns. The false claim is that everything will carry on just as it has always done. This is incredible similar to what our young people are taught at school and university – that we are products of time and chance and our only goal is to pass on our genes. This false philosophy is the air we breathe.

What is the real reason for their mocking and denouncing Christian truth? Actually, it’s their sinful desires. What’s the logic? Why would sinful desires drive unbelief? Because if there is no judgement then it means that I am free to live as I want, without boundaries and accountability. I can do what I think is right. I’m in charge, not God! My desires and needs and wants are all that matters.

‘Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.’   (2 Peter 3;3) Melvin Tinker considers just how secular society has become, where matters of faith are deemed to be irrelevant. He quotes the social scientist Philip Rieff to capture the modernist outlook: ‘What characterises modernity, I think, is just this idea that men need not submit to any power – higher or lower – other than their own.’

3. How do we know the scoffers are wrong?

How do we know there is a Day of Judgement? There are 2 reasons.

1. God created the heavens and the earth. In verse 5, we read: ‘But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being…’ We know that the earth has not always been there; it had to have a Designer. And we know it did not come about by mere time and chance. There is too much order and structure and design for that to make sense. The earth had a beginning and it was when God said: ‘Let there be light’. It is the powerful voice of God that makes things happen. God is the Creator and is above and beyond us. He began history. He has continued to intervene in this world. And one day he will bring it all to an end. You might scoff, but it is inadvisable to scoff the Creator and Judge. Here’s the heart of the matter: when God says something it happens. He spoke the world into being and he will speak commanding its end too.

2 God has already demonstrated that he is a God of justice who will judge all. Remember Noah and the worldwide flood. This is a simple but powerful argument: if the Flood account is true, and it is, then it’s likely that God’s character continues to be one of justice and fairness and righteousness and that there will be a day of accountability for us all. The story of Noah and the flood is a powerful reminder that God is a God who will judge sin.

If we have any doubts about that, the best place to focus on is the cross itself. At the cross, God judged his own Son, not for his sin, but for the sins of his people. If you ever want to understand how serious your sin is in God’s eyes, look at the cross. Our sin necessitated Jesus experiencing the white-hot anger of God. Do you still think the scoffers are right and that God won’t judge? He is both a God of love and justice. It is right that God is angry at sin. Our sin harms others, harms ourselves and worst of all, is a great offense to God.

We know the scoffers are wrong because they are unreliable whilst the Word of God is always reliable. Let’s hear these verses from the ESV (English Standard Version) to hear Peter’s logic: ‘… the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, and that by means of these [water and God’s Word] the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.’   (2 Peter 3:5-7)

Peter moves from a past judgement, the flood, to a future judgment, the end of the world. Both come about through the utterly reliable Word of God. We must learn the lessons of history. God has already intervened in human affairs in judgement, and he will do so again. Before the wonderful new and perfect world is created, this current one will be destroyed by fire.

Angus Macleay: ‘We see in Scripture that God has steered the world through judgment to salvation by his Word in the past, so we can be confident that he can do so again in the future. The Lord always works through his Word.’

However, Jesus has not yet returned. Why? ‘The Lord is not slow to fulfil his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.’   (2 Peter 3:9)

Next time, we shall explore the patience and mercy of God together. In the meantime, let’s prayerfully seek to live each day mindful that God will bring us all to account. Justice will be done. The wicked will be lost and those whose hope is in Jesus shall be saved.

Sermon: Sunday, 29th March, 2026
Speaker: John Johnstone
Scripture: 2 Peter 2:1-22

Wherever you get something good and helpful and wholesome you usually find people making fake or counterfeit imitations in order to make money. For example, in low and middle-income countries it is estimated that 10% of the medicines are counterfeit. Even in the UK, if you buy medicines from unregulated online pharmacies, that proportion jumps to closer to 50% for certain drugs. As you can imagine, this causes great damage to many people, sucked in by cheaper prices and taken in by false advertising. What should happen to people getting rich by exploiting ordinary people? We need to be continually warned about the dangers of fake goods.

This morning, Peter is flagging up a far greater danger than even counterfeit medicines and that is ‘counterfeit Christianity’. Imagine you are someone interested in finding out more about the Christian faith in Fife today. You don’t really understand much about the different kinds of churches out there so just google ‘churches in Kirkcaldy’ and up pops 20 different suggestions. It’s confusing to work out which churches would be helpful and which would be harmful. I suspect most people might assume that all of them would be helpful. Sadly, this is not the case. There are many places out there which call themselves churches and have that on their website and on their signage outside their building and yet, they are not true churches at all but are counterfeits. The Lord Jesus is not truly followed in those places. These places suck people in and cause tremendous damage to individuals.

