HOPE THROUGH SUBMISSION

The central section of Peter's letter (2:11-3:12) emphasizes submission in the life of a believer. This is certainly not a popular topic in this day of lawlessness and the quest for "personal fulfillment," but it is essential. Peter applied the theme of submission to the life of a believer as a citizen (2:11-17), a worker (2:18-25), a marriage partner (3:1-7), and a member of the Christian assembly (3:8-12).

Submission does not mean slavery or subjugation but simply recognizing God's authority in our lives. God has established the home, human government, and the church, and He has the right to tell us how these institutions should be run. God wants us to exercise authority, but before we can exercise authority, we must be under authority.

Satan's offer to our first parents was freedom without authority, but they lost both freedom and authority. The Prodigal Son found his freedom when he yielded to his father's will.

Peter shared with his readers three excellent motives for submitting to authority and thus living dedicated obedient Christian lives.

1. For the sake of the lost (I PETER 2:11-12) A lost world is watching

As Christians, we must constantly remind ourselves who we are; Peter did this in verse 11. To begin with, we are God's dearly beloved children. Eight times in his two epistles, Peter reminded his readers of God's love for them (1 Peter 2:11; 4:12; 2 Peter

1:7; 3:1, 8, 14-15, 17). In ourselves, there is nothing that God can love; but He loves us because of Jesus Christ. "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (2 Peter 1:17). Because of our faith in Jesus Christ, we are "accepted in the beloved" (Eph. 1:6).

Our "love relationship" to Jesus Christ should motivate us to live godly in this godless world. "If ye love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). There is something more profound than obedience because of duty: obedience because of devotion. "If a man love Me, he will keep My words" (John 14:23).

Not only are we God's beloved children, but we are also "strangers [sojourners] and pilgrims" in this world. We are "resident aliens" who have our citizenship in another country, heaven. Like the patriarchs of old, we are temporary in this life, traveling toward the heavenly city (Heb. 11:8-16). If you have ever lived in a foreign land, you know that the citizens watch you and are prone to find things to criticize. (In all fairness, we must confess that sometimes we are critical of foreigners in our country.)

Some years ago, a best-selling novel called The Ugly American depicted the struggles of an American as he tried to meet the needs of a foreign people, and still maintain his credibility with his fellow Americans, who, unfortunately, completely misunderstood the situation.

We are also soldiers involved in a spiritual battle.

There are sinful desires that war against us and want to defeat us. (See Gal. 5:16-26. Our real battle is not with people around us, but with passions within us. D. L. Moody said, "I have more trouble with D. L. Moody than with any man I know." If we yield to these sinful appetites, then we will start living like the unsaved around us, and will become ineffective witnesses. The word translated "war" carries the idea of "a military campaign." We do not win one battle, and the war is over! It is a constant warfare, and we must be on our guard.

Most of all. we are witnesses to the lost around us.

The word "Gentiles" here has nothing to do with race, since it is a synonym for "unsaved people"

(1 Cor. 5:1; 12:2; 3 John 7). Unsaved people are watching us, speaking against us (1 Peter 3:16; 4:4), and looking for excuses to reject the Gospel.

If we are going to witness to the lost people around us, we must live "honest" lives. This word implies much more than telling the truth and doing what is right. It carries the idea of beauty and comeliness, which is admirable and honorable.

To use a cliché of the '60s, we must be "beautiful people" in the world’s best sense.

We do not witness only with our lips; we must back up our "talk" with our "walk." Nothing in our conduct should give the unsaved ammunition to attack Christ and the Gospel. Our good works must back up our good words. Jesus said this in Matthew 5:16, and the Bible echoes this truth.

In more than thirty years of ministry, I have seen the powerful impact Christians can make on the lost when they combine a godly life with a loving witness.

I remember many instances of some incredible conversions simply because dedicated Christians let their lights shine. On the other hand, I recall with grief some lost persons who rejected the Word because of the inconsistent lives of professed believers.

Peter encouraged his readers to bear witness to the lost, by word and deed, so that one day God might visit them and save them. "The day of visitation” could mean that day when Christ returns and every tongue will confess that He is Lord. But I think the "visitation" Peter mentioned here is when God visits lost sinners and saves them by His grace. The word is used in this sense in Luke 19:44. When these people do trust Christ; they will glorify God and give thanks because we were faithful to witness to them even when they made life difficult for us.

In the summer of 1805, some Indian chiefs

Society. After the sermon, a response was given by Red Jacket, one of the leading chiefs. Among other things, the chief said:

"Brother, you say there is only one way to worship and serve the Great Spirit. If there is but one religion, why do you white people differ so much about it? Why not all agree, as you can all read the Book?

"Brother, we are told that you have been preaching to the white people in this place. These people are our neighbors. We are acquainted with them.

We will wait a little while and see what effect your preaching has upon them. If we find it does them good, makes them honest and less disposed to cheat Indians, we will then consider again of what you have said."

