I Peter
2:11-12
(A
Bible Study Led by Dr. Larry Reynolds)
August
8, 2013
1.
Carol
and I spent most of last week in Austin taking care of grandchildren while our
daughter and son-in-law were away on a trip.
Our daughter, Christi, and her husband, Chris, have three children—Ryleigh
(14), Landon (10), and Luke (8). After
spending most of the week doing things like riding water slides as Schlitterbahn
in New Braunsfel and playing laser tag at Main Event, I was reminded once again
why God gives children to us when we are young!
2.
For
a few days it was as if Carol and I had children in our home again. Several times this week Luke, the youngest of
the three grandchildren in Austin, challenged some decision we would make with
the one word question that has the capacity of driving parents to the brink of
insanity – WHY? I think one reason that little word
“why” is so annoying to parents is that sometimes we find it very difficult
to explain to a child the rationale for our decisions. So, more or less in self-defense, we resort
to our own favorite word which annoys our children and just say “because”
or “because I said so.”
3. Anyone who takes the time to read
the Bible can see quite easily that in this book God give us many specific
instructions concerning how to live in this world. It’s obvious from this book that God has
certain standards for His people and that He wants us to live in a certain
way. And I’m glad that the Bible doesn’t
respond to our questions about why we should live God’s way with a great big
divine “because I said so!” Instead, the
bible gives us specific, concrete reasons as to why we should live God’s way. And in our journey through 1 Peter we have
come to a couple of verses that provide us some of the reasons we should live
as God instructs us to live. Look at I
Peter 2:11-12.
T.S. - The basic command in this
paragraph is in first part of v.11 where we're told "to abstain from
fleshly lusts"...important to understand what is meant by
that...that's an easy phrase to misunderstand…
“to abstain” - This is literally “continue to hold yourself back from” (i.e. PRESENT
MIDDLE INFINITIVE). Believers must continue to struggle with sin and temptation
(cf. Rom. 7). The battle with evil does not cease at salvation. In many ways it
intensifies. When one believes in and receives Christ he/she is indwelt by the
Spirit (cf. Rom. 8:9) and given the divine nature (cf. II Pet. 1:4). However,
this does not mean that the old sin nature is removed. It is made inoperative
by Christ’s finished work on our behalf (cf. Rom. 6).
The
rabbis say that in every human’s heart is a black and a white dog. The one you
feed the most becomes the biggest. Believers face the continuing choice of
seeking the good, dwelling on righteousness, walking in light, or reactivating
the old sin nature! [1]
“fleshly lusts”
-
Our natural
tendency is to equate "fleshly lusts" with physical
sins such as sins of sex or drunkenness or gluttony or the like...but in NT
word "flesh" is generally given much broader meaning than just
the physical body...it is used to mean "human nature apart from
God"...the war waging inside of every person (the verb “wage
war” is in the present tense denoting continuous action) is between our
old nature (before Christ) and our new nature (after Christ)…the command "to
abstain from fleshly lusts" means "Don't live your way;
live God's way"...and in these verses Peter gives us two specific
reasons why we should “…abstain from fleshly lusts…” or live
God's way...
I. We should live God's way because this world is not all there
is
1. Notice how Peter addresses his first century readers and us in
v.11...after calling them “beloved” which literally means “much loved ones” Peter reminds his
readers that they are "aliens' and "strangers"...those
are two very common Greek words...
--"aliens"
was used to describe person who had no legal standing/rights in a country...
--"strangers"
was used to describe person who was only temporary residents of a country...
Based on the common usage of
those words, some interpreters take this statement to mean this letter was
addressed to people who were not citizens of Roman Empire and had no legal
rights as citizens...
2. However, think means much more than that...the same words used
elsewhere in Scripture in special way...used to describe wanderings of--
--Abraham and the other Hebrew
patriarchs who went around seeking the land God had for them...
--of the Israelites in land of
Egypt where were in bondage and slavery before entering promised land...
And by using these particular
words to address us Peter is saying, "Remember how God's people in OT
lived for time in land wasn't theirs...in place where were strangers and
pilgrims...that's your experience now...your true, permanent citizenship is not
in this world...here only temporarily...real home is heaven...as journey
through this world, don't lose sight of that!"