1. False teachers still exist and remain a danger for us today

Satan has been called the ‘great imitator’. We read in Paul’s second letter to the church in Corinth; ‘For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.’   (2 Corinthians 11:13-15)

This is as true today as it was in Paul and Peter’s day. Even back in the Old Testament, you had the great and godly prophets such as Isaiah and Jeremiah and Daniel. But you also had false prophets. They were really popular because, rather than telling the truth, they told people what they wanted to hear. Their messages were easy and comfortable and popular. ‘They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. ‘Peace, peace,’ they say, when there is no peace.’   (Jeremiah 6:14) The false prophets would say things like: ‘God is not angry with your sin – everything is fine – he’s a loving God after all’. And they would say this to people living any way they liked. And they gathered many followers.

Chapter 2 begins: ‘But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.’   Notice something sobering here – where do the false teachers come from? The come from ‘among you’. We must not be proud and think that false teachers are on in the Mormon churches or Catholic churches or Jehovah Witnesses. They can appear anywhere. Satan is always attacking the church from outside through persecution, but he also attacks it from within through false teaching. Could false teaching arise from within Kirkcaldy Free Church one day? Of course it could! We must always be on our guard. We must always ensure that what is being preached follows the contours of Scripture. The Bible must always be our guide and not the opinions of people.

False teachers often work subtly: ‘They will secretly introduce destructive heresies.’   (2 Peter 2:1) They are wolves in sheep’s clothing. They might say many things which are true and might seem charming people on the outside, but there is a lot more going on under the surface. In fact, they will often use and twist Bible verses to back up what they are saying. Unfortunately, they are often very successful at what they do: ‘Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.’   (2 Peter 2:2) They will make up stories to back up what they are saying.

For example, I could say something true, like, ‘God is a God of love’ and then follow that with something false like, ‘So he loves you as you are and you don’t need to change anything.’ This feels so accepting and we might like the sound of it. But it is false. Jesus says ‘If you love me then obey my commandments.’   (John 14:15) He calls us to repent of all that is wrong and follow him closely.

In Fife there are many churches which have so watered down and changed the Christian message that it is no longer Christian at all. It is just moralism. The people attending are seldom told about sin and where it leads. They are not told that Jesus is the Way and the Truth and the Life but the exact opposite – that Jesus is one way amongst many. These churches ape modern society and the truth of God’s Word has been lost. Do not be naïve. Do not be sucked in. Go to a church where the Bible is trusted as fully the Word of God and where Jesus must be received as our Saviour and King.

2. What are these false teachers really like?

Verses 2-3 speak of their depraved conduct and their greed. This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the flesh and despise authority. Bold and arrogant, they are not afraid to heap abuse on celestial beings…’   (2 Peter 2:10-11) This is not a positive description.

It’s interesting that they despise authority. Rather than submitting to God’s Word, which as we saw last time is what we are meant to be ‘paying attention to’, they reject anyone’s right to tell them what to do. They even reject the authority of Jesus himself. And they are confident that they can live without any fear of consequences. God will never catch up with them, so they think.

Take the false teachers in the prosperity gospel, for example. They falsely teach that God’s will is for us all to be healthy and wealthy in this life. Christ died to secure health, wealth, and success now, they say. But this is false. The reason Jesus died for us was to save sinners from wrath and sin, reconciling us to God. Appeals are made for money tied to promised blessing. Testimonies are given that encourage giving as a path to wealth. This is just what Peter is speaking about when he writes, ‘In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories.’   (2 Peter 2:3) They seem to conveniently ignore the Bible’s teaching that this life is actually full of suffering and that glory is mainly in the life to come, in Heaven. And yet millions in Africa and the US and other places have been deceived.

When it comes to false teachers, Peter does not mince his words: ‘Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, revelling in their pleasures while they feast with you. With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed – an accursed brood!’   (2 Peter 2:13-14) Many of them are addicted to sexual pleasure and that is why they have distorted the truth of the Bible – so that they can do what they want. They are basically addicted to sinful practices: ‘They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity – for ‘people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.’   (2 Peter 2:19) And even though they promise to help people, the truth is that they have nothing to offer people (v17): ‘These people are springs without water…’   (2 Peter 2:17)

Friends, this might not be a very popular passage of the Bible in 2026. It might not even be a popular sermon. But we need to be aware that false teachers have always existed and can arise even from within good churches. It’s not good enough to be fluffy and just say ‘they are different from us but they are harmless really and sincere’. Good parents warn their children of counterfeits, whether in terms of clothing, gadgets, medicines or catfishing and grooming on social media. Good churches will warn people against false teachers, those who seldom mention sin and the repentance and the substitutionary death of Jesus. We must keep away from them. Keep away from churches which deny that Jesus is God, or deny the Bible as God’s Word or the need for repentance and faith in Christ. They deny Jesus by living lives against Jesus’ clear commands and encouraging others to do the same.