2. For the Lord's sake (I PETER 2:13-17) The Lord is Worthy

Of course, everything we do should be for the glory of the Lord and the good of His kingdom! But Peter was careful to point out that Christians in society are representatives of Jesus Christ. Our responsibility is to "advertise God's virtues" (1 Peter 2:9, author's translation). This is especially true regarding our relationship to the government and people in authority.

As Christian citizens, we should submit to the authority vested in human government. The word translated as "ordinance" in our Authorized Version means "creation or institution." It does not refer to each law, but to the institutions that make and enforce the laws. It is possible to submit to the institutions and still disobey the laws.

For example, when Daniel and his three friends refused to obey the king's dietary regulations, they disobeyed the law; but the way that they did it proved that they honored the king and respected the authorities (Dan. 1). They were not rebels; they were careful not to embarrass the official in charge or get him into trouble; and yet they stood their ground. They glorified God and, at the same time, honored the authority of the king.

Peter and the other apostles faced a similar challenge shortly after Pentecost (Acts 4 -5). The Jewish council commanded them to stop preaching in the name of Jesus, but Peter and his associates refused to obey. (See Acts 4:19; 5:29.) They did not cause a rebellion or in any way question or deny the authority of the council. They submitted to the institution but they refused to stop preaching. They showed respect to their leaders even though these men were opposedSomebody's Watching You! / 59

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 our 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."

When a local church constructs and furnishes a building, there is a local code that must be obeyed.

(I have been through several building programs and I know!) The government has no right to control the pulpit or the business meeting, but it has every right to control matters related to safety and operation. If the law requires a certain number of exits, or fire extinguishers, or emergency lights, the church must comply. The state is not persecuting when it sets up the code, nor is the church compromising when it obeys it. But I know some overly-zealous saints who have disgraced the name of the Lord by their attitudes and actions relating to these matters.

Peter named the offices we are to respect. "The king" meant "the emperor." In democratic nations, we have a president or premier. Peter did not criticize the Roman government or suggest that it be overthrown. God's church has lived and grown in all kinds of political systems. The “governors” are those under the supreme authority who administer the laws and execute justice. Ideally, they should punish those who do evil and praise those who do good. This ideal was not always reached in Peter's day (see Acts 24:24-27), nor is it reached in our own. Again, we must remind ourselves to respect the office even if we cannot respect the office.

Two phrases are essential: “The will of God

(1 Peter 2:15) and "the servants of God" (V. 16).

When we do something in the will of God and as the servants of God, then we do it "for the Lord's sake." God has willed that we silence the critics by doing good, not by opposing the authority. The word "silence" in verse 15 is literally "muzzle," as though the pagan critics were like a pack of yelping, snapping dogs!

Someone may argue, "But, as Christians, are we not free?" Yes, we are free in Christ; but we must never use our freedom for ourselves. We must always use it for others. Sad to say, there are “religious racketeers" who prey upon ignorant people and use "religion" to veil their evil actions. A true Christian submits himself to authority because he is, first of all, submitted to Christ. He uses his freedom as a tool to build with and not as a weapon to fight with. An excellent example of this attitude is Nehemiah, who willingly gave up his own rights that he might help his people and restore the walls of Jerusalem. if we are sincerely submitted to authority "for the Lord's sake," then we will show honor to all who deserve it. We may not agree with their politics or their practices, but we must respect their position.

(See Rom. 13. We will also "love the brotherhood,” meaning, of course, the people of God in the church. This is a recurring theme in this letter (1:22; 3:8; 4:8; 5:14). We show love to the brethren by submitting to the authority of the "powers that be," for we are bound together with one another in our Christian witness.

(Rom. 13:1). Solomon had the same counsel: "My son, fear thou the Lord and the king" (Prov. 24:21).

We honor the king because we do fear the Lord. It is worth noting that the tenses of these verbs indicate that we should constantly maintain these attitudes.

"Keep loving the brotherhood! Keep fearing God!

Keep honoring the king!"

As Christians, we must exercise discernment in our relationship to human government. There are times when the right thing is to set aside our own privileges, and other times when using our citizenship is the right thing. Paul was willing to suffer personally in Philippi (Acts 16:16-24), but he was unwilling to "sneak out of town" like a criminal.

(16:35-40). When he was arrested on false charges, Paul used his citizenship to protect himself (22:22-29) and to insist on a fair trial before Caesar (25:1-12).

3. For our own sake (I PETER 2:18-25)

In this paragraph, Peter addressed the Christian slaves in the congregations, and again he stressed the importance of submission. Some newly converted slaves thought that their spiritual freedom also guaranteed personal and political freedom, and they created problems for themselves and the churches.

Paul dealt with this problem in 1 Corinthians 7:20-24 and also touched on it in his letter to his friend Philemon. The Gospel eventually overthrew the Roman Empire and the terrible institution of slavery, even though the early church did not preach against either one.

There are no Christian slaves today, at least in the New Testament sense, but what Peter wrote does have an application to employees. We are to be submissive to those over us, whether kind or unkind to us. Christian employees must never take advantage of Christian employers. Each worker should do a good day's work and honestly earn his pay.

