Following Christ Through an Unjust World

Last Week in Review

Jesus is building His people into a spiritual house so that we can proclaim the excellencies of Him who, through His unimaginable mercies, has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light.

When we put away the sins of this world and long for the pure spiritual milk of God’s word, we are joined to the chief cornerstone, Jesus Christ, so that we may truly embrace the identity He has given us as living stones in the house of the Lord.

Now Peter follows this line of thought, declaring how his readers are to follow Christ through this unjust world of sin and suffering we live in today. Moving from who believers are to how they are supposed to live in society today.

1 Peter 2:11–25 ESV

11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 12 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. 13 Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. 17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor. 18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. 19 For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. 21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

The visitor mindset is intended to motivate us to maintain a way of life that would be recognized as good by their Gentile neighbors, who speak against this foreign sect of Christians as evildoers.

According to Peter, the visitors’ goal should be to live in such a way as to quiet the negative stereotypes associated with this foreign religion, Christianity.

This happens only when the world can see a real, observable difference between how the Christian community conducts itself and the world's depravity.

Imagine a man wearing his company’s logo standing at an airport gate. His flight has been canceled. He has somewhere important to be, and the airline has handled the situation poorly.

He approaches the counter, demands an explanation, and begins insulting the employee. His frustration may be understandable. But as his voice rises, people begin watching.

Then someone points to the logo on his shirt and says, “So that’s what your company is like.”

He replies, “I’m not here on company business.”

But the logo is still on his chest.

Whether he intended to represent his company or not, his behavior has become its advertisement.

Now bring that moment into our lives. What happens when we are falsely accused, overlooked at work, treated disrespectfully, or asked to submit to an authority we dislike? We feel the pressure to defend ourselves, demand our rights, and give people a taste of what they have given us.

But we also bear the name of Jesus.

When someone treats us unfairly, what do they learn about Christ from the way we respond?

That question brings us into 1 Peter 2:11–25. Peter writes to believers who belong to God but live among people who may misunderstand or mistreat them. He calls them to resist sinful desires, live honorably, respect authority, and keep doing good through unjust suffering.

Then he points them to Jesus—the innocent Savior who was insulted without insulting back, who suffered without threatening, and who entrusted himself to the Father.

The pressure of unfair treatment reveals whose footsteps we are following.

INTRODUCTION

The apostle describes what, for our time, is a strange liberty. Yet, as Roberto Mangabeira Unger has pointed out:

The liberal ideal of liberty is bankruptcy. The liberal ideal would free every individual to do what he wants. If there must be curbs to this freedom, they must be neutral and impersonal.

But the liberal can find no ground for this neutrality in his own liberal assumptions. The letter of the law cannot provide neutrality, for, on liberal assumptions, the language of law is arbitrary, carrying.

Peter declares that we find our liberty and freedom in Christ alone. With such freedom, right and wrong, good and bad, just and unjust, have an objectively set value.

Our liberty is under the true and living God.

Big Idea: Living Like an Outsider Shows Who Rules Your Heart.

In this section, Peter describes what we must do to keep such liberty and service to God first and foremost in our daily lives.

1. We Wage War Against the Passions of Our Flesh

Notice that Peter begins this section with an Urgent appeal to abstain from passions of the flesh.

I am reminded of another urgent appeal that Paul made in Romans 12:1

Romans 12:1 ESV

1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

This urgent appeal is to present yourself as a living sacrifice to God. We know that the only acceptable sacrifice is a holy one, which can come only through the spotless, perfect Lamb of God.

Now the urgent appeal is that, as resident aliens in this world, we are to abstain from all passions of the flesh that are ready and waiting to wage war against your soul.

There are two things that both texts have in common:

1) An urgent appeal to sacrifice for what is Holy and Acceptable to God.

2) An urgent appeal to get rid of anything that is not Holy and Acceptable to God.

A constant, present war is waged every day in this world. It is a war against the passions of our flesh, which wage war against our very soul.

The two verses bring a twofold exhortation:

Abstain from Carnal Desires

Maintain a Good way of Life among the outsiders

It is impossible to live in a way that brings honor and glory to God if the desires of the flesh win the war against your soul.

What are the works of the flesh? Galatians 5:19-21

Galatians 5:19–21 ESV

19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

A. Fleshly Desires Are Not Uncontrollable Desires

Imagine a driver whose accelerator gets stuck. The car begins gaining speed, and he says, “I can’t help it. The accelerator is stuck.”

His passenger shouts, “Use the brake!”

But the driver answers, “You don’t understand how strong this engine is.”

