For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire. 2 Peter 2:20-22

I love how the Apostle Peter quotes Proverbs 26:11 here about those who have been freed from their sin yet continue to come back to their sin, they are like a dog going back to its vomit over and over. While we can easy get trapped in a cycle of sin, we need to understand that we have been set free by Christ and sanctified by the Holy Spirit to overcome our fleshly lusts

As the late preacher Leonard Ravenhill had a great sermon on this, he said and I’m paraphrasing “What are you saved from”? Ravenhill  goes on to say we need more than to just be forgiven, we need cleansing, what are you saved from? Hell? Are you saved from bitterness, are you saved from lust? Are you saved from cheating? Are you saved from lying? Are you saved from bad manners? Come on what are you saved from? Ravenhill asks some good questions here, if we claim we are saved in Christ, what are we saved from? If we are saved, then why are people still like dogs going back to their own vomit? Where is the fruit of the Holy Spirit?

When you start to look at what the salvation of Christ really means, it becomes very powerful, it’s a supernatural change from taking someone who is spiritually dead and bringing them back to life. The indwelling power of the Holy Spirit living inside of you, recently I had someone arguing with me that Islam was the true religion. Do muslims have the Spirit of God living inside of them? No, Do Hindus or Buddhists have the Holy Spirit living inside of them, No? Christianity is the only religion that God is living inside of you! That God actually died for your sins, can you even comprehend this?

The Apostle Peter says “It would have been better for them to not have known the way of righteousness’ ‘ Those who have heard the gospel and have rejected it, it would have been better if they were atheists, because they have blasphemed the Holy Spirit. They reject the living Son of God, they reject the living Word of God, they reject the Holy Spirit of God, and don’t believe they are guilty of anything, they are guilty of everything, the wrath of their sins will be on their heads, are you ready to stand before The Lord and give an account of your life?

The second part of the Proverb Peter was quoting is often translated “As a washed pig returning to the mud” Again what did Jesus save you from? If you are saved from your sin, then why do you continue in your sin? Jesus Christ will set you free! Amen!