Because Christians have come to Jesus Christ as the living stone, because they are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and a people for God's own possession, they will be distinctively different. They will not be people who belong to this physical existence. The fact that they do not belong to a physical existence will be evident in two ways. (1) They will not live lives controlled by physical desire. (2) They will behave in ways that are consistent with who they are in Jesus Christ.
Being a Christian is much more than something you accept. Its objective is to become something you are. The objective of belonging to God is to make us different, to become a different person.
Why? (1) They realize life lived controlled by physical desire allows physical desire to wage war against spiritual existence. (2) They understand that godless people (idolaters) will reject Christians' commitment if their behavior and commitment are in disagreement. Please immediately note this truth: existence in this physical area is an unjust existence. Peter used a strong image. Physical desires war against spiritual existence. These desires wish to make useless any form of spiritual commitment in Jesus Christ. It would be simple to slander Christians if their behavior disrupted society. It was by godly behavior that eventually those who slandered Christians noted the desirable benefits of following God. The consistent behavior of those who belonged to Christ eventually caused the slanders to glorify God.
Christians must realize that the basic objective of evil influences is to destroy them spiritually. God in Jesus Christ is not seeking to deprive us, but to protect us. As our Father, He seeks his children's best interest as they face dangers they do not even recognize. Serving God and escaping Satan is not a game. It literally involves life and death choices.
What Peter wrote next was not anticipated in the first century. It certainly is not anticipated in our present century! In their world (and ours) sweeping social change that transforms human behavior was (and is) achieved by the control through conquest. In the context of their age, being a holy nation of people who belonged to God might have meant to them that they existed to totally disrupt their physical world. Peter in distinct ways said, "Not so!"
It is easy to conclude that the objective of 'God's kingdom' is a total disruption of social orders which are unconcerned about God. It is extremely difficult to realize Christians defeat evil by doing good. (See Paul's statement in Romans 12:21.)
The injunctions that Peter gave were for 'the Lord's sake.' Christians were to respect existing idol-worshipping political institutions. They would do the following: respect human institutions (political); honor the king (who was idolatrous) as the rightful authority; and respect the work and role of the local governor. Change would come through Christians' doing right, not through aggressive resistance. They would use their freedom in Christ as God's slaves (God's servants). They would honor all people, including the king. They would love each other and hold God in their highest esteem or reverence.
Two things are too simple: (1) To do things for our sake instead of the Lord's sake. (2) To be too impatient to influence through example rather than control.
Peter's instructions to these Christians which followed are nothing less than astounding. Christian slaves were to show submissive respect even to unreasonable owners (slavery was not a racial matter in the first century). God was impressed when slaves endured unjust suffering patiently. Jesus Christ was their example because the injustice he endured resulted in incredible blessings to the unrighteous.
A person could become a slave in numerous ways including the inability to pay one's debts and becoming a captive in a war effort. It was not unusual to find well educated people or people of former high status among slaves. It was not unusual to find former slave owners who had to exist as slaves. It was not unusual for a person to enter slavery through means we would regard to be unjust. [Slavery in the first century was not a racial institution.] Christians understood that they were to respect rather than run.
[Please note how Jesus was able to do this! He gave the injustices into God's hands while he focused on being righteous. When we focus on our injustices, they consume us. God will care for the injustices if we will focus on being righteous--we cannot do both!]
Jesus endured injustice by placing injustice in God's hands while he focused on being a righteous person in the unjust situation.
Wives, though often considered little more than head slaves, were to be submissive to their husbands. Their principle avenue of influence was their godly behavior. Husbands were to live with their wives with understanding, an understanding that gave wives the respect of fellow heirs in Jesus Christ.
Christian marriages contained people who practiced respect and understanding. A wife converting to Christ while her husband remained an active idol worshipper created unjust situations that exceed most of our imaginations. God through Jesus did not ask first century husbands and wives to do something simple in an unjust society, but to behave in a God-like manner in difficult situations.
Note: nowhere in scripture is a Christian given 'the right' to abuse another person. For a Christian husband to abuse his wife or a Christian wife to abuse her husband is a fundamental denial of Christian principle. If Christian men loved their wives as they loved their own bodies and as Christ loved the church (Ephesians 5:28, 29) and if Christian wives showed their husbands respect (Ephesians 5:33), most, if not all, abusive situations would disappear in the church. Because this does not happen, abuse has long been rampant in marriages among Christians.
Scripture does not demean women or wives, and neither should men. Nor is the solution to difficult situations the abuse of men. Sadly, too often difficulties in marriages are produced by the previous generation and the childhood experiences of the now married adults.
Peter's summary is striking! In an unjust world and unjust societies, Christians were intended to be a distinctive element in society. They were to maintain a spirit that was harmonious, sympathetic, family in nature, kind from the heart, and humble. What a wonderful community to live in and be a part of! They would be a people who refused to return evil for evil received or insult for insult received. Instead they returned blessing for injustice. The worthwhile life would not result from control behavior but from godly behavior.
It is difficult for present Christians to believe in the power of Christian influence--it is too slow. In our current society, people want things to happen quickly. In an agricultural society, people realize it takes time for seeds to sprout and grow to maturity. Christian expectation today is focused on 'doing something now,' and is short on patience. We want to sow the seed today and harvest the crop tomorrow.
In Peter's testimony, God's concern for people exceeds human comprehension! God is concerned about idol worshipping kings and governors, about slaves, about wives, about husbands, etc. He is concerned that Christian influence in human society is not disruptive but challenging through example. It is not God's purpose that the people who are His own possession disrupt society but challenge society. Christians do not do this through force, coercion, and control, but through example. It is the manner in which they endure injustice that turns people to God! The lesson: no matter where or in what situation you exist, God cares about you--and everyone you know!
God is concerned about people you and I dismiss.
For Thought and Discussion
Christians are different (a) because they understand Jesus Christ is God's living stone and (b) because they are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and a people for God's own possession.
That fact would be evident (a) because they were not controlled by physical desires and (b) because they behaved in ways consistent with who they were in Jesus Christ.
Peter used the image of war.
It would be easy to slander Christian if their behavior disrupted society.
Godly behavior would cause such people to see the benefits of following God.
It would NOT come through aggressive resistance. It would come through doing right.
He gave them for the Lord's sake.
They would use their freedom as God's slaves.
They would honor all people, including the king.
They were to show submissive respect, even to unreasonable masters.
He placed the injustices in God's hands while he focused on being a righteous person.
No Christian is ever given 'the right' to abuse another person.
Christians sought to live in harmony with others in a spirit of sympathy. Among themselves they had a spirit of family relationship. All their kindness came from the heart as they were humble. They did not return evil for evil or insult for insult.
Link to Student Guide
Lesson 5