Living Humbly - 1 Peter 2b
July 13, 2008
Turn with me this morning to the end of your Bibles, to the book of 1 Peter, chapter 2. We want to continue on in our study of the book of 1 Peter. Remember that Peter is writing to give practical help to Christians dealing with daily problems. He starts by reminding us that we all face trials. They come in all shapes and sizes of trial. Peter says we can expect them to come; so don’t be surprised when they do come. They can be very hard to deal with, but with God’s help, we can make it through. Peter says in spite of the trials in our lives, we are to Live in Hope. Hope is not a futile wishing for a good future, rather hope is the confident expectation that God will work, based upon his character. I can have hope in the midst of trials, Peter tells me, because I am chosen of God - God loved me and elected ME! I am born of God - God not only loved me, but he made me his child. I am destined for good - I have an incorruptible inheritance waiting for me. I am shielded by God’s power - I am completely protected as I face these various trials. Therefore, I can have JOY in the midst of the trials, and I can GROW spiritually.
Because we have hope, we are called to Live in Holiness. To do that, Peter calls us to
control our minds, imitate our master, inquire of scripture, anticipate judgment, and confirm our faith. In living holy lives, we are to Live in Harmony with one another. Peter calls us to holiness - remember this word holiness is really the idea of being “different” than the world - and then he calls us to live in harmony in response to the holy life we live. We have a fond affection, a brotherly love for one another, but we go on to extend ourselves to sacrificial love, and seek to live in unity, because we are children in the same family, stones in the same building, priests in the same temple, and citizens of the same nation.
Then last week we looked at the idea that we are to Live as a Herald - to live advertising Jesus, wherever we are. And today, we see that to do a good job of advertising Jesus, we need to Live Humbly - to live a life of submission. We want to start today by looking at 1 Peter 2:11-17. Really we will cover much of chapter 2 and 3. Read text. Pray.
To be a good advertiser of Jesus Christ, we need to live humbly, to live a life of submission. To SUBMIT means: to yield your will to, obey, put first the other person. Literally the idea is to “voluntarily place yourself under another’s authority.” That’s what Peter is calling us to. Submission in a choice of the will. We are called to “submit ourselves”. We willingly humble ourselves and place ourselves under another.
So of course we ask the question, Who do I need to submit to? Let’s see what Peter has to say. First,
1. God - We need to submit to God. In verse 3, Peter says we submit ourselves “for the Lord’s sake” - as we think about earthly relationships where we humble ourselves and submit ourselves, they all take place because we have first chose to submit ourselves to the Lord. James 4:7 reminds us, Submit yourselves, then, to God. The basis of our submitting ourselves to anyone else is primarily because we submit ourselves to God. He comes first in our lives. And because we want to obey him, we voluntarily place ourselves under the authority of others. Because we serve God, we serve others. This was the example of Jesus - For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. The greatest way we can influence others is by being a servant to them.
But while we think about being in submission to God, it is easy for us to SAY we submit to God but we still want to control our own lives. Being in submission to God means that we choose to live by what God says - His word is a binding authority on our lives - the decisions we make are based upon the principles of His word. Today, can you truly say your life is in submission to God? Let’s evaluate it.
• Is there something that you are doing that you know is against the will of God?
• Is there something that God wants you to do that you refuse to do?
• Is there any habit, practice, hobby, entertainment that you choose that you know is sinful?
If any of the above are true, then you are NOT in submission to God.
But Peter gives us some others we need to choose to submit to.
2. Government - In verse 13, Peter goes on to explain that because we are in submission to God, we also need to submit to our government authorities. Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. Peter says we are to be in submission to every authority. We are to submit to kings & governors -- to rulers and to enforcers of the law -- in our culture today,
to the president of the country, all the way down to parking attendants and mall security guards.
It is easy for us to submit, the higher the authority. If Ken Dennison went to pay a parking ticket, and the chief justice of the supreme court happened to be hearing cases that day, he would show great reverence and respect. But if he went to pay the ticket and Roger Squiers was working, it could be easy to say - Roger’s my brother-in-law - I don’t need to respect him. Now the truth of the matter is that knowing Ken, Ken would probably still respect him. But the lesson Peter gives us is that each one of us is to show great respect to those who govern us, who are in authority over us. Both greater and lesser rulers.
