Obligations of the People of God: Submission to God and Government

Introduction

In chapter 1-2:10, Peter has told the church their identity…that they are God’s chosen people who live as exiles on this earth and should live obedient lives to God.

They have an eternal, imperishable, and undefiled hope and inheritance and have been bought with the imperishable blood of Christ.

They are living stones and a holy priesthood called to live lives of holiness in praise to God and to proclaim God’s excellencies in the church and in the world.

Now, in chapter 2:11-3:12…Peter begins to flesh out what it looks like to live as God’s chosen people in this strange world.

The one word he uses to describe a Christian’s character in this world that is not our home is submission…and Peter calls all Christians to submit themselves to God and then demonstrate this submission to God in three specific areas:

Submission of citizens to government.

Submission of servants to Masters/Bosses

Submission of Wives to Husbands

FCF: Why do we struggle with submission?

Key Point: As God’s chosen people we must submit ourselves to God to not practice worldly actions. This submission to God is demonstrated in our submission to the governing authorities.

God’s Chosen People Are Characterized Through Lives of Submission to Him (vs 11-12)

1 Peter 2:11-12 “Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 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.”

These two verses lay out the main way believers must conduct themselves during the time of their exile in submitting themselves to God.

But why should we submit to God?

We must remember who God is and that he is worthy of our submission and trust.

We must remember what he has done to save us.

Submission is based on trust…if we trust God, we will gladly and willingly submit to him.

Remember that Peter said God has chosen us, the Spirit has sanctified us, and the blood of Jesus has cleansed us for the purpose of obedience to him.

Peter gives two commands that flow from our obligation to submit to God…one is negative and one is positive.

First, Peter calls us to ABSTAIN FROM PASSIONS OF THE FLESH

Through submission to God, we will have the power to not practice sinful and worldly actions.

Being children of God, we are strangers and aliens on this earth…therefore, we should not practice the things of this world…because this world is NOT OUR HOME!

Use Example of Someone who is not living out their identity…maybe an American speaking a different language…or maybe an olympian not living like one…need a good example.

Stranger and Alien are the same words used to describe Abraham who was chosen of God and through him the people of God came to be…Therefore...Being children of God, we also should keep our eyes on our heavenly reward and long for our heavenly home.

Hebrews 11:13-16 “These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.”

Hebrews 11:24-26 “By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.”

Abstain: Complete abstinence.

Passions of the flesh: any sinful desire...

Malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, slander (from 2:1)

One other temptation would be for Peter’s audience to live rebellious lives against the government.

These worldly desires are waging war against us…we must take a war-like mentality and mindset in combating sin....THIS IS LIFE OR DEATH!

Sin leads to death!

Second, Peter calls us to live in an honorable and excellent way among the unbelievers.

Don’t forget Peter’s audience were Gentiles, but since they had been transformed through the gospel, Peter no longer associates them with who they once were…for they are now God’s children through faith in Jesus.

Through living holy lives, believers can be a testimony of God’s goodness and grace to unbelievers…so that even if they slander us they will see the goodness of God through our actions and end up glorifying God when Jesus returns as believers themselves.

Matthew 5:13-16 ““You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 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.”

Our lives can be a testimony of God’s goodness and greatness to unbelievers.

Do people conclude that God is good and God is great by examining our lives in the way we live and the way we treat others?

Submission to God Through Submission to the Governing Authorities (vs 13-17)

1 Peter 2:13-17 “Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.”

One of the key ways Peter calls his audience to live honorably and excellently before unbelievers is through submitting to the governing authorities.

We should submit to the governing authorities “for the Lord’s sake.”

Think about what Peter was commanding his audience to do…to submit to the emperor and governors of the Romans.

This was completely counter cultural.

Even though the believer’s persecution was not state sponsored, there could be implications that the government was corrupt and we could surely conclude that the emperor was not a Christian…yet Peter still calls them to submit to their authority.

This means we should submit to the governing authorities not because they treat us well or they are worthy of our submission but because we love God and he is worthy of our submission.

It is God’s will and desire that we submit to the governing authorities he has put in control and authority (vs 15).

By submitting to the governing authorities (doing good), we will muzzle the false accusations that are given against us as Christians.

We should also live as people who are free, and we can demonstrate our freedom in Christ by freely submitting to the governing authorities (vs 16).

We should not use our freedom as an excuse for sin or lawless living (not submitting to the government).

“We submit to the authorities not because we are their servants but because we are God’s servants.”

But is there ever a time when we should not submit to the laws of our government?

Acts 5:29. Only if what the government is commanding would lead us to disobey what God has commanded.

“Christians have been redeemed from slavery to sin and now are owned by God and are freed to be slaves to God, a freedom (and a slavery) that requires a choice to consistently do what is right.” -Greg Forbes

Response

We must submit ourselves to God and live out our identity by not participating in worldly things.

We must look to and follow the example of our Lord Jesus.

We must live holy lives before unbelievers by submitting to the governing authorities.

Do this for the Lord’s sake.

We show our submission to God through our submission to the governing authorities.

Obey the laws of the land.

Speeding

Legal Downloads and Subscriptions.

Alcohol/Tabacco Consumption.

Trespassing.

Taxes

But we must not just stop at simply “obeying” for non believers do that…we must go further...

We must honor and pray for our governing authorities.

1 Timothy 2:1-2.

We must not speak disrespectfully about our leaders.

Be encouraged that God will use our submission to the government as a witness and testimony to unbelievers around us.

Pastor Sam Storms sums it up well:

“People often respond to the call for submission to authority with resentment or defiance. But when the authority in view is duly constituted by God, submission is a beautiful expression of confidence in God’s sovereign disposal of all of life’s affairs. One need not agree with rulers’ political convictions or social policy in order to honor them in a way that honors God. Living today in a contentious political atmosphere gives us the perfect opportunity to put on display our ultimate allegiance to God.”