These false teachers were never true Christians in the first place. How do we know? ‘Of them the proverbs are true: ‘A dog returns to its vomit,’ and ‘A sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud.’   (2 Peter 2:22) What is the problem with the dog and the pig? Their behaviour never really changes. They return to their lives of wickedness. Their behaviour does not change because their nature has never been changed. In other words, they have not been ‘born again’. They have never really trusted in Jesus the Saviour or believed he died on the cross for them, and they have never believed that Jesus is Lord and we must submit all areas of our lives to his authority.

3. God will judge the false teachers and protect and save his people

Thinking about just how bad the church in Scotland is can be overwhelming. It’s tragic how much false teaching takes place. And it is tragic how many people just accept it. Perhaps it is because we live in such a pluralistic society where tolerance is the new god. The idea of absolute truth has been rejected by many and this makes it harder for Christians to stand up for the truth, as revealed in the Bible. But we must! Because truth has been revealed to us by God. We cannot just make up our own! Many ministers deny foundational truths of God’s Word and like just as counterfeit medicines can destroy the body, so these counterfeit truths destroy the souls of those who get sucked in. This is a serious business.

Peter wants us to know that God is in control. He has not been caught off guard by false teachers. And he will treat false teachers with the condemnation they deserve. These teachers might deny the Day of Judgment, but Peter says plainly: ‘They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done.’   (2 Peter 2:13) What evidence is there that they will be judged. Peter simply appeals to God’s track record – he is a God who will judge wickedness. He will deal with each one of them. Verse 4 speaks of God judging the angels when they rebelled. This is possibly a reference the angelic rebellion when Satan and others rebelled against God and were cast out of Heaven. Next, Peter reminds of the flood (verse 5). This was a global flood, where God judged the human race for its great wickedness, following many decades of warning from Noah, a preacher of righteousness. But the people would not repent. And the third example Peter brings is that of Sodom and Gomorrah. These were cities known for their wickedness. We read in Genesis 19 of their attempts to gang-rape Lot’s visitors.

Ezekiel gives more information: ‘Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore, I did away with them as you have seen.’   (Ezekiel 16:49-50) God eventually brought them to justice. Do you think God has lost his sense of justice now? These Old Testament events are warnings to the false teachers and all of us that God’s judgement is real. Wickedness matters to God and he will deal with it. He has done so all through human history.

Much more positively, Peter writes, ‘… the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials…’   (2 Peter 2:9) The proof of this can be seen in God’s dealings with Noah. It must have been so hard for Noah and his family to maintain their worship of God and love for God when the rest of the world had turned their backs on him. But God kept Noah and brought him into the new world after the flood. In an even greater way, God will keep us today and bring us into the new earth, where righteousness covers the earth. Be assured that God will protect all those who trust in him. That is what he does.

Further proof of this is seen in God’s dealings with Lot. Lot was far from perfect, but his trust was in the Lord and the way people lived in Sodom and Gomorrah filled his heart with pain: ‘…for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard…’   (2 Peter 2:8)

No matter how bad things get spiritually in Scotland, think of what matters eternally, and keep living lives of faith in Christ and obedience to his ways. The true church will continue and prevail, not because of our strength but because God is a keeping God who always rescues his people. Remember, you cannot domesticate God. He hates wickedness. He is a God who will both judge rebellion but who saves those who trust in him, even though it cost him the death of his only Son.

Sermon: Sunday, 22nd March, 2026
Speaker: John Johnstone
Scripture: 2 Peter 1:19-21

Let’s start this morning with some crucial questions. Is the Bible true? Is it reliable? Is all of it reliable or just some of it? How do we know? Does it even matter? And if it is true, what difference ought that to make to our lives? These are crucial questions but they are also exciting questions, because the more we dig into the evidence and the more we ask all kinds of questions of the Bible, we discover that we really can have confidence in the God’s Word. Every verse and every word of the Bible is God speaking directly to his world. This is wonderful news. God has not created us and then just left us without any explanation of who he is, who we are, and what he wants from us. In his wisdom, he has written to us, telling us everything we need to know.

