Who are we? How are we to live? Why are we to live this way? These are some questions that Peter answers in this section of Scripture.
Teaching Notes:
How To Live As An Alien In This World
1 Peter 2:11-12
Intro: In 2:11 Peter is beginning a new section in this Epistle. Here’s a simple outline of 1 Peter: Salvation – 1:1 – 2:10. Submission – 2:11-3:12. Suffering – 3:13 – 5:11. This new section emphasizes submission in the believer’s life. 2:13; 2:18; 3:1. This section also emphasizes various relationships in the life of a believer:
1. The Believer as an Alien in Relation to the World: 2:11-12
2. The Believer as a Citizen in Relation to Government: 2:13-17
3. The Believer as an Employee in Relation to his/her Employer: 2:18-25
4. The Believer as a Wife in Relation to Her Husband: 3:1-6
5. The Believer as a Husband in Relation to His Wife: 3:7
5. The Believer as a Brother/Sister in Relation to the Church: 3:8-12
Peter is switching gears. He is no longer describing our blessings and privileges. Now, he is describing our duties. Notice “I urge you.” Throughout this section Peter is commanding, urging, and charging his readers.
1. Who Are We? “aliens and strangers.” This is the 3rd time Peter has referred to Christians as “aliens.” 1:1; 1:17; and 2:11. Obviously, this was an important idea for Peter.
Notice the 2 Great Issues Spelled Out in These Verses: the salvation of the soul (11), and the glory of God (12). The soul is in danger of being destroyed, and the glory of God is in danger of being belittled. One of the reasons we know we are aliens and strangers is because the modern world doesn’t see these 2 issues as priority. If they did, TV, radio, newspapers, internet, and billboards would be full of these 2 subjects. But the world ignores them, as though they don’t matter in the least.
What is an Alien? Aliens and strangers are people who do not belong to this world. They are just passing through. Thus, they are not to become rooted and indulge themselves in this world. They are on their way to a Heavenly Home. We are in this world, but we are not of this world. “Alien” translated “pilgrim, sojourner, exile.” Larry Norman wrote a song, “Just visiting this planet.”
2. How Are We To Live? Peter exhorts us to do 2 things: abstain from fleshly lusts, and keep our behavior excellent among the Gentiles. The first one is what we are NOT to do; the second is what we ARE to do. 2:11 – eliminate the negative. 2:12 – accentuate the positive.
A. Abstain From Fleshly Lusts: If we live in the lusts of our flesh, we have forgotten that we are on a pilgrimage, that we are headed to Heaven. It would be like a husband who left his wife and children to travel to California to make his fortune in gold, and then return in a year. However, he finds that he likes California better than St. Louis, and falls in love with a woman in San Francisco, and decides to settle down and stay there. That’s what we are doing when we don’t abstain from fleshly lusts. We are being unfaithful and spiritual adulterers to our God. We are not living as aliens and strangers.
Fleshly lusts: Any strong desire which is inconsistent with the will of God. Gal.5:19-21; 1Pet.4:3.
Abstain! Fleshly lusts will always be there. They will always present strong temptations in our lives. We must choose NOT to indulge them or make provision for them, but to deny them and crucify them. “Abstain” is in the present tense. This speaks of ongoing activity. Abstinence must be a continuous thing – a life habit. Notice that Peter appeals to their will. Their fleshly lusts are not uncontrollable. They can be consciously restrained. Too often we feel like we can’t change. No, the truth is, we WON’T change. We can if we will depend on the Holy Spirit and surrender to Jesus.
Wage War: these lusts are not your friends. They are your enemies. They will destroy your soul if you let them. Too often we treat our lusts as our long time friends, or at least as a welcomed visitor. We must change our thinking and view them as the Enemy! They must be fought against. We must never make peace with them. If we do, we’re done for!
B. Keep Your Behavior Excellent Among The Gentiles: the former command was negative; this one positive.
Excellent: can also be translated “good, honest, right, honorable, properly, beautiful.” Perhaps “beautiful” is the closest translation. Live attractive, winsome, beautiful lives.
Gentiles: not speaking of all non-Jews. Speaking of all unsaved pagans, like 1Thess.4:5 or 3 John 7.