Paul addresses this concept in Romans 13 - Obey the government, for God is the one who put it there. All governments have been placed in power by God. So those who refuse to obey the laws of the land are refusing to obey God, and punishment will follow. For the authorities do not frighten people who are doing right, but they frighten those who do wrong. So do what they say, and you will get along well. The authorities are sent by God to help you. But if you are doing something wrong, of course you should be afraid, for you will be punished. The authorities are established by God for that very purpose, to punish those who do wrong. So you must obey the government for two reasons: to keep from being punished and to keep a clear conscience. Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons. For government workers need to be paid so they can keep on doing the work God intended them to do.
God has instituted government, and those who rebel against the government rebel against God. Paul goes on and says if you are going to honor God by submitting to the government, you need to pay your taxes. I don’t like paying taxes. And I will gladly take advantage of any exemption or deduction that I am rightly entitled to. But I DO pay my taxes because God tells me to.
Back to 1 Peter 2 - vs 15 - For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. There were some who were saying that Christians were out to destroy the government; that Christians wanted to overthrow Caesar. But Peter reminds these Christians, and us as well, that when we choose to humbly submit to the government, we maintain a clear witness - we advertise Jesus to our world.
The Christians could have told Peter that they had been given freedom in Christ - they didn’t need to obey the Roman government. Peter answers that in verse 16 - - Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. Show proper respect to everyone. As Christians we need to make sure that the way we treat others shows our submission to God. As Christians, we need to submit to the government as well. Then Peter goes on to another area:
3. Bosses - here in verse 18 - in our culture today it might better be understood in the context of the employer/employee relationship. Peter tells us that we need to show respect to our bosses. Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. Peter tells us if we want to have a good witness for Christ, we will show respect to our bosses. And he even says we pay respect to “harsh” bosses. The word for harsh is the word skolios - like the disease of a twisted back - to be “perverse” or “twisted”. Peter says even if your boss is perverse, you still need to show respect. We respect the position, even when the person isn’t respectable.
Paul modeled this very thing for us: In Acts 23, a corrupt high priest attacks him, but Paul cites the scripture saying that the high priest should be respected for his office.
When Bill Clinton was president, he did some of the most disrespectful things a president might do, but he was still due respect because of the position he held.
You might have a boss who has a filthy mouth, has a bad temper, and a warped sense of humor. But you still need to respect that boss because he is your boss. Why? Not because we fear losing our job, but because we fear our God. Verse 19 - the NLT puts it this way - For God is pleased with you when, for the sake of your conscience, you patiently endure unfair treatment. If you show respect to your boss when you are mistreated by that boss, God is pleased with you. Your witness shines brightly. It’s the way we advertise Jesus to our world.
Then Peter reminds us that Jesus set a pattern, an example for us of someone who endured wrong. Verse 21:
To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.
Notice how Jesus responded to the wrongs done to him:
• No retaliation - he didn’t lash back. When they mocked him, Jesus didn’t insult or curse them. When we are picked on, made fun of, mocked - it is easy to want to lash out to hurt the person insulting us. But Jesus didn’t. Neither should we. If you have a perverse boss, he might do things you hate just to try to get a rise out of you. Don’t retaliate.
• No threats - Jesus didn’t take revenge. He didn’t use force to get back at those who mocked him. Instead
• He allows God, the judge of all, to set things right.
That’s what we see David doing in the Psalms. There are several places where David calls for God to take violent action against others -- we call them the Imprecatory Psalms. For example Psalm 137, where David says, O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, happy is he who repays you for what you have done to us-- he who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks. That sounds horrible for David to say. But what David is truly saying is this: God, I am not going to take revenge; I want YOU to avenge the wrong done to me.
That’s what Jesus did - he entrusted himself to him who judges justly - and that’s what we need to do when we are wronged by our bosses. It is the way we advertise Jesus at work. We be the best worker we can be, and if our boss is a tyrant, we endure the wrong in the name of Jesus, and allow God to bring justice.
Peter goes on to mention a fourth area of submission: in the home.
