1 Peter: Living as Strangers
1 Peter • Sermon • Submitted
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· 6 viewsPeter teaches us how to practice our faith in a pagan culture.
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Text: 1 Peter 2:11-17
Theme: Peter teaches us how to practice our faith in a pagan culture.
Date: 08/28/2022 File Name: 1_Peter_06 Code: NT21-02
This passage focuses on believers’ living a counter-cultural lifestyle. The lives of Jesus’ committed followers are different from the cultures in which they live. Our lives are shaped by grace. In 1 Peter 2:1-10 Peter reminds believers that we are being built into God’s spiritual house and we are priests in that house. As His new people, redeemed by His grace, we are to abandon our old lifestyle and to experience spiritual growth as we are conformed into the image of our Christ.
Now, in 1 Peter 2:11-25 the Apostle challenges believers to perform consistent good works. We are pilgrims merely passing through this world on our way to our heavenly home. As such we should reject the sinful desire of our former life before Christ. We are to lead exemplary lives among the people of our society. By doing so, they would counteract charges of misconduct leveled against them. Their good works would cause unbelievers to glorify God when He intervenes in history and establishes His eternal Kingdom.
I. LIVE AS SOJOURNERS IN THE CULTURE
I. LIVE AS SOJOURNERS IN THE CULTURE
“Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.” (1 Peter 2:11–12, ESV)
1. Peter is reminding his readers what it means to be the people of God, practicing our faith in a pagan culture
a. this epistle is timely advise for the Confessing Church in America
b. there was a period in American society when the majority of our citizens identified with Biblical morality
ILLUS. Did young men still seek sexual conquest? Yes. Did young single women still get pregnant? Yes. Did businessmen use questionable accounting practices? Yes. Did neighbors still gossip over the backyard fence? Yes. All those things, and more, took place, but they were thoroughly condemned, not only in American pulpits, but by the wider culture.
1) even though everyone wasn’t a true believer almost everyone conformed their behavior to the culturally accepted norms of the Judeo/Christian faith
2) cultural Christianity guided the society with even nonreligious persons adhering to Christian values
3) nominal Christians and even nonbelievers wore the label “Christian,” but the label had more to do with one’s family background and upbringing than any personal conviction that Jesus is Lord
a) still, people generally behaved like Christians even when they were not
4) those times are gone
c. American culture is paganizing rapidly, becoming a culture that excludes any meaningful religious identity, and delights in sensual pleasures and material goods
ILLUS. The single fastest growing “religious” group of our time is those who check the box next to the word “none” when asked to describe their religious affiliation. In America, this is 25 percent of the population. And the younger the adult the more likely they are a “none”. A staggering 38% of adults in the mid-20's (that’s Generation Z — those born between 1996-2015) have no religious affiliation. This doesn’t mean that the “nones” are spiritually bereft, but it does mean that traditional Christian ethics and morality have lost much of their influence upon that generation which does not bode well for the future of the culture. R. R. Reno, the editor of First Things magazine, writes: “There is an ascendant paganism afoot in our country today. It threatens the social and moral fabric of American public life and contends directly against the voice of Christian truth.”
