THE VISUALIZED TEXT

11 Beloved,

I urge you as

aliens and

strangers

to abstain from fleshly lusts

which wage war against the soul.

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.

¹³ Submit yourselves

   for the Lord’s sake

   to every human institution,

       whether to a king as the one in authority,

       ¹⁴ or to governors as sent by him for

              the punishment of evildoers and

              the praise of those who do right.

   ¹⁵ For such is the will of God

              that by doing right

              you may silence the ignorance

                     of foolish men. 

¹⁶ Act as free men, and

   do not use your freedom

       as a covering for evil,

but 

   use it as bondslaves of God. 

   ¹⁷ Honor all people, 

       love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.

2:11-12  Causing men to glorify God

Concerning Sexual Immorality

11 Beloved,

I urge you as

aliens and

strangers

to abstain from fleshly lusts

which wage war against the soul.

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.

Putting the Body into submission - concerning sexual immorality

Within these two small sentences there are at least 14 major issues.

Beloved - Here Peter speaks to the members of the Body of Christ dwelling in these cities as being “beloved.” Peter recognizes that the word of God being presented to Him by the Holy Spirit, is being written because of God’s great love for each believer. God’s ministry in each believer is to be reaching out to every person in each of their realms in an effort to reach them for becoming believers in Jesus - they all are therefore considered “Beloved.” Being “beloved” is a category, a statement of position.

As Sojourner / exile - Peter is now going to state who these individual’s positions are as “those who have moved” and the reason for moving was they have been “exiled,” sent away or taken away in order to either leave an unwanted situation, or to be forced out of a place or position.

I urge you to abstain from:

Passions of the flesh / The sensual body - seeks to be pleased, at

another’s expense.

I don’t think that any one of us does not understand the pressures that your sensual body place you under. Hunger, thirst, comfort, position, possessions and sensual pleasure in its many forms. Peter makes it clear that your physical “fallen” body is at war with your new person in Christ Jesus, as a child of God, and God’s Holy Spirit dwelling in and communicating from within.

The next 5 items have been addressed by The Apostle Paul:

Abstain; Passions; The Flesh; Wage war; Against your soul

The Conflict of Two Natures [Romans 7:14-25]

¹⁴ For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin. ¹⁵ For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. ¹⁶ But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good. ¹⁷ So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.

¹⁸ For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. ¹⁹ For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. ²⁰ But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.

²¹ I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. ²² For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, ²³ but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. ²⁴ Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?

²⁵ Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.

Therefore: “Keep honorable among the Gentiles.” Peter is writing from His Jewish background and perhaps specifically talking to the local pastors who, in fact, may have also come from Jewish backgrounds. But, we don’t want to miss the content - these believers in these new churches are establishing Christianity in the pagan world (pagan - not Jewish). It is the believer’s responsibility to be and act “holy,” for they represent their heavenly Father, Spirit, and Savior for they are Holy. The local believers are not to bring disapproval and mockery upon the Faith through their acting like pagans.

Instead, believers in the local churches (even believers who don’t go to church) should be bring glory to God through their righteous actions.

Peter finishes this thought by telling them that all this is especially true in that moment when the Holy Spirit comes upon the “pagan” individual and suggests, encourages, asks that individual to believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior [“The day of visitation.”]. The characteristics of that individual’s contact with believers should always be in a lifestyle way of Glorifying God.

2:13-17 - EXHORTATION TO SUBMISSION

               CITIZENS TO GOVERNMENT

¹³ Submit yourselves

   for the Lord’s sake

   to every human institution,

       whether to a king as the one in authority,

       ¹⁴ or to governors as sent by him for

              the punishment of evildoers and

              the praise of those who do right.

   ¹⁵ For such is the will of God

              that by doing right

              you may silence the ignorance

                     of foolish men. 

¹⁶ Act as free men, and

   do not use your freedom

       as a covering for evil,

but 

   use it as bondslaves of God. 

   ¹⁷ Honor all people, 

       love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.

