31. Submission to Authority p3

In this freedom, we saw that we were set free from the dominion of sin, set free from our past futile way of life inherited from our forefathers, set free from the just condemnation of sin. In our freedom comes purpose. We are not free to do whatever we want. We are not free to go on sinning or to use the freedom we have in Christ as a pretext for sin, rather we are set free as bondservants of God. We saw this is not the attitude of God toward us but our attitude toward Him. We looked at the OT, that the bondservant loved his master and though given the opportunity for freedom bound himself to his master forever. All of the master’s plans, desires, well being were the bondservant’s single-minded focus. This is the desire of the Christian, God’s plans are our plans, His will being done becomes the focus of our life. You may ask yourself, ‘what does it man to have His will be the single focus of my life?’ What that means is that in whatever calling God has called us; husbands, wives, children, employers, employees, students, etc., our hearts desire is to fulfill that calling in accordance to what the Bible teaches. There is a fifth point that we see in verse 17 that will complete this series on submission to authority. It is the duty of submission. Let us once more turn in our Bibles to 1 Peter 2:13-17

1Pe 2:13-17 Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether to the king as supreme, (14) or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. (15) For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men— (16) as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. (17) Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.

There are 4 subpoints: 1. Honor all people, 2. Love the brotherhood, 3. Fear God, 4. Honor the king.

These are the general duties of every Christian without exception. This duty is consistent with our freedom from sin and being a bondservant of God. This duty is inconsistent with what we see in the world today. Before getting into the individual points let’s take a high level look at this verse. This verse is comprised of four short sentences. There are 3 verbs honor, love, and fear. There are four objects of these verbs, all people, the brotherhood, God, and the king. We need to understand that these three verbs are not exclusive to the person(s) to whom they are to be directed. As always we must consider the context of the verse in relation to the paragraph, chapter and book. Out of context we could look at this and say we are to honor all, but I do not have to love them. We can love the brotherhood but not honor them. We only have to fear God and not honor or love Him and so on. But when we look at the broader scope of Scripture we see that we are to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. Mat 5:43-44 "You have heard that it was said, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.' (44) But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,

I. Honor All People

The Greek literally says Honor all. ESV says honor everyone, NKJV – all people, NASB and KJV says all men. This is in reference to mankind and not man as a gender. Let that sink in for a moment. Honor all, everyone, all people. Honor means to esteem, place high value upon. One question to ask is, why is this command here? In the context of the letter it is to correct wrong attitudes which may have led to sinful attitudes. If you look earlier in the verse you see Peter say “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people,”. Could that have bred an idea of exclusivity? So just as we are not to use our freedom as a license for sin we are not use our choosing and our position as a holy nation and His own special people as a pretext for prejudice.

We have defined honor. Let us now look at what all means in context. Some believe that all means not only the king but also those that are appointed for the punishment of evil doers. But it extends beyond that. All means everyone without exception and everyone without distinction. What is it that warrants honor? It is not man’s moral standing. This is to be reproached and shown for what it is. We have the testimony of Scripture regarding the moral state of man and mankind’s rejection of worship of the Creator and instead worship the created. Who have given themselves over from the natural function of the men and women for the unnatural function, exchanging the truth of God for a lie. What we are to honor though, is mans being created in the image of God. Mankind, in the image of God, is the pinnacle of God’s creation. They alone have the capacity to praise, honor, worship, and interact their Creator. Mankind, only has the capacity to relate to God as Father, not just as Creator, on the basis of salvation by grace alone thru faith alone. Capacity does not equal inherent ability. Mankind in it’s fallen estate has neither the want or the will apart from the work of God drawing that person to Himself.

Gen 1:26-28 Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." (27) So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. (28) Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth."

Psa 8:5-8 For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor. (6) You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, (7) All sheep and oxen—Even the beasts of the field, (8) The birds of the air, And the fish of the sea That pass through the paths of the seas.

What is the world’s practice? The world imparts honor to those who are considered beautiful or handsome, the educated, the wealthy. You are despised if you belong to a different political party, hold a different opinion, or do certain kinds of work. If you make a certain status you are honored. But this command flies in the face of all bigotry, racism, and prejudice. When we honor all people, we value you all life. We love our neighbor as ourself. In the parable of the good Samaritan all of the Jews country men gave the wounded mad a wide birth but it is the one not of his country and whom the Jews hated that showed him mercy, the Samiritan. This is not a magic wand to immediately erase all of our prejudices, but this is a call to confront them and put them to death because it is sin.

