Alright, let's turn this morning
to 1 Peter 2. 1 Peter 2, we'll be looking at
verses 17 through 21. So far in chapter 2, Peter's
talked about the blessedness of the believer's standing. He doesn't stand as other men,
by his works, or in his works, or according to his works, but
he stands in the grace of God. And he stands before God by faith. Peter talks about, this is a
blessed, blessed is the man. That's what our Lord said, blessed
is the man. He's blessed. Paul said, blessed
is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed
us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.
We're blessed. And Peter talks about that, the
blessedness of the believer's standing. And then he talks about
the grace of God in our calling. and effectual grace, His living
stones. He's called us and built us into
His spiritual temple. He's called us out of darkness
into His marvelous light. And He talks about our state
before and our state afterward. He talks about the believer's
calling. And then He talks about the preciousness
of Christ to all that believe. Unto you, therefore, which believe,
He is precious. He's precious because without
Him, we're nothing. We're nothing. So now Peter moves
on. He lays this foundation. He talks
about the grace of God and the salvation of the sinner. He talks
about salvation being of the Lord, being born of Him, and
all of these things. And now he moves on to talk about
what the old writers called practical godliness. Practical godliness. Practical godliness has to do
with the believer's walk. The old saints, if you go through
the scriptures and you read about the old saints, go all the way
back to Enoch, it said, and he walked with God. And that's the
way they were described. That's how God defined the believers
all the way through the Old Testament. They walked with God. And he
continues on in the New Testament. The churches Paul ministered
to, it says, walked in the fear of the Lord. And John plainly
tells us if we walk in the light. He didn't say if we be in the
light. He said if you walk in the light as He is the light,
we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ,
His Son, cleanseth us from all sin. So our behavior, including
our faith, including our affections, including our motivations, are
all interconnected with what the scripture calls the believer's
walk. These things are all connected
together. Believers walk by faith. That's what Paul said. So faith
is interconnected with this walk. Believers walk by faith. They
don't walk by sight. They walk by faith. 2 Corinthians
5, 7, it said, for we walk by faith, not by sight. And there
was a time when we walked according to the course of this world.
We've always walked, but we didn't walk with God. We've always had
a walk. We've always had a behavior,
but we had no behavior toward God. There was a time when we walked
according to the course of this world and according to the prince
of the power of the air, the spirit who now worketh in the
children of disobedience. Paul said, for us who believe,
we're not to walk like other Gentiles walk. How did they walk? In the vanity of their minds.
Their minds being alienated from God. A man's walk is how he lives. It is the principles by which
he conducts his everyday affairs. That's what it is. That's the
believer's walk. Last week, we talked about walking in the Spirit.
Paul tells us to walk in the Spirit, you shall not fulfill
the lusts of the flesh. We walk in the Spirit as we walk
in the confident assurance of the full satisfaction of God
in Christ. We're satisfied, satisfied, satisfied
that He is the express image and brightness of the Father's
glory. In knowing Him, we know God. He is the express image
of God. Everything I know about God,
I know through what's written of the Lord Jesus Christ. We're
satisfied in the full satisfaction of God's justice. God's satisfied. with the death of Christ, God's
satisfied with the righteousness of Christ, why should I not be
satisfied with it? We're satisfied in the satisfaction
of God's justice, that we're justified freely by His grace
through the redemption that's in Christ Jesus. And we're satisfied
that His righteousness is sufficient to present us before God without
flaw. Every time you read about being
presented before God, that is the work of God being done in
you and in that day presenting you to God, it's always spotless,
flawless, unreprovable. Even he says this in Colossians,
spotless before the presence of his glory. So we're satisfied
with that. We're satisfied that all His
enemies are going to be put under His feet. Every enemy. Every one who is in opposition
to Him is going to take their place under His feet. We're satisfied
that all power in heaven and earth is being given to Him and
that He might give eternal life to all that the Father has given
Him. We're satisfied with that. It's going to happen. It's going
to be. It can't help but be because of who he is. And we're satisfied
that he'll keep all his promises and come again and receive us
unto himself that where he is, there we may be also. The man
who knows these things walks in the spirit because this is
what the spirit does. He takes of the things of Christ
and he shows them unto us. Many as are led, Paul said, by
the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. All right. Now, Peter tells us something
of how the believer is to act in this world. He tells us something
about the nature of the believer, how he thinks, how he acts, how
he expresses himself in this world. He begins here in 1 Peter
2, verse 17. I'm going to take these phrases
one at a time. The first thing he says about
the believer is he is to honor all men. Now let me tell you
something. He's not talking about every
single man here. He's not talking about every
single man. We're not to honor evil men,
adulterers, whoremongers, thieves and murderers, blasphemers, false
prophets. But we're to take this in the context of the verses
and what Peter's teaching in this chapter. And he's already
told us to be in subjection to kings and authorities and people.
