Podcast: Play in new window | Download (14.5MB)
Peter’s first letter is written to Messianic Jews living outside of the land of Israel in Asia Minor – modern‑day Turkey – who are facing trials and opposition because of their faith in Yeshua. Gentiles around them mock their devotion to the God of Israel, while fellow Jews who have not yet embraced Yeshua as the promised Messiah view them as traitors. They are experiencing rejection and divisions in their families, loss of reputation and honor, economic hardship, and possibly persecution by local authorities.
In chapter 1, Peter informs them, which includes us, that because of Yeshua’s death and resurrection, we have been born again to eternal life in God’s kingdom. There we have a priceless and imperishable inheritance that is reserved for us.
The cost of our salvation was the precious blood of Messiah, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God, whom God chose to die for us before the world began.
We are saved now, but God is protecting us until we experience the fulness of our salvation in the future. We are to put all our hope in the our salvation that will come to us when Yeshua is revealed to the world.
Our salvation was something the prophets wanted to know more about. What they wanted to know about was announced by men like Peter who preached in the power of the Holy Spirit. Our salvation is so wonderful that the angels are eagerly watching these things unfold.
We are to prepare our minds for action and exercise self‑control. We are to live as God’s obedient, holy children, fearing Him and living in this world as temporary residents.
We are to love our fellow believers as brothers and sisters, deeply with all our heart.
We have joy now even though we must endure many trials. These trials are beneficial. They show our faith is genuine and purify our faith.
In chapter 2, Peter shows us what this new life looks like. He calls us to righteous living. He urges us to rid ourselves of all evil behavior, crave the pure Word of God, and grow to spiritual maturity.
We are to come to Yeshua – the living cornerstone, rejected by men but chosen by God. We are being built into a spiritual temple where God lives. We are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s treasured possession.
We are to show God’s goodness to others because He has been merciful and revealed His truth to us.
We start with verse 11: Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul.
The ones Peter is writing to are foreigners and exiles in more than one way. They are Jewish people living outside the land of Israel in foreign nations. But even more importantly, because they are now loyal subjects of King Yeshua, they belong to a different kingdom – a better kingdom, a holy and righteous kingdom.
The kingdom we belong to matters. If we know that we are foreigners and exiles in the dark kingdom that rules this world, and that we belong to another kingdom, the kingdom of God, we will not live like everyone else. We will not adopt the values and corrupt behaviors of the kingdom of this world.
God’s people live in a demonically dominated world – a world that constantly urges us to give in to sinful desires like lust, greed, anger, pride. These are more than bad habits. They are enemies that wage war against our souls.
Sinful desires are like enemy forces attacking us. If we give in to them, they conquer our thoughts, harden our hearts, damage our relationship with God and our relationships with other people, destroy our peace, reduce our joy, and diminish our desire for our true home in God’s kingdom. When we resist giving in to sinful desires, we protect our souls and live as those who know they are foreigners and exiles in a sinful world.
So how do we live as foreigners and exiles and abstain from sinful desires which wage war against our soul? With lots of interaction with God’s Word; by praying throughout the day; by sharing the Good News with those we come into contact with; by being actively involved in a community of Yeshua followers; by walking in the Spirit, living in the Spirit; and by keeping our eyes on our true home in God’s kingdom. When we do these things, we will have the power to consistently say no to sin and yes to right, God-honoring living.
Peter now moves to our relationship with people. First, our relationships with our unbelieving neighbors. Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.
Peter reminds these Messianic Jews that accusations from those who don’t believe what they believe are inevitable.
Their Gentile neighbors in the Roman world accused them of all sorts of things:
They were accused of atheism because they rejected idol worship and worshiping the emperor.
They were accused of disloyalty to Rome because they refused to bow to Caesar as Lord because they knew Yeshua was Lord.
They were accused of immorality because their gatherings were misunderstood as participating in cannibalism (“eating flesh and drinking blood”) and being immoral (“love feasts”).
They were accused of disrupting the social order because they treated slaves, women, and the poor as equals.
At the same time, their fellow Jews who did not believe in Yeshua brought accusations against them:
They had betrayed Moses and the Torah. They followed a false Messiah. They were dividing the Jewish community and making life harder for the people of Israel who lived under Roman control.
Peter does not tell them to fight these accusations by arguing with their accusers. Instead, he calls them to a different kind of fight – a fight of proper living and honorable behavior.
It’s their righteous conduct that will silence their accusers – not their arguments. Their honesty, purity, generosity, humility and love will witness to the reality of God’s kingdom – in the present and in the future.
Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world. This is a reference to the Day of Judgment – the time when God will judge everyone and make all things right. On that day, every secret will be revealed, every lie exposed, every hidden motive uncovered, every false accusation dismissed. Those who once falsely accused God’s people will be forced to acknowledge they were wrong and God’s people were right.
On the Day of Judgment, some will give honor to God willingly because their hearts were changed as they witnessed the righteous lives of God’s people, and they turned to God and themselves became righteous. Others will glorify God unwillingly, admitting that God’s people were right and they were wrong – as their false accusations are exposed and the truth is revealed. Either way, they will give honor to God.
The lesson for us: let’s live in such a way that even if people falsely accuse us now, our honorable behavior and righteous living will silence their accusations and cause them to honor God – either in this life or on the Day of Judgment.
Next Peter addresses our relationship to government. We live as foreigners and exiles, loyal first and foremost to God the Father, the High King of Heaven, and to King Yeshua, the Son of the High King. Yet while we wait for their kingdom’s full arrival, we live under human governments. For the Lord’s sake, submit to all human authority whether the king as head of state, or the officials he has appointed. For the king has sent them to punish those who do wrong and to honor those who do right.
Because we joined the rebellion of the fallen angels and our nature changed, rebellion comes naturally to the human heart. We naturally resist God’s authority and we resist human authority. We instinctively resent those with authority over us, and look for ways to assert our independence. But, instead of rebelling, Peter tells us to submit to all human authority – as long as doing so does not require disobedience to God. Instead of rebelling against rulers, we are to do what is right. When we do that, the authorities will recognize our good conduct and honor us – or at least leave us alone.
Peter commands us to submit to human authority “for the Lord’s sake.” God has established human authorities to maintain order, restrain evil, and honor those who do good. When we submit to earthly rulers, even imperfect ones, we are doing it for the Lord’s sake – because He has ordained it.
More instructions as to how we should live as foreigners and exiles in a watching world. It is God’s will that your honorable lives should silence those ignorant people who make foolish accusations against you. For you are free, yet you are God’s slaves, so don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. Respect everyone, and love the family of believers. Fear God, and respect the king.
Peter repeats that it is our honorable lives that silence false accusations. Instead of responding to foolish accusations against us with arguments, we are to live in such a way that our honorable lives expose the accusations as foolish.
Things haven’t changed since this was written. God’s people are still falsely accused – but today’s accusations are different than the accusations of Peter’s day.
We are accused of being hateful toward certain groups simply for holding to biblical convictions about sin, marriage, gender, sexuality, abortion. Standing for God’s truth is twisted into accusations of hatred and intolerance.
Because we believe that sin is real and judgment is coming, we are accused of being harsh, judgmental, condemning, and unloving.
We are accused of being a threat to society. We are extremists who seek to undermine freedom and impose our beliefs on everyone. Those who speak publicly about faith, morality or cultural issues are charged with “weaponizing religion.”
Believers who affirm creation, miracles, or the authority of Scripture are accused of rejecting science and logic. We are ridiculed as being brainwashed, irrational and anti‑intellectual.
Peter’s message is that we don’t need to win arguments to silence these accusations. Instead, we disprove them with our lives:
By showing love where we are accused of hate.
By pursuing truth and wisdom where we are accused of ignorance.
By helping and blessing others where we are accused of being divisive.
When we are accused, we are not to respond in kind but demonstrate holiness, patience, and love that makes the accusations look foolish.
For you are free, yet you are God’s slaves, so don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. Because of Messiah, we have been set free – free from sin and the sin nature’s ability to control us, free from being under the control of the dominion of darkness. Yet this freedom does not mean we are free to do whatever we want. Ironically, it is in being God’s slaves that we find our greatest freedom. Our freedom should result in a life devoted to serving God – not a life that is self-centered and self‑indulgent.
Peter gives us four short commands for other relationships:
Respect everyone: Every human being bears God’s image, and deserves to be treated with respect.
Love the family of believers: We need to be actively involved in a community of Yeshua followers to love the family of believers. We need to get to know our brothers and sisters, be with them, help them, care for them. Those who refuse to be actively involved in a community of Yeshua followers are not loving the family of believers.
Fear God: We are to show great reverence and respect for the Creator in everything we say and do.
Respect the king: Earthly rulers must be respected as part of God’s order. No revolutions and anarchy for us.
If we live with righteous lives, exercise freedom in our submission to God, and honor people in every sphere of life, our lives will honor God and silence the critics of the faith.
Let’s pray: Father in Heaven, thank You that we belong to a different kingdom – Your kingdom and the kingdom of Your Son. Help us remember that we are foreigners and exiles in this world, called to live holy and honorable lives.
Strengthen us to resist sinful desires that wage war against our souls.
Fill us with Your Spirit so we say no to sin and yes to what is right.
Let our conduct among unbelievers reflect Your goodness, even when we are falsely accused.
Teach us to respect everyone, love the family of believers, fear You above all, and honor the authorities You have placed over us.
May our righteous lives silence false accusations, draw others to faith, and bring glory to You on the Day of Judgment.
Help us keep our eyes focused on our true home in Your eternal kingdom. Amen.