Representing Jesus in a way that does not result in a license to do wrong...

This week we have been looking at a section of a letter that has been preserved and recorded for us in the New Testament of the Bible called the book of 1 Peter. Yesterday, we began to look at 1 Peter 2:13-17, where we discovered a timeless truth about how we are to live out our identity as followers of Jesus who are a part of God's kingdom community in a rapidly changing culture. And that timeless truth in that living as part of God’s kingdom community should lead to a life that represents Jesus well by respecting government authority.

In 1 Peter 2:13-17, we see Peter reveal for us four reasons why living as part of God’s kingdom community should lead to a life that represents Jesus well by respecting government authority. Yesterday, in verses 13-14, we discovered that we are to represent Jesus well by respecting government authority regardless of the level of government. As followers of Jesus, we are to respect those in authority as part of the federal government. As followers of Jesus, we are to respect those in authority as part of the state and local government.

We are to do so because those in government authority have been given the responsibility to punish wrongdoing. And we are to do so because those in government authority have been given the responsibility to recognize those who do right.  Today, we will see Peter reveal for us a second reason why living as part of God’s kingdom community should lead to a life that represents Jesus well by respecting government authority in 1 Peter 2:15. Let’s look at it together:

 For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men.

Now when Peter refers to the will of God here, this phrase refers to what God wishes or desires to bring about through the activity of others. In other words, God has a specific desire for followers of Jesus when it comes to how they live in relationship to the authority around them that is the result of human action and that did not believe in Jesus.

Peter explained that God’s desire for followers of Jesus when it comes to how they live in relationship to the authority around them that is the result of human action and that did not believe in Jesus is that  by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. When Peter refers to the ignorance of men, this phrase refers to those in the world who are ignorant when it comes to God and the things of God.

As we talked about last week, as Christianity spread throughout the known world, there were many people who spoke ill of and attempted to slander this new movement of Jesus and His followers. And much of what was spoken against Christianity and of followers of Jesus flowed out of an ignorance about what Jesus, and the message of teachings of Jesus, actually communicated.

And because of that reality, last week, we saw Peter command followers of Jesus to live out their day to day life as followers of Jesus in a way that is in line with the high moral standards that Jesus called them to as His followers, so that they would reveal that the accusations against them were malicious and unjust slander that was designed to discredit them. Here Peter is reinforcing the command that he made last week, by explaining that God’s desire for followers of Jesus is to live out their day to day life as followers of Jesus in a way that is in line with the high moral standards that Jesus called them to as His followers.

By living in such a way, these followers of Jesus would be good citizens that did what was right so as to receive admiration and approval by the Roman Empire in a way that would silence the malicious and unjust slander of those who were ignorant of God and the things of God. Peter here is echoing what the Lord said through the prophet Jeremiah to the Jewish people who found themselves living as exiles in Babylon in a culture that was hostile to God in Jeremiah 29:7:

'Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf; for in its welfare you will have welfare.'

You see, Peter wanted the readers of his letter to know that God desired that followers of Jesus represent Jesus well in a way that advanced the common good of the Empire and that silenced the slander of those who were ignorant of God while making much of God to those who lived in the empire. And it is here that we see Peter reveal for us a second reason why living as part of God’s kingdom community should lead to a life that represents Jesus well by respecting government authority in that we are to respect government authority because God desires that we represent Jesus well before those in authority.

As followers of Jesus, God desires that we represent Him well by being good citizens that make a difference in our communities for the good of our communities. And as followers of Jesus, God desires that we represent Him well so as to silence those who slander God as a result of a lack of judgment and knowledge of God.

As followers of Jesus, we are to live out our day to day lives in a way that is in line with the high moral standards that Jesus calls us to, so that through our life and lifestyle we can silence those who do not believe in Jesus out of ignorance and instead influence their opinion in a way that enhanced God’s reputation.  Peter then reveals for us a third reason why living as part of God’s kingdom community should lead to a life that represents Jesus well by respecting government authority in verse 16:

Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God.

Here we see Peter reinforce a timeless principle that we see in various places throughout the letters that make up the New Testament of the Bible. And that principle is that the freedom that we have as a follower of Jesus should not lead to license. In other words, the freedom that we have as a follower of Jesus should not lead to behavior that goes against the message and teachings of Jesus.

Peter here is commanding the readers of this letter, and followers of Jesus throughout history, to recognize that our true identity is as a citizen who is a part of God’s Kingdom community. However, the freedom that our citizenship as a part of God’s kingdom community provides us should not be used as a covering to conceal evil behavior that goes against the message and teachings of God’s kingdom. To argue that our freedom as a follower of Jesus entitles us to behave in a way that goes against the message and teachings of Jesus is shady.

And because of that reality Peter called followers of Jesus to recognize and use the freedom we have as followers of Jesus who are a part of God’s kingdom community as bondslaves of God. Now the word bondslave refers to one who is solely committed to the service of God. Peter’s point is that as part of God's kingdom community, we are not to live in way that goes against that kingdom. Instead, as followers of Jesus, we are to live in a way that is solely committed to serving Jesus as a part of His kingdom community.

And it is here that we see Peter reveal for us a third reason why living as part of God’s kingdom community should lead to a life that represents Jesus well by respecting government authority in that we are to respect government authority because our freedom as followers of Jesus should not result in a license to do wrong. As followers of Jesus, our freedom as followers of Jesus should not be used as a cover for wrongdoing. Instead, as followers of Jesus, our freedom as followers of Jesus should be used to demonstrate our commitment to serving God.

You see, as followers of Jesus, we enjoy true freedom as we live in obedience to the message and teachings of Jesus as citizens of God’s kingdom community. Since we have been freed by those things that enslaved us in the past and that separated us from God, as followers of Jesus, we are not to go back to doing what we did in the past. Instead, we are to move forward by living a life that is solely committed to following Jesus as a part of God’s kingdom community.

Peter then concludes this letter by revealing a fourth reason why living as part of God’s kingdom community should lead to a life that represents Jesus well by respecting government authority in verse 17. We will discover that reason on Friday...