Opening illustration: Sometimes when I want to start a fire, the wind puts it out. But when I try to keep a fire burning, wind keeps it going. So, in the first situation, I label wind “bad” because it thwarts my plans; in the other, I label it “good” because it helps me accomplish what I want to get done.
This paradox illustrates how we judge things by the way they affect us. We declare circumstances or people “bad” if they thwart our plans or cause us inconvenience. We judge circumstances or people “good” if we agree with them and they support our cause.
But God is the One who determines what is good or bad, and He does so not by how it affects our plans but by whether or not it accomplishes His. His plan is that we would be “a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people.” And His purpose for us is to “proclaim the praises of Him who called [us] out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9).
To accomplish God’s good purpose, we are to respect all people, love other believers, fear God, and honor those who rule over us - even when something doesn’t seem good to us (v.17). These kinds of actions may fan a spark of belief in those who observe our responses to “bad” circumstances and most of all bring praise to God.
Let us turn to 1 Peter 2 and catch up with what apostle Peter is laying out before us about God’s purpose.
Introduction: What practical difference does it really make in your life that you are a Christian? That’s the issue that Peter is dealing with here in I Peter 2. What does it really mean for you to be a Christian? What difference does it make? How is your life any different because you profess the name of Jesus Christ than if you didn’t? It’s in answer to this question that Peter turns as he continues now to deliver this epistle to us. He’s already, as we’ve seen in chapter 1, given to us a list of some of the enormous privileges of being a Christian. He’s told us about the calling that we have as Christians in this world. He’s told us especially about the new identity which is ours in Jesus Christ.
How to fulfill God’s purpose?
1. Be Separated for Him (vs. 9-10)
Now remember in this letter written by Peter, he is addressing his thoughts to scattered Christians. They are under difficult circumstance and are counting the cost and paying the price to live out their Christian experience in a hostile world. There's a sense in which Peter uses a sort of spiritual kaleidoscope. You remember when you were a child and you had a little kaleidoscope and you turned the end of it and the little colored stones made all different beautiful images. Well Peter takes basically the simple truths of salvation and keeps rotating the end of the kaleidoscope and rearranging those magnificent truths into patterns that are just beautiful beyond description. And every time he rotates the kaleidoscope we see another arrangement of the marvelous beauty of what is ours because we are Christ's. The basic jewels of salvation held up to the light of God's grace and rotated reveal majestic patterns of spiritual privilege. What is ours because we are Christ's, there is nothing about duty or responsibility here. It's all about privilege.
In a higher sense than ever the Jews were. A chosen or elect race, a royal priesthood - "Kings and priests unto God," Revelation 1:6. As princes, ye have power with God, and victory over sin, the world, and the devil: as priests, ye are consecrated to God, for offering spiritual sacrifices. Christians are as one holy nation, under Christ your King. A purchased people - Who are his peculiar property. That we may show forth - By your whole behavior, to all mankind. The virtues - The excellent glory, the mercy, wisdom, and power of him, Christ, who hath called you out of the darkness of ignorance, error, sin, and misery. Who in time past were not a people - Much less the people of God; but scattered individuals of many nations. The former part of the verse particularly respects the gentiles; the latter, the Jews. We are not called to be an ODD people but the appropriated ones.
Illustration: There is no religion that says that each person of that faith has to be in the likeness of the one who initiated that faith. Only Christians are asked to be separated and be in the likeness of Christ in every way.
2. Abstain from the lust of the flesh (vs. 11-12)
The Christian’s first and greatest difficulty is with himself. His bodily passions are soaring and men around you have no control and are easily yielding to them whereas Christ’s purpose is fulfilled in us when we hold this vessel to sanctification and honor by separating and abstaining from sensual desires of pagans. The believer is "to abstain from fleshly lusts." The Greek term translated "abstain" literally means "to hold away from." The phrase "fleshly lusts" refers to the strong cravings of our sinful nature. Although we have a transformed life in Christ, we still remain in a spiritual battle, fighting against desires that would lead to sin. In contrast to the fleshly lusts, we are to long for God's Word and offer spiritual sacrifices (1 Peter 2:2, 5). Because there is a constant spiritual battle between contrasting desires, we as believers eagerly wait for the redemption of our bodies (Romans 8:23). Only then will we enjoy perfect righteousness.
The believer is to stay away from the strong cravings of his sinful nature, "which wage war against the soul" (1 Peter 2:11). The Greek term translated "which" refers to the nature of something. By their very nature, strong fleshly desires fight against the soul. James 4:1 puts it this way: "What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you?"
The term "soul" simply refers to what's inside a person. When God created man he fashioned him into a living soul or being (Genesis 2:7). The strong desires of our sinful nature "wage war" against the soul. The verb speaks of carrying on a long-term military campaign, not a skirmish or one-time battle. In 1 Peter 2:11 fleshly lusts are personified as an army of rebels who intend to capture, enslave, and destroy the human soul. The verb implies not just antagonism, but constant and malicious aggression. Fleshly lusts wage an incessant search-and-destroy mission against us.
We are not to surrender to fleshly desires or give them any advantage in their assault (cf. 1 Peter 4:1-3). Galatians 5:16 says the key to spiritual victory is walking by the Spirit. In 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 the apostle Paul says, "The weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ."
