Citizens of Christ's Kingdom
The Church United in a World Divided • Sermon • Submitted
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Scripture Reading
Scripture Reading
4 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him— 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For in Scripture it says:
“See, I lay a stone in Zion,
a chosen and precious cornerstone,
and the one who trusts in him
will never be put to shame.”
7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,
“The stone the builders rejected
has become the capstone,”
8 and,
“A stone that causes men to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall.”
They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.
9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
11 Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
Introduction
Introduction
Our lives and our responses to situations are very much shaped by who we are. As Christians, our lives and our responses to situations must be shaped by who we are. We are called as Christians to respond to our situations in life as those who are citizens of Christ’s kingdom.
That is what we are going to consider this morning.
We are going to focus our attention in our identity in Jesus Christ. Who are we as the people of God? How does that knowledge shape the way in which we are to live our lives in this world? And then we will consider what the goal of our lives in this world is, as it is rooted in that identity.
Before we delve into this matter too much further, just remember that the context is a world that is beset with sin. It is a world, as we saw last week, that is under the power and influence of Satan, who is leading people to live their lives in a particular manner - primarily a manner that dishonours Christ.
Peter has written his letter to God’s elect, strangers in the world (1 Peter 1:1). And as we now delve into verses 9-12, we must recognise that he is drawing a comparison between those who are in the world - those who have stumbled over Christ, and those who are in Christ. Those who have been born again.
So this is the context of his address.
With that in mind, notice firstly with me from this passage...
1) Our Identity in Christ
1) Our Identity in Christ
Peter begins in verse 9 with the words, “But You.” Something is unique and special about you, as a child of the living God. About us, as the church of Jesus Christ. This uniqueness differentiates us distinguishes us from every other person in the world, and gives us a profound identity as we live our lives in this world.
In contrast to those mentioned in verses 7-8, who stumble over Christ and the Gospel message, and who live a life apart from Christ, we are very different.
Peter says in verse 9...
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God...
This echoes back to God’s choosing of Israel for Himself, to be a peculiar people among the nations of the world in order to declare His glories and praises to the surrounding nations.
As Israel was delivered out of their Egyptian captivity by the grace of God, we read of God’s word to them...
5 Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, 6 you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”
And later, God spoke to Israel through the prophet Isaiah in these words...
20 The wild animals honor me,
the jackals and the owls,
because I provide water in the desert
and streams in the wasteland,
to give drink to my people, my chosen,
21 the people I formed for myself
that they may proclaim my praise.
God chose Israel, and they were to live a peculiar life with peculiar laws and customs that differentiated them radically from the surrounding nations. The nations around them would see how they conducted themselves, and they would see that this nation was unique in their practices and conduct.
2 This is what the Lord says:
“Do not learn the ways of the nations
or be terrified by signs in the sky,
though the nations are terrified by them.
3 You must not do as they do in Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. Do not follow their practices.
After giving a long list of purity laws to the Israelites, God says to them in...
23 You must not live according to the customs of the nations I am going to drive out before you. Because they did all these things, I abhorred them.
The point was that God would receive glory and honour and praise through this special and holy people....
Pause...
If they would obey Him.
But they did not obey Him, and sadly they dishonoured Him as they even became as the people of the nations surrounding them.
But God initiated a New Covenant. Christ Jesus came into the world in order to save sinners. And having died in order to pay the penalty for their sins, having been buried in the grave for three days, he rose again, and conquered the power of even death. And after showing himself as risen to many groups of people, He ascended into the heavens where He reigns and rules.
But He also sent the Holy Spirit to us, so that we would have his very presence in us in order to strengthen and enable us to live lives that are holy.
Dear friends, we are a chosen people. We’ve been chosen by God. I’m not chosen by God merely so that I can be saved.... so that I can escape hell. That’s a very self-centred perspective.
The reality is that God chose me. He chose me to live a life of praise to Him. And He strengthens me to do that; He strengthens us to do that by His grace and mercy.
Notice that we are a royal priesthood and a holy nation. We are those who belong to the family of the King of kings. Royalty!!! Greater royalty than can ever be found in this world. Royalty into eternity!! Because Jesus is our brother and our King.
We are a holy nation. We are a new ethnically identifiable group. This is our identity as people. This shapes us.
This forms our key customs and practices. Baptism; the Lord’s Supper; Fellowship; Study of Scripture; Sacrificial love. All of these flow out of our identity as Christians.
