Living at the Intersection of Faith and Culture (2)

1. WE ARE TO LIVE AS THE RECIPIENTS OF UNDESERVED MERCY. (V10)

a. (ESV) – 10 ONCE YOU WERE NOT A PEOPLE, BUT NOW YOU ARE GOD’S PEOPLE; ONCE YOU HAD NOT RECEIVED MERCY, BUT NOW YOU HAVE RECEIVED MERCY.

b. PETER ACTUALLY POINTS OUT TWO IMPORTANT TRUTHS IN THIS VERSE.

i. FIRST, HE POINTS OUT OUR INCLUSION.

1. PETER QUOTES A PASSAGE FROM , WHERE GOD SPEAKS OF ISRAEL BEING HIS PEOPLE…

a. IN SPITE OF THEIR SIN…

b. THIS IS WHERE YOU ARE, IF YOU HAVE TRUSTED CHRIST FOR SALVATION…

c. AND IF YOU HAVE NOT YET TRUSTED CHRIST FOR SALVATION, THIS IS WHERE YOU COULD BE…

d. AND IT IS ALL BECAUSE OF WHAT HE POINTS OUT NEXT…

ii. SECOND, HE POINTS OUT THE MERCY WE HAVE RECEIVED.

1. HE SAYS THAT THERE WAS ONCE A TIME WHEN MERCY HAD NOT BEEN RECEIVED…

2. BUT NOW WE HAVE RECEIVED UNDESERVED MERCY FROM GOD…

c. AND THE REASON WE ARE EXPECTED TO OBEY THE COMMANDS OF GOD IS BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN INCLUDED AS PART OF HIS FAMILY…

i. BY THE SACRIFICE OF CHRIST…

ii. BECAUSE OF THE UNDESERVED MERCY WE HAVE RECEIVED…

d. PETER IS SETTING THE STAGE IN VERSE 10 FOR WHAT WILL FOLLOW IN VERSES 11 AND 12…

e. AND IN VERSE 11, HE TELLS US THAT…

2. WE ARE TO LIVE IN SUCH A WAY THAT THE PASSIONS OF THE FLESH SHOULD SEEM FOREIGN TO US. (V11)

a. (ESV) – 11 BELOVED, I URGE YOU AS SOJOURNERS AND EXILES TO ABSTAIN FROM THE PASSIONS OF THE FLESH, WHICH WAGE WAR AGAINST YOUR SOUL.

b. THE VERSE INFORMS US THAT THOSE WHO HAVE THE SPIRIT ARE NOT EXEMPT FROM FLESHLY DESIRES.

c. BUT THESE DESIRES ARE TO BE RESISTED AND CONQUERED, AND THE IMAGE OF FLESHLY DESIRES WAGING WAR AGAINST OUR SOULS IMPLIES THAT THIS IS NO EASY MATTER.

i. THE TRUTH IS THAT AS LONG AS WE LIVE IN THIS WORLD, WE WILL STILL BE TEMPTED BY THE PASSIONS OF THE FLESH…

1. THE THINGS OF THIS WORLD…

ii. THINK ABOUT HOW PETER DESCRIBES THOSE WHO CLAIM THE NAME OF JESUS…

1. HE CALLS US SOJOURNERS AND EXILES…

2. WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT THESE WORDS FOR A MOMENT…

a. WHAT IS A SOJOURNER?

i. THAT WORD SOJOURNER IS A WORD THAT DESCRIBES SOMEONE WHO IS AWAY FROM HOME…

b. WHAT IS THE LIFE OF AN EXILE LIKE?

i. THE LIFE OF THE EXILE IS SIMILAR TO THAT OF A SOJOURNER…

ii. THE EXILE IS DETACHED FROM THE FAMILIAR…

iii. THE EXILE IS A FOREIGNER IN A FOREIGN LAND…

iv. HE LOOKS FORWARD TO THE DAY WHEN HE WILL EXPERIENCE THE COMFORTS OF HOME…

v. BUT FOR THE TIME BEING, HE KNOWS THAT HE IS IN OFTEN HOSTILE TERRITORY…

d. THIS IS THE DESCRIPTION OF THE LIFE OF THE CHRIST-FOLLOWER…

e. WE ARE FOREIGNERS, IN A FOREIGN LAND…

i. BUT WHILE WE ARE HERE…

ii. WE ARE EXPECTED…NO COMMANDED…TO LIVE LIVES FILLED WITH THE KINDS OF GOOD DEEDS THAT WILL MAKE UNBELIEVERS TAKE NOTICE.

f. PETER’S HOPE WAS THAT UNBELIEVERS WOULD BE COMPELLED TO ADMIT THAT THE LIFESTYLE OF BELIEVERS IS MORALLY BEAUTIFUL…

i. AND THIS ADMISSION WILL BRING THEM TO SAVING FAITH SO THAT GOD WILL BE GLORIFIED ON THE DAY OF JUDGMENT.

3. WE MUST REMEMBER THAT WE ARE CALLED TO REPRESENT CHRIST BEFORE THOSE WHO DO NOT KNOW HIM. (V12)

a. (ESV) – 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.

b. THE GREATEST CHALLENGE FOR THE BELIEVER IS TO LIVE OUT HIS OR HER FAITH ON A DAILY BASIS…

c. NOTICE WHAT PETER DID NOT DO HERE…

i. PETER DIDN’T ENCOURAGE BELIEVERS TO MOUNT A VERBAL CAMPAIGN OF SELF-DEFENSE

ii. OR TO WRITE FACEBOOK POSTS LAUDING THEIR PIETY AND DEFENDING THEIR MORALITY…

iii. HE ENCOURAGED BELIEVERS TO PURSUE VIRTUE AND GOODNESS, SO THAT THEIR GOODNESS WOULD BE APPARENT TO EVERYONE IN THE CULTURE...

1. ESPECIALLY TO THE ENEMIES OF CHRIST…

d. EVIDENCE OF TRANSFORMATION IS NOT PERCEIVED IN A TESTIMONY…

i. EVIDENCE OF TRANSFORMATION IS PERCEIVED BY ONE’S CONDUCT…

ii. EVIDENCE OF TRANSFORMATION CAN ONLY BE SEEN…

iii. SO LET PEOPLE SEE YOUR GOOD WORKS…

e. UNBELIEVERS MAY DESPISE CHRISTIANS, BUT AS THEY NOTICE THE GOODNESS IN THEIR LIVES, SOME WILL REPENT AND BE SAVED…

i. AND AS A RESULT OF THEIR SALVATION GOD WILL BE GLORIFIED.