Gospel Worthy Conduct for God's Glory
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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.
Now before we dive into verse 12, let’s remember it’s connection to
Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.
The doctrine brother Andy begin to unpack in this verse last week was the doctrine of? Sanctification. The pursuing of holiness through waging war against the sinful desires of the flesh. Abstaining from the passions of the flesh. Or another way we explain it is the mortification of sin. The putting to death the of our sin.
CHBC Statement of Faith states in
Article X. OF Sanctification,
“We believe that Sanctification is the process which, according to the will of God, we are made partakers of his holiness; that is a progressive work; that is begun in regeneration; and it is carried on in the hears of believers by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, the Sealer and Comforter, in the continual use of the appointed means, especially,-- the word of God, self-examination, self-denial, watchfulness and prayer.
Are we left to guess what these passions or works of the flesh are? If we are going to abstain from these passions we need to know what they are.
Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions,
Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 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.
Galatians 5:19
John Owen writes,
Works of John Owen: Volume 6 Chapter 1: Mortification of Sin in Believers, Etc
The choicest believers, who are assuredly freed from the condemning power of sin, ought yet to make it their business all their days to mortify the indwelling power of sin.
Therefore Beloved, as those who are sojourners and exiles; Those who are born again by the mercy of God; Those who are elect exiles in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with His blood we must fight against our old nature with all of our might!
Here is what Puritan James Ussher wrote regarding the believers internal war with the flesh, it is
“the daily exercise of our spiritual strength, and armour, against all adversaries, with assured confidence of victory. For the state of the faithful in this life is such, that they are sure in Christ, and yet fight against sin: there being joined with repentance a continual fighting against and struggling against the assaults of man’s own flesh, against the motions of the Devil, and enticements of the world.”
As brother Andy mentioned last week, he expounded on the negative side of sanctification.
Abstaining from fleshly passions. This week we are going to look at the positive side of sanctification. Instead of fighting the evil we are going see Peter provides us with some positive actions which results in the chief end of man, the glory of God!
Beloved as sojourners and exiles we are to maintain,
I. Good Conduct (2:12a)
I. Good Conduct (2:12a)
Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable.
A. The Beloved are to be among Non-believers.
A. The Beloved are to be among Non-believers.
What is the very first implication in verse 12? If we are to keep our conduct among the Gentiles honorable, we have to be amongst the Gentiles. This means we are to be in the company of unbelievers, people who don’t believe what we believe, who don’t live like we are to live, and ultimately are not indwelt by the same Spirit we are. We have God’s Spirit within us convicting us of sin and righteousness. They are under the ruler, reign, and dominion of the Father the Devil.
Another way we understand this is that we are to be in the world, but not? Of the world!
How much time do we spend with non-believers? Some of us probably spend more time around the lost than we really want to. Some of us may long to be with the saints more and more, which is a great longing by the way. However, we cannot forget the importance of being with those who need the gospel.
The beloved
What Peter is talking about here is not just passing by Gentiles in the grocery store, or waving to our lost neighbor as they walk by the house, or even just speaking to an unbeliever at work.
He is urging us to a consistent way of life to be lived out among those headed for Hell apart from the saving knowledge of our LORD and Savior.
conduct expressed according to certain principles way of life, conduct, behavior
Do you remember what Jesus said when he was accused of being among sinners and tax collectors?
And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Jesus not only gives us the example of being in the midst of sinners, but explains why. We are never going to be able to call sinners to repent and believe in the Jesus if we are never among them.
So the beloved are to be among the Gentiles, and t
B. The Beloved are to conduct themselves consistently.
B. The Beloved are to conduct themselves consistently.
Again Peter here is not talking about a short knock on a door or passing out a tract which are not bad things but many of the people we see on visitation or during evangelistic opportunities will never be seen again. But, the Gentiles we come in contact with on a consistent basis need to see us conducting ourselves consistently.
Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.
Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel,
:27-3
We are to live life in a manner in worthy of the gospel of Christ!
We are to live life firm in one spirit.
We are to live life with one mind striving side by side for the faith.
We are to be unafraid of our opponents.
WE
We are to live lives of believe with a willingness to suffer.
We are to live lives in conflict while conducting ourselves in accordance with our profession.
This means the,
C. The Beloved are to conduct themselves honorably.
C. The Beloved are to conduct themselves honorably.
What does it mean to conduct ourselves honorably?
The word honorably is speaking,
of moral quality (opp. αἰσχρός IAndrosIsis, Kyme 32) good, noble, praiseworthy, contributing to salvation
How then are we to maintain good, noble, praiseworthy conduct as we are among unbelievers?