Submission concerning Civil Authority

2:13a - Submit Yourselves

Submit yourselves

   for the Lord’s sake

Here is the very crux of Peter’s letter, “for the Lord’s sake.” Bringing our lives into the very holiness of God through our actions is about our gratitude to Him, not about earning points before Him. We’ve already mentioned this, “Following the Lord’s Commands is NOT WORKS!” It is our response to what He has done for us through His love for us and through His love for His Son, Jesus.

Paul’s inspired instruction to us is to SUBMIT. The way he describes it is also unique. “Submit yourselves.” This isn’t you being held captive and forced into submission by some officer or official. This is YOU SUBMITTING YOURSELF to the attributes of your heavenly Father. It will take some getting used to this kind of submission. We’ll be paying special attention to each request - for there is much to learn about our God and King - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit that may take into the land of surprise and wonder. Even the next part of verses 13 and 14!

2:13b - The General Overview

   (Submit Yourselves…)

      to every human institution,

             whether to a king as the one in authority,

             ¹⁴ or to governors as sent by him for

                    the punishment of evildoers and

                    the praise of those who do right.

We mustn’t quickly read the outline and move on. Our outline shows us so many things that we might miss. Our translators have worked very hard to organize the text in such a way that we, if we know how to look, can see what was going on in Peter’s mind as he sees the Holy Spirit’s revelation as he thinks and writes. Because of this method, what Peter writes has the Lord’s pattern for this knowledge embedded in it.

Look again at this part of the outline. First, the big picture - for 2 chapters Peter is going to be writing about “Suffering” in the believer’s life, “as a Witness of Jesus.” The writers of this translation go on to include that persecution brings clarity to your mission to the world.

We’ve talked about it before. Suffering is hard - but, I can say from experience (of my own, and those around me) that getting older and looking back - suffering yields long term rewards and in those rewards is found hope and joy. Your suffering places you into a place of identification with the life and suffering of Jesus in providing your salvation - and a blessed eternal life to follow.

We need to be careful to remember that “suffering” in Peter’s writings is not limited to religious persecution - nor was Jesus’ dealings with suffering in His life and ministry. The Gospels are full of the physical and emotional sufferings of the people He met and ministered to along the way - everything from demons to death.

The next item in the outline is that “Grace Means Submission.” I have a modern-day experience that has shown me this truth. I don’t understand those who drive their cars and motorcycles over the speed limits - because of what I have learned. For a long time now, on a road that our county lowered the speed limit from 55 mph to 45 mph as their expectation was to make the road safer as it continues to become more residential, these days, there is hardly anyone doing the new 45, but instead doing more than the old 55, and 60, and faster. Now, here’s my experience - and I’m not holding myself up as a glorified example, just telling you what I have found. I love just doing the speed limit. Practically speaking I’ve found that stoplights and stop signs largely keep bundles of cars together over many miles - no matter what the speed of each individual car. I watch whole groups of speeding cars slow to 45 (sometimes much less) when a police cruiser is anywhere in sight - only to resume speeding when they get past. Now as I do the speed limit, many cars “clog up” behind me and I get tailgated and sometimes lots of hand gestures and complete rudeness when passed as I submit to the law.

Now my point: I’m free, under the law doing the speed limit. I don’t have to look for police cruisers ahead or hiding. I don’t have to worry about tickets or court. I leave home at the right time to get to my destination, drive along comfortably at the speed limit, and arrive safely at my destination - calm and relaxed. And as I have said, in doing the speed limit… I also encounter persecution from the lawless who come upon me being obedient to the law.

The Holy Spirit through Peter tells us to SUBMIT to all forms of government… because GOD’S GRACE is applied to those who SUBMIT.

Peter’s hard words begin here. Submit yourselves to every human institution! Are we really reading and studying the inspired words of one of Jesus’ Apostles - one who is writing to the early church and to us about to whom we should be submitted ourselves to? Absolutely “Yes.”

The question immediately pops up into our heads… “Why should I be required to submit to these people and institutions?” “Am I not a child of Almighty God?” “Am I not a brother or sister to the very Son of God who died to set me free and live a wonderful life for all of eternity?”

