Living as the Elect
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Peter encourages the Christians to live upright lives consistent with being the elect of God, while submerged in an unbelieving culture and society.
So…how are we to live with unjust rulers, bosses and government? What is God’s command and desire regarding order in the world, society, church and in the home?
Dear friends, I urge you as strangers and temporary residents to abstain from fleshly desires that war against you. Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles, so that in a case where they speak against you as those who do what is evil, they will, by observing your good works, glorify God on the day of visitation.
Submit to every human authority because of the Lord, whether to the Emperor as the supreme authority or to governors as those sent out by him to punish those who do what is evil and to praise those who do what is good. For it is God’s will that you silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good.
As God’s slaves, live as free people, but don’t use your freedom as a way to conceal evil. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the Emperor.
Household slaves, submit with all fear to your masters, not only to the good and gentle but also to the cruel. For it brings favor if, mindful of God’s will, someone endures grief from suffering unjustly. For what credit is there if you sin and are punished, and you endure it? But when you do what is good and suffer, if you endure it, this brings favor with God.
For what credit is there if you sin and are punished, and you endure it? But when you do what is good and suffer, if you endure it, this brings favor with God. For you were called to this, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in His steps.
He did not commit sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth; when He was reviled, He did not revile in return; when He was suffering, He did not threaten but entrusted Himself to the One who judges justly.
He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that, having died to sins, we might live for righteousness; you have been healed by His wounds. For you were like sheep going astray, but you have now returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.
Submit to every human institution (v.13-14)
The word submit means here ‘to subject oneself to’, ‘to place oneself under’ authority.
God’s expectation is that we will subject ourselves to people and institutions in authority over us. This is God’s expected order in the world, society, church and in the home.
In case we think Peter does not understand our situation, stop and realize Peter was dealing with the Emperor Nero…the one who used Christians as torches for his garden parties.
Christians are outlaws and their religion is reprehensible. Rejected by their own, the government piles on with the public.
The answer is to rise up, protest, march, cause disorder until demands are met. The Zealots were such a group that made it it’s mandate to dispose of the Roman rule anywhich way possible.
The Zealots expected the coming Messiah to overthrow Rome by using force. The Zealots were involved in many violent uprisings, including the First Jewish-Roman War of 66-73 CE known as the Great Jewish Revolt.
This war began with Jewish rebels slaughtering a Roman garrison in Jerusalem and seizing weapons from the fortress of Masada, near the Dead Sea, because of Roman disregard for Jewish religious traditions and Roman presence in the promised land. The captain of the temple guard lite the fuse by stopping the daily sacrifice of a bull and two lambs on behalf of the Emperor and Roman people, at the temple.
The Romans had sought to blend Greek culture with Jewish tradtion creating a multicultural syncretism. Civil war errupted and the result was the sacking of Jerusalem and the Jewish temple by Roman general Pompey, after three years of fighting.
Romans Procurators then began governing Judea as part of the province of Syria. These governors included Herod the Great and Pontius Pilate; one marking the period of the birth of Christ and one marking the period of the death of Jesus.
Procurator Gessius Florus ultimately triggered armed rebellion by the Jews by releasing robbers from prison for a price and a share of the booty from their continued theivery. The Jews sought justice from Florus’ superior, Gallus, but received nothing. Florus then took 17 talents from the Temple treasury of Jerusalem, the people protested and Florus then ordered his troops to sack, plunder and kill the Jews in the city.
What should the Jews do? What would you do? The Sadducees wanted to coexist with the Romans and hope for a gentler governor to replace Florus. The Zealots wanted to fight, and continue fighting for independence. The Sicarii, or knife-wielders, a faction of the Zealots, were considered as urban terrorsts who murdered people they considered to be Roman collaborators.
Long story short, just as Jesus had prophesied, the temple was destroyed by fire, the lower city put to flames and the city razed by the Romans (Mt. 24; Mk. 13:2; Lk. 21:5-6) after seven years of Jewish opposition to Roman rule. The temple has still not been rebuilt to this day.