II. Love the Brotherhood

The verb love is the same word that is used in 1 Peter 1:22 love one another fervently with a pure heart, ‘. It is the same express love of God for His people. The love that expects nothing in return and is not based upon any external or internal quality. In fact, this kind of love is in spite of that., because there is nothing in us that warrants God’s rich, infinite display of love.

1Co 13:4-7 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; (5) does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; (6) does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; (7) bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

This kind of love is worked out in action. We can call it covenantal because it is based on commitment, not an emotional feeling. We all know that emotions ebb and flow. But the commitment to agape love one another extends beyond emotion. It acts when emotion is not there for the good of the one loved.

1Jn 3:18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.

Loving the brethren is not theoretical. It is a practically working out day by day. How? Gal 6:2 Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. And what is the law of Christ? Joh 13:34-35 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. (35) By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

We are a community of saints, and we need to continually find and practice ways of building that sense of community within the church.

Heb 10:24-25 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, (25) not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

The importance of hospitality and fellowship cannot be understated here. Because of the culture in the south there is the impression that every time we have someone over it has to be an enormous spread of food. And who really has time for that? The purpose of hospitality is not centered around food, it is centered around the Lord.

III. Fear God

This is another interesting sentence. Why put that here? What exactly does it mean? In context it is found right after the command not to use our freedom as a license for sin. If through the inspiration of the Spirit Peter puts the command here it is because of the previous verse. There were some who were using their freedom as a cloak for vice.

The Greek word used for fear is phobos. We have all heard of phobia. It is the fear of. Some commentators and preachers have said this means to reverence God. Yes, but in light of the context it means more. It means fear God. Broader evangelicalism has turned God into a cosmic Santa Clause. The say God is love, and so He is. God is our Father and so He is. But the love of God and the Fatherhood of God is not divorced from the holiness of God.

1Co 10:1-12 Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, (2) all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, (3) all ate the same spiritual food, (4) and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. (5) But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. (6) Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. (7) And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, "THE PEOPLE SAT DOWN TO EAT AND DRINK, AND ROSE UP TO PLAY." (8) Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; (9) nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; (10) nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. (11) Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. (12) Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.

When God judged Israel for their sin, it was for restoration but consider the hardship of their discipline.

God still judges His people. And though if indeed we are in Christ we will not lose our salvation, nevertheless we will under God’s righteous discipline. Gal 6:7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.

Love God as your Father in heaven, but fear Him in regards to committing sin. In the last sermon in Peter we quoted 2Co 5:14 For the love of Christ compels 9or contrains) us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died;

If the love of God does not constrain you to keep from sinning. Let the fear of God restrain you.

2Co 5:10-11 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. (11) Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences. (Terror here is the same Greek word phobos)

IV. Honor the King

Peter begins with submission to the king in verse 13 and ends with honor the king in verse 17. This can be particularly difficult. The command is, pay a proper respect to every person who is invested with civil authority, especially to those who are at the head of the government. The honor here referred to, is that which is due to the office, whatever may be the personal character of him who fills it; the respect due to the magistrate when acting as a magistrate. When the magistrate is embodies those qualities which are the proper objects of respect; when he is a man distinguished for his wisdom, piety, discretion, justice, and goodness—he is to be honored for these, and honored the more because he is a magistrate, as high station abounds with temptation, and he who in such trying circumstances acquits himself well, is worthy of peculiar respect; but whatever be his personal character, though he may be an irreligious and immoral man in his private capacity, which is always to be regretted, especially as it is apt to bring the magistracy into contempt, we are to respect him in his official capacity, and to honor him while he performs the functions of public ruler. Christians must keep far away from the behavior of those whom the Apostle in his second Epistle describes as "presumptuous and self-willed, who despise governments, and" are not afraid of speaking evil of dignities." The honor which we are to cherish for the magistrate is to be manifested chiefly in our conscientious and cheerful obedience to all his lawful commands.

1Ti 2:1-2 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, (2) for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.

Rom 13:1-2 Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. (2) Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.

Honor all people. Love the brethren. Fear God. Honor the king.

Related Media

Related Sermons

Earn an accredited degree from Redemption Seminary with Logos.