Pilgrims
in a Fallen World: Live the Good
Life!
I
Peter 2:11-12
Introduction: What do you think of when you hear the phrase, "The Good Life"? When we speak of “living the good life” in our American context, it is not a
moral or ethical “goodness” that most people are referring to. Often it focuses
on our comfort and self-indulgence: our home, our possessions, our excesses. As
a friend used to say, “Don’t get too attached, it’s all going to burn!” Sometimes
we think more deeply, and in those moments most would want their life to have
meaning, to make a difference, to be “good” in a more enduring sense. That is
God’s plan for those who follow Him. He chose you, for a purpose. We were
created for eternity. And we are deployed on a mission, God's Mission. We are God’s ambassadors right where we are
at. These verses are a summary of much that we have looked at in I Peter 1 and 2.
At the same time they prepare us for the practical application: How we can live
as pilgrims in a fallen world, which will be Peter’s emphasis in what follows. One of the key points we’ll see in this
passage if that, like it or not, our life is truly a “living epistle, seen
and read of men.” A. Maclaren said,
“The
world takes its notion of God, most of all, from the people who say they belong
to God’s family. They read us a great deal more than they read the Bible. They
see us; they only hear about Jesus Christ...”
Does
our life reflect something of the grace and goodness of God? Can people see
enough of a difference in the way we live to find it attractive and inviting,
wanting to know more about the God we serve and claim to love? Or, God forbid, does our life conform so much
to the world that we give them an excuse not to believe?
The BIG Idea: As
a pilgrim in this fallen world, live your life for the glory of God.
I. The Pilgrim’s Battle:
Against the passions of the flesh (11). “Beloved, I urge you, as
aliens and strangers, to abstain from passions of the flesh, which wage war
against the soul…”
First, we need to be reminded that we are
“pilgrims,” and that as
pilgrims and exiles in a fallen world we will face a spiritual struggle. It
will be worth it all when we see Jesus (see Rom 8:18). C.S. Lewis’s series “The
Chronicles of Narnia” pictured the great metanarrative of history in the story.
In the “Last Battle” he titled the final chapter, “Farewell to the
Shadowlands.” The unicorn said at the end of that chapter,
"I have
come home at last! This is my real country! I belong here. This is the land I have been
looking for all my life, though I never knew it till now. The reason why we
loved the old Narnia so much is because it sometimes looked a little like
this...” [Then the chapter concludes...] ...All their life in this world
and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page:
now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on
earth has read: which goes on forever: in which every chapter is better than
the one before.
The
best is yet to come! We were created for eternity. The New Creation is here in
us, but our old fallen nature still struggles, like a chicken with its head cut
off, refusing to die. Our hope is in the
New Heaven and the New Earth, but, for now, we are living in the “shadowlands.”
So, we strive, day by day, to live more like Jesus (11)! Peter says,
“11Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain
from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.”
Know whose you are: loved
by God. The word “beloved” is translated in some versions as “dear friends,” which could
be the sense the writer intended, but I don’t think so. The word “beloved”
means “ones who are loved.” In Greek it is another word based on the word agape, in this case, agapetos. Some commentators
suggests that Peter is not emphasizing his own love for his readers in this
context, but rather is pointing to the fact that they are loved by God.
For example, John MacArthur writes,
...they,
as objects of God’s immeasurable love, had a duty to obey the One who loved
them. On that basis he could urge... them to reciprocate God’s love by living
for Him...
How
do we know that Peter is referring to God’s love for his readers? Remember the
context. We read in verses 2:9,10...
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy
nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies
of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but
now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have
received mercy.
Having
said that Peter begins verse 11, “Beloved...”
In other words, since God has chosen you, and loved you, and made you his own,
since you are His “beloved,” this is how you should live. In the flow of the
context that seems to fit here. Know who’s you are, and…
Know where and what you are: “Beloved,
as sojourners and exiles…” For at least the 3rd time in this letter Paul
reminds his readers they are “sojourners
and exiles” and that they should conduct themselves in light of that truth.
He opened the letter saying, “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who are elect
exiles of the dispersion...” (I Pet
1:1). And he said in 1:17 that they
should “...conduct yourselves with fear
throughout the time of your exile...” Our citizenship is in heaven. Because
that is true, if we live in the light of the absolute truth that our King has revealed, we will clash
with what is culturally acceptable and popular in the world. We are not called
to be popular. We are called to be salt and light. We get in trouble when we
lose sight of what is really important and get too comfortable in the world.