“Take your foot off the pedal! Put it in neutral!”

“I’ve always driven this way. This is just how my car works.”

The problem is serious. But the driver has become so convinced that the car must keep accelerating that he refuses to use the means available to stop it.

We can respond to sinful desires the same way: “My temper is too strong. My lust is uncontrollable. My resentment is just part of who I am.” We describe the strength of the desire as though it settles the question of whether we must obey it.

But Peter tells believers to “abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul” (1 Peter 2:11).

He acknowledges their power—they are waging war—but calls us to resist them. Later, he explains that Christ bore our sins so that we might “die to sin and live to righteousness” (v. 24).

Following Christ means acting on that freedom: interrupting the angry response, removing access to temptation, confessing the struggle, seeking accountability, and depending on the Spirit’s help. The battle may be difficult and prolonged, but the presence of a powerful desire does not mean we must surrender.

A sinful desire can exert pressure without having the right to steer your life.

1 Corinthians 10:13 ESV

13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

Entertaining such desires may seem momentarily attractive and harmless, since they do not usually erupt into wrongful actions. Yet they are enemies that harm the Christian’s ‘soul’, leaving him spiritually weak and ineffective.

Being unaware of this spiritual damage indicates low spiritual perception.

Peter’s readers are to abstain not only from fleshly desires that wage war against their souls but also to live out and maintain good conduct in their day-to-day lives...

Peter calls all unbelievers Gentiles, not because he believes that all Jews are Christians but because he believes that both Gentiles and Jews who are in Christ are the true Israel. Therefore, those who are not in Christ both Jews and Gentiles are not Christians.

vs. 12 “keep your conduct among gentiles honorable...”

B. The Impact of the Christian Witness is not Lost on this World

We should never discount the impact our Christian witness has on the unbelieving world.

Christian witness still matters because people notice when faith changes how we live—especially under pressure. They may dismiss what Christians say yet still be confronted by a life marked by integrity, generosity, humility, and undeserved kindness.

What do people see when Christians:

* Accept responsibility instead of making excuses for bad behavior.

* Refuse to join in gossip, even when the person targeted is not liked or admired.

* Treat people with respect despite political or religious disagreements.

* Respond to unfair treatment with love instead of seeking revenge.

* Serve someone who has nothing to offer in return.

This conduct raises the question: “What enables this person to respond differently?” That creates an opportunity to speak about Jesus.

Our actions give credibility to our words, and our words identify the Savior behind those actions.

The world may reject our message, but it still watches our lives. Our responsibility is to make Christ visible through both.

2. We Honor God Through Submission to Human Authorities

Every human being owes a debt of respect and honor. As Paul says, we are ‘to show true humility towards all men’. The specific submission we owe varies with the role a person fills in the divine ordering of human life.

People have many questions about submitting to governing authorities in our lives, such as: how far should we go in our submission? Are there times when we should not submit?

Be subject: means to be submissive to an authority, and this usually implies obedience to that authority.

“Be Subject in Scripture”

Romans 13:1 ESV

1 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.

Submission to Christ

1 Corinthians 15:28 ESV

28 When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all.

Submission in Marriage

Ephesians 5:24 ESV

24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.

Submission to Masters from Bondservants

Titus 2:9 ESV

9 Bondservants are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative,

Submission to God

James 4:7 ESV

7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Occasions in Scripture when God’s people have not obeyed Governing Authorities

Exodus 1:17 “the midwives feared God more than the Egyptians and did not kill the first born boys.”

Daniel 3:13-18 “Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego, did not bow to Nebuchadnezzar’s image.”

Acts 4:18-20 “Charged Peter and John to teach or speak again in the name of Jesus.”

The principle we should draw here is that we should submit as long as it does not command us to sin.

This is the Christian’s responsibility toward all forms of rightful human authority, whether the individual Christian agrees with all the policies of that authority or not

“Every Human Institutions”

This broadens the context beyond civil government to include all institutions people are ordained to submit to.

Peter expands on this idea in:

2:18 - Servants to their masters.

3:1 - Wives and their husbands.

Consider the first two human institutions that God ordained: marriage and work. God joined man and woman together, bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh, and placed man in the garden to work.

Peter sees the master-servant relationship and the marriage relationship as ‘human institutions’ in which subjection to an authority is required ‘for the Lord’s sake.’

A. Christians Should Go the Extra Mile

We go the extra mile in our submission, whether to earthly authorities or heavenly ones.

Romans 12:9-21

1). Genuine Love

Paul writes, “Let Love be Genuine.” He emphasizes that love must be unhypocritical (anupokritos), meaning it is sincere and never uses "love" as an excuse to overlook sin or to validate actions forbidden by God.

2). Abhorring Evil

While it is true that God is Love (1 John 4:7-8), I think we misunderstand what this means. God is love, yet he hates sin. True Christian affection is inseparable from God's holiness; believers are commanded to hate evil fiercely and hold fast to what God defines as good. This also applies to how we submit to earthly authorities.

3). Relational Holiness

This passage outlines specific ways we are to live in relationships with other people (love with brotherly affection, outdo one another in showing honor, do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, be patient in tribulation, bless those who persecute you, live in harmony with one another...).

4). Peaceable Living

Believers are instructed not to repay evil for evil, but as far as it depends on them, to live peaceably with all people and leave ultimate vengeance to God.

What does Peter mean in his statement: “Doing Good should silence ignorant people.”

B. Christians Should Not Use Their Freedom as a Cover for Sin

This may seem like a no-brainer for most Christians; however, if we are truly honest, we have done this at one time or another in our Christian walk.

The phrase “cover-up” describes a spiritual excuse that makes selfishness seem justified. We may call it freedom, standing up for ourselves, or defending the truth, while using it to conceal pride, anger, or revenge.

Note: Peter gives the corrective: live “as servants of God” (v. 16). A useful question is: “Am I using my freedom to obey God, or using God’s grace to excuse what I want?”

Peter warns against saying, in effect, “Because I belong to Christ, I can act however I please.”

Ways that our Freedom is used as a Cover-up

Rebelling Against Human Institutions:

Disrespecting government leaders, laws, or social duties under the false claim that earthly rules don't apply to spiritual people.

Justifying Selfish Behavior:

Acting with pride, justifying poor treatment of others, and assuming forgiveness means personal accountability is gone.

Neglecting Love and Respect:

Treating others badly while acting as though we have a clear conscience before God.

Following a brand of Freedom from the World

Imagine a musician sitting at a piano who declares, “I want complete freedom. No scales, no instruction, no rules. Nobody will tell me which notes to play.”

He assumes that anything that helps him play beautiful music restricts and confines his creativity.

He can strike any key he wants, but the beautiful music his ears long to hear is gone.

The master musician and pianist enter the stage. Imagine him placing his fingers on top of yours. He begins to move his expert hands with yours. Before long, the beautiful music returns to the stage. When the musician learns to submit to the master pianist, his playing reaches heights he never would have achieved on his own.    

One common message in our society is:

“You are free when you can follow every desire of your own heart.” But following every desire of your heart can leave you unable to resist the very things destroying your life.

God calls us into a freedom where sin no longer must rule us, and we can live as he created us to live.

That is the paradox in 1 Peter 2:16: “Live as people who are free,” yet live “as servants of God.” We receive that freedom through Christ and then learn to exercise it in obedience.

The world offers you freedom to do whatever you want. Christ gives you freedom from whatever has mastered your life, so you can belong to God and truly start living for the first time.

3. We Follow the Example of the Overseer of Our Souls

Servants Subject to Masters:

Unrelenting goodness, even in the face of undeserved suffering, is a defining feature of the calling of all who bear the name of Jesus Christ.

The appropriate word here is servant rather than slave. Peter uses the most common New Testament word for servants, oiketes.

This highlights the nuance of service within the household. Both terms have also been translated as slave. The horrible degradation of slaves in 19th-century America gives the word a far worse connotation, which is inaccurate for the society to which Peter is writing.   

1st-century slaves were generally well treated and were not only unskilled laborers but also managers, overseers, and trained professionals (doctors, nurses, teachers, musicians, skilled artisans). Roman legislation extensively regulated the treatment of slaves. They were normally paid for their services and could eventually expect to purchase their freedom.

In today’s culture, these people would be seen as free contractors or day laborers.

A. Part of a Christian’s Call is to Endure Unjust Suffering

“God calls us to keep doing what is right, even when it costs us—and to trust him with the outcome, as Jesus did.”

The call is to be faithfully obedient, even when obedience is costly.

* Honesty may cost you an opportunity.

* Refusing to join in wrongdoing may bring ridicule.

* Following Christ may provoke rejection.

Peter urges believers to keep doing good rather than let mistreatment turn them toward sin.

Peter calls us to rise above mere justice and reflect God’s absolute love and mercy, as displayed on the Cross, where He suffered and died for our sins.

