Living Godly Lives in a Pagan Society
We continue on the 1 Peter series by looking at what it means to be God’s people living in a pagan society. We know that we have a new birth out of sin and death when we confess Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. The passage of focus is 1 Peter 2:13-25. Peter puts into perspective on how to engage as citizens of heaven while living in this temporary home or world. There are three points of our citizenship that are revealed in this passage:
The Order of Our Citizenship (v.13)
Peter is making it quite clear that as believers we are to submit to all human authority, be it the government or any official person that is appointed. We are to submit even when the government or even those in leadership are unjust. This encouragement comes at a time where believers were suffering under the rule of Nero as he burned followers at the stake and threw them into a pit filled with lions. It is still encouraging to hear this today, as we see many leaders who come into play that are questionable but we are called to respect their authority. Peter is teaching us the importance of submission. We submit because we are modelling what we already do which is living a submissive life before God. It is also understanding that God’s authority trickles down into the institutions that make up the government today. We need to respect authority because they have been established to punish those who do wrong and commend those who do right. When we live in submission to authority and serve as good citizens we are silencing all talk that could be brought against us because we are believers. Those who want to accuse us have no ammunition because there is nothing that they can bring up against us. We are living honourably so that people can see that we are different and that we are driven to live this way because of Christ even though all the odds are against us. Furthermore, we need to strive to live like this as it shows that we are satisfied completely in Christ as we are not living for ourselves but for Christ. Peter reminds us that we are freed from sin because of God but we are still God’s slaves. Being a slave sounds harsh but all it means is that we live to serve God despite the suffering that may take place because Christ suffered for us so that we can be freed. We need to revere God and to take this new found freedom we have found through God by living as a citizen of His kingdom in this world and the next. The question is, are we living like this today?
2. The Emperor of Our Citizenship
During the time that Peter was writing this letter, citizens were not involved in the process of choosing their leaders. Individuals were selected to be rulers or emperors. However, in today’s society, citizens are involved in the decision of electing a leader. Today the stewardship of the government is with us. We are given the responsibility by God to help govern this country. It’s clear that God calls us to be involved in supporting our government and we can do this through prayer and serving in government as a leader or even leading in the community. However, we need to remember the purpose of this responsibility and that is to be God’s ambassador. We are to remember who we are in Christ and what purpose we serve and that is to be a child of the living God.
3. The Purpose of Our Citizenship (v.20-22)
The main purpose of our citizenship is so that God can be glorified through us. The importance of our citizenship is so that people know who we belong to but also for God to be shown through the way that we live. We know that being a believer is not easy especially when there are many temptations to fight back. Peter really drills into us the importance of submitting to authority even when it is unjust. To be treated unjustly is to go through suffering. To know and to understand what that looks like to submit through suffering is to look towards the example of Christ. Jesus lived a life of perfect submission to the Father, this submission led to suffering by being mocked, beaten and ultimately dying a violent death. He submitted to the unjust authorities even though he was greater. He willingly became our guilt. Jesus came to serve and to take all the shame and guilt so that we can be justified before God. Jesus is the model of how we are to submit to our authorities because it shows us how much we entrust our lives to God but also we understand what it means to be a citizen of heaven. We live to honour God and we do this by submitting to God daily.
Father God,
Thank you for your grace that has set us free from the bondage of sin. Thank you for this new life that we can live as citizens of heaven. I pray that we understand that being a citizen of heaven is also while we live on this earth. We are to submit to human authority because we want people to see you through us. That in our suffering, we know that you are there for us and that you will be honoured.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen