1 Peter 2:11-12 The War for Souls

Peter has said “this is who you are in Christ Jesus”

* If you are in Christ it is because you have received mercy, being born again to a living hope. (this makes you an exile)

* Having been born again by the Holy Spirit “be who you are, and you are Holy.”

* Since all of your life is now lived before the face of a holy God – vertically

* Therefore – love your neighbor, put away community destroying sins in 2:1-4; and live as the new living temple of God.

* Today, you are a member of a community that lives and worships in grace and truth. You have received mercy. Now, Consider how living in conformity to who you are in Christ will affect your neighbors. Consider your conduct among unbelievers.

Today we are examining how Honorable living as a follower of Jesus– ought to cause people to seriously consider Jesus and the Gospel because they have seen the transformation that occurs in a Christian community.

Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. [12] Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. (1 Peter 2:11-12 ESV)

#1 The Reality of “being the bad guys”

#2 The Reality & Goal of the war for your soul

#3 Moving from Defense to Offense: Good Deeds That God May be Glorified

#1 The Reality of “being the bad guys” – v. 12 “when they speak against you as evildoers”

Gollum frames Sam for stealing food and “being a bad fat hobbit.” Frodo, shows love and compassion to Gollum…But actually as much as a love Sam. Sam quite possibly drives Smeagol back into being Gollum by his unkind conduct towards him. But at the end of the Day, Gollum looked for every opportunity to say, look he’s the bad guy, I am the good guy trust me.

That is how the Romans, the Greek Culture often viewed Christians in the 1st century. They did not worship the right gods, they were anti-social, they were subject