Bible Text: 1 Peter 2:17-25 | Preacher: Pastor Joe Ricchuiti | Series: 1 Peter, God’s Commendation

Peter summarizes a Christian’s duty in 2:17 in the following way:

-treat everyone with respect, Christian and non-Christian alike, as a unique creation of God

-treat brother and sisters in Christ with love

-be fully devoted to God (heart, soul, body, mind strength)

-show respect to those in government for their position’s sake

Christians are to patiently endure personal injustice because:

-this finds favor with God, It please Him and wins His approval

-we are conscious of God, that is, we are aware that God knows and shares our suffering, that we are conscious of His presence with us.

-devotion to God must override personal considerations. It is the natural thing to do to fight back. It takes the grace of God to let Him fight the battle.

“…some picture our Lord as a revolutionary and a leader in civil disobedience. He is described by some as a serious threat to established law and order or as conspiring to overthrow the established government. To be sure Jesus was a threat to the religious establishment of His day, but not to the political kingdom of Rome…Jesus was not an anarchist trying to overthrow Rome, nor did He spend His time protesting the political sins of Rome.” “The Christian’s primary responsibilities are evangelism and godly living. Through witnessing he changes men; through righteous living he affects society; through private and public obedience he honors God.” (Dr. Charles C. Ryrie)
“Jesus who conquered evil as the Son of Man never underestimated evil. He never treated it lightly. His victory over evil was at the price of His lifeblood. Hence He never wasted His time trying to deliver Israel from Roman oppression, never dissipated His strength tangling with Herod. He knew the real Enemy and realized his strength and concentrated everything on his defeat. The saints of God had better be doing likewise.” (Richard Bieber)