While we are in the midst of this process of progressive sanctification we are to engage in this spiritual warfare while maintaining good conduct. We are not to fight with the weapons of flesh and blood, but by putting on the whole armor of God.
Fastening on the belt of truth.
Putting on the breastplate of righteousness.
Shoeing our feet with the readiness given by the gospel of peace.
Taking up the shield of faith.
Taking the helmet of salvation.
Taking the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Praying at all times in the Spirit.
Keeping alert with all perseverance.
Making supplication for all the saints.
Now if we prepare to battle the way Paul prescribes in , will not enable us to keep our conduct honorable among the Gentiles?
Another way to say it is, as we grow in grace together through corporate worship, fellowship within the community of faith, consistent personal bible study and prayer, and pleading for the help of the Spirit we will keep our conduct honorable among the Gentiles.
Notice in the middle of verse 12,
We are to display,
II. Good Deeds (2:12b)
II. Good Deeds (2:12b)
so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds
First,
A. Good deeds silence those that speak against us.
A. Good deeds silence those that speak against us.
If Christians are living honorable lives why in the world would unbelievers slander us or speak evil of us. This again is where context is helpful. Note these statements from Roman historians around 100 A.D.
1 Peter Leading a Beautiful Life
Christians were “loathed for their vices.”
1 Peter Leading a Beautiful Life
Nero blamed Christians for the great fire of Rome because they were “hated for their abominations” and adhered to a “pernicious superstition.”
1 Peter Leading a Beautiful Life
Suetonius stated that Nero punished Christians as a sect professing a new and impious “superstition.”
1 Peter Leading a Beautiful Life
Some accused them of cannibalism, in a pernicious, possibly willful misconstrual of the Lord’s Supper. The charge of “hatred of the human race” grew from their refusal to join in worshiping the emperor or local patron deities
Remember the lost have not been give sight to see spiritual truths. Therefore all that we do is foreign and odd to them. They don’t understand why we gather for worship, they don’t understand why we eat at the Lord’s table, why we abstain from their sinful practices. This means they see us as odd, as holier than thou, as different, and often our practices are convicting to them and even in our actions and words we seem like we are being judgmental. When the truth is our conduct is not for their condemnation, but because of our sanctification.
But what happens when the lost slander a faithful believer? The slander slides right off! It doesn’t stick because their accusations are false or invalid because of our consistent Christlike conduct.
Secondly,
B. Good Deeds are to be seen.
B. Good Deeds are to be seen.
You have heard people say that my Christianity or my religion is between me and God. Your reconciliation is between you and God and His Son, but the believer’s sanctification is between you and the Father, Son, and the Spirit for the world.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
So that they may see your good deeds.
who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.
So Christ died to purify, cleanse, sanctify us for obedience, holiness so that we might be zealous for good works.
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
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Christ saved us, redeemed us, reconciled us that we should walk in good works created by God the Father.
Notice what James wrote,
Listen to the words of,
Jesus from the sermon on the Mount,
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.
Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.
Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.
James says it this way,
As we conduct ourselves honorably, we are to exhibit good works in the meekness of our salvation! Because we have been saved we conduct ourselves humbly in order that the world may see our good works.
We can’t miss the meekness of wisdom phrase from James, because there is an attitude of humility and privacy in which we are to conduct our good works. Do you remember what Jesus taught?
“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Matthew 6:
So we don’t go about boasting in the good works the Lord has enable us to do. We don’t go about telling everyone:
I went and visited the orphans last week.
I went and cared for a widow yesterday.
I have a big wad of cash I am going to put into the offering plate today.
I fast twice a week.
I pray 4 hours a day.
I, I, I, I....Do you get the picture? Because we have been born again we behave in an honorable way with humble hearts knowing that it is God and him alone who has given us the wisdom, desire, and ability work for Him!
Commentaries on the Catholic Epistles Chapter 2
Therefore the evil speakings and the wicked insinuations of the ungodly ought to stimulate us to lead an upright life; for it is no time for living listlessly and securely, when they sharply watch us in order to find out whatever we do amiss.
Scot McKnight explains, What Peter wants from his churches (and what God wants from his people!) is a heart focused on him, a behavior focused on love and obedience, and a lifestyle impeccable in the sight of non-Christians.
Why is Peter so insistent that we are to be holy, that we are to keep good conduct, that our good works are to be a witness to the world?
McKnight, S. (1996). 1 Peter (p. 136). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.