4. Husbands - are to be submitted to. 3:1 - Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. The same term used for submitting to government and masters is used of wives submitting to their husbands. Once again, remember, this is a voluntary placing oneself under the authority of another. Our respectful submission is a witness - it is the way we advertise Jesus in our world.
Wives, if you are not submissive to your husband, you are not honoring God. But remember this submission is not just doing whatever the husband says. It focuses more on the attitude of your hearts. Look what Peter has to say. If you have an unbelieving husband - one who you might think doesn’t deserve the respect of submission - Peter says you can win him to Christ by giving the respect he doesn’t deserve - they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. What wins them to Christ? The purity and reverence of the wife. Peter goes on to describe that purity: Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. What makes a woman beautiful to her husband? A gentle spirit - the work is also translated meek - strength in control. It is not being weak, but rather choosing to rely on God rather than on your own strength or cunning. It is the opposite of self-assertiveness. It is trusting God. And then a quiet spirit - a peaceable spirit.
Wives, you show you love God and want to serve him by choosing to refrain from dominating your husbands, but controlling that strength with a peaceable, submissive spirit. This is how you advertise Jesus.
But Peter goes on to speak to the husbands. He says they show Jesus to the world by how they treat their 5. Wives - he doesn’t say they submit to their wives - but he uses a similar concept - he says they need to show respect: Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.
Husbands, God is clear here in this passage: if you are going to submit to God, you will show it by respecting your wife and being considerate to her. Yes, the wife needs to submit to the husband, but the husband needs to treat his wife as very precious and shower her with great respect. When we do that, once again we will advertise Jesus well to the unsaved around us. But if we don’t, Peter tells us what will happen: our prayers will be hindered.
If you choose to disrespect your wife and think of yourself above her, you will be disobeying God, hurting your witness, hurting your marriage, and hindering your prayers. God takes the marriage vow very seriously.
And what does it look like to respect your wife? It means you won’t be mocking her, making fun of her, ignoring her, putting her down in front of others, complaining to her, complaining about her.
Respect means to assign a high honor, a high value to them. That’s the way we honor God, by honoring and valuing and respecting our wives.
So, Peter is clear to us, if we want to follow God, then we need to have this voluntary submission to
God, Government, Bosses, Spouses, and
5. One Another - Peter doesn’t tell us in this passage that we need to submit to one another -- but we do - Paul tells us this in Ephesians 5:21 - Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Yet what Peter does is illustrate for us what it will look like when we submit to one another, when we put one another first, when we care more about the other person that we do about ourselves. What Peter has been doing is listing for us the areas where conflict will come. Conflict comes from relationships, because we often don’t reflect Christ in our relationships; instead we seek to promote ourselves. So in our interpersonal relationships with one another, Peter tells us
• Live in Harmony - and harmony is going to come in four ways:
-from having sympathy - literally it is the idea of sharing feelings. Do you feel hurt when others are hurting? As Christians, we shouldn’t let others hurt alone. We rejoice when others rejoice, and we weep when others weep.
- from having brotherly love - this comes from shared experiences. We are called to share life together. And the more we share our lives with one another, the more kinship or brotherly love we have.
- from compassion - or sharing our desires with one another. Literally the word refers to being good-hearted. We think about what the other person desires.
- from humility - or a shared importance. We view the other person as being better than we are.
And when we have sympathy, brotherly love, compassion, and humility, we will live in harmony.
But because we are human, and we struggle in the area of relationships, Peter also gives this advice
--When wronged, do not escalate the problem. So often, because there is a failure in the area of submission, whether on our part or on the part of another, an issue flares us. When that happens, don’t let the problem escalate. Peter says, Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. The way to receive a blessing is NOT to let the problem grow. Love covers a multitude of sins. When someone wrongs you or hurts you, choose to love them anyways.
And Peter also reminds us in verse 11,
Pursue Peace when possible - Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech. He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it.
Instead of seeking to “win” - we seek to be peaceable. Paul tells us in Romans, If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
So the life of a believer is one of submission - to God, to government, to bosses, to spouses, to one another. And the reason for this willful placing of self under others is so that we may better be a witness for Jesus Christ. Today, consider how good of a job you do at viewing others as better than yourself, as living in peace, at seeking the best interests of others.
Let’s pray.