That's what he's talking about here. In keeping with the context
of these verses and teaching of the chapters, talking about
kings and governments and people in authority. Children are to
honor their parents. Wives are to honor their husbands.
Servants are to honor their masters. Honor all men to whom honor is
due. That's what Peter's telling us.
And then secondly, he says, the believer is to love the brotherhood. What's the brotherhood? Is that
a club? What's the brotherhood? What's
he talking about here? Well, the brotherhood are those
called out of darkness into His marvelous light. The brotherhood
are those who publicly confess Christ and identify themselves
with the assembly of God. And we are to especially love
them. especially to love our brethren. Paul said in Ephesians 4.31,
he said, let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and
evil speaking be put away from you with all malice, and be ye
kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as
God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven you. We're all members
of one body. We're all there by one calling. We all have an understanding
and a new birth by one spirit. We all believe the same thing. There's just one faith. And we've
all confessed by the same method, baptism. And there's one Father
over all who is above all and in you all. The brotherhood is
not every man that says, Lord, Lord. Our Lord straightened His
disciples out on that. They were trying to defend the
Pharisees who were enemies of Christ. They were always trying
to defend them. And our Lord told them, He said,
now let me tell you something. Everybody says, Lord, Lord, not
going to enter into the kingdom of God, but He that doeth the
will of your Father. The brotherhood are those who
walk in the light God has given them. He's called them out of
darkness. They don't continue walking in
darkness. He called them out of darkness.
They walk in light. Turn with me to 1 John chapter
1. Love the brotherhood. In 1 John chapter 1 verse 6,
look at this. If we say that we have fellowship
with him, a lot of folks do. A lot of folks say that. If we say we have fellowship
with him and walk in darkness, we lie and do not the truth. We don't have fellowship with
him. We just say we do. Look across the page at chapter
2. Verse John chapter 2 verse 9, he that saith he is in the
light and hateth his brother is in darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother abideth
in the light and there's none occasion of stumbling in him,
but he that hateth his brother is in darkness and knoweth not
whither he goeth because that darkness hath blinded his eye.
God's people are manifest by the faith of God's elect, which
results in a walk with God. God said, the just shall live
by faith. But if any man draw back, he
said, if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in
him. But we are not of them who draw back under perdition, but
of them that believe to the saving of the soul. Love the brotherhood. Understand how to recognize the
brotherhood. Learn these things. All right,
thirdly, fear God. Fear God. Does that mean when
God speaks, we cower down and hide? You see dogs sometimes like that.
You can speak to them, and they just cower down. They lower their
ears and cower down. They're afraid. They're afraid
and they have a reason. Does that mean that we live under
the constant fear of being cut off or blotted out of the book
of life? I've been to churches who teach
that. Teach that. Keep their members on their toes
all the time in constant fear of being cut off. Cut off from
God. Do this, God will cut you off.