The things we are most drawn to are “shadows” of what will be. The best is yet
to come! Our hope is in a new heaven and a new earth in which righteousness
dwells. So, knowing who’s we are and who we are…
Live like an alien: “Abstain
from the passions of the flesh...” What passions of the flesh are we talking
about? A good text to look at is
Galatians 5:17-21 where the Apostle Paul is contrasting the works of the
flesh and the fruit of the Spirit...
17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and
the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each
other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the
Spirit, you are not under the law. 19
Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity,
sensuality, 20 idolatry,
sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions,
divisions, 21 envy,
drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before,
that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
These are things that are inconsistent with our life in
the Spirit. If they dominate our lives it is cause to question whether we truly
belong to Him. What we should see is the good life, the things that Paul
describes next as the “fruit of the Spirit” in Gal 5:22-25...
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no
law. 24 And those who belong
to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let
us also walk by the Spirit.
Because we are at war: Peter
says that we are to abstain from the passions of the flesh “...which war against your soul...” Do
you have any doubt that we are in a spiritual war? The Enemy would exploit our weaknesses – he
has been around for a long time and he is an expert on leading people away from
the Lord, of whispering his lies into our ears and inviting us to question
God’s goodness. Avail yourself of God’s
armor. Remember that the battle is the Lord’s. Yield to the indwelling Spirit
and then, as a pilgrim in this fallen
world, live the good life, a life that brings glory to God.
II. The Pilgrim’s
Conduct:
As we live in the
world (12a). First, we are called to be Light in the
darkness: By living differently we shine the light of
Jesus into the world... “Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable…”
The
first thing that Peter addresses is the question of our “...conduct....” [i.e. our way of life],which
speaks more loudly perhaps than our verbal profession. The word “conduct” [anastrophe]
appears 13 times in the New Testament, 8 of those in Peter’s two short letters,
obviously a word that is very important to Peter’s idea of the Christian life.
The English translations render this word as “life,” “way of life,” or “conduct,”
depending on the context. In most cases it is referring to the visible
outworking of our life and faith. Look first at the five times writers other
than Peter use the term…
Galatians 1:13 “For you have heard of my former life
in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy
it.”
Ephesians 4:22 “...to put off
your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt
through deceitful desires...”
1 Timothy 4:12 “Let no one despise you for your youth, but
set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith,
in purity.”
Hebrews 13:7 “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to
you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and
imitate their faith.”
James 3:13 “Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct
let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.”
The idea seems to be the practical outworking
of our life, the visible things that characterize us. “Religion” that shows
itself by action. The “works” of faith. Peter uses the same word eight
times! Here are a couple that we’ve already seen...
1 Pet 1:15 “...but as he
who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct...”
I Pet 1:18 “...knowing that you
were ransomed from the futile ways [or, “futile way of life”] inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable
things such as silver or gold...”
And a couple of
more references we’ll see in the next chapter...
I Pet 3:1-2 (ESV) “Likewise, wives, be subject
to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be
won without a word by the conduct of their wives when they see your
respectful and pure conduct.”
1 Pet 3:16 (NLT) “But do this in a gentle and
respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you,
they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you
belong to Christ.”
So, Peter is telling them how they should live
“among the gentiles.” He is not saying that they should form
Christian communes and separate themselves from the world. They are to live “among”
the gentiles. The point is that they are in
the world, they are dispersed among the nations, they are salt sprinkled among
the heathen nations, seeds scattered in the world. They are in the
world, but they are not “of” the world. They are not to be conformed to the world. Or, as J.B.
Philips paraphrased Romans 12:2, “Don’t
let the world force you into its mold!” Rather, right where they are, Peter
is encouraging them to live differently, as God’s representatives to the world,
for His glory.
The
admonition is straight forward, “Live the good
life!” The ESV translates “...honorable...” which makes sense in the
context, the ideas are certainly closely connected. The word itself literally means “good” [kalos] and is translated that way
hundreds of times. The same word is used by the translators of the Septuagint (LXX)
who use it seven or eight times in the first chapter of Genesis to translate
the Hebrew word tov, or “good.” God created the universe
purposefully, by design. It was morally and spiritually excellent, without
fault, without sin. It was “good.” And God has revealed throughout history his
commitment to His design for creation. Sin corrupted the “good” that God had
created. God sent the Son to make it possible for fallen humans to be justified
and reconciled to our Good God. And so, Paul could say in Galatians, “I have been crucified with Christ,
nevertheless I live.” (Gal 2:20).
