1 Peter 2:11-17
Palm Sunday, April 5, 2020
First Christian Church, Owensville, Indiana
(Abbreviations for Bible translations that may be quoted: ESV = English Standard Version; NLT = New Living Translation; CSB = Christian Standard Bible; GW = God’s Word; Amplified Bible = AMP; KJV = King James Version; New King James Version = NKJV; The Message = MSG; KNT = Kingdom New Testament)
41 And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, 42 saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43 For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side 44 and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.” (Luke 19:41-44, ESV)
“We need to remember that God’s redemptive effort doesn’t culminate by destroying this world and whisking Christians off to some distant heaven. Instead, Scripture paints a picture of God redeeming the earth – a New heaven and a New Earth is the language of the NT. And so the more we focus on Christ, the more our eyes are drawn to the world around us, the world that Christ seeks to redeem.”—Dr. Jody Owens, Professor, Johnson University
One of the texts that can inform our attitude during this time of the COVID-19 Virus is I Peter 2:11-17:
11 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.
13 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 (ESV)
Peter gives us three indispensable directions:
• Live holy lives (11).
… abstain: “It means literally ‘to distance’ themselves from fleshly lusts”—Edmund Clowney, The Message of 1 Peter, p. 101
• “Christians must avoid the immoral customs and wicked practices of the pagan lands in which they temporarily reside and through which they are traveling.” –Gareth L. Reese, Peter and Jude, New Testament Epistles, p. 49
• We must remember who we are and Whose we are: 1 Peter 2:9:-10: 9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies (virtues) of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (ESV)
• As a royal priesthood who belongs to God, we must distance ourselves from unholy living while at the same time ministering with grace to an unholy world.
• Demonstrate good behavior and perform good deeds among non-Christians (v. 12).
• We are not saved by good works, but we are saved for good works in Christ’s Name.
• Ephesians 2:8-10: 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (ESV)
• We’re saved to practice goodness so those to whom we are good might also turn to Christ before Judgment Day.
12 Keep your conduct among the non-Christians honorable, so that …they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.
• Doing good has a missional, an evangelistic purpose to it.
• Christians are to submit to the governing authorities in order to seek the common good because that is pleasing to Jesus (vv. 13-17).
• v. 13: … to please the Lord. (GW) compare with v. 15, For this is the will of God…
• First understand, the apostle Peter is not telling us to disobey God’s commands in order to obey the government’s laws and wishes.
• “The Christians of Asia Minor have been set free from human rulers by acceptance of another Ruler [Jesus]. But that Ruler wants them to submit to human rulers insofar as they do not demand disobedience to his will.” 1 & 2 Peter, CPNIVNTC, p. 73
• David Faust notes that according to the passage: When Christians conduct ourselves responsibly as citizens in our nation, there are three positive results.
• First, we silence ignorant talk (v. 15)
• “It is important that we respect the office even though we cannot respect the man or woman in the office. As much as possible, we should seek to cooperate with the government and obey the law; but we must never allow the law to make us violate conscience or disobey God’s Word. Unfortunately, some zealous but ignorant Christians use these differences as opportunities for conflict and loud sermons about ‘freedom’ and separation of church and state.’” –Warren Wiersbe, Be Hopeful: Making the Best of Times Out of Your Worst of Times, pp. 58-59
• Right now, our government is instructing us to practice social distancing and other precautions. For what purpose? The common good of the country’s citizens, including fellow Christians!
• The State is not telling us we cannot worship or that we cannot tell others about Jesus.
• Churches across this land, including OFCC, should not feel guilty about not meeting together in person as we normally do.
• We are not violating the Lord’s command to worship together on the Lord’s Day.
• Hebrews 10:23-25: 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (ESV)
• Why are we not meeting as usual? Because we are considering others as more important than ourselves—the common good of those in the body of Christ and outside of the body of Christ.
• Philippians 2:3-4: 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. 4 Everyone should look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. (CSB)
• The State has permitted us, even encouraged us, to think outside our usual box, or at least what’s outside the box of many.
• In our last analog newsletter I included a short article on how to have church at home.
• If we will try to follow our government’s instructions to lessen the spread of COVID-19, we will be demonstrating love toward others and improve our standing in the world’s eyes.
• Now is the time for us to be a help to our fellow citizens and the authorities, not a hindrance!
• It is God’s will for us to do the right thing in order to silence the ignorance of foolish people and not give them valid reason to criticize us.
• Peter writes of the “will of God” in verse 15 and Christians being “servants (slaves) of God” in v. 16.
• “When we do something in the will of God and as the servants of God, then we are doing it ‘for the Lord’s sake.’ God has willed that we silence the critics by doing good, not by opposing the authority.” Warren Wiersbe
• Secondly, when Christians conduct ourselves responsibly as citizens in our nation, we demonstrate the proper use of freedom (v. 16)
• “In Christ we are free from slavery to sin, free from the oppressive power of guilt, free from sin’s permanent death sentence, free to serve God wholeheartedly. But we are not totally free to make our own rules! God grants us the freedom to decide whether we will do right or wrong, but not the responsibility to determine what is right and wrong.” –David Faust, Faith Under Fire, p. 66
• When it comes promoting what is best for the common good within God’s will, we have the right to give up our rights!
• Now is not the time to trash talk our elected and appointed government officials; it is time to earnestly pray for them!
• 1 Timothy 2:1-4: First of all, I encourage you to make petitions, prayers, intercessions, and prayers of thanks for all people, 2 for rulers, and for everyone who has authority over us. Pray for these people so that we can have a quiet and peaceful life always lived in a godly and reverent way. 3 This is good and pleases God our Savior. 4 He wants all people to be saved and to learn the truth. (GW)
• Thirdly, when Christians conduct ourselves responsibly as citizens in our nation, we establish a healthy climate
• “Small steps like these—respect, love, reverence, honor—could lead to giant leaps forward in our culture if every citizen took them seriously.” –David Faust, Faith Under Fire, p. 67
• Jeremiah 29:7: But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. (ESV)
• God calls you and me to pray and serve for the prosperity of our small towns and rural communities.
Practical suggestions of acts of goodness:
• Find ways to show support to our local governmental entities who are doing the best they can to keep essential public services operating.
• Check on your neighbors with a phone call, an encouraging word across the fence (6 ft. apart, of course!).
• Encourage those working in the nursing homes, doctors’ offices, hospitals, etc. Pray for them.
• Send notes of gratitude to our local stores providing essential goods and services.
• Pray for those on the front lines of decision making.
Important to Remember: In order to rightly discern the best ways to promote the common good in the Name of King Jesus we must:
• Maintain (or begin) your devotional life. (Contemplative life—Jody Owens)
• The spiritual disciplines of prayer, reading and meditation on Scripture, solitude, combined with service and obedience are transformational.
• I heard someone say this week, I don’t remember exactly who it was, but when it comes to practicing spiritual disciplines, “These things help us to love what God loves, grieve for what God grieves, and value what God values.”
• Romans 12:1-2: And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. (NLT)
• Suggestion: try to read five Psalms a day (spread Psalm 119 out over 22 days by reading and praying one stanza per day.), one Proverb a day, and write your prayers in a journal.
• This devotional and contemplative time with my King settles my spirit and encourage me to serve as best I can with His power.
Complement good social action with the message of the Good News of Christ.
• Tell God’s Story when the door is open for you to tell it. Many of you from OFCC know how to tell the Creation to Judgment Gospel, the C2J#Gospel.
• Remember, as royal priests, we are to declare the virtues of God and His salvation!