2. there was no such thing as cultural Christianity in the days of the early church
a. in fact, to be a Christian was to more than likely be marked as a target of persecution
1) to be a Christian was to be a little Christ and marked you as a counter cultural radical
b. that identity needs to be embraced by the Confessing Church today
A. WE ARE SOJOURNERS AND EXILES
A. WE ARE SOJOURNERS AND EXILES
1. Peter begins by reminding his readers that this world is not their home — they’re just passing through
a. because their true residence is now God’s Kingdom they are like foreigners from a far away land or temporary alien residents who are just passing through a community on their way to someplace else
2. from the start, the Christian life is a journey toward a glorious destination
a. every believer starts out in the City of Man, but our ultimate goal is the City of God
b. as such we are much like ambassadors — we may temporarily live in a city or a state, but it is not home
c. the Apostle Paul bluntly says this
“Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” (2 Corinthians 5:20, ESV)
1) we’re not to settle down and live by the values of a culture we will only temporarily reside in
2) instead, we are to represent the culture of God’s Kingdom among the people around us
B. SOJOURNERS ARE TO BE COUNTER CULTURAL IN THEIR MORAL ETHICS
B. SOJOURNERS ARE TO BE COUNTER CULTURAL IN THEIR MORAL ETHICS
1. Peter opens this passage with “Beloved, I urge you ... to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against you soul”
a. it’s an exhortation grounded in the redemptive work of Christ in us
1) living like Christ will always mean living radially different than the cultural norms — especially the moral codes and sexual ethics of a culture
2. the passions of the flesh are those natural desires that war against God’s Spirit that is in us
a. this verse is helpful because it reminds believers that we are not exempt from fleshly desires
1) these desires are not limited to sexual sins or other sins of the body, but also to social sins like slander and envy
a) there are sins of the flesh and there are sins of the spirit
b) both need to be mortified — put to death daily
2) even spiritual giants like the Apostle Paul experienced this warfare
“I can anticipate the response that is coming: “I know that all God’s commands are spiritual, but I’m not. Isn’t this also your experience?” Yes. I’m full of myself—after all, I’ve spent a long time in sin’s prison. 15 What I don’t understand about myself is that I decide one way, but then I act another, doing things I absolutely despise. 16 So if I can’t be trusted to figure out what is best for myself and then do it, it becomes obvious that God’s command is necessary. 17 But I need something more! For if I know the law but still can’t keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! 18 I realize that I don’t have what it takes. I can will it, but I can’t do it. 19 I decide to do good, but I don’t really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. 20 My decisions, such as they are, don’t result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time. 21 It happens so regularly that it’s predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. 22 I truly delight in God’s commands, 23 but it’s pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge. 24 I’ve tried everything and nothing helps. I’m at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn’t that the real question? 25 The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different.” (Romans 7:14–25, The Message)
3. Peter here echos Paul’s struggle with the passions of the flesh by comparing it to warfare
a. the depth of the struggle in which believers are engaged is explained by the words “which war against your soul”
1) the term wage war in vs. 11 refers to an ongoing military campaign
2) Peter is telling us that the world, the flesh, and the devil constantly assail us
b. Peter implies that such desires can be resisted and conquered, even though the image used implies that this is no easy matter
“Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4, ESV)
4. Peter urged believers to be on their best behavior — our lifestyles are to be beyond reproach
“Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.” (1 Peter 2:12, ESV)
a. the word conduct in vs. 12 means turning back and forth and came to refer to one’s daily actions or daily activities in the public sphere of life
1) Peter is say ...
a) in the market place, be a little Christ — if you’re a merchant, don’t gouge your customers ... if you’re a patron be nice to the counter clerk
b) in the business world, be a little Christ — don’t use “creative accounting” practices ... don’t spread untrue rumors about the competition
c) in the classroom, be a little Christ — if you’re a student, honor your teacher, if you’re a teacher be respectful of your students
d) in the judicial world, be a little Christ — always seek justice and truth
b. our conduct is to be honorable — it’s a word that means morally excellent
1) believers are to live in such a way that no charge of wrongdoing would stick
2) a morally excellent life is the surest way of stifling the gossip or accusations a pagan culture makes against Confessing Christians and against Christ’s Church
c. Peter is certainly echoing the words of Christ
“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16, ESV)
II. LIVE AS SOJOURNERS BEFORE THE AUTHORITIES
II. LIVE AS SOJOURNERS BEFORE THE AUTHORITIES
“Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. 17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.” (1 Peter 2:13–17, ESV)
1. as believers, God is our ultimate authority
a. Jesus told Pilate that the Roman Governor had no authority over him other than the limited authority that the Father had given him
b Peter and John told the Jewish Sanhedrin that they were going to obey God’s will over men’s will
ILLUS. If someone from England travels to the United States, and resides here they are certainly subject to our laws, and ought to obey them. But if you were to ask that Britisher, “Who is your sovereign?” Their answer would be something like, “Though I’m residing in the United States, Great Britain is my home, and My sovereign is Queen Elizabeth II. It’s to her I owe my ultimate allegiance.”
c. when you ask a Christian, “Who is your sovereign?” their answer ought to be something similar ... “Though I’m residing in the United States, my Father’s House is my home, and Christ is my Sovereign Lord. It’s to him I own my ultimate allegiance.”
