October 1, 2023
Morning Service

Peter began his letter with reminders of what blessings God, through His abundant mercy, has poured out upon us.  We have a “living hope” that no matter how difficult the journey of life is; in the end we win!  He has promised us an eternal life that we will spend with Him and other believers.  He described that inheritance as “undefiled that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you.”  He then added that along our journey we are kept by “the power of God through faith.”  With that knowledge as our motivation, he encouraged us to be “found to praise, honor and glorify at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”  He wants our lives to pointing to the fact that we believe in God and want to please Him in all we do.  Baptism is only the beginning of our journey and Peter is directing us to begin to transform our lives into the obedient children our Heavenly Father desires us to be.  So far he has commanded us to imitate the holiness of God in our lives, love one another, seek to grow by removing evil attitudes from our lives, and to “proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”  God has chosen you to follow Him and has designed things for you to do for Him.  Today, Peter continues to add to the list of things we need to remove from our lives and things we need to add.

1Pe 2:11-12Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, (12) having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.

            Peter refers to us here as “sojourners and pilgrims” which means, like the pilgrims who came to America, we are not in the place we belong, we are searching for our true home.  We do not belong to this world or to this life and our efforts and energy need to be directed to making heaven our home one day.  With that in mind he calls us to have our conduct to be “honorable” having so many good works that others can’t find fault in us.  In doing that we glorify God and proclaim His praises.  This is part of our growth after baptism, to begin to follow the commands of Jesus.  In doing this we are not in any way paying for or earning our salvation, but simply loving Jesus back as He loved us.

 

Joh 14:15 "If you love Me, keep My commandments.

            We love Jesus and our desire now is to show Him that love Him through our actions.  Next Peter brings up another important thing he is commanding us to do with those who have authority over us.

 

1Pe 2:13-17 Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether to the king as supreme, (14) or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good.  (15)  For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men— (16) as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God.  (17)  Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.

            Peter is commanding us, as children of God, to be in submission to the authority that is over us.  It is God that put the kings and governors in place and we honor God by submitting to them.  We as Jesus followers are to be good law-abiding citizens knowing that God is the One truly in control.  Peter is very clear in that this submission to the authority over us is “the will of God.”  It is not often that the will of God for us is spelled out so clearly.  Our submission to the laws of the land, being a good citizen, will be a testimony to others that we honor God first and then those He has placed in authority over us.  Paul make this crystal clear in Romans 13.

Rom 13:1-2 Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.  (2)  Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.

            Paul tells us that if we resist the authority of the government in disobedience, then we are disobeying God.  It is that simple, but it even goes deeper than that.

 

1Pe 2:18-19 Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh.  (19)  For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully.

 

            Peter here is speaking to the many early Christians who were servants or even slaves in that time.  In today’s world we could easily expand this to our boss at work, our teacher, our coach, a policeman, your parents, and even your pastor.  We are to submit to whoever is given authority over us and in so doing we honor God.  In society today rebellion and protests are everywhere and there are those who are disrespecting those in authority rather than submitting to them.  These actions do not please God or line up with the life God is calling you to live.  To honor God, you must obey your parents, teachers, coaches and bosses; any and all authoritative figures.  To disobey or disrespect them is to disobey and disrespect God.  It does not end there either as it gets tougher!

  He calls us to be in submission to those in authority even if that person is “harsh” towards you.  We are not only called to honor those who are good to us, we are called to be good to those in authority who are unfair or even cruel to us.  It is much easier to honor someone who treats you well, but Jesus is calling us to be different and honor even those who treat us bad or unfairly.  Peter continues:

 

1Pe 2:20 For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God.

            Peter says we can understand and endure if we are “beaten (punished) for our faults (wrong doing), but we are being called to be patient even when we are punished for doing the right thing!  He says this is “commendable before God” (God is proud of you for reacting that way).  Why in the world would we ever accept to suffer for doing good?  Because in doing that we are imitating exactly what Jesus did.

 

1Pe 2:21-25 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:  (22)  "WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH";  (23)  who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously;  (24)  who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.  (25)  For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

            We are called to “follow His steps” and the example He set for us when it comes to suffering for doing the right things.  He was reviled, slandered, and spit upon but did nothing to retaliate back at those who did it to Him.  He was tortured and placed on a cross, not for His sins, but for ours.  It is through His suffering for doing good that we as lost sheep were brought safely back into the fold.  His suffering benefits us.  Let us be prepared to suffer for Him in the same manner He suffered for us; without retaliating.  This is not easy to do at all because we are not wired to suffer for doing the right thing.  We however are empowered by the Holy Spirit that will give us the strength to overcome our own desires and do the will of God in these difficult situations.  Listen how Paul told the Roman church to react to being treated badly:

Romans 12:18-21 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.  (19)  Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY," says the Lord.  (20)  Therefore "IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM; IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP COALS OF FIRE ON HIS HEAD."  (21)  Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

            We are to return evil with good.  Two wrongs don’t make a right.  Love never fails!  This is not easy to do and you can’t do it on your own.  You must learn to allow the Holy Spirit within you to be in control empowering you with strength you do not possess.  If Jesus loved us enough to go to the cross for us while we were still in our sin, then can’t we love those who sin against us as well?

            In summary of what we covered today, we are called to “conduct ourselves honorably” by removing evil things from our life.   We are called to be good citizens in the country and community we live in.  We are called to be in submission to all who have authority over us even to the point of suffering for doing good just as Jesus did.  These are not easy things to do, but we know in doing them we are honoring God first and foremost.

 

Heavenly Father thank You for all that You do, have done, and will do for us.  Help us to be found faithfully in loving You by being obedient children.