It is easier (though by no means automatic) to give such submission to masters who are kind (Gk. Agathas, ‘good’) and gentle, but much more difficult to do so with the overbearing (the word skolions literally means ‘crooked’; see Luke 3:5, but metaphorically means ‘dishonest, morally evil’).

It is easy to show mercy toward those who have shown you mercy, or love toward those who have shown you love. But what about those who would never show you mercy and love toward those who would never show you love?

Romans 5:7–8 ESV

7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Jesus follows up a discussion on loving your enemies in Luke 6:32-33

Luke 6:32–33 ESV

32 “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.

Showing Mercy To the Undeserving

‘And I thank God that he has given me the love to seek to convert and adopt as my son the enemy who killed my dear boys.’

These were the words of Korean Pastor Yang-won Son. The year was 1948; the place was the town of Soon-Chun, near the 38th parallel.

A band of Communists briefly seized the town and executed Pastor Son’s two older boys, Matthew and John. They died as martyrs, calling on their persecutors to have faith in Jesus.

When the Communists were driven out, Chai-sun, a young man from the village, was identified as the one who had fired the fatal shots. His execution was ordered. Pastor Son’s son requested that the charges be dropped and that Chai-sun be released into his custody for adoption.

Rachel, the thirteen-year-old sister of the murdered boys, testified in support of her father’s incredible request. Only then did the court agree to release Chai-sun. He became the pastor's son and a believer in the grace of Jesus Christ.

How different is the best forgiving love we can muster from the forgiving love Jesus had for us when He went to the Cross?

Notice that in verse 21, Peter declares, “to this you have been called.”

This indicates the situation to which God has summoned Christians at conversion. It reaffirms what was declared in 1 Peter 2:9: that Christians have been called out of darkness into His marvelous and glorious light.

B. Our New Lifestyles Motivation is Christ’s Suffering

1). The Saving Example is in His steps.

We find our Salvation in what Jesus did for us that we could never do for ourselves.

The problem most people have with Salvation is that they cannot remove themselves from the equation.

While Christ’s perfect obedience is elsewhere said to earn for us God’s approval which Adam failed to earn and which, we could not earn for ourselves. Romans 5:18-19

Romans 5:18–19 ESV

18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. 19 For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.

We find our Salvation in the Suffering of One Who Was Completely Innocent

This leads us back to the idea of absolute holiness. Can you imagine standing in the presence of complete, perfect holiness? That is the picture we get of Jesus Christ here on this earth. Peter could not tell us to be Holy as He is Holy if we did not have the perfect Lamb of God leading the way.

He leads us to the path of holiness, which is presented in His own body. Remember, in Isaiah 6, this is why Isaiah could not stand to be in the presence of God; he lacked the holiness necessary to stand in God’s presence.

He entrusted not only himself but also the wrongdoers, his followers, and indeed the entire situation ‘to the one who judges justly’.

The imperfect tense here implies repeated action in the past, well rendered by the NASB: ‘kept entrusting’. Once again, faith is the attitude necessary for righteous suffering. Rather than depending on his own ability to retaliate (which was far greater than his opponents' power), Jesus kept entrusting the whole situation to God, whom he knew was just and fair.

CONCLUSION

It was said of the Persians that whenever they went to battle, you could hear the captains' sticks beating the soldiers into fighting, yet they won no victories.

Look, on the other hand, at the brave Spartan. He was glad at the very thought of fighting; he lived for it. He was a born lion, rushing to the fray, delighted to be in the fiercest conflict.

He was the man to win battles, and so is it with the Christian, for whom the service of God is his holiday—his holy day.

To serve the Lord Christ in any way possible to him is his highest ambition. He does not wish to be excused; he desires to be invited. As the eagles gather to the place where the carcass is, so do men and women gather to the spot where the service of God can best be carried on.

Leap to the front, Christians, leap to the front, and let no one hold you back. For if Christ willingly suffered for us, we ought willingly and gladly to serve Him.

But our Lord assumed our sins as one takes weight upon His shoulders. When the sins were there, He knew He was carrying our burdens and consented to do so. Not a moment in Christ’s life was without the pressure of our sin.

If you want to know how to be dead to sin and alive to Christ, then daily look to Christ’s suffering on the cross.

His stripes will heal you; the whelps on His back from scourging will take out the lines of sin from your life.

And as the topmost stone is stained with the blood, so must the foundation stone be.

“We must never sit still. We must not be idle, we must do something for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

We must serve Him who, His own self, bore our sins in His own body on the tree” He is now building up living stones into the house of the Lord.

“For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.”