So, now look at this short list: Submit:

   1. To every human institution - Written to all believers regardless of where they live and under what government - or lack of government (even living under the most horrid repression and evil rule).

   2. To every kind of king or governor… who hold their positions through the assignment of God Almighty to bring about His punishment of evildoers and to bring about the praise of those who do right. So, Peter, are you saying that a national or local evil government has been brought about by Almighty God - to bring their evil (and their evildoers) to His punishment and those who correctly understand that and witness so that they may bring God great praise for His working there? YES! That is exactly what Peter is saying to we who believe.

Submission: As The Norm 2:15-17

      ¹⁵ For such is the will of God

                    that by doing right

                    you may silence the ignorance

                     of foolish men.

            ¹⁶ Act as free men, and

              do not use your freedom

                     as a covering for evil,

       but 

              use it as bondslaves of God. 

              ¹⁷ Honor all people, 

             love the brotherhood,

              fear God, honor the king.

Live as a freedman living as a slave to others, under submission to God.

15a For such is the will of God.

There is the bottom line.

We read Paul’s version just a couple minutes ago. His first paragraph sums up the problem for us:

[Romans 7:14-17]

¹⁴ For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin. ¹⁵ For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. ¹⁶ But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good. ¹⁷ So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.

We are to bring our “flesh” under control, fighting off sin, and becoming obedient to God’s ways and law. And again, we are to be holy because He is holy.

The second part of verse 15 gives us another reason we are to submit -

15b that by doing right

             you may silence the ignorance

                    of foolish men.

Paul is not saying that you doing that which is right will make foolish men less foolish, only that you will demonstrate to those around you that you are not a foolish person. Just a simple fact - submitting to the law will not put you in jail or prison. I am to obey the speed limit because: (1.) I am a free man under the law and (2.) I glorify God when I do so.

¹⁶ Act as free men, and

   do not use your freedom

       as a covering for evil,

but 

              use it as bondslaves of God.

Peter then says that I am not to do the speed limit to keep from being arrested when I have a trunk full of illegal drugs! I am always to use my freedom under the law to give God the Glory as one who belongs to Him. I am to be Holy because He is Holy. I am not to “act” holy to attempt to fool others (besides, you cannot hide from God!).

The Big Point:
:17  Honor all people, 
       love the brotherhood,

       fear God,

       honor the king.

This is it. This is who I am supposed to be. What a world we would have if all human life on earth was free from sin. I am a believer in Jesus Christ, a lover of His Father, and a physical possessor of The Holy Spirit of God - but I am not free from sin, it is a curse that I must endure. However, I am able to live apart from sin as much as I can, and it should be a growing ability. I am fully aware that along the way, like a baby learning to walk, I will fall down - but, as I grow in-Him, I should fall less often with each fall as I learn to walk in/with Him. He loves me, I love Him. I always want this to work for me and glorify Him. Therefore:

“Honor all people” - it doesn’t matter who they are, what race or what country they come from, what they have done, or currently doing - “All people” is ALL people.

“Love the brotherhood” - Ever been to a monthly church conference? So many opinions, so many concerns about the use of “my money.” “Well, I’m not voting for him or her, because…” Christians are not free from expressing themselves - even if it is sin in the background of their reasoning. The issue here in Peter’s statement is that regardless differences, regardless of problems, regardless of our sinful ways, we are to love each other, all the time - because it glorifies the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

“Fear God” - There’s more than one kind of “Fear.” The two that come to my immediate attention are:

       1.    The kind that is like going quietly into a little child’s bedroom and fearing to wake them. Fearing to trouble, dishonor, or shame Him.

       2.    The second kind is understanding God’s holiness and supreme power and authority. Fearing that His response to my sin might be the end of me (figuratively). Millions of millions are to be sent to Hell - forever - because of their choices

Our answer here is BOTH. He is absolutely wonderful, loving and kind - and the absolute monarch of the universe, with absolute control and power. Make sure you “Fear Him.”