2. and yet, Peter tells his readers to be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human authority
a. as part of His divine plan for human flourishing God has decreed the creation of certain institutions that all humans are to relate to
1) there are many institutions — organizations that structure society in an organized way for some benefit
a) examples include medical institutions like hospitals, care facilities that threat the sick and the afflicted ... educational institutions like schools and universities and even societies that bring scholars and students together into a setting where learning takes place
2) the three major institutions that God has established for human flourishing are
a) family
b) church
c) government
b. from the context of the passage Peter if referring particularly to human government since he directly references the emperor and governors
A. SOJOURNERS ARE TO BE GOOD TEMPORARY CITIZENS WHERE THE LIVE
A. SOJOURNERS ARE TO BE GOOD TEMPORARY CITIZENS WHERE THE LIVE
1. we are to be good citizens of the nation in which we temporarily reside
a. our freedom in Christ, our ultimate loyalty to God does not give us license to disobey or flaunt the laws and regulations of the state – especially if obeying those law does not conflict with our Christ’s Lordship in our lives
ILLUS. You can’t go to traffic court and tell the judge, “But my foot is under the authority of God, and I can press the ‘pedal to the metal’ if I so choose.” That judge just might point you to 1 Peter 2:11.
b. now, in this passage there is the assumption (it’s also the assumption Paul makes in Romans 13), that emperors and governors will administer rightly and justly – that they will punish those who do evil and praise those who do good
ILLUS. We actually see an example of this in Pilate’s treatment of Jesus. As the ultimate source of Roman justice in Israel, Pilate examines Jesus and finds no fault in him. That is, there is nothing evil about Jesus, there is no evil that he has done that merits the harshness of Roman penalty. Pilate attempts to release him, but vacillates under the veiled threats of the Jewish leaders and ultimately acquiesces to their demands. Which is the real evil.
2. Peter does not expressly deal with the Christian’s proper response to a situation in which a government decree clashed with Christian principle and Christ’s express command for his Church
a. but there are some hints in the passage of how we are to behave in general
1) 1st, We Are to Silence the Ignorance of Foolish People by Doing Good
a) we never respond to the evil actions of the State by committing evil
ILLUS. The history of the Church, when confronted by evil actions of the State has always practiced retort or retreat or resignation, but never riot.
When Rome said that Christians were responsible for the sack of Rome by the Gauls in A.D. 410 because they had abandoned the old gods, Augustine of Hippo retorted with his book The City of God that defended Christianity, and explained that good and bad things happen to righteous and wicked people alike.
More often than not, when the State becomes too oppressive, we see time and again the Church simply retreating from the state. The early Christians in Rome retreated to the catacombs. Early Protestants in Catholic France retreated to Switzerland. I read an article this week that said Confessing Christians are leaving Canada in droves. In late 2020, Joe Boot, a Christian author and apologist with the Ezra Institute, wrote an article entitled, On the Brink: The Criminalization of Christianity in Canada. He writes that “For over two decades in Canada, an alert minority have observed and sought to oppose (thus far fruitlessly) the gradual construction of a human rights and legal apparatus with the potential to severely restrict the freedoms and liberties of Christians.” The questionable laws all revolve around abortion right, doctor-assisted suicide and euthanasia, and LGBTQ+ rights. The result has been a Canadian Christian diaspora.
In many places, Christians just resign themselves to the consequences of their faith – persecution and even death.
b) whatever the authorities may throw at us we respond by doing good and not responding with evil
c) Peter bluntly says, this is the will of God
2) 2nd, We Do Not Use Our Christian Freedom and a ‘Cover Up’ for Evil
a) literally Peter says, don’t use your freedom as a cloak of maliciousness
b) in other words, the believer’s freedom in Christ is not a license to do as we please
c) there were things perfectly legal in the Roman empire that Christians were not free to do
ILLUS. Peter lived in the openly sinful, decadent Roman Empire — a society infamous for evil — homosexuality, infanticide, government corruption, abuse of women, immorality, and violence. Peter does not offer any exemption in which believers were free to commit that which is evil in God’s sight even though it might be “good” in society’s sight. This falls under the category, “The more things change the more they stay the same.”
d) Peter is urging believers to be different than the culture
B. SOJOURNERS MUST HAVE A DEFERENCE IN ALL RELATIONSHIP
B. SOJOURNERS MUST HAVE A DEFERENCE IN ALL RELATIONSHIP
“Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.” (1 Peter 2:17, ESV)
1. in quick, rhythmic fashion, Peter gave believers four commands regarding their manner of life in a pagan environment
a. they really don’t need a lot of explanation
1) Honor everyone
2) Love the brotherhood
3) Fear God
4) Honor the emperor
Our ultimate allegiance belongs to Christ, but Peter teaches us how to practice our faith in a pagan culture.