Following Jesus’ Example

Click here for the audio message of 1 Peter 2:11-25

The first portion of 1 Peter chapter 2 deals with Christ as being the Cornerstone of the Christian’s life. He is the perfect example of life. All Christians should model their life after His.

With Christ we can come into the presence of God. We are the priests. We are the Holy Nation. We are God’s chosen people. We are His children. We should read, study, and apply His Word in our life.

Peter begins our portion of Scripture today by continuing that theme of following the example of Jesus. We are to live a righteous life in this fallen, hostile world. We are foreigners here, our true home, our true citizenship is in Heaven.

This earth is just a temporary place for us to carry out God’s work until we are all called to our eternal home. While we are here, however, we do have some obligations if you will.

First, Christians have an obligation to strangers. In verse 11, Peter tells us to abstain from fleshly lusts. We are to not only abstain from them but we are to stay away from them completely.

In order to have an impact on the world we, as Christians, must show that we are indeed different. We must avoid the desires of this world, not only from an external standpoint, but internally as well.

Fleshly desires are all encompassing. These things, these desires, these lusts literally wage war against the Christian. It is a desire for health, wealth, beauty, fun, and so on. These desires, especially when taken to the extreme, will destroy the Christian’s joy, peace, and ultimately their usefulness to God.

Our behavior should not follow after the lusts of the world. Instead it should be excellent, pure, noble. The world should recognize that we are different. The world saw Christ was different, some believed and some persecuted Him. We should expect the same.

Our second obligation in this world is to the government. We are to submit ourselves to the government. We are under the civil law and authority. God has placed these governments in charge to protect the good people and punish the evildoers.

Therefore, when we live obediently and submit to the authorities we are honoring God and He is glorified through our conduct. The only time a Christian should disobey the government is when it tries to force a Christian to do what is against the law of God explicitly state in Scripture.

Christ submitted Himself to the governing authorities. He paid His taxes and obeyed and submitted to the government with regards to worldly, civil activities.

Our third obligation is to our masters. Today we would say, “Employees, be subject to your bosses.” Just because we are Christians doesn’t make us any better than anybody else. We are all still sinners in need of a Savior.

There are certain social structure in place in society, such as the employee / employer relationship. We are not to rebel against that structure no matter how unfair it may be. This is a difficult thing for most of us to deal with.

Luckily, here in the United States and especially in Pennsylvania, we are considered “at will” employees. Meaning, I can leave my job any time and my employer could fire me at any time too. It is at will employment. I willing work for my employer and they willingly employ me.

Some places around the world are not like that. Some places still have a caste system in place that says if you are born into a farming family you will be a farmer. There is no choice.

Either way, we are to submit to our masters. Again, the same holds true as with the government. If our boss asks us to do something against the word of God we should not do it. Furthermore, if our boss asks us to do something that is against the law of the land we are not to do it either.

Whenever we submit ourselves, we do it voluntarily. We do this for our testimony for Christ. Especially when we are treated unfairly. We are to take our treatment knowing that God sees and knows all and we are under His care.

That is certainly what Christ did. As a human person, He didn’t want to be persecuted and be nailed to the cross. His prayer in the garden shows that. He prays, if there is another way, lets do that instead, but not what I want, but your will be done.

Christ was and is the perfect example of patient endurance in unjust suffering because He was sinless. Christ suffered not simply as the Christian’s pattern, but far more importantly as the Christian’s substitute. To bear the sins of His people.

Christ bore the punishment and the penalty for believers and satisfied our Holy God. This is the heart of the Gospel. Christ died for you.

We are to honor all people. We are to have a respect for human life and treat people accordingly. We are to love other believers. We are to fear God. We are to receive Christ into our lives as the perfect example to follow.

Think about how you act in this world. Do you act in a Godly manner? Or do you seek revenge when others try to hurt you or your family.

Make no mistake about it, if you are living a Christ like life, you will be mistreated. Just remember that God sees and knows all. Pray for the strength to resist the temptation to seek your own revenge.

Pray for the person offending you. Pray that God will open their eyes and their hearts to see the error of their ways and to receive Christ into their life. We are to love our enemies.

Are you following Jesus’ example?

Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank you for giving us your Word and not just Your Word on paper, but Your Word in the flesh. Help us to truly live as you would have us to live. Strengthen us to be submissive to those in charge, ruling over us.

Help us to extend that great mercy and love that you gave us to others. Help us to resist the temptation to seek revenge on our own. Guide us in our journey as we strive to follow Christ closer and closer each day.

AMEN.