The World is Watching
by Christopher Hendrix
Every now and then (although seems to be happening more frequently these days) a story pops up in the news that makes you scratch your head. Recently there was a real "head scratcher" about a district representative found here. In short, the representative spoke at a prayer breakfast. In her introduction, she bragged about being on time to the prayer because she turned down sex with her fiancée. She then stated that it would happen that night. Later, she posted on the tweet machine that she goes to church because she is a sinner and not a saint while also noting that this was a joke. Many problems surround this now infamous speech. The obvious issues include the proper place and purpose for sex (1 Cor. 7:1–8), Christian joking (yes, Christians can joke) versus worldly joking (Eph. 5:4), and treating sin lightly instead of understanding the gravity of it (Rom. 1:18). However, in light of this past week’s sermon, I want to draw out 1 Peter 2:12 and use this as a caution for us in our own lives.
In the immediate context of this verse, Peter urges the believers to abstain from fleshly lusts. Paul defines these lusts in Galatians 5 and it includes a number of actions. Peter utilizes the description of fleshly lusts though generally, encompassing the totality of Paul’s list. We can call this the putting off instruction. Then, in verse 12, we have the putting on teaching. Again, Peter speaks generally by addressing our behavior. The believer is to keep his/her behavior excellent! Of course, this calling builds off of what Peter wrote earlier regarding the believer’s identity. Our identity is in Christ, who within the covenant of redemption with the Father and Spirit worked to bring us salvation. In other words, we have salvation from God, because of God, by God, and for God. It’s all about Him, and we are the beneficiary of His benevolence. So then, our excellent behavior doesn’t derive from our strength, but God. We aren’t the source, but God is!
Peter could have stopped there, but he didn't. We have the reason given for our excellent behavior. Beforehand, he notes that his readers are among Gentiles. Does he mean that the Christians he is writing to are all Jews? No! In fact, in the context of the letter, he is writing to a mixed group of Christians, Jews and non-Jews (Gentiles). He calls them aliens and exiles because they are not of the worldly system. The Christian church does not make its home in the worldly system. This worldly system is the part of our space and time that is bent against God. Our lusts, sin, Satan, and the worldly temptations all make up this worldly system. We are strangers to it, but our citizenship is in heaven with God. We belong to another kingdom. So then, the reference to Gentiles isn’t aimed at an ethnicity, but a spiritual reality. We could define Peter’s use of Gentiles as unbelievers. Though Christians are exiles, we live among unbelievers. We don’t belong to their kingdom, but we all live in the same world. We are among one another, working, shopping, playing, transacting, trading, determining, and building together. Yet, we have vastly different identities. They have one passport, and we have another.
Our excellent behavior is to lead them to glorifying God! How can an unbeliever glorify God? By being converted to God’s kingdom. By renouncing his/her old citizenship and claiming a new one. By being born again into a new family with a new identity. Of course, the Spirit of God initiates and completes this occurrence, which is why Peter describes this as the day of visitation. Their salvation given to them by God brings Him glory as they acknowledge the good deeds of the Christians. And these deeds are used by God to enforce experientially the truths penned in the Scriptures inspirationally.
Yet, until this happens, Christians are slandered by them. Slander is a form of deception and lying about something not true. How does a Christian counteract and neutralize these lies? Through excellent behavior. When one hears something untrue and evil about us, their first thought ought to be, but that does not line up with that of our character. That does not sound like us. Excellent behavior dispels any notion of evil charged to the Christian. God uses our excellent behavior for more than just our holiness, but for those around us. For believers and unbelievers alike are blessed by our behavior, even if they don’t recognize it in the moment.
When the prayer breakfast incident occurred, the news articles I read did not know how to react to it. Some clearly thought something was wrong with this. An immoral comment (one article had to specify that evangelical Christians are against premarital sex) at an event designed to pray did not seem right even among the most liberal and God hating news sources. Yet, despite the tension felt, many approved of her words by rejoicing that she had a sense of humor. The Gentiles are watching closely and ready to approve or reject our words and actions. This was a missed opportunity, but let’s pray for her repentance and growth in understanding the wrath of God towards sin. Only then, will she love Christ deeper because of His grace. And before we are tempted to condemn her, let us look to our own hearts. The number of missed opportunities in our own lives are greater than we realize. Let us remember that the Gentiles are watching closely, whether you know it or not. On the job, in your neighborhood, within your family, at church, and even at a prayer breakfast, they are observing and looking. Let us keep our behavior excellent among them.
Living Godly Lives in a Pagan Society
1 Peter 2:11-17
11 Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, 14 or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.15 For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. 16 Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. 17 Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.