Sometimes a Christian employee may be wronged by an unbelieving co-worker or supervisor. He must “take it” for conscience’s sake even though he is not wrong. A Christian's relationship to God is far more important than his relationship to men. "For this is grace [thank-worthy]" to bear reproach when you are innocent (See Matt. 5:10-12).

Anybody, including an unbeliever, can "take it patiently" when he is wrong! It takes a dedicated Christian to "take it" when he is in the right. "This is grace [acceptable] with God." God can give us the grace to submit, “take it" and glorify God.

Of course, the human tendency is to fight back and to demand our rights. But that is the natural response of the unsaved person, and we must do much more than they do (Luke 6:32-34). Anybody can fight back; it takes a Spirit-filled Christian to submit and let God fight his battles (Rom. 12:16-21).

In the Bible, duty is always connected with doctrine. When Paul wrote to the slaves, he related his admonitions to the doctrine of the grace of God (Titus 2:9-15). Peter connected his counsels to the example of Jesus Christ, God's "Suffering Servant"

(2:21-25; and see Isa. 52:13-53:12). Peter had learned in his own experience that God's people serve through suffering. At first, Peter had opposed Christ's suffering on the cross (Matt. 16:21ff); but then he learned the critical lesson that we lead by serving and serve by suffering. He also learned that this kind of suffering always leads to glory!

Peter encouraged these suffering slaves by presenting three "pictures" of Jesus Christ.

A. HIS LIFE IS OUR PERFECT EXAMPLE (I PETER 2:21-23).

All that Jesus did on earth, as recorded in the four Gospels, is a perfect example for us to follow. But He is especially our example in the way He responded to suffering. Even though He was sinless in both word and deed, He suffered at the hands of the authorities. This connects, of course, to Peter's words in verses 19 and 20. We wonder how he would have responded in the same circumstances! The fact that Peter used his sword in the garden suggests that he would have fought rather than submitted to the will of God.

Jesus proved that a person could be in the will of God, be greatly loved by God, and still suffer unjustly. There is a shallow brand of popular theology today that claims that Christians will not suffer if they are in the will of God. Those who promote such ideas have not meditated much on the cross.

Our Lord's humility and submission were not evidence of weakness but of power. Jesus could have summoned the armies of heaven to rescue Him! His words to Pilate in John 18:33-38 are proof that He was in complete command of the situation.

It was Pilate who was on trial, not Jesus! Jesus had committed Himself to the Father, and the Father always judges righteously.

We are not saved by following Christ's example because each of us would stumble over verse 22:

"who did no sin." Sinners need a Savior, not an Example. But after a person is saved, he will want to

"follow closely upon His steps" (literal translation) and imitate the example of Christ.

B. HIS DEATH IS OUR VICARIOUS PAYMENT (I PETER 2:24).

He died as the sinner's Substitute. This entire section reflects that outstanding "Servant Chapter," Isaiah 53, especially verses 5-7 and 9 and 12. Jesus did not die as a martyr but as a Savior, a perfect, sinless substitute.

“Bare” means "to carry as a sacrifice." The Jewish people did not crucify criminals; they stoned them to death.

But if the victim was incredibly evil, his dead body was hung on a tree until evening as a mark of shame (Deut. 21:23). Jesus died on a tree--a cross and bore the curse of the Law against our sins (Gal. 3:13).

The paradoxes of the cross never cease to amaze us. Christ was wounded that we might be healed. He died that we might live. We died with Him, and thus we are "dead to sin" (Rom. 6) so that we might "live unto righteousness." The healing Peter mentioned in verse 24 is not physical, but rather the spiritual healing of the soul (Ps. 103:3). One day, when we have glorified bodies, all sicknesses will be gone; but meanwhile, even some of God's choicest servants may have physical afflictions (see Phil. 2:25-30; 2 Cor. 12:1ff).

It is not Jesus the Example or the Teacher who saves us, but Jesus the spotless Lamb of God who takes away the world’s sins (John 1:29).

C. HE IS OUR WATCHFUL SHEPHERD IN HEAVEN (I PETER 2:25) HIS LOVING ATTENTION IS ALWAYS ON HIS SHEEP

In the Old Testament, the sheep died for the shepherd; but at Calvary, the Shepherd died for the sheep (John 10). Every lost sinner is like a sheep gone astray: ignorant, lost, wandering, in danger, away from the place of safety, and unable to help himself. The Shepherd searched for the lost sheep (Luke 15:1-7). He died for the sheep!

Now that we have been returned to the fold and are safely in His care, He watches over us lest we stray and get into sin. "bishop" means "one who watches over, who oversees." Just as the elder the bishop oversees the flock of God, the local church (1 Peter 5:2), the savior watches over His sheep to protect them and perfect them (Heb 13:20-21).

“He that loses his life shall find it.”

Then, Peter wanted to share the beautiful truth: as we live godly lives and submit in times of suffering, we follow Christ’s example and become more like Him. We submit and obey, not only for the sake of lost souls and for the Lord's sake but also for our own sake, that we might grow spiritually and become more like Christ.

The unsaved world is watching us, but the Shepherd in heaven is also watching over us; so we have nothing to fear. We can submit to Him and know He will work everything together for our good and His glory.