As some were talking about the temple complex, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, He said, “These things that you see—the days will come when not one stone will be left on another that will not be thrown down!”
Here we have an example of Israel refusing to bow to an established governing authority instituted by God. Why was it put in place? Because the Jewish people refused to follow, glorify and honor God. The believed they were doing right by beating back a foreign power that had no claim to the land that God had promised and given to them, through their Father Abraham. But inheritance, rights can be suspended when the people refuse to follow God.
The end of the Temple signified the suspension of the time of the Jews. The time of the Gentiles, the wild olive branch to be grafted in, was ushured in (Romans 11:17-27). As the Apostle Paul speaks in Romans 11:11-13:
I ask, then, have they stumbled in order to fall? Absolutely not! On the contrary, by their stumbling, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel jealous. Now if their stumbling brings riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full number bring!
Israel’s stumbling has become our benefit (the Gentile people; non-Jews; Christians). Salvation is offered to the world, through Jesus Christ, so that we might be grafted into the Kingdom of God. A state that was not ours in the beginning, but has become ours, through the rebellion of Israel and Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” True enough; they were broken off by unbelief, but you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid. For if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you either. Therefore, consider God’s kindness and severity: severity toward those who have fallen but God’s kindness toward you—if you remain in His kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off.
The Gentile community of believers exists (the Church) because Israel refused to bow, believe and recognize the established will and authority of God. The Church exists because of belief and lives dedicated to living out Christ’s will and commands. The Church exists because Jesus loves the world. The Church exists because of living faith, faith through times of both joy and trial.
So that you will not be conceited, brothers, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery: A partial hardening has come to Israel until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written: The Liberator will come from Zion; He will turn away godlessness from Jacob.
Are we living our lives today in compliance to the established will and order of God? Is the time of the Gentiles coming to an end, or at an end?
Many Jewish people believed that they were living in the ‘Last Days’, the return of the Messiah was immenent, but they had not yet experienced, or recognized, His first coming in Jesus. When Jesus was asked about when the future destruction of the temple would take place, and the end of the age, He spoke about false prophets, wars, rebellions, nations rising up against nations, earthquakes, famines, plagues and terrifying sights and signs from heaven (the sky) (Luke 21:7-11).
He said these are all signs of the end of the age, they will happen, but not before a great persecution of Christ followers (v.12). Christ followers will be handed over to authorities by parents, brothers, relatives and friends because of Jesus’ name (v.12; 16); for being a follower of Jesus Christ. All for the opportunity to witness to the glory and person of Jesus Christ (v.13).
But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you. They will hand you over to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of My name. It will lead to an opportunity for you to witness.
One cannot witness to the person and glory of Jesus Christ holding a blade or gun. Few will listen to the protests and marches of Christians standing up for their rights or burned down churches. But many hearts will be captured by the humility of submission, the bearing of iniquity, shame and speaking words of peace.
He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth. Like a lamb led to the slaughter and like a sheep silent before her shearers, He did not open His mouth.
He was taken away because of oppression and judgment; and who considered His fate? For He was cut off from the land of the living; He was struck because of my people’s rebellion. They made His grave with the wicked and with a rich man at His death, although He had done no violence and had not spoken deceitfully.
Yet the Lord was pleased to crush Him severely. When You make Him a restitution offering, He will see His seed, He will prolong His days, and by His hand, the Lord’s pleasure will be accomplished.
He will see it out of His anguish, and He will be satisfied with His knowledge. My righteous Servant will justify many, and He will carry their iniquities.
Therefore I will give Him the many as a portion, and He will receive the mighty as spoil, because He submitted Himself to death, and was counted among the rebels; yet He bore the sin of many and interceded for the rebels.
Jesus shared His example, lived His example and called all that would believe and follow Him to do the same.
Submit because the Lord calls us to and do good
Why submit to human institututions and rule, even though corrupt, evil and oppressive? Because the Lord commands us to, wants us to for His glory, His witness, His love, His creation and to do good. The Lord expects us to do good and that is to place ourselves, willingly, under the authority of people in positions of rulership.
