A Living Hope In The Midst Of A Lost World

Five Exhortations To Living Out Your Living Hope!

1 Peter 2:12 “Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.”

We are CALLED to a LIVING HOPE and we remain on this earth to live out this living hope in the midst of a lost world!

Today, we will examine five specific words that will instruct us on how to live out our living hope in the midst of a lost world!

WARNING: These five words will challenge you to examine attitudes and behaviors that follow those attitudes!

I. KEEP!

1 Peter 2:11 “Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul.”

1 Peter 2:12 “Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.”

According to 2:11, where does the “WAR” that we face take place? . . . fleshly lusts which wage war against the SOUL

According to 2:12, what are we to KEEP excellent? . . . keep your BEHAVIOR excellent among the Gentiles

According to 2:12, who are watching the behavior of Believers and what effect can it have on them? . . . keep your behavior excellent among the GENTILES (unbelievers), so that the thing in which they slander you as evildoers . . . as they observe them, glorify God in the day of their visitation!

What is the “day of their visitation?”

II. SUBMIT!

1 Peter 2:13 “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority,”

1 Peter 2:14 “or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right.”

What does the word “Submit” mean? It consists of two words, HUPO which “means to place yourself under” and the word “eiko” which means to yield.

In its noun form (hupo-tasso), it was a translation of a Greek military term meaning “to arrange in military fashion under the command of a leader.”

So, when Peter instructs us to yield ourselves under , what authorities are we commanded to yield ourselves under? . . . Submit yourselves . . . to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as SENT by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right.

Why should Believers, free men and women of God, submit ourselves to the authority of governmental officials? . . . For such is the Will of God, that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men!

Why should Believers be concerned about “governmental mandates” in our present day circumstances?

What does the apostle say that governmental rulers are in the sight of God?

Romans 13:1-6 “Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience’ sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing.”

III. LIVE!

1 Peter 2:16 “Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God.”

Freedom is not the ABILITY to DO whatever you WANT to do— True Freedom is the WISDOM to DO whatever you SHOULD do!

We have the right to our own CHOICES but we do not have the right to our own CONSEQUENCES!

Galatians 6:7 “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.”

Galatians 5:1 “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.”

Galatians 5:7 “You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth?”

IV. FOLLOW!

1 Peter 2:21 “For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps,”

How did Christ utilize His freedom? 1 Peter 2:22 “who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth;”

How did Christ respond when He was being unjustly abused, despised and rejected? 1 Peter 2:23 “and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;”

V. BELIEVE!

1 Peter 2:24 “and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.”

What must we believe? Christ Himself BORE our sins IN His Body ON the Cross

What should be the result of Believing that Christ bore our sins in His Body on the Cross? so that we might DIE to SIN and LIVE to Righteousness, for by His Wounds you were healed!

What does it mean to you-- to Die to Sin and Live to Righteousness?

Romans 6:1-2 “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?”

Romans 6:3-4 “Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.”

What can and should we do when we have gone astray from the life of Righteousness?

1 Peter 2:25 “For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.”