Don't do this, God will cut you off. Does it mean that we live each
day in the fear of his correcting rod? Afraid to say or do anything
in fear of a beating. I've met children that way. Just
won't say anything. Won't say anything. Well, not at all. That's not
what this fear means. In Romans 8.15, Paul tells us
this, we have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear. That's what we did under the
law. That's what we did under false religion. That's what we
did in our deception. And he said, We have not received
the spirit of bondage again to fear, but we have received the
spirit of adoption whereby we cry, Abba, Father. Sons of God
recognize his authority, his wisdom, and power, and they willingly
obey him. My father was a prime example
of a good father, I think. I think he was. He was loved
by his whole family, respected by his whole family, clear down
to the third and fourth generation. They all loved him and respected
him. And I can remember as a child knowing that the authority of
that house was in him. If he said something, he meant
for you to do it. But I never feared that he was
going to beat me to death with a belt if I'd said anything or
did anything. I wasn't in a constant fear of
that. But I knew that, and that's what we know about God. We recognize
his authority. We recognize he's almighty God. He does what he pleases. We recognize
it. But we also know that God is
love, and that we're his children, and that we're his children because
he chose us to be his children. He had the right to choose anybody
he wanted to. He chose us. So we recognize his authority,
and we recognize his wisdom. He's all wise. He's not going
to lead you down the wrong path. He's all wise. And we willingly,
lovingly obey him. And we honor him all the more
as he manifests himself to us as a loving father worthy of
our obedience. That's what I found out about
my dad as the years went along. I found out he was worthy of
honor. He was worthy to be called my
father. And the more worthy I saw him
to be, the more I wanted to manifest my love to him and show my obedience
to him. Now, in keeping with the context
of the verse, Peter is telling us these things so that we, as
trusting children, can rest in the fact that all civil authority
and power is being manifest by a loving father and is there
for our good. That's why he's telling us these
things. And then, fourthly, he tells
us, honor the king. I found this something Brother
Mahan wrote years ago in his Sunday school lesson, and I don't
want to change it one bit. I'll just read it to you as he
gave it. He said, the king or president of a nation holds the
highest office in the government, and as such, represents all the
authority of the land. That office and authority are
to be respected and honored no matter who the man is that holds
it. Respected and honored, not so
much for the man as the office he holds and who put him in that
office. In Jude verse 8, describing the
false prophets of his day, he said this, they despise dominion. And they speak evil of dignities. All right. Back to 1 Peter 2. Look down here at verse 18. Now,
with these things in mind, and all the groundwork that's been
laid, Peter says servants, if that's the position you hold,
you're an employee of an employer. Servants. Be subject to your
masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also
to the froward. Anybody know what froward means?
That's not a word we use today, is it? It means opposite. We used to use an expression
years ago, to and fro. That means you're going this
way one minute, and you're going this way the next minute. That's
to and fro. Over and back. It means reverse or opposite. And it means the opposite of
what he just stated. Be subject to the good and the
gentle. Be subject to them. They're worthy
to be subject to, but also to the opposite. Now, remember who
Peter's writing to here. He's writing to both Jews and
Gentiles. The unbelieving Jews had the notion that they were
the seed of Abraham and were not obligated to serve anybody.
They just, whenever you was talking to somebody about servitude or
being in subjection to somebody, they said, no way. We're not subject to anybody. And then both Jews and Gentiles
had the idea that because they were equal in the sight of God,
that they were not under any obligation to be obedient to
believing masters, because they were all one. And here's my point. Faith does not do away with the
designated authority of God. Just because you're a believer
doesn't mean you can live any way you want to. It doesn't mean that there's
no rule, no powers, no things above you. It doesn't mean that
whatsoever. Now listen to this. I'm going
to give you two scriptures here. In Christ, according to Colossians
3.11, there's neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision,
barbarian, Scythian, bond or free, but Christ is all and in
all. In Christ, Paul tells us in Galatians
3.28, there is neither Jew nor Greek, bond nor free, male nor
female. For you're all one in Christ
Jesus. Yet believing women are commanded
to love and obey their husbands. Isn't that what Paul said? Sure
it is. That's exactly what he taught.