When You and I willingly submit to authority, especially corrupt, dishonest, unjust treatment, our humility silences, muzzles, the ignorance of the foolish (1 Peter 2:15). Our submissiveness humiliates their wrong, hurtful, senseless condemnation. When Jesus was brought before Pilate for his supposed crimes, what was Pilate’s reaction to Jesus’ humility? Amazement! Jesus did not answer one charge and Pilate was ‘greatly amazed’, Mt. 27:14 records. Why amazed? Because most of us would protest, shout, complain, get angry and defend ourselves. Jesus did none of this. He simply submitted himself to Pilate, the authority, before him. The Bible records that Pilate found that Jesus had done nothing wrong (including Herod) and that the Jews had handed Him over because of envy (Mt. 27:23; 18; Luke 23:13-15).
What does that mean? Jesus was accused and crucified because of His excellence! Jesus excellence and goodness caused such animosity and jealousy that the authorities could not take Him anymore. Jesus was put to death because his submissive humility, humiliated those in power! What do you do with someone who submits themselves without fight to your authority? Doesn’t say a word of malign, anger or character assasination? You embarrase yourself before the world if you were to take any wrong, hurtful action. The world exclaims, “This man was surely righteous!” (Luke 23:47), “This man really was God’s son!” (Mt. 27:54). Hearts are chiselled, softened and melted to the love and truth of Christ, like the thief on the cross, who confessed His fallenness and defended the righteousness of Christ (Lk. 23:39-43).
Jesus was truly the most righteous man that lived on the face of the earth, or ever will. He faced death and was put to death, nobody came to His saving or defense. Should we be surprised that those who follow the Righteous One would encure the same fate? Jesus said, “For one will scarcely die for a righteous person-though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die” (Romans 5:7). Christ followers will encure the same fate as our Master; we should prepare for this, be ready for this or dare be cutoff from our grafting into the Kingdom.
How could Jesus do the will of His Father in the face of such disdain, hate and derision?
He embraced and understood the extent of sin’s blade in our hearts. He understood that we have no idea what we really are doing because the sin of our desires, wants and the enemies temptations can be too much for us. We could not, and cannot handle the choice between doing good and doing evil (Gen. 3:4-5). Man has become a POW (Prisoner of War), a pawn and prize, in the Devil’s game, to pervert and drag the glory of God through the mud and take as many ‘loved ones’ to eternal death as possible.
[Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing.” ] And they divided His clothes and cast lots.
“No! You will not die,” the serpent said to the woman. “In fact, God knows that when you eat it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
The only way to overcome the world, and the Devil, is to give up our lives in humility, as Christ instructed us and showed us. Our lives will be easier to give when we realize that to lose our lives for Christ is to find real life. Christians are called to bear the sin and shame of the world, just as our leader and King did. Humility is the hardest cross of the Christian to bear because it means we receive the justifications of the world without retort. We receive the world’s sin just as Jesus received ours and are to bare it. To bare the worlds abuse is to love as Jesus loved. It is to bare a cross.
And whoever doesn’t take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. Anyone finding his life will lose it, and anyone losing his life because of Me will find it.
Live as Free People
To live as free people is to not hold onto or place the highest value on this life, or the things in this life. According to Peter the highest value is to be holy because Jesus is holy (1 Peter 1:16). To be holy is to be devoted to Christ Jesus. As Jesus was devoted to the Father, His ways and His work, we are called to do the same. To be devoted to Christ is to be submissive as He was submissive, to love as He loved and to do good as He did good.
To be devoted is to be God’s slave, who sees what His Master is doing and does the same. Realizing that being God’s slave is to be an heir of the Kingdom of God, being grafted into an eternal family, by a Father who cares more for you and I than we could possibly experience and know. A slave was devoted to his master because the master took care of the slave. The master provided food, home, work, dignity, protection and even love. Not like the slave trade history of the United States and Britian.
Now I say that as long as the heir is a child, he differs in no way from a slave, though he is the owner of everything. Instead, he is under guardians and stewards until the time set by his father.