3. Submit to earthly ordinances (vs. 13-14)
Peter himself heard Jesus say, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's; and to God the things that are God's" (Matthew 22:21). In that day, as well as the days when our Lord was ministering, the Jewish Zealots were notoriously rebellious against Rome. They held that there was no king for the Jews but God, and that no tribute should be paid to anyone but God. They did not believe in passive resistance, but thought that God would help them if they embarked on a campaign of murder and political assassination of Roman officials and of Jews who submitted to Rome. Their ultimate aim was to make civil government impossible. But Peter does not want his flock to become involved in any of that behavior. As citizens of the kingdom of God, they were living in tension; they were in the world, but not of it. They could not expect to enjoy all the privileges of the Roman Empire and refuse the responsibilities of citizens to pay taxes, help maintain order, honor and respect civil authorities and submit to human government.
The apostle wanted them to submit willingly. This was not an option, but a command, in line with God's divine arrangement to bring order out of chaos in a fallen world. They were to submit because that was God's desire for His children. He wants us to trust Him because all governments are appointed and controlled by Him. It's hard to believe that at times, but it's true. Romans 13:1 says, "Let every person be in subjection to governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God and those which exist are established by God" Psalm 62:11 says, "Once God has spoken; twice I have heard this--that power belongs to God." Everything starts and everything ends with God.
Peter is directing Christians to submit to authorities because that is pleasing to God. Get in line with God's divine arrangement for order, for that comes from His hand. Then the apostle lists others who derive their authority from God. But, Peter says, we are to "submit to the king!" God places kings in power, frequently for reasons we cannot understand, but we have to trust Him.
We will honor you by submitting to the laws of the state and the nation wherever they do not conflict with our higher allegiance to Christ the King of kings and Lord of lords. The Christian must realize that he is not a citizen of this world but of God’s heavenly kingdom.
4. Do Good (vs. 15-16)
The Greek term translated "silence" pictures muzzling an animal. It speaks of silencing an adversary by disproving his accusations. The accusations come from "the ignorance of foolish men." Their criticism against God's people is both ignorant and foolish. The way of silencing their unfounded criticism is "by doing right." Doing right means living a godly life and that's the believer's most effective tool to evangelize.
Godliness begins with inner spiritual discipline and then is reflected outwardly in one's behavior. "Behavior" refers to one's daily conduct or manner of life. The Greek term translated "excellent" speaks of something that is winsome, attractive, fine, or noble. It is goodness in the purest and highest sense. The believer is to manifest good conduct before the "Gentiles". It's a general reference to the lost world. The lost should be able to see consistent good behavior in the life of any true Christian.
Our conduct is not only the critic's greatest point of attack, but also our greatest point of vulnerability. Scandalous conduct fuels the fires of criticism, but godly living extinguishes them. The ignorance - Of them who blame you, because they do not know you: a strong motive to pity them as free - Yet obeying governors, for God's sake. The point of the whole section of exhortation is that we as Christians are to live in such a way that by our exemplary lives we stop the mouths of those who criticize our faith. We are to live a life that is above criticism, a life that is above reproach, a life that is above shame.
Illustration: During World War II, missionaries Herb and Ruth Clingen and their young son spent three years in a Japanese prison camp in the Philippines. In his diary Herb recorded that their captors murdered, tortured, and starved to death many of their fellow prisoners. The camp commandant, Konishi, was hated and feared more than the others. Herb writes, "Konishi found an inventive way to abuse us even more. He increased the food ration but gave us palay--unhusked rice. Eating the rice with its razor-sharp outer shell would cause intestinal bleeding that would kill us in hours. We had no tools to remove the husks, and doing the job manually--by pounding the grain or rolling it with a heavy stick--consumed more calories than the rice would supply. It was a death sentence for all internees.
Before death could claim their lives, however, General Douglas MacArthur and his forces liberated them from captivity. That very day Konishi had planned to gun down all the remaining prisoners. Years later Herb and Ruth "learned that Konishi had been found working as a grounds keeper at a Manila golf course. He was put on trial for his war crimes and hanged. Before his execution he professed conversion to Christianity, saying he had been deeply affected by the testimony of the Christian missionaries he had persecuted". When God graciously visited Konishi with salvation, that one-time torturer remembered the godly behavior of missionaries he once persecuted. Their example became the unspoken means of Konishi's salvation.
5. Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king (v. 17)
The injunction includes the entire circle of human relationships. “Honor!” “Fear!” “Love!” What do the counsels mean except this—that our entire life is to be passed in the exercise of an all-inclusive reverence. We are to move about in the spirit of homage, expecting that at any time, and anywhere, we may come upon crowned sovereignties before which it will be well for us to bow in serious and grateful regard. If we are irreverent, monarchs will be continually passing us, but they will not be known. They will pass “like ships in the night.” Reverence is the very spirit of perception. Frivolity has no eyes, and so it bestows no honor. Honor all men - As being made in the image of God, bought by his Son, and designed for his kingdom. Honor the king - Pay him all that regard both in affection and action which the laws of God and man require.
Illustration: Back in the 1920s, a young girl was placed on an “orphan train” in New York City. She was one of a number of children who were part of a program for relocating unwanted orphans from the big city to small towns in the rural Midwest. Although the adopting families received the orphans lovingly, many of their neighbors despised these children, thinking they were tainted by “bad blood.” During a TV interview, a woman who was one of those orphans told about something that occurred shortly after her arrival. She was happily playing with a friendly neighbor girl when the mother came to the door and shouted angrily, “Mary, come into the house! I told you to have nothing to do with that scum!” Looking at the face of that now-elderly woman as she related this incident brought tears to my eyes. We dishonor God when we despise others.
Application: When things look bad, remember God is good.