Believing children are required to obey their parents. Believers
are commanded to obey them that have the rule over them as those
who watch for their souls. And we are here in 1 Peter 2.18
commanded to be subject to our masters with all fear. And again,
this word fear has to do with respect and recognition of the
office. It's not because of that person.
I've worked for people in my past as an employee that it was
nearly impossible to work. And when I could find a better
job, I took it. I took it. But until I found
a better job, I had worked for it. Verse 19, 1 Peter 2, 19. For
this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure
grief and suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it, if when
we be buffeted for your faults, you shall take it patiently?
But if when you do well and suffer for it, you take it patiently,
this is acceptable with God. So if a believer, an obedient
wife, child, servant, or subject suffers and endures grief and
is mistreated and they bear these things for Christ's sake and
the sake of the gospel, this is well-pleasing to God. Well-pleasing
to God. But if you act like rebels and
you're lazy and disloyal to your masters and endure the consequences,
that's not honoring to God at all. Not honoring to God at all. That's getting what we deserve.
And you can't call that bearing your cross or suffering for Christ's
sake. All right. Verse 21, 1 Peter
chapter 2. For even here unto were you called,
because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example
that we should follow his steps." Paul wrote to Timothy and said,
all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. It's going to happen. It's going
to happen. Any employer who runs his business
with godly principles Being kind and thoughtful to his servants,
paying them a good and a fair wage, and giving to them as many
benefits as he can, he'll be lambasted and talked about by
every employer in that trade around him. He's a softy. He's not a good businessman. He's going to go belly up. And
they'll talk about him. They'll lambast him. They'll
do everything because that man is doing his job according to
godly principles. And the same goes for any loyal
employee. That man attempts to give a full
day's work for a full day's pay. He don't steal from the factory.
Everybody I ever met when I worked in a factory would take things
that that factory had because they could. And they'd put them
in their lunch bucket and take it home. Nuts and bolts and whatever
was there, they'd take it home. But this man don't. He don't
steal from the factory he works for. He doesn't take advantage
of situations. The boss leaves. I'll be back
in about two or three hours. The boss leaves, and everybody
goes and lays down and takes a nap. He doesn't take advantage
of these situations. A man who works like that with
godly principles, all the other employees will call him a goody
two-shoes. That's what they're going to
call him. He's the boss's pet. The boss's pet. And much worse
than that. Any governor, civil leader, who
tries to execute his office for the absolute good of the people
and not take advantage over things will be despised by the mainstream
politicians. Where is the wife in the day
of women to live who will dare to honor and obey her husband? If she does, she'll be despised
by those who don't. She's old fashioned. Where is
the father in this day of rebellion and lawlessness that will correct
his child, even though correction is no longer permitted in the
schools? It's no longer permitted anywhere.
There's not a whole lot of correction goes on in the prisons in our
day. Where is the father who's loyal
to God's command who will correct his children? If he does, he'd
be labeled as a child abuser. too rough on his own kids? Where is the pastor who dares
to take the oversight given to him of God and rule in loving
authority in the office God has given to him? We're called to obedience, godliness,
and good works to bear as Christ did, as the apostles did, as
the early church did, whatever affliction, trial, and suffering
that might come our way due to our obedience to him. Where to
suffer it? Where to take it? In Philippians chapter 1, verse
29, he says this, and it would do us well to study this and
get hold of this. It says, for unto you it is given
in the behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, that's given
to you, that's the gift of God, not of works lest any man should
bow, but also to suffer for his sake. God's given you that. He's given you that. If you ever
learn what that means, you'll take it and you'll take it patiently. All right, Lord willing, we'll
take up right here and finish the chapter out next week. Thank
you.