1 Peter 2:11-25 Let Your Light Shine

Scripture: Greg Eisen

Intro: Israel Trip

Went to film video for Enduring Word

Western Wall

We traveled all over Israel

We got to see some sights that no one gets to see

A couple of cool sites

Sepphoris

City of David

Jeremiah’s Pit

Vs. 11 starts a new section of Peter’s letter

Many scholars think it is his exposition on what Jesus said in the sermon on the mount

Matthew 5:16 ESV

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.

Peter wants our light to shine as Christians

This morning he shows us three ways that we can make our light shine

Honorable Conduct vs. 11-12

The first way that we let our light shine is through Honorable Conduct

Honor and shame were values that shaped everyday life in biblical times.

You got honor in two ways

First came through your families reputation

Second came through your conduct in society

Since we are sojourners in this foreign world we keep our conduct honorable so that our example can point others to Jesus

So how do we keep our conduct Honorable

Two ways are mentioned in this text

First, we abstain from the passions of the flesh

Passions of the flesh is a very broad of category

When we hear passion we automatically think of sexual sins

At the time Peter is writing this letter he is no longer in Israel, but in the Roman empire

The Roman empire is full of debased sexual sin

It is well documented the widespread homosexuality amongst the Roman goverment leaders

On top of that, temple prostitution was consider an act of worship in the Greek and Roman temples

Adultery was not just accepted, but it was expected amongst men who we Roman citizens

What Peter is calling his readers to is a radically different lifestyle

The same could be said today

But there is a danger when you do something different, you stick out

People don’t like when you stick out and they start to tear you down

Peter tells us how to fight this

This leads to the second way that we keep our conduct honorable

Be so full of good works

Why do we do our Trunk or Treat

It’s to serve our community

Some call Halloween dark and we should avoid it and you’re right it is dark

But we are called to be the light in a dark world

And when you see young families bringing their small children to a safe place you know you are hitting the target

They may not stop talking, but those who are listening are comparing their words to your actions and recognize they don’t add up

There is an interesting phrase at the end of this passage

On the day of visitation

There are a couple of different opinions on this phrase

First, is that when they stand before God and have to answer for their life they will have to acknowledge their sins against you

Second, is that when they are confronted with the Gospel and turn their lives over to Christ, their eyes are opened and they see the truth

I’m in the camp of both happening

Submission to Government vs. 13-17

The second way that we let our light shine is by submitting to the Government

As Christians we should be good citizens, submitting to government.

Peter wrote this in the days of the Roman Empire, which was not a democracy and no special friend to Christians. Yet he still recognized the legitimate authority of the Roman government.

Our light shines bright when we obey the laws and leaders of the land we live in

It is very popular to protest, especially when you’re getting paid to do it

The word subject means to submit under one’s rule

Peter makes sure to include every level of government by saying both emperors and governors

We do it for the Lord’s sake

For the Lord’s Sake: This is why we obey the government.

Since governments have a rightful authority from God, we are bound to obey them - unless, of course, they order us to do something in contradiction to God’s law

If you’ve been around here for 10 minutes you know how much a fan I am of our incompetent governor

I submit to the laws and follow the rules until its obvious its wrong

You can’t allow thousands to protest George Floyd in the streets but then ban churches from meeting

BTW vote no on Prop 50

Orthodox Jews

There is an awakening happening in Israel amongst Orthodox Jews

When October 7th happened and Israel went to war with Hamas the Orthodox Jews refused to let their young men go to war

Israel is used to this so there was considerable shock when the younger men in the orthodox young men rebelled

Their friends and family had been killed and they wanted to step up and support the effort

Their eyes began to open that there was no life in all of the rituals

Many of them are turning to Christ

God uses governing authorities as a check upon man’s sinful desires and tendencies.

Governments are a useful tool in resisting the effects of man’s fallen nature.

Based also on what Paul wrote in Romans 13, we can say that the greatest offense government can make is to fail to punish evildoers, or to reward evildoers through corruption

Romans 13:1 ESV

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.

That by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men

Peter knew that our conduct is a way to defend the gospel.

He knew that those who never read the Bible will read our lives, so it is by doing good that we ut to silence the ignorance of foolish men:

Yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God: We are warned against taking the liberty we have in Jesus as an excuse for sin.

Instead we use our liberty in Jesus to show the kind of love and respect that Peter calls for

Submission to Superiors vs. 18-25

The final area where let our light shine is in our submission to our superiors

Now things get even better

Peter tells us we have to submit to our bosses and do it with respect

Not only the good ones, but the bad ones too

I always quote this verse when Dave gets mad at me

It is an act of grace when we endure the sorrows suffering unjustly

When your coworkers see you endure injustice with grace it speaks to Christ being in you

Now, if you suffer because you’ve done something wrong, there is no credit for enduring it with grace

We have been called to this

Because Christ suffered

Isaiah 53:7 ESV

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.

Notice how twice it says “He opened not his mouth”

Our mouths get us in more trouble than anything else