But let’s be clear: many people attack the truth that the Bible is God’s Word. They claim it’s not trustworthy. This has always been the case. From the beginning of the world, Satan has been doing this.

The woman said to the snake, ‘We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ ‘You will not certainly die,’ the snake said to the woman.   (Genesis 3:2-4)

Here, Satan is attacking the truthfulness of God’s Word. The actress Wynona Ryder is Jewish but does not have much time for the Bible. She says: ‘Religion is fiction. I have read the Bible. It’s a great book but it’s a novel.’ I’m sure we’ve all heard all kinds of accusations against the Bible. For example, that its meaning has been lost in translation, or that it is full of contradictions, or that it is been altered by people wanting to control us, or that it has all been made up- like a novel! Some say it is just the ideas and philosophies of clever men trying to understand life. These accusations are false.

Before coming to our passage, let’s remind ourselves of why we need God’s Word. We need God’s Word because without an explanation directly from God, we could never truly know who God is, what our purpose is as human beings in the world he has made, or how we can be forgiven by him and have eternal life. I cannot read the mind of anyone in this room (I’m sure that is just as well) and you cannot read my mind. The only way you can know what I am thinking is if I reveal that to you. This is exactly what we need from God – revelation. We can look at the beauty and diversity of the stars and mountains and flowers and animals in this world and know there must be a Creator God, but that is not enough to understand what is going on. It’s like have lots of jigsaw pieces but no picture to tell us what is going on.

JI Packer: ‘Creation says not a word about redeeming love.’

If we are to understand him, God must communicate to us, and wonderfully he has done just that in the Bible.

1. What makes the Bible reliable?

‘For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.’   (2 Peter 1:21)

This is a wonderful verse. Notice the balance in the verse – it says that the Bible is 100% human and at the same time 100% divine. This is because God was pleased to use humans in the process of writing the Bible, using their various personalities, backgrounds and experiences, but did so in a way in which he superintended the whole process, making sure he was in control from beginning to end. It says that the prophets, though human, were carried, or ‘ferried’ along by the Spirit of God. Picture a ferry carrying its passengers to a particular destination. That is what God did in writing the Bible – he carried the various writers along, empowering them, setting them down at the correct destination.

As wind drives a sailing boat along at the harbour, so God moved his human prophets to write down what he wanted them to say. However, God did not use them as human typewriters, but involved their own characters, research, eyewitness experiences and writing styles. The sailor is active, not passive – but the ultimate power and direction come from outside him. Without the wind, there is no movement; without the sailor, there is no shaped journey; God and humans together in writing the Bible.

You could also think about light spilling through a stained-glass window in a church. As the sunlight passes through the stained glass, the light is pure and unchanged in source, and yet the glass gives the light colour, shape, and pattern. In the same way, God’s truth is perfect, but the human authors give it distinct expression. Each book of Scripture is like a different window; the light is the same but there are different hues. All this means that the Scriptures are 100% the words of men, and therefore richly human – and 100% the Word of God, and therefore utterly trustworthy. ‘Men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.’   (2 Peter 1:21)

Sometimes we say that people have been truly inspired in their work. Perhaps a composer is inspired to write a beautiful piece of music or an author to write a great novel. But that is not what we mean when we say the Bible is inspired. In fact, it is better to say that the Bible is expired, which means it is breathed out of the mouth of God himself. ‘All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.’   (2 Timothy 3:16-17) This tells us that the Bible is not just a mere collection of human ideas. Nor is it full of contradictions and mistakes. It is God’s message to you and to me.

Christians are followers of Jesus. What is his view of the Bible? ‘…Scripture cannot be broken…’   (John 10:35)

Donald Macleod: ‘The Bible, in the judgment of Jesus, has the authority of law: absolute and infallible authority. It can’t be wrong. It can’t be false. It can’t mislead. It can’t deceive. It can’t be violated. That is the Lord’s own testimony…
I cannot see how one can be loyal to Christ and yet defy him on something as fundamental as His view of the status of the Bible…
I believe in inspiration not because I can prove the Bible to be inerrant but because the Lord and his apostles attest it as being inspired, as coming to us through men carried by God and as having an infallible authority. It is on this self-attestation of God’s Word that we rest our doctrine of Scripture.’