1. Mikel Gorbechev was the General
Secretary of the Communist Party in the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991. He had a favorite story to which he often
referred that he said summed up his philosophy of life. There was
a young prince who came to power in Russia...desired rule country well...so
asked wise men of his country share their wisdom with him so he could rule
wisely...after 10 years sent him 10 wagons loaded with books containing the
thoughts of the wise men..."Who
has time read all this? Must govern my
people. Distill into shorter form."...10
more years passed and they brought him 10 volumes...this was still too much to
read and he asked them to reduce their wisdom even more...5 more years passed
and they brought him one thick volume... but by this time he was an old man and
on his deathbed...he asked the wise men to sum up their wisdom in a single
sentence...they replied, "People
are born. People suffer. People die."
2. But that's not the sum total of wisdom....not only are people
born...not only do people sometimes suffer...not only do people die...but after
death, people continue to exists...
1. And if we really believe that...if really believe--
--there's more to our existence
than just our time in this world...
--in God and an after-life and a
judgment...
then have every reason for living
as God desires that we live...
2. On other hand, if really believe--
--this world is all there is...
--there is no judgment and no
ultimate accountability...
then we have every reason to join
the eat, drink, be merry, and do your own thing crowd...
3. We must never forget this world is not our permanent and final
home...must not become so tied to this world that we forget the ways of
God...one reason we should live God's way is because this world is not all
there is...
II. We should live God's way because others are watching us
1. Christians in first century world were subject of all sorts of
false, slanderous, outrageous accusations...Peter alludes to that when he
speaks in v.12 of them being “slandered as evil doers...”...we
saw earlier in this study that there were those who viewed the 1st
century Christians as--
--atheists because they refused to believe in the many gods of
the Romans and Greeks...since they were monotheistic, believing in only one
God, people viewed them as basically unbelievers...
--cannibals because they spoke of eating the body and drinking
the blood of Jesus in reference to the Lord's Supper...
--immoral because they met in homes for an occasion they
called love feasts or agape feasts...
--traitors because they would not bow down and call Caesar
lord...instead of saying Caesar is lord they would proclaim Jesus is Lord...
2. Peter himself had felt the brunt of these false, slanderous
charges...and he knew the only way Christians could deny these charges was to
live in way that would prove them to be false...so he tells them in v.12, "Live
God's way because the world is watching you.
And through the influence of your example those who are watching and
evaluating may turn to God."
3. The phrase “…day of visitation…” at the end of
verse 12 is very interesting. This refers to any time that God draws near,
either for blessing or for judgment (cf. Isa. 10:3; Jer. 8:12; 10:15; 11:23;
23:12; 46:21; 48:44; 50:27; 51:18; Hos. 9:7; Mic. 7:4). It can be temporal or
eschatological (cf. Luke 19:44). Some see this as relating to believers on
trial, but in context it seems to refer to any opportunity for the unsaved to
hear and respond to Jesus as Savior before they face Him as Judge.[2]
1. There's a story told of Plato, the Greek philosopher...he was once
told a certain man was going all over the country making false accusations
about him...Plato's response was, "Then, I will live in such a way
that no one will believe what he says." And that's exactly how God
calls His people to live.
1. See in I Peter 2:12 a great, timeless truth...and that truth is
the best argument for Christianity is a real Christian...whether--
--like it or not...
--want admit in or not...
--desire accept responsibility of
it or not...
everyone of us who bears the name
Christian is a walking advertisement for Christianity...
2. Question we all must face is:
--Is my life a positive influence
for Christ or is it a negative influence?...
--Are people drawn to Christ by
way I live or does my life tend push people away from Christ?...
should live God's way because
others are watching us...
CONCLUSION
1. Someone has said: "You
can spend your life any way you like.
But you can only spend it once!"
2. As you spend or live your life, live it God's way!...why?--
--because this world is not all
there is...
--and because others are watching
and being influenced by us...
3.
Text
(I Peter 2:11-12)
[1]
Utley, R. J. D. (2000). Vol. Volume 2:
The Gospel according to Peter: Mark and I
& II Peter. Study Guide Commentary Series (230). Marshall, Texas: Bible
Lessons International.
[2]
Utley, R. J. D. (2000). Vol. Volume 2:
The Gospel according to Peter: Mark and I
& II Peter. Study Guide Commentary Series (231). Marshall, Texas: Bible
Lessons International.
