The Christian and Submission

I’m confident that in the years that follow, there will be plenty of articles and books written about this chapter in world history and in church history. And they will address the question, “what lessons did we learn from all of this?” And I’m confident that much of that will be helpful. Looking backward is always done with a 20/20 vision.

But we’re not there yet! We’re still living in the moment of this momentous time. This is the season of COVID-19 and a very highly volatile election fueled by hatred and division. The question right now is “how should we as Christians be living out our faith during this historic moment in history?”

When you look back on this time, what do you want to be able to point to and celebrate as a follower of Christ?

o Steadfast resolve? (God is in control)

o Christ-like behavior?

o ??

To give us a clear, biblical perspective, I’d like to ask you to turn to the book of 1 Peter. I love the book of 1st Peter because it just so practical. Peter was writing to Christians who really weren’t all that different than us! They were Christians who were enduring an extremely difficult season.

And NO, their difficulty wasn’t a virus outbreak, but it was something that caused them to suffer. And what Peter shares with them about their difficulties and how they should be responding to them as followers of Jesus Christ speaks volumes to us today!

I do believe that the book of 1st Peter could easily be seen as the Christian’s manual for enduring sufferings, pandemics, elections and persecutions… with your faith intact.

I’ll again strongly encourage you to read all of 1st Peter! When you do, you’ll discover that a theme emerges in Peter’s letter. And that theme is this:

Christians should live exceptional lives in the midst of suffering because such behavior brings glory to God.

That’s how I feel about these strange days we’re living in. The word of God cries out to us today that we too should live exceptional lives as followers of Jesus, even in the midst of the things we are not happy with, don’t agree with and have strong opinions on… because such exceptional behavior brings glory to God.

Listen to what Peter writes in 2:11…

1 Peter 2:11–12 (NIV)

1 Peter 2:11–12 ESV

Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 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.

Peter flat out lays down a challenge to the church! Live good lives! (And not just because it’s the right thing to do)! Live good lives because God is going to use your good life to do something much bigger than you could imagine!

If we could just climb into their shoes for a moment (those Christians who received Peter’s letter)! Hardships all around them because of their faith in Jesus. Mistreated, mocked, discriminated against were just a few of the hardships these Christians were living with because of their faith in Jesus. Don’t think for a second that there weren’t some Christians who wanted to retaliate; to lash out; to make other people look stupid for a change.

Peter is like: “You guys just live an exemplary life—WHY? Because even the pagans (which means those who don’t believe like you or believe something completely contrary) – Even the pagans who mistreat you will see this exemplary life (your good deeds) and glorify God.

He’s calling them to live their lives with the “End in Mind.” (The bigger picture)! The way we are living has a purpose. God is using my life for bigger purposes which are dependent on me living a good life (and exemplary life). This isn’t just about me, it’s about what God is doing in me, and what he wants to do with others through me!

Friends, a big concern of mine when all this COVID-19/election stuff started raining down on us was how Christians would choose to respond to this incredible hardship. Would the church (would Christians) respond in a way that would reflect glory and honor back to God, or would we respond in a way that makes the church look ugly and hypocritical?

Would an unbelieving world be impressed with how Christians have conducted themselves through this trying season and perhaps consider our claims about Jesus as being something they to should investigate?

Or, would the unbelieving world have a bitter taste in their mouths with how Christians have conducted themselves through this trying season and perhaps even be pushed away from the opportunity to know the Lord simply because they were so unimpressed with our behavior.

If I could paraphrase Peter’s words it would be this: Hey church, the world is watching, even people who completely disagree with your faith in God, but because they are watching, they may also be open to the Lord simply based off of what they observe from you! The way you behave; the words you chose and how you chose to say them; the choices you make – all of it combined can have a greater impact on what God is doing than you’ll ever know.

I think one area that every one of us needs to ask ourselves if we’re behaving in a Christ-like way is on social media. You can speak to people with the voice of an angel in person, and five minutes later, behave more like a venomous snake from behind your computer or smartphone.