Who we are as God’s people must be first and foremost what drives us.
Our identity in Jesus Christ must take priority over any other identity that I have. Every action that I engage in must be brought under the light of Scripture to determine if this is going to be in accordance with my identity, or if it will water down our destroy my identity.
In verse 9, Peter goes on to write that “...you are those who have been called out of darkness into his wonderful light.”
We should no longer conduct ourselves as those who are in darkness. Those who live their lives according to the principles of this world. Even if they’re nice people… We must go to the Scriptures and shape ourselves by the Word of Christ. We must shape ourselves by the life of Christ.
Peter writes also in verse 10...
10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
You see, friends, once the glory of the Gospel of grace has shone its light into our hearts, we recognise the great mercies of God towards us, and our lives are changed. Our identity has changed. Our reason for existence has changed. Our goals in life have changed.
There is nothing ordinary about who we are as the church.
Now let me say this… we certainly do ordinary things. We engage in ordinary day-to-day tasks and events and cultural activities as do others in the world. There is nothing wrong with that.
But there is nothing ordinary about the way that we engage in those ordinary tasks. We have a new nature within us. Our bodies have become living temples of God, that lead us to live holy lives and to do these ordinary tasks in a holy manner.
Obviously those cultural and worldly engagements that are intrinsically evil, we cannot participate in. But those that are morally neutral, we do and conduct ourselves in a radically different way.
According to verse 11, we are “aliens and strangers in the world.” Do you consider yourself in terms of your conduct to be an alien and stranger. Does the world around you that considers your life and conduct consider you to be an alien and stranger? In other words, does your life really look different to others? Are your practices different from others? Is your life so radically marked by love and compassion and kindness and purity, that the world looks at you as if you’re from a different planet? Or rather, a different kingdom?
Our identity in Christ is unique and radically different from the world. This identity must drive us.
With that in mind, let’s consider further together how this informs our lifestyle in Christ…
2. Our Lifestyle in Christ
2. Our Lifestyle in Christ
As Peter writes these verses, he gives us at least 3 broad categories that are to shape our conduct as the people of God in the world. These are all inter-related, and don’t necessarily stand apart from each other, but they will help us to get the sense of the lifestyle that Christians are called upon to live based on our identity in Christ.
2.1. Abstain from Sinful Desires (v.11b)
2.1. Abstain from Sinful Desires (v.11b)
Firstly, from verse 11b, Peter writes that we are “to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against [our] soul.”
One of the key marks of those who have been brought out of the kingdom of darkness and into the kingdom of light is the war that this person in Christ will begin to wage on sin in their lives. No longer can a Christian be content to allow sin to rule in their body.
Paul writes, in light of Christ’s death and resurrection, these instructions...
11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.
There is no Christian who will live in perfect holiness and obedience to Christ, because the sin nature still remains. Nonetheless, we wage war on sin in our bodies. We are never content to allow sin to be present. When we see sin raising its head in our lives, we want to kill that sin, because our allegiance is to Christ.
The sinful desires that are referred to here are clearly articulated in Scripture.
13 Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. 14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.
19 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
As we read and consider these lists, we must be careful to think that we’ve got nothing to learn from them, or that we’re okay because we don’t engage in the gross acts of immorality. While this is great if true, we must strive as Christians to continually be about eradicating all sinful practices from our lives, including what are typically seen as the “smaller sins.”
For example, James 4:1 says...
1 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?
How often don’t we believe that the quarrel or fight that we are engaging in is right and fitting, and the other person is just being difficult. Both parties are thinking the same thing - the one I’m fighting with is the one at fault, and needs to change their thinking or attitude.
James suggests otherwise. The fights come from desires within us - sinful desires. He says that we are not getting the things that we want, and as a result of this, we fight and quarrel with each other. Then he goes on to say that such actions demonstrate a friendship with the world… identifying not with Christ and His kingdom, but with the kingdom of the world - under the influence of Satan...
4 You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.
Or there are those respectable sins that we engage in. In 2007, Jerry Bridges wrote a helpful little booklet titled “Sins we Accept” wherein he outlined the sins that people often engage in without seeing them for what they are. He writes in his book...