In the same way we also, when we were children, were in slavery under the elemental forces of the world. When the time came to completion, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.
And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba, Father!” So you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.
The Character of Christ
One devoted to the Father does not use his status as cover for doing evil. Though we are not of the world, but in the world, we are not to do as the world would do. We are not to return evil with evil, but instead with good, with God. This is not the world we are striving for, but the world after this, the Kingdom of Christ Jesus. Jesus instructs us to live and do as He did, not as we think fit or desire. We are not to live by “an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.” We are expected to forgive as much as needed (seventy times seven -Mt. 18:21-22).
God cares about the character of our lives we live, therefore He cares about our hearts, minds, thoughts and actions. The character of Christ is to love at all times, all people and in all circumstances. It does not matter where we are, but whose we are. To love like Christ is to bear offense and not retaliate.
Being of Christ, we are to honor all men, regardless or color, class, creed or clod because they are made in the image of God. Just as God showers His grace and mercy on both the good and bad, we are expected to do and live likewise. This is a tall order because we are not yet glorified, purified and rectified; the old man or woman is still not fully in the grave.
We are expected to love one another well, ‘agapeo’ well, which means to regard one another with the highest favor and make much of one another. We seek the welfare of all because God seeks the welfare of us. Only a person who has no fear of God, would not live as such. Do I revere God? Jesus effectively says, if we revere man more than we revere God, we are fools, for we should revere the One who can destroy both body and soul (Mt. 10:28).
Finally we are called to honor the King (1 Peter 2:17). There are no exceptions. Our feelings do not take presedence when following our Lord Jesus in what He calls us to do. We do not understand why God allows the rulers to rule whom rule, but He does, and He does have a plan. He has not abandoned the throne.
From Scripture, it is obvious that people in need of redemption and resurrection, have been disciplined by the LORD, in order to bring about repentance. God did so with Israel throughout the recorded history of the Bible. He does so still, actively today, with Israel, and with Gentiles, you and me. He uses men and situations, as a potter molds the clay. We should not question whether God is good or bad in doing so, because He always does what is good and right, there is no evil in Him (James 1:13; Rev. 21:1-27; Deut. 32:4; 1 Jn 1:5). We should question what is His reason in doing, or allowing such men or authority to do so.
Scripture does say that a king is a tool in the hand of God, good or bad, for God’s soverign will and purposes…the redemption of men and the glorification of God.
A king’s heart is like streams of water in the Lord’s hand: He directs it wherever He chooses.
We are not to speak evil of a ruler of one’s people (Acts 23:5; Ex 22:28) and we are not to resist an evil doer (Mt. 5:39). Daniel and his co-patriots honored King Neby, but refused to worship any other except God. Daniel refused to pray to King Darius, and pray only to God, even with the threat of death. David honored King Saul, even though God had annointed David to be king and Saul hunted him for seven years.
What is God’s motivation in allowing such kings and rulers to rule for the time they do? Jesus tells us that He desires that none should perish, including the wicked and evil. He desires everyone to have a chance to change, repent and come to Christ. And for someone to come to Christ, good people, Christ followers tend to suffer. The Apostle Paul is our perfect example. It may not seem right, but it is God’s will, God’s desire.
For you were called to this, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in His steps. He did not commit sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth;
He did not commit sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth; when He was reviled, He did not revile in return; when He was suffering, He did not threaten but entrusted Himself to the One who judges justly.
Will we entrust ourselves to God’s hand today for tomorrow? Trust in God’s goodness, soveriegnty and our humility is to be our path through darkness, not revolution. We will suffer and have been called to suffer and bear the cross of Christ. This is what it means to live as the elect of Christ, those chosen to share and bare the love of Christ. If we desire for our community, our land to change, it will change as we change our attitudes to be like Christ’s. We need to humble ourselves before Christ, as He did before the world, and bear our cross, the world’s cross, for the change we desire…men and women redeemed by the love of Christ.
2 Chronicles 7:13–14 (HCSB)
If ...My people who are called by My name humble themselves, pray and seek My face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.