Slander you as evildoers: these Christians had come out of all the pagan religious, and thus incurred the ridicule of their neighbors. Said were irreligious because they didn’t worship all the heathen gods, and didn’t worship in a shrine or temple, but in simple homes. Others claimed they were disloyal to government because they refused to offer incense to Caesar and declare him Lord. Others even went so far as to charge the Christians with cannibalism because of their observance of the Lord’s Supper, and sexual orgies because they called it a “Love Feast.”
Good deeds: same Gr. Word as before. Beautiful deeds. This is how we live, not what we say. What would these “good deeds” look like? Serving others. Caring for the sick, giving to needs of the poor, living disciplined, self-controlled lives where we are not dependant on drugs or alcohol, living within our financial means rather than going into credit card debt, raising our children to be respectful of adults, obedient to their parents, and serve others with a good attitude.
Observe them: why would the world be watching to see how we live? Because we are different from them. We are aliens. They are curious to find out why we live this way. You and I may be the only Bible many people will ever read! This verse tells us that others are watching our lives. What will they see? Are you content with the life outsiders will see when they observe yours? Whether we like it or not, every Christian is an advertisement for Christianity. By our lives we either commend it or cast a slur upon it. In the summer of 1805, some Indian chiefs and warriors met in council at Buffalo Creek, New York to hear a presentation of the Christian message by Mr. Cram from the Boston Missionary Society. After the sermon Chief Red Jacket responded, “Brother, we are told that you have been preaching to the white people in this place. These people are our neighbors. We are acquainted with them. We will wait a little while and see what effect your preaching has upon them. If we find it does them good, makes them honest and less disposed to cheat Indians, we will then consider again of what you have said.”
How do we reach the lost? One common suggestion is that we need to be like the world in order to relate to them and win them. So, we should dress like them, talk like them, listen to their kind of music, watch their kind of movies, etc. I believe it’s the exact opposite. I believe we need to be different than the world if we want to reach them. If we are like them, why would they want to become one of us? We need to model such an excellent life, that they would desire to have it for themselves.
3. Why Are We To Live This Way?
A. For the Salvation of our own Soul: the devil is using these fleshly lusts in your life to destroy your soul. He wants you to die in a Christless, graceless state. Wants you to be damned. And he is in an all out war to make sure that happens. If these fleshly lusts win, your soul comes under their power, and they reign over you. If that happens, you become powerless and useless to God. Rom. 6:12-14. Each time you abstain from a fleshly lust, you gain a little more power over it. Each time you give in to a fleshly lust, it gains a little more power over you. Do you want to reign over sin, or do you want sin to reign over you? For the good of your own soul, abstain from fleshly lusts! ! It’s like the U.S. intentionally welcoming in terrorists that will seek to wage war against the U.S. and destroy it. We go to great lengths to avoid enemies who will harm us. We lock our doors and windows, don’t go out walking at night; we spend billions for national defense, hunters carry guns when they go into the jungle where there are wild animals. But, too often we welcome lusts which seek to destroy us! I heard a story on the radio years ago of a man out in the woods who was caught under a falling tree. He screamed for hours but nobody heard him. Fearing that he would die before someone ever found him, he cut off his leg with a pocket knife, crawled to a vehicle, and drove to the hospital. He was willing to take drastic measures when his life was on the line. So should we! Mt.5:27-30.
B. For the Salvation of our Neighbor’s Soul: notice the reason for excellent living in 2:12 – so that they may glorify God in the day of visitation.
Day of Visitation: this either refers to Christ’s 2nd coming and Judgment Day, or the day when God visits someone in converting power. Either way, this person is glorifying God. He has been saved and now glorifies God. One of the means God has used to bring him to salvation, is your excellent life, a life in which you are not under the reign of fleshly lusts, but live a life of good deeds. We must live lives that are so attractive to unbelievers who are prejudiced against Christianity, that they will be prepared to receive the Gospel. Gospel preaching must be supported by gospel living. A holy church is a great means to bring about the salvation of the lost. One of the great hindrances to effective evangelism is an ungodly church! We must be concerned, not only about our own soul, but our neighbor’s soul.
Questions for Personal Reflection:
1. Does your behavior on your job bring commend or discredit Jesus Christ? Does it attract others to Christ or drive them away?
2. Does your life before your children give them a hunger for Christ?
3. What opinion would your neighbors have of Jesus Christ by watching your life?
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