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Food for Thought: The Obligations of Christians (Part I)

For it is God's will that by doing right you should put to silence the ignorance of the foolish...I Peter 2:15

Dr. Mark Ruppert

I Peter 2:11-17  

Before I begin this sermon I read something on Monday that only emphasized a point I made in last Sunday’s sermon, namely that Jesus Christ will be a stumbling block for many people. And remember how I said after 9/11 it almost became fashionable to talk about God but talk about Jesus and people had a problem? Well, if you look at I Peter 7-8 it says, “To you then who believe, he is precious; but for those who do not believe, ‘the stone that the builders rejected has become the very head of the corner,’ and ‘A stone that makes them stumble, and a rock that makes them fall.’” And I shared with you my story of not being invited back to say the blessing at a soccer banquet because I ended my prayer by saying, “And I pray these things in Jesus name. Amen.” Let me read this to you. “Last month (September) Dartmouth ’s student body president, Noah Riner, delivered a convocation speech to this year’s freshman class.

When he was through, he had ignited a much-needed debate on what it means to be truly educated. Riner spoke about the importance of character. He told incoming freshmen something that they had probably already heard from others: They were “the smartest and most diverse group of freshmen [ever] to set foot on the Dartmouth campus.” Then Riner told them something they probably hadn’t heard: Without character, none of these qualities maters. He quoted Martin Luther King, Jr., who once said, “Intelligence plus character—that is the goal of true education.” He cited examples of Dartmouth grads who had done terrible things, not because they were stupid or incompetent, but because they lacked character. Then, as an example, Riner, the son of a Baptist minister, cited—who else? – Jesus. As he told his audience, “the problem is me; the solution is God’s love: Jesus diedon the cross for us.” As you can well imagine, Riner’s use of Jesus didn’t go over too well.

One student said he was appalled and disappointed” at Riner’s actions. Others added that Jesus himself would have disapproved of Riner invoking Him in a convocation. Jesus was the offense, but as one student noted, had Riner instead “espoused the virtues of Muhammad, Buddha, or any other religious figure, he would be applauded.”

Over the past several weeks we have been looking to the first two chapters of I Peter and focusing in on the overall theme of holiness. As I said at the outset of this series, holiness is one of those theological concepts that many believers just might shy away from. Why? Well we don’t want to be thought of as “holy rollers” or appearing to be “holier than thou” and so we just might brush over the topic. And yet the Bible tells us that we were chosen to be holy and blameless. The good news is that when a person accepts Christ as Lord and Savior, we are no longer held captive by sin. And more good news is that we do not have to buy into how the world defines holiness, in other words holiness = hypocrisy. The truth is we are all fallen people, but for the believer in Christ, we have been redeemed by the blood of Christ.

Here in our passage Peter reminds the original readers that they are aliens and exiles. These Christians are scattered throughout Asia Minor for he writes in I Peter 1:1, “to the exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus , Galatia , Cappadocia , Asia , and Bithynia .” And then Peter offers instructions and sort of a pep talk with words of encouragement as to how the believer should then live. He outlines for us three specific areas.

First, in verses 11-15 he tells us to live good lives. Found in these 5 verses are three specific things we need to do if we are going to live good lives before one another, before God, before the world. First, Peter tells us in verse 11 to abstain from the desires of the flesh. What did Peter mean by this?

Well, more times than not it means for many of us those sins, which are sexual in nature. But in the New Testament the desires of the flesh are much broader than that. In Galatians 5:19-21 Paul’s list of the sins of the flesh include, “fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealously, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these.” These sins are much more than bodily sins.

When you look in the New Testament the Greek word “sarx” which translates “flesh” stands for far more than the physical nature of humankind. It stands for human nature that is separated from God;… it is life that is lived without the standards, the aid, the grace and the influence of Christ. (The Letters of James and Peter, Barclay, p. 200)

Next Peter says in verse 12 to conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles. Why does Peter stress living honorably among the Gentiles? Well, the early church was under tremendous fire: Slanderous charges were constantly being made against them and the only way to counter the attacks was to live lives so that the accusations would be seen as absurd. Let’s be frank, whether we like to admit it or not our very lives are an advertisement for Christianity.

There is a story told of the time that Mahatma Gandhi, who became the great leader of the people of India , thought that the Christian religion was the one true, supernatural religion in the world. After graduating from a university in London , and still seeking evidence that would make him a committed Christian, young Gandhi accepted employment in East Africa and for 7 months lived in the home of a family who were members of a Christian church. As soon as he discovered that fact he decided that here would be the place to find the evidence he sought.