“the whole idea of sin may have disappeared from our culture. It may have been softened in many of our churches so as not to make the audiences uncomfortable. And, sad to say, the concept of sin among many conservative Christians has been essentially redefined to cover only the obviously gross sins of our society. The result, then, is that for many morally upright believers, the awareness of personal sin has effectively disappeared from their consciences. But it has not disappeared from the sight of God. Rather, all sins—both the so-called respectable sins of the saints, which we too often tolerate, and the flagrant sins of society, which we are quick to condemn—are a disregard for the Law of God and are reprehensible in His sight. Both deserve the curse of God.” [Bridges, Jerry. Sins We Accept. Location 68. NavPress. Kindle Edition.]
dfdf
In a recent blog post, Tim Challies outlined what he believes are some of the acceptable / respectable sins of the reformed church today. In it, he included...
Suspicion. He writes… “This is a polarized age that is made worse by news outlets and social media that thrive on praising insiders while vilifying outsiders. The ideal of objectivity has been replaced by the vice of suspicion. While the Bible does praise wisdom and discernment, it rejects suspicion, especially toward our fellow believers.”
Gossip is another. He writes… “the Christian world, and perhaps especially the Reformed Christian world, is absolutely chockablock with gossip. From the pulpit to the pew, from the conference green room to the conference livestream, gossip is rampant. It is whispered in the name of important information and blogged in the name of discernment—both ways of dressing it up in respectable apparel. But if it isn’t true and it isn’t edifying and it isn’t necessary, it is gossip.”
Another he mentions is impugning… “To impugn is to dispute the truth, validity, or honesty of another person’s motives.... When it comes to a brother or sister in Christ, it is sinful to assume bad motives; it is sinful to fail to assume good motives.”
AS those who have been brought out of darkness and into the light of Christ, we are called, because of our identity as Christians, to abstain from the sinful desires that wage war on us.
We are never to let down our guard as Christians. We are to be in a constant state of readiness. Last week we briefly considered the weapons of war that are used against sin in our lives.
But the fact is, that our lives are to be marked with a doing away of ungodliness.
We are a holy people.
2.2. Keep behaviour excellent (v.12a)
2.2. Keep behaviour excellent (v.12a)
Secondly, Peter says that we are to “Keep our behaviour excellent.” That’s the NASB.
The NIV says “Live such good lives among the pagans.”
Our behaviour among those who live in the world is to be marked by excellency. There must be an observable excellency in our lives as the world around us looks at us They must notice our behaviour is that which stands out.
We are to be as the blinding white snow in the gleaming sun, as the world looks at us. Our behaviour is to be excellent.
In particular, the behaviour of church members towards one another is to be excellent. As people look at the church interacting with one another, and speaking to one another, and serving one another in love, our behaviour is to be evidently excellent.
But beyond that, our behaviour toward others, those who do not know Christ, is to shock them because of its excellency.
21 For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of men.
As Peter writes this letter, he is going to proceed to give examples of how this will look in practical terms. What does it mean to live this kind of life, according this new moral code of conduct, as we live under the power of the Holy Spirit?
Submit to authorities...
13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, 14 or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.
Remember, Peter wrote this very letter to those who were suffering persecution under unjust, and malicious governing authorities, that for the most part despised Christians. They threatened and abused Christians.
But Peter says, under such conditions, submit to their governing laws. Submit to them and show them respect (1 Peter 2:17). This was not a call to submit to laws that were contrary to Christ’s ways. But in every other way, where there is no disobedience to Christ, submit to their laws, even though they may be evil.
Slaves… How should Christian slaves conduct themselves?
18 Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh.
The Christian ethic doesn’t call the Christian to live in a certain way under conditions are beneficial to them, and another way under conditions that are difficult. It calls them to live excellent lives even under harsh treatment. Peter goes on to say...
20 But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.
In fact he goes even further...
21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
What about Christian wives…?
1 Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, 2 when they see the purity and reverence of your lives.
In that context, in the early stages of the church, very often there was a conversion to Christianity by one spouse, but not the other. This was not a matter of marrying where one is already a believer, but the other is an unbeliever. That would be improper.
But in this context of a wife turning to Christ, how does her moral conduct look. What is this excellent life in Christ to be marked by.
It’s to be such a life of excellent and radical behaviour that even if her husband is an unbeliever, he will be won over without words by her excellent behaviour. The life and conduct of a Christian wife must speak volumes about the grace of God in her.
And husbands…?