The old nature is defeated, the problem is it doesn’t always know it. It
is dying, but not yet completely dead.
We have been crucified with
Christ! How then should we live? Paul asked the Romans
“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may
abound? 2 By no means! How
can we who died to sin still live in it?” (Rom 6:1,2).
Your old nature is crucified; it just doesn’t know that it is dead, and so we choose,
we strive, to live the “good life.” As a
pilgrim in this fallen world, choose to live your life for the glory of
God.
III. The Pilgrim’s Witness: To bring glory to God (12b). “…so that when they speak against
you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of
visitation.
“...so that...” This is the purpose of so
living: Our conduct will “win over” the unbeliever, and ultimately, bring glory
to God. Our life has a high purpose! People will see something authentic,
something they long for, even though they don’t know why. When we live our faith,
we gain a hearing. That’s the idea we
see in the chapter 3 when Peter talks about the influence a godly wife can have
on her unbelieving husband…
“Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that
even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the
conduct of their wives- 2
when they see your respectful and pure conduct.” (I Pet 3:1-2).
The
beauty of a life that reflects the presence and grace of God will impact those
who are closest to us.
We’ve talked quite a bit over this last year about this principle. The
Greek word “oikos” means “house” or “household,”
but I am using it to refer to the people in our close sphere of influence
(experts say usually between 8-15 people), family, neighbors, co-workers,
people that we interact with on a regular basis (cf. Mk 5:19). Some of them
don’t know Christ, and they are our first mission field. Over time they know us,
and they are watching us. And those who don’t know Christ can either see in us
an example and motivation to believe, or they can be given an “excuse” not to
believe. We are not perfect. Do you see any perfect people around you? The
person next to you? My Dad, who was not
a believer, used to quote a song that said, “It’s hard to be humble when you’re
perfect in every way!” Well, that is not
us, none of us is perfect. But, believer, by God’s grace, you are forgiven. Now
live like a child of the King!
Our
conduct is evidence that God is at work, and He gets the glory! Paul said to the Corinthians, “...whatever you do, do all to the glory of God...”
(I Cor 10:31b). How do we do that? For one thing it means that we intentionally
focus on living a Christ-centered life. Elizabeth Eliot wrote a book on the
life of Amy Carmichael. She said of her,
[Amy Carmichael's] great longing was to have a
"single eye" for the glory of God. What-ever might blur the vision
God had given her of His work, whatever could distract or deceive or tempt
other to seek anything but the Lord Jesus Himself she tried to eliminate.
A
little later in this letter Peter will spell out some details about what a life
looks like that brings glory to God. We read in 1 Peter 4:8-11 (ESV)...
8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love
covers a multitude of sins. 9
Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 As each has received a gift,
use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: 11 whoever speaks, as one who
speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that
God supplies- in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus
Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
We live the “good life,” and God gets the glory. If find we our joy and our
purpose for living in Him, if, as Peter has reminded us, He is more precious
than anything this world could offer, if we find our contentment in Him
regardless of circumstances, God will be glorified. So, even if for a
little while we suffer, let’s persist in doing good, in “living the good life”!
Peter will also say in chapter 4,
14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are
blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. 15 But let none of you suffer as a
murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. 16 Yet if anyone suffers as a
Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name... 19
Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a
faithful Creator while doing good...
What is God saying to me in
this passage? As a
pilgrim in this fallen world, you are called to live your life for the glory of
God.
What would God have me to do in
response to this passage? Are you “living the good life”? I don’t mean to ask what car you drive or
what house you live in, or how big your bank account is. Those things are fine,
but they are not going to last. Are you living the abundant life, the life
with meaning, the good life for which you were created?
If you know Jesus as your Savior you can
be assured that God chose you on purpose, for a purpose. He knew you before the
foundation of the world and He planned your part in His story. And yes, right now, for a little while, you
are an alien and an exile. You are in this fallen world, but you were created
for something better. This world is not your home, you are a pilgrim, passing
through. As you seek to discover your part in God’s story, and then live, in
submission to his lordship, you will find joy on the journey, and people will
notice, and God will be glorified. To
God be the glory, AMEN.
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