We are to maintain Good Conduct, display Good Deeds, for the,
III. Glory of God (2:12c)
III. Glory of God (2:12c)
and glorify God on the day of visitation.
A. Good Deeds Bring Glory to God
A. Good Deeds Bring Glory to God
Do you see the flow of the text, as those who are born again maintain good conduct, and the lost witness our good works, God is glorified.
Jesus event taught good works result in the glory of God!
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.
This is why we can be assured that sanctification and a pursuit of holiness is not legalism. Don’ t let anyone convince you of that. The Christian is not living a good live and displaying good works for their salvation, that would be legalism. That would be us saying I am doing these things and abstaining from these things so that I may earn, merit, or receive salvation. That is legalism, that is denying the truth of justification by faith alone through grace alone, for the glory of God alone!
Instead, Christians who rightly understand the Scriptures and their salvation believe that our being set apart from the world, and living lives of holiness are for the glory of God, not the means of our salvation.
As we abstain from sinful, fleshly passions and conduct ourselves in a Christlike manner God receives the glory, the praise, and honor.
He is the one who regenerated us from death to life.
He is the one who removed our stony heart and replaced it with a heart of flesh.
He is the one who freed us from the bondage of wickedness and produces in us good works.
He is the one who changed our desires from fleshly passions to godly obedience.
Christians are a trophy of God’s grace not a grand display of their own goodness....
This is why Paul writes,
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
The entire purpose of our salvation, justification, sanctification, and glorification is the glory, honor, and praise of God.
QUESTION 2 of the Baptist Catechism: WHAT IS THE CHIEF END OF MAN?
Answer: Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever. Scripture:
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 73:25-
everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”
; ; ;
.
Comment: “Glorify” does not mean make glorious. It means [to] reflect or display as glorious. Other words you could use for “end” are “goal” or “purpose”.
In other words, Peter is not the only one urging us to keep honorable conduct, to walk in good works for the glory of God. God himself proclaims that we are created for His glory!
So Paul says whatever we do, do it all to the glory of God!
B. Good Conduct Points People to God’s Grace.
B. Good Conduct Points People to God’s Grace.
Finally there is an end, or a goal to which our sanctification is driving towards, our sanctification is for the purpose of preparing people for the day of visitation.
What is meant here by the day of visitation? Well let’s look to the Scriptures.
What will you do on the day of punishment, in the ruin that will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help, and where will you leave your wealth?
The KJV translates this the day of visitation. Calvin comments on this verse in Isaiah,
Commentary on the Book of the Prophet Isaiah Chapter 10
In the day of visitation. By visitation is here meant judgment, for God visits us in two ways, that is, in mercy and in judgment. In both ways he reveals himself and his power to us, both when, in compassion on us, he rescues us from dangers, and when he punishes those who are ungodly and who despise the word.
This gives us the two ways this verse is often viewed in Peter’s epistle. Does the day of visitation mean when God visits these individual believers in his grace and mercy at the point of their conversion or when Christ returns in final judgment? There is truth in both of these options.
God can and does use the sanctification of believers to draw other men to himself.
There is a day coming when God will judge the living and the dead and those who have been born again will glorify God because of the work He has done in individual believers to point them to Christ! God will also be glorified in his judgment of the wicked.
However, when we consider this text, what is Peter’s primary authorial intent? Is he primarily talking about God being glorified in judgment or in mercy? Is he talking about the final visitation or when God visits the believer for salvation?
After much reading and consideration I believe Peter is showing us that God will be glorified as he graciously visits the Gentiles and they turn to Him in faith!
Tom Schreiner explains, “The reference to glorifying God suggests that the salvation of Gentiles is in view. Typically in the New Testament people glorify God or give him glory by believing.”
And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.
No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God,
Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.”
Romans
to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.
Ephesians
Revelation
saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”
Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you,
Over and over we see God receiving glory as he saves those who are lost. How do they come to faith? Peter says, that be seeing our good deeds they are introduced to the transforming power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. They see us abstaining from evil, they see us living a consistent honorable life, they see good works as a natural outworking of our faith then by the grace of God, the convicting and drawing of the Spirit, they believe in the Son of God for salvation!
Context also helps us see how good conduct may be a means in which God draws unbelievers to himself. Notice Peters instructions to wives in,
Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, when they see your respectful and pure conduct.
Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives,
Do you see it?
Even if some do not obey the word, they have not submitted and believed the gospel..
They may be won…they may come to believe
by the conduct of their wives,
when they see your respectful and pure conduct.