I’m not a historian by any means, but I do enjoy learning about our American history. Recently I came across the story of a Native American named Red Jacket. Red Jacket was born in 1750 and the reason he is remembered is because after the Revolutionary War, he played a prominent role in negotiations with the new United States federal government and was involved in different treaties and other things involving Native Americans. In fact, 1792, George Washington presented Red Jacket with a special "peace medal", a large oval of silverplate engraved with an image of Washington shaking hands with Red Jacket. (That peace medal is actually on display at the Buffalo History Museum)

In the summer of 1805, a number of Indian chiefs and warriors met in council at Buffalo Creek, New York to hear a presentation of the Christian message by a man named Jacob Cram from the Boston Missionary Society. As I understand it, Mr. Cram was seeking permission to do missionary work among the Native Americans that Red Jacket represented.

After the sermon, Red Jacket was chosen to give the response to the request. His response to Mr. Cram is one of the things Red Jacket is most remembered for. The thing that stands out the most from Red Jacket’s response was when he said this:

“Brother, we are told that you have been preaching to the white people in this place. These people are our neighbors. We are acquainted with them. We will wait a little while and see what effect your preaching has upon them. If we find it does them good, makes them honest and less disposed to cheat Indians, we will then consider again what you have said.”

What was true in Peter’s day… and what was true in Red Jacket’s day… is also true in our day! As Christians, we are called to live such good lives (even among those who stand completely opposed to our faith and might even wish us harm) – Live such good lives that they may see your good deeds and glorify God.

That’s the challenge Peter lays at our feet. And we’re like, “Okay, I’m a good person… I can do that! I can be nice to people. But then, in the very next verse, Peter attaches a word to that challenge that happens to be one of the hardest words for Christians to obey! Look at the very first word of verse 13…

1 Peter 2:13 (NIV)

13 Submit…

We’re not going to read it all today, but Peter will spend the rest of chapter two and part of chapter three challenging these Christians with this truth:

“Submission” is the key ingredient that enables a Christian to live a good life among the ungodly!

The good Christian life and showing yourself to be a submissive person go hand-in-hand in God’s grander vision! And if you’ve never read this before, you might be a little surprised at the first example Peter chooses to apply the use of the word submission.

How do you live an exceptional life that brings glory to God even in the midst of suffering? Look at what Peter says…

1 Peter 2:13–17 (NIV)

1 Peter 2:13–17 ESV

Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

Okay, I’m going to let that just sink in for a minute, because I think some of you are reading this for the very first time! (Submit yourselves to human authorities… Honor the emperor…)

• This is just a guess, but I would imagine that when Peter sent this letter—the Church received it and some of them were probably like: Peter must be out of his mind!”

• “Peter can’t be serious! “You want me to submit to the very ones who are oppressing us?” Wait a minute Peter…! Are you referring back to all that stuff you told us about Jesus when he said…? – Turn the other cheek… Walk the extra mile… Do not repay evil with evil…

• You want us to submit to the emperor and all of his officials and their rules and so forth… Did we read that correctly?

The reason I speculate that they would have responded that way is because that’s how many of us respond to the same teaching. Submit to every human authority… Does that mean everything from the White House to the Governor’s mansion to the mayor’s offices? Is that what Peter is saying?

And it’s not just Peter who said this… The apostle Paul in the book of Romans gives almost the very same instruction…

Romans 13:1–7 (NIV)

Romans 13:1–7 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. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

Now, before we get too ahead of ourselves, I believe that we must ask the question…

Q -- What does Peter and what does Paul mean when they say “Submit?”

What thoughts or ideas come to your mind when you hear the word submission? Some associate submission with weakness, or being on the losing side of something.

A lot of the men watching right now might be thinking, “Oh, I know what submission is! In MMA, it’s when force your opponent to ‘tap out’ because you’ve got him in a great submission hold and if he doesn’t quit, then he’ll get choked out!” That’s submission! 😊 That’s true in the world of Mixed Martial Arts, but that’s not submission in the biblical sense! This image isn’t the kind of submission that Peter and Paul is referring to.

Going back to the original Greek text (the language that the New Testament was written in), the word “submit” means – to order oneself under! In the context of our passage, it literally means – to live according to the governmental order.

Peter named the offices we are to respect and submit to. “the emperor” would be the same as a “king.” In democratic nations, we have a president. (That perhaps is a good parallel for us today). The “governors” are those under the supreme authority who administer the laws and execute justice. (We could view them as our congress, state Governors, mayors, law enforcement officers, judges, police, etc. I think that could also extend to our employers, teachers, and anyone else who holds a position of authority).

