Caleb Walker

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Review: Last week we looked at our identity as believers and how being a part of God’s household is a huge blessing with huge responsibility. We have to rid ourselves of hindrances and replace them with disciplines. We’re living stones built on Jesus the cornerstone. We’re a chosen people for His purposes. We have so much to rejoice in as recipients of mercy.

Title: Our Witness

Text: I Peter 2:11-17, 21-25

Memory Verse: I Peter 2:16, “Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.”

Theme: Believers actions and attitudes are to bring glory to God.

Session 4, pages 45-54, Leader Guide

Introduction: In this week’s lesson we see that we should live holy lives because it’s God’s will, and it is a witness to unbelievers that may lead to their salvation.

Opening Discussion Question (s):

If a church van driver were seen expressing road rage we would immediately say that’s not a good witness, right. How might the actions and attitudes of some believers dishonor God and detract from His glory?

Context: As God’s holy nation we must live differently, and this will increase brotherly love within our faith community, and they’re to be lived out regardless of governmental or social behaviors and policies. These principles impact salves and master relationships in verses 18-25, and husband and wife relationships in chapter 3:1-7. Righteous alignment with Jesus is a witness to the world. The opposite behaviors—living for one’s own pleasures and agenda—will deter the world from receiving Jesus. Believers who accurately reflect Jesus to others are a powerful witness.

Main Points:

1. Our Good Works (I Peter 2:11-12)

“¹¹ Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. ¹² 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 addresses them as “Beloved”—in the CSB, “Dear friends”—even though he most likely had not met many of them, yet they shared in suffering for Jesus sake.
• Peter uses the term “sojourners,” which is an OT reference to Abraham who was called to follow God as an alien bound for his better, heavenly home, not even having a definite place to bury Sarah. Expounding the reality of our present journey’s finitude, Psalm 90:10, “The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span^[a] is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away.”
• We’re to battle and wage war against our sinful fleshly desires.
• Believers are to live honorably in their conduct, noble character, and a clean conscience.
• Since our lives are being observed by outsiders, let’s give them something worth watching, let’s reflect Jesus to them.
• The imminent return of Jesus compels us to urgency in our outward witness.

Discussion: How should an understanding of a believer’s true home influence his or her actions?

II. Our Freedom (I Peter 2:13-17)

“¹³ Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, ¹⁴ or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. ¹⁵ For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. ¹⁶ Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. ¹⁷ Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.”

• The word for be subject means to place oneself under another, voluntary obedience (c.f., Luke 2:51; Romans 8:7; Eph. 5:24; James 4:7), going deeper than just respect or deference.
• All leaders are created by God and accountable to Him, their Creator.
• The revilers when they see our voluntary obedience are drawn closer to Christ.
• There is freedom in Christ to do this (Rom. 6:1-2).
• Peter bookends four imperative statements with “honor,” to demonstrate personal esteem. Fearing God stands in juxtaposition to honoring government leaders.

Key Doctrine: Religious Liberty

“Civil government being ordained of God, it is the duty of Christians to render loyal obedience thereto in all things not contrary to the revealed will of God” (p. 50, Leader Guide).

Romans 13:1-7, “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. ² Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. ³ 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, ⁴ 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. ⁵ Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. ⁶ For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. ⁷ 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.”

I Timothy 2:1-2, “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, ² for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.”

Discussion: Why is it important for Christ followers to honor human authorities? What principles should a person display when obeying government conflicts with the Word of God?

III. Our Example (I Peter 2:21-25)

“²¹ 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. ²² He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. ²³ 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. ²⁴ 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. ²⁵ For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.”

• The slave master relationship may have begun through a slave of war, being born into it, willingly entering into this role to make a meager to abundant living similar to that of employee and employer. Slavery would eventually be viewed in a different light through the way these slaves showed Christ to their masters in an honoring way.
• Suffering comes along with following Christ (Mark 8:34).
• Christ was our Suffering Servant (Isa. 53), sinless, not returning insults, not threatening His attackers, rather trusting, and fulfilling His Father’s redemptive plan as an example.
• Gospel: Jesus’ death and resurrection empower our righteous life decisions today. Gospel
• Once lost sheep now found, Jesus is the good Shepherd and faithful overseer of our souls. True power isn’t in the government leaders, but in Jesus (Col. 1:15-20).

Discussion: How is Jesus more than just a good example in helping is through suffering?

Devotional: “My Hope is Built on Nothing Less”

     There is an old hymn with the phrase, “my hope is built on nothing less” pointing the singer to the ultimate hope we have in Jesus. There can be a temptation in the Christian life to place our hopes in earthly things. This passage pulls our heart’s affections from these foundation-less hopes and places them on the rock of Christ. We are sojourners bound for our great, ultimate, eternal reward in Heaven; therefore, we should not be motivated for the fleshly wants and pleasures of the here and now.

     While living in our earthly existence there is a temptation to rely on and revere too highly governmental leaders or to disrespectfully dishonor governmental leaders. They are accountable to their Creator and the god Who sovereignly placed them in authority. If they tell us to things against God’s Word, we must respectfully refuse. The way we honor these leaders is a direct reflection of Jesus to a watching world. There will be suffering that will tempt us to doubt if we are in the will of God or walking with God, when God’s word is clear that we have the example of Jesus, the Suffering servant, and suffering is a stamp of approval on our walk and valid relationship with God. Some people, God can’t trust with burnt toast.

How to Pray:

• Father, help me to honor my authorities that others may see my behavior and be drawn to Christ.
• Help me to see suffering from Your perspective.
• Help me to be a sojourner and not be too comfortable on this earth that I am of no heavenly good.
• In all circumstances help me to prioritize being a witness for Jesus over everything else.