Explore the Bible By Jay T. Robertson, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Christian Studies, University of Mobile
LIVING AS STRANGERS
1 Peter 2:11–20
In Culture (11–12)
What’s down in the well comes up in the bucket. If Christ has saved you and is in the process of transforming you into His likeness, your life will change. No one ever meets Jesus and stays the same. We are different because God has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. We are different so God can send us back to the darkness to proclaim His excellencies.
Jesus followers must pursue personal holiness. We must say no to “the passions of the flesh.” The call to Christ is a call to battle our flesh. Commands like this are always grounded in the redemptive work of Christ already accomplished for believers. We don’t fight for victory; we fight from victory. We resist the passions of the flesh by the power of the Holy Spirit.
This verse helps us understand that even people indwelt by the Holy Spirit are not exempt from fleshly desires. The depth of the struggle is explained by the words “which wage war against your soul” (v. 11). The desires of the flesh are quite strong and must be resisted and conquered.
The goal is for unbelievers to come to saving faith. As Jesus followers live Holy Spirit-empowered lives God is glorified and some unbelievers see a difference in their lives and repent and trust in Christ. Peter was confident that some unbelievers will be saved when they notice the godliness of believers. The unbelievers may revile Christians, but as they notice the goodness in Christians’ lives, some will repent and be saved and as a result of their salvation God will be glorified.
Toward Officials and Leaders (13–17)
Christians are to be subject to every civil authority (see also Rom. 13:1–7). God has granted rulers the authority to punish those who do evil. “To punish” includes not just deterring evil but carrying out retribution against those who do evil. Rulers also are to praise or reward those who do good in order to encourage more good behavior.
It is the will of God that we submit to our leaders. Lives that reflect Christ to people around them put to silence any false charges raised against them. When Christians submit to government, they demonstrate they are good citizens, not anarchists. By God’s grace we are free to do what is right, not free to sin.
Verse 17 concludes with four commands. Jesus followers are to “honor everyone.” We are to treat every person with dignity and respect since all human beings are created in God’s image. We are to “love the brotherhood.” This command indicates a special bond between believers that is characterized by sacrificial love for other Christians.
We are to “fear God.” Only God is to be feared because He is the supreme authority over all people and things. We are to “honor the emperor.” We are to respect and obey the emperor.
But what if the government’s laws contradict God’s laws? The Christian is to obey the laws of God. We are to engage in civil disobedience in a Christ-honoring way. We find examples of this in Daniel (Chapters 3 and 6) as well as in Acts (Chapters 3 and 4).
Through Your Work (18–20)
Believers should represent Jesus well at work. Is God glorified by your work ethic, your attitude or the words you speak? We spend more time on the job than practically anywhere else. We are to proclaim Christ, in appropriate ways, through our lives and with our lips. We should not lag, nag or sag at work. That’s being a bad witness.
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