7 Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.
As Peter wrote to a cultural landscape that did not respect woman, this was radical instruction. Husbands must be gentle with their wives. Their love and care must overflow out of them. They must be considerate towards their wives, not self-centered.
And then listen to this summary statement by Peter...
8 Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. 9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.
This is radical behaviour that Christians are called to in terms of how we are to treat each other. The words of Peter here are similar to the words of Christ in the sermon on the mount.
21 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ 39 But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41 If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
Now some people say that Christ was speaking here about an unobtainable ideal. That these words in the Sermon on the Mount were hyperbole. We need to be careful of that route. Certainly some words were hyperbole… I don’t want any of us chopping off our hands or gouging out our eyes.
But on the other hand, these are the very marks of the Christian life. And at the end of the Sermon on the Mount, Christ said...
24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
As those who are of this holy nation, this royal priesthood, this people belonging to God, as those who stand redeemed and forgiven, those who have their hope secure, we must strive for this kind of holy life and conduct among the pagans.
Our conduct is not be shaped by the world.
2.3. Engaging in good deeds (v.12b)
2.3. Engaging in good deeds (v.12b)
Finally in terms of our lifestyle in Christ, we are to engage in good deeds.
12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
As Christians we are to be actively engaging in doing good for one another, and also for those around us. The community of saints, the church, is to be actively doing good to one another. Helping one another. Praying for one another. Demonstrating love to one another.
When the world looks at us, it must not see just another person who happens to say they’re a Christian. They must see someone that lives differently. That thinks and acts differently.
We are a holy people.
Thirdly and finally, let us consider...
3) Our Goal in Christ
3) Our Goal in Christ
There are two steps in terms of the goal of such conduct.
Firstly in verse 9, we read that God has made us who we are in terms of our identity, "...that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you..."
Our God has called us in order to proclaim His excellencies. While we are grateful for deliverence from the power of Satan, and we are exceedingly grateful that we will be in glory one day with our Lord, the more important point is not our own benefit, but rather the glories of God.
Soli Deo Gloria!!!
Peter demonstrates this further in verse 12. Having spoken about this excellent life that Christians are to be living in light of our identity in Christ, he says that the reason that we should live in this excellent manner is so “...that evildoers may glorify God on the day of visitation..."
Again, the goal of this life of Christians is so that God may be greatly glorified through His people. We are to reflect the very character and nature of God in terms of His great love for unworthy people.
The day of visitation could refer to two things here. It either refers to the day of Christ’s return, when all people will bow the knee before Him. Or it may be a reference to the day that Christ visits that person, and brings them to repentance and faith in Him.
The desire that we should have is that our conduct and our holy living will be used by Christ to bring people to a place of repentance and faith. Our conduct must form part of our evangelism.
That’s not to say there’s no preaching needed. The Gospel must be preached. We must share Christ. But our lives must be lived in such a radically different way that people are convinced of what we preach because our conduct is so different from the world’s.
We must give no opportunity for anyone to say anything against the Gospel of Christ, because our conduct is so pure.
7 In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness 8 and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.
15 For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men.
15 But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.
11 If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.
Application / Conclusion
Application / Conclusion
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, do you realise your true identity? Do you understand that as one who has been saved by the Grace of God, that you are a citizen of Christ’s kingdom, and that Citizenship brings with it not only glorious blessings, and profound hope, and great joy; but it brings with it a call to a lifestyle that is consistent with the nature of that kingdom.
This manner of living is not based upon expediency, that which is comfortable for us; upon certain conditions being met; upon a certainty of ease of life, or comfort. That manner of life is based upon Christ and His life, and His death for us, and His promises to us, and His nature and character.
I want to just remind us that the context of this sermon is particularly in light of the racial tensions in the world around us. As you look at the world around you, are you responding in accordance with your identity in Christ?
Is your conduct driven by Christ’s kingdom virtues and values?
Do you treat other people with excellent behaviour, because this is your calling in Christ? Not only those who treat you well, but those who don’t treat you well? Are we as a church driven to treat one another within the context of this chuch, not according to our own desires and our own wants, but according to Christ’s standards.
Yes, we’re all sinners. No, we won’t get it all right this side of heaven. But may God help us to strive towards this with every fiber of our being.
I close with the words of the Apostle Peter, from his second epistle...
3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.
10 Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, 11 and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Amen.