2. How do we know Jesus is coming back?

We looked at this question last week, but we need to return to it. We believe that one day, we do not know when, Jesus will come back to judge the world, to set everything straight and to make a new earth for his people to dwell in forever. Is this all ‘pie in the sky?’ No, it’s based on evidence. Peter’s goal, in this section of the letter, is to convince us of the truthfulness of the 2nd Coming of Christ. How does he do it? Through evidence.

In a court of law today, evidence is weighed up, including eyewitness accounts and written statements. As we saw last week, what is fascinating about Peter’s argument is that he appeals to these very same things- eyewitness accounts and written sources. Last time our focus was on the eyewitness accounts but this morning it is on the written sources (verse 19): ‘We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts’. The ESV renders the translation as: ‘And we have something more sure, the prophetic word…’ How can God’s people be ‘more sure’ now about the reliability of the Bible than they were in the past?

I think part of this is because we have seen so many Old Testament prophecies already fulfilled. For example, there are over 300 Old Testament prophecies about the birth, life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus, made hundreds of years before Jesus was born in Bethlehem, and yet each one of them comes true. This is why we can be ‘more sure’ that the prophecies in the Bible are reliable. So, when the Bible prophesies about Jesus coming back, we can logically conclude that this will happen because this has been the water-tight pattern with all the other prophecies. It was said Jesus would be born of a virgin and born in Bethlehem and he was. It was said 1000 years ahead of time that he would be rejected by his own, that his hands and feet would be pierced and it all happened.

It is extremely unlikely that the Bible would be right about all these hundreds of prophecies thus far and yet be wrong in its prediction of Jesus’ Second Coming. He will come again and take us to be with him. We can be certain about this. So, we know Jesus is coming back because of the eyewitness evidence of the transfiguration and also because of the written sources of evidence. Let’s be confident about all of this friends – the evidence is compelling!

3. What are the practical implications of the Bible’s reliability?

V19 gives us one immediate application: ‘…you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.’ The word to ‘pay attention’ to the Bible suggests to be devoted to reading the Bible over and over and putting its teaching into practice in our lives. It involves knowing our Bibles really well, so that whatever we are facing and whatever decisions we need to make, we can be guided by the Word of God. After all, we have already been reminded that the Bible is sufficient for all that we need: ‘All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.’   (2 Timothy 3:16-17) That is pretty comprehensive!

What happens if we do not pay attention to the Bible? Peter says that that the Bible is the only lamp to guide us in this life. Without the Bible, we are in a dark place, not able to grasp who God is or the worship and service he deserves.

Donald Macleod: ‘For the sake of our own souls we must know the full content of the Word of God. I say this because it seems to me that many of our most pressing problems in areas of personal faith are due simply to ignorance. Problems with assurance, problems of anxiety and problems in coping with such traumas as bereavement often stem wither from ignorance of Christian doctrine, or from a failure to apply it. The same is true of the church itself. Many of its problems are really problems in relationships, and these are often the result of a defective Christology. We simply fail to live our lives in the light of the fact that in Christ, God shows himself as the One whose nature it is to put the interests of others before his own.’

We should meet new the financial challenges of our church family being guided by Scripture. We should improve relationships with those we struggle with, guided by Scripture. We need the comfort of the Psalms and other passages in times of trouble. We can build our lives on Scripture. Most wonderfully of all, God meets with us in a personal way as we prayerfully read his Word and meditate on it. We are changed and live fruitful lives, like the tree in Psalm 1: Those who meditate on the Bible prosper… ‘‘like a tree that’s planted by a stream, and in due season yields its fruit; its leaves are always green’.

4. Other reasons we know God’s Word is God’s message

Only God’s Holy Spirit will persuade you that God’s Word is the truth. However, there are many significant reasons to believe this logically. Let me focus on a few. The evidence from ancient manuscripts. How many very old manuscripts do we have? Livy’s History of Rome has 20 ancient copies; Julius Caesar’s account of the Gallic wars has 20; Homer’s Iliad has 643; the New Testament has 25,000. The abundance of early manuscripts means that it’s easy to test its accuracy, and it is incredibly accurate. Sir Frederick Kenyon, once principal librarian of the British Museum said: ‘It cannot be too strongly asserted that in substance the text of the Bible is certain, and this can be said of no other ancient book of the world’.

Then there’s the unity of the Bible. It was written by over 40 authors, in 3 different languages spanning 1500 years, and in many different genres. Remarkably, its message is marked by total unity, and not by disjointed contradictions which you might expect. Finally, 30% of the Bible is prophecy and these prophecies all come true. ‘You may say to yourselves, ‘How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the Lord?’ If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously, so do not be alarmed.’ (Deuteronomy 18:21-22)