Living as Exiles
August 28, 2016

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:11-25

I. You should live as God’s beloved people while journeying to heaven.

A. Notice the first word of vs. 11. What does Peter call the church? Beloved. Peter had reminded the church of God’s love for them in vs. 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.” Peter reminded this powerless group of people that had been rejected by the world, “Don’t ever forget your true identity. Who are you? You are loved by God. You may be rejected in the world, but you are deeply loved by God and by me.”

B. Peter urges the beloved people of God to live out their identity in two ways First, Peter says we must abstain from certain things in our world (vs. 11). Abstain from the passions of the flesh, which war against your soul. Then there are some things we are to keep according to vs. 12: keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable. While we Christians abstain from bad deeds, we embrace good deeds. Matthew 5:16: “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

II. You should live submitted to authority while journeying to heaven.

A. Beginning in verse 13 Peter writes about Christians being subject to others. In vs. 13 through 17 Peter says that Christians should be subject to government authorities. In vs. 18 through 25 Peter says that Christian slaves should be subject to their masters. And in 1 Peter 3:1-7 Peter writes that Christian wives should be subject to their husbands. What does it mean for Christians to submit to authority? Submitting literally means placing oneself below another person out of a respect that is expressed in obedience appropriate to the relationship.

B. In vs. 18 Peter tells household servants, slaves, to submit to their masters. Even wicked masters? Yes, even wicked masters, masters that Peter calls in vs. 18 unjust. Peter told these powerless slaves what incredible dignity they had in vs. 9. They were not only slaves but also children of God. As children of God they were free from obligation to anyone else. But how were they to use their freedom? To live as slaves of God (vs. 16). And as slaves of God, they would freely choose to submit to their non-Christian masters in order to do good for them.

III. You should live following in Christ’s footsteps while journeying to heaven.

A. Some might wonder how Peter could encourage slaves to submit to unjust masters. Peter gives a one-word answer to such a question in vs. 21. Jesus. Peter writes, “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.” Peter says to the slaves and the whole church: do you want to know what submission looks like? Submission looks like Jesus. And then he quotes and refers to the suffering servant passage of Isaiah 53 to show how Jesus suffered. We are to follow in the footsteps of Jesus if we take on the name Christian.

Application:
Live in the beautiful ways of righteousness (vs. 24) as you journey toward heaven.

Sources:
The letter of 1 Peter
Commentaries on 1 Peter by David Helm, Karen Jobes and I.H. Marshall.