Biblical Freedom

We have for many years enjoyed what we might call external freedom in the United States of America. It has certainly been a tremendous privilege to live in a land that offers so many rights and privileges. Undoubtedly, we owe those freedoms to the men and women who have served in our armed forces since our country’s inception. However today we're going to discuss a higher freedom that can't be purchased even with the sacrifice of our very lives. The cost of this freedom was and is higher than any of us could ever have paid. Obviously, this is the freedom found only in knowing Christ Jesus as your personal Lord and savior. It is a freedom from sin but also a freedom to glory, joy, contentment, peace and an eternal relationship with God.

Paul in the book of Romans had an interesting discussion of this topic. He said “What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God, that you who are once slaves of sin have become of obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching which you are committed, and having been set free from sin, having become slaves of righteousness.”

The truth is we are all slaves to something either to sin and self or to God and righteousness. The reality of biblical freedom is by human standards a paradox. Because the only way to experience true freedom is by making yourself more and more a slave to Christ. It is in part this issue that Peter speaks to in his second chapter of his first epistle.

I. Two Exhortations

A. Abstain

i. From Fleshly Lusts

Verse 4 begins what is probably intended by Peter to be a new sections. The evidence of this is that he reuses the language of his greeting by referring to his readers as “beloved and sojourners and pilgrims.”

The first exhortation is to abstain from fleshly lusts.

Peter is begging his readers to restrain themselves. This certainly implies both choice and discipline.

We are to restrain ourselves from sinful desires. Unfortunately the desire to sin remains even after its power over us has been removed.

Peter shows the importance of this restraint when he reminds us that these sinful desires wage war against your soul.

There was a popular saying a few years ago that showed up in Christian culture whether it was on a T-shirt or a plaque you could buy at Hobby Lobby, it was “let go and let God.” In some respects, that's just a cheesy way of saying trust in God's sovereignty, but we must also recognize that it doesn't really apply to every circumstance. In the war for your soul against temptation and sin we are not passive participants.

When these fleshly desires go unrestrained believers live in a cycle of indulgence followed by guilt, anxiety and depression. The anxiety comes because we live in the constant fear that our sins may be found out and the guilt and depression when we remember the God whom we've offended with our sin. Satan may claim victory when he can manipulate a believer and to living in this cycle endlessly robbing God of glory and the believer of joy.

ii. To Honorable Conduct

Frequently in scripture we are commanded not only negatively but positively. In other words, we are told not only what to stay away from but what to run toward. Peter does the same here; we are not only to abstain from sinful desires but add to our lives honorable conduct in the midst of a dark and sinful world.

Peter frequently uses the word conduct to describe the whole of the believer’s life.

Peter says our conduct is to be honorable a word that can mean everything from beautiful to noble.

So this first exhortation has two parts first, abstain from sinful desires and second, keep your conduct honorable.

B. Submit

i. To Authority

The second exhortation is a call to submit. Human nature itself makes obedience to this particular command difficult. The truth is nobody wants to submit to anyone or anything. Submission is an act of humility which doesn't come naturally. Nevertheless, Christ exemplified humility and submission by both obedience to the will of God and allowance of his crucifixion.

Peter's exhortation is particularly difficult because of who Peter is telling us to submit to. We could certainly handle it if he was telling us to submit to God perhaps even to one another, but instead he's telling us to submit to the government. He doesn't even really leave much wiggle room when he says to submit to every ordinance of man. This exhortation goes beyond the government. It could also include your boss at work. I also feel compelled to say that there is a stage of life where you mother fits this category as well, and doesn’t just end when you turn 18.

We certainly need to be reminded of Peter's historical context. If we find this distasteful in the 21st century and the United States of America Please remember that Peter wrote this living under the tyranny of Nero. Thus the command applies weather the government is serving a godly purpose or a wicked one. The last thing Peter says in this section is to honor the king and for him that meant Nero a murderer and tyrant. While it is tempting to say the believers are to obey the government when the government is functioning as God intended that's not really what the Bible says. We are to obey the government in every circumstance with The only exception being a direct command of sinful behavior. Then we follow the example of the apostles for we certainly ought to obey God rather than men.

ii. To God

While we'll see more of this in a moment I want to first point out here that in both abstaining from central behavior and submitting to the authority that God has placed over us Peter reminds us that we live in freedom. Now this freedom is not a license to send no true believer could ever accept that idea for long. We should remind ourselves of Paul's words here, “should we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not!”

Some might see it as ironic that Peter tells us to live in freedom while also telling us to submit to authority. If you find those two things to be mutually exclusive you don't understand freedom. While living and freedom externally isn't awesome and costly privilege it pales in comparison to the freedom anyone can know spiritually in Christ. So it is a paradox of sorts that the greatest freedom you'll ever know because when you submit to God. Or as Peter says as bond servants of God.

II. Two Reasons

A. For the Lord’s sake

To do an action “for the sake of something” means to do in its interest or for its good.

Peter says that we are to obey every human ordinance not for our sake but for the Lords. In other words it is in the interest of God that we obey human authority.

Immediately we want to ask why, which is unarguably a childish reaction. After all, a 5 year old asking the question why after a command has been given is one of the most annoying things on the planet.

Simply, knowing that this is a biblical command given and that it is in God’s interest should be enough motivation to spur obedience on our behalf.

B. For this is God’s will

While both reasons we have listed here start with the word “for” they have different senses.

When Peter said it was for the Lord's sake the word “for” had the sense “on behalf of.” However here the word “for” has the sense “because of.”

Before we get any more technical let me boil it down. Peter is saying but there are two reasons we abstain from sinful desires and submit to authority. First, because it is in God's interest or for his sake and secondly, because it is simply his will that we do so.

Do we need any other reason?

III. Two Results

A. Silencing Evil

Finally let's talk about the results what happens when we abstain from sinful desires and submit to authority for the Lord's sake and to do his will? The first thing from the text that I want to point out is that evil is silenced. Peter probably doesn't mean this literally in the terms of creating some scenario where they are unable to speak. What I think he means is that their arguments are shown to be groundless and ineffectual.

Please don't misunderstand me this is not about winning arguments. It is about living your life in such a way that it naturally produces circumstances in which the gospel can be clearly heard, seen and exemplified. That is why we silence evil, but not with an argument rather with a godly and an obedient life.

B. Glory of God

Ultimately the result that we're looking for is the glory of God. This is seen early in our text when Peter says to have honorable conduct among the gentiles that when they speak against you as evil doers they may by your good works which they observe glorify God in the day of visitation.

The text is saying that there are only 2 paths but an unbeliever can take after witnessing the honorable conduct of one who knows Christ. The first is that through the example of the believers honorable conduct and abstaining from sin they come to know Christ and thus glorify God both in their lives and ultimately when Christ returns. There is however another path that they might take. But he can continue on the path of unbelief the question then being how does that glorify God? The answer is God is glorified in their judgment. When Christ returns those who have rejected him will be judged accordingly and because God is holy that judgment bring Him glory.

So what is it that the Holy Spirit through Peter is trying to get us to do in this text? We are to restrain sinful desires and live honorably before the world so that they may see Christ in us and glorify God. We are to submit to any authority God has deemed to place over us for the Lord's sake and because it's simply his will. But even as we restrain sin and submit to authority we live as free people because our sins are paid for. Paraphrasing Peter and verse 17 show honor to everyone, love the family of God, fear the Lord and honor the king.