But as the months passed and he saw the casualness of their attitude toward the cause of God, heard them complain when they were called upon to make sacrifice for the kingdom of God and sensed their general religious apathy, Gandhi’s interest turned to disappointment. He said in his heart, “No, it is not the one true, supernatural religion I had hoped to find. A good religion, but just one more of the many religions in the world.” No wonder Peter tells us to conduct ourselves honorably among the unbelievers.

And finally under this theme of “Living good lives” he tells the believer in verse 15 to silence the ignorance of the foolish. Peter tells how to do this when he says in verse 13 “to accept the authority of every human institution, whether of the emperor as supreme, or of governors, as sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right.” We have to remember that Peter is writing this letter in the backdrop of Nero, the emperor of Rome .

He is urging the believer to do all that they can to obey the civil authorities. And yet this would not mean violating the “higher laws” of God and renouncing the lordship of Jesus Christ. For remember it was Peter who said in Acts 5:29 as he stood trial before the Jewish leaders, the Sanhedrin, “We must obey God rather than any human authority.” In other words sometimes civil disobedience is required when the Lordship of Christ is at stake for He is our Lord and King and we are citizens of his kingdom.

The second area that Peter highlights is found in verse 16 where he tells us to live as free persons. Friends, Jesus Christ came to set us free: free from sin, free from the things of this world that would trap us and hold us hostage, free from fear, free from whatever would cause us to not be all that God intended. For when we know Jesus we know Truth personally and the Truth will set us free (John 8:32 ). But there is something else Peter mentions in verse 16 and that is not to use our freedom as a “pretext for evil.” In other words we cannot use this newfound freedom in Christ as an excuse to sin. William Barclay put it best when he wrote, “Christian freedom is always conditioned by Christian responsibility. Christian responsibility is always conditioned by Christian love. Christian love is the reflection of God’s love. And therefore, Christian liberty can rightly be summed up in Augustine’s memorable phrase: ‘Love God, and do what you like.’” (The Letters of James and Peter, Barclay, p. 207)

And the third area that Peter highlights is found in verses 16-17 where he tells the believer to live as servants of God. Peter has been teaching on being servants of God and he lists some examples on how do just this. And remember, Peter is writing to a people who are being persecuted and suffering at the hands of Rome as well as at the hands of the Jewish religious leaders. Look at what he says to do in verse 17. First, honor all people. Remember when Peter wrote this he was writing radical stuff. At that time there were some 60 million slaves in the Roman Empire , and each and every one of them was by law, a non-person, a “thing” with no rights or privileges. So what Peter is saying is very counterculture, he is saying remember the rights of all people and treat everyone with dignity.

Second, Peter tells us to love the family of believers. We are called to love one another for Jesus said in John 13:35, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Third, Peter tells us to fear God. To fear God means to revere or reverence Him, in other words, to be in awe of God. It means “to be put in fear or fright,” “to be afraid.” Paul Cedar, who used to be Senior Pastor of Lake Ave. Congregational Church in Pasadena , California once said, “To appropriately fear God is one of the greatest needs of the contemporary Church.

We have made Him all too familiar. We have tended to create Him in our own image as “the man upstairs,” “the [big] guy,” or “the good Lord.” We need to see the Lord high and lifted up in all of His glory and might, and then to bow in awe in His presence, to revere and worship Him.”

And fourth and finally Peter tells us to honor the emperor. Isn’t it the natural thing to do to honor the good ruler whom people love and respect? But Peter is asking his readers to honor none other than Nero himself. You see, that is another trait of the Christian lifestyle- to love and honor even those ruthless tyrants of the world, those who might even abuse or persecute us. Not easy to do, but nonetheless Jesus said in Matthew 5:44 , Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” So is the lifestyle of the Christian. The standard is set, I don’t know about you but I need to get to work. Join me? Amen.

Key Points

Introduction: Follow up from last Sunday’s sermon- Christ, “a stone that makes them stumble, and a rock that makes them fall.” Vs. 8

Peter outlines words of encouragement as to how the believer should live- 3 specific areas:

First, in vs. 11-15 he tells us to live ______ lives

Vs. 5 tells us three specific things we need to do

First, abstain from the desires of the _____ vs. 11

Galatians 5:19-21

Second, conduct yourselves ________ among the Gentiles vs. 12

Third, silence the ___________ of the foolish vs.15

Second, in vs. 16 he tells us to live as ______ persons  

Third, in vs. 16-17 he tells us to live as ________ of God

He tells us what to do in vs. 17:

First, honor _____ people

Second, love the family of _______

Third, ______ God

Fourth, _______ the emperor

Conclusion: So is the lifestyle of the Christian.

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)