I remember when I was growing up, hearing my father say this often, “As a Christian, we must respect the office of the president even if we struggle to respect the individual currently in that office.” – And I’ve tried to remember that my entire life. Some years are easier than others!

Let me share my personal feeling about something related to our text. I don’t expect all of you will line up with me exactly on what I’m about to share with you and that’s okay, it’s just my opinion, and you can have yours and we must chose to personally respect each others points of view on matters of opinion.

As an ordained minister of the gospel and as the preacher here at New Life, I’ve never felt like it was my responsibility, nor my burden, to tell you who to vote for, or which political party to align yourself with. My job is to teach God’s Word, pastor this flock, help you grow in your walk with Christ, and lead this church, arm-in-arm with the elders down the path God wants us to follow. I have always believed that if you’re a Christian who is filled with the Holy Spirit, armed with God’s Word, and spends time on your knees with the Lord, then God will guide your thinking in all walks of life, including politics.

You all know that I am not shy in speaking out boldly on morality issues, which often cross paths with politics (like pro-life, the sanctity of biblical marriage between a man and a woman, protecting the family, or anything else that is blatantly clear in the bible). But I’ve never seen much of an upside of the church trying to be a political voice too. Frankly, if I wanted to be a politician, I’d run for office. My job, and my calling, and my passion is to help you see and interpret the world through a Christ-centered, biblical lens. To help you grow in your faith and to evangelize the lost.

So when we come to Peter and Paul’s teaching in Scripture about being submissive to governing authorities, how should we react to that—especially when we might feel that the governing authorities are the exact opposite of my faith convictions?

Couple of things to remember!

1. God’s church has been able to live and grow in all kinds of political systems.

The church is 2,000 years old! In that time, the church has not only survived, but thrived in every kind of political system known to man (Through emperors, tyrants and dictators, through kings and queens, through communism, socialism, and democracy).

The church is growing the fastest today in countries with the most oppressive governments! Countries, where Christians are persecuted for even discussing their faith, is where the church is seeing an explosion of growth. Friends, if you think the church's success or failure is riding on the Nov. 3rd election… I’ve got news for you. God is bigger than our political system, and no single political leader or political party is the deciding factor on what God is doing! Do I think that the Nov. 3rd election is crucial? YES! Perhaps the most crucial one of my life so far! But the church's success or failure won’t be decided on Nov. 3rd! My faith is in the God who is over every authority on this earth!

2. The context of this teaching!

Peter is instructing a church that is enduring significant trials. Peter tells them to live good lives among the pagans that even though they ridicule you and to harm you, they will be impressed by your good behavior! So, Peter instructs them to express their good behavior by being submissive to their governing authorities. Be good, law-abiding citizens. WHY? (which brings me to the 3rd thing to consider)

3. It’s not about you!

Showing respect, obeying the law is not ultimately about you! It’s about God and His bigger picture!

1 Peter 2:13 (NIV)

13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority:

For the Lord’s sake!! You’re behaving in a certain way (even if you massively disagree) for God… For His sake! For what He is all about and for what he is doing. And of the biggest test of your faith is when you do something strictly on the basis of obedience. I don’t want to do it, but I know it’s what the Lord wants me to do.

1 Peter 2:15 (NIV)

15 For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.

I try to live every day of my life conscientious to the fact that the Lord is doing things all the time that I cannot see, and probably never know about. That it is God’s will for you and me to live our lives a certain way, and He’ll use that to do something else. In this case with submitting to governing authorities, God will use our good, law-abiding behavior to actually shut up the ignorant talk of foolish people. Trust me, the Lord doesn’t need our help by adding to the ignorant talk of foolish people.

Just remember, that the only reason this even works is because:

4. A true Christian submits himself to authority because he/she is first of all submitted to Christ.

1 Peter 2:16 (NIV)

16 Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves.

Peter says, “Live as God’s slaves!” – The whole essence of that statement is that God is the master, and we are subject to Him! Above all else, we are loyal to Him. We are to live our lives under His authority!

Some of you might say, but Pastor look around… Look at the condition of our society! We are farther away from God than we’ve ever been! Look at the laws our government has passed, and look at the direction our country is going! We’re on a path to godless government, and schools, and workplaces. The church needs to speak up and fight back! (And I would say that there is a lot of truth in that sentiment)

But here’s the question… is our problem a godless government, or is our bigger problem a nation with compromised churches filled with half-hearted disciples? I don’t preach politics, but I’ll blast a watered-down, drifting church that seems to have forgotten that God is their master! Christ is their king! The bible is His word! And we are subject to His will first and foremost above all else.

I am far more concerned about a church that’s okay with flying the PRIDE flag than I am over the individual who sits in the oval office! I am far more disturbed by a Christian in name only than I am over whether or not your voter registration says republican or democrat. I am more troubled by the preacher who waters-down God’s word than I am the politician trying to redefine the Constitution. I am more bothered by a Christian who has no sexual boundaries than I am by a city council trying to legalize all hedonistic behaviors. I am far more alarmed when Christians seemed more concerned about a mask than then they are their neighbor who is lost and on a path to hell.

I don’t think our biggest problem is governmental overreach… I think our biggest problem is Christians who have somehow forgotten that God is their master!

Is it time for the church to stand up! YOU BET IT IS! If standing up means by first surrendering to Christ.

The entire essence of what Peter is teaching and what Paul is teaching is that our greatest obligation is to live faithful Christian lives in and among people and governments that aren’t! – The way you live brings glory to God! The way you live out your faith glorifies God and shows that you trust Him. Living a good and godly life silences the talk of foolish people and opens the door for His will to play out among their lives and among our governing authorities! Our submissiveness is evidence of our confidence in God’s grander vision.

But is there ever a time when Christians should go against the government, or break the laws?

Yes! – (Here’s my line in the sand) -- If we’re ever put in a position where we have to choose to obey God or obey man’s law. If the choice comes down to that, then you must obey God.

Consider what happened in Acts 3 and 4…

In Acts chapter 3 and 4, the church is extremely young. Peter and John were heading up to the temple to pray. And while they were on the way they healed a crippled man. This amazed everyone and gave Peter and John a platform to preach about Jesus Christ.

They were quickly arrested by the elders, rulers, and Sadducees. They were questioned heavily, and then they were ordered to not speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus!

Acts 4:19–20 (NIV)

Acts 4:19–20 ESV

But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.”

Here we have an example of our Author, -- Peter – who chose to not be submissive to these rulers. Why? – Because when faced with the situation of obeying God or obeying man. He chose to obey God!

1 Peter 2:17 (NIV)

17 …fear God, honor the emperor.

Which comes first? Fear God!

But even when have to practice civil disobedience because we fear God first, we should do it in a respectful, orderly way. God wants our actions conducive to others seeing the glory of God. I find it impossible (even ridiculous) to think that non-Christians will see the glory of God when our behavior is atrocious.

If there was ever a law passed that said, -- Preaching the Bible is against the law! I would not stop preaching! If there was a law passed that said, all ministers must perform wedding ceremonies for same-sex couples and if you refuse you’ll throw you in jail. I’d go to jail. I would not violate the word of God.

I would hope that I would not be arrogant, divisive, or a terrible acting person in the process of obeying God over man for the reasons Peter lists off in our text.

Earlier in this sermon, I asked you what thoughts or ideas come to your mind when you hear the word submission? When Peter told these Christians about submission there was only one image that he wanted them to see, and it is this!!!

1 Peter 2:21–25 (NIV)

1 Peter 2:21–25 ESV

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. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 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. 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. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Peter says, “Here’s what you’re going to do; you’re going to learn to be submissive! And I want you to make the connection that your submission is like Jesus’ submission when they hung on the cross!” Jesus suffered a great deal! They insulted him, but he didn’t retaliate! They punched him, but he didn’t punch them back. They made fun of him, but he stayed quiet! They crucified him, but he didn’t try to break free! Jesus was the ultimate example of submissive.

But Jesus wasn’t submissive just to be submissive! No! Not at all! There was great intention with His submission! His submission was a prerequisite to His resurrection! Jesus was submissive because something much greater was happening and He was the only one who knew it!

You need to understand and master the heart of living a submissive life! If you can, all kinds of opportunities open up! We are submissive because something much greater is happening!

I wish that I could see all that God was doing with this virus outbreak, but I can’t. But the Word of God tells us clearly that

Christians should live exceptional lives in the midst of suffering because such behavior brings glory to God.