1 Peter 2:1……
our real citizenship should inform how we live abroad. And that’s what Peter is saying. The knowledge of your heavenly citizenship should inform how you live now.
The apostle Peter is talking to the Christians and he’s saying… don’t forget you’re an exile… you are a sojourner… you are not one of them… don’t behave like them.
We live in the land, but don’t forget, we’re not a citizen of the city of man, we are a citizen of the city of God.
The Apostle Peter reminds us that we are elect exiles. We have a living hope, and we can be confident in this because we know that we were chosen by God in eternity. It was God that caused us to be born again, we had extraordinarily little to do with our spiritual birth as we did with our physical birth.
Peter also tells us that we are a holy priesthood. And we get to be the ones that God mediate his blessings to the world. We get to be the ones that declare the excellencies of Christ.
Peter is saying, don’t forget your citizenship. Don’t forget your identity. If you do, you may get in trouble.”
We’ve been reminded by Peter of some great truths. Peter gives us several encouragements.
1 Peter 2:11. Abstain from the Passions of the Flesh “Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles, to abstain from the passions of the flesh…”
The first encouragement from Peter: Loved ones, beloved: Abstain from the passions of the flesh.
Peter describes the passions of the flesh, look at the second half of verse 11… he says, “waging war against our soul.” The passions of the flesh are waging war… they are proactively and strategically looking for ways to destroy you.
In Genesis 4:7, God says, “Sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you.”
The word “crouching” makes us think of a lion crouching in the plains of Africa, sneaking up on unsuspecting prey, ready to pounce. That’s what sin is like. And so many Christians are like the unsuspecting prey, just enjoying the moment, drinking at the water hole, as if there’s no threat.
The passions of the flesh are waging war against us.
Sin is not passive. Sin is initiative-taking in its quest to destroy us. We better be initiative-taking in our quest to destroy sin.
The Book of Hebrews give us this encouragement, “let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.” … the sin that “clings so closely.” So, that’s the first encouragement here in this section from Peter… abstain from the passions of the flesh.
Live honorably the next encouragement from Peter here is to behave honorably. Look at verse 12,
“Keep our conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so when someone speaks against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God.” Peter is suggesting that in this world, people are going to mock you. People are going to speak ill of you. People will attack you. People will treat you unfairly.
Peter says when they do keep your conduct honorable, and trust that God will use your honorable behavior as the means of declaring his own glory to unbelievers.
So those are the first two encouragements from Peter. 1- Abstain from the passions of the flesh.
2- Keep your conduct honorable. And Value Submission
Look at verse 13… Peter says, “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.”
Submit to all human institutions. The president. The governor. The mayor. Police officers and other members of law enforcement.
If you’re a college student, your professors. At your job, it’s your boss.
If you live in a neighborhood with an HOA, like it or not, the HOA is an institution with authority, Pastors, and Church leaders.
Do you respond with grace and kindness? Or with something else? And I promise you, there will be moments when leaders unfairly treat us. We will all have a boss or leader that is not fair. If someone mistreats you, endure it well, and you are still honorable in your conduct, even though you may not have a legitimate grievance.
It’s All About Jesus, so let’s recap Peter’s encouragement to us: Abstain from the passions of the flesh. Keep your conduct honorable. Be willing to submit. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God.
Peter tells us why we ought to live this way, and he ties it to Jesus. The reason we behave honorably, even when we are treated unfairly, is because Jesus behaved honorably, even when he was treated unfairly.
In verse 21, for to this, you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 22 He did not sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.” Jesus is our example. Even while he was being mistreated, he never lied or slandered.
He never promised revenge. He never made threats. Jesus was reviled, but he did not revile in return.
When we imitate Jesus, it demonstrates that we truly trust God. The God Who Judges Justly
In verse 23: It says that Jesus entrusted “himself to [the one] who judges justly.” God judges justly. When he deals with us, he is fair. Sometimes human leaders judge unjustly, but ultimately, our trust isn’t in them. We trust the one who always judges justly, God.
If you believe your fate is in the hands of humans, then you must fight when they are wrong. If the human has ultimate power and has the final decision, then you will fight against the human.
We know that the leaders of this world don’t determine our destinies. They don’t have the final word. So, we don’t need to feel an obligation to fight them. We can subject ourselves to them, willingly, and with joy because we know who is in control. God almighty!!
WHOSOEVER WILL WORSHIP MINISTRIES
www.wwwmjesus.net Assoc: Pastor Wesley Fulton
429 Bayou Rd, La Marque, Tx.77568 Need prayer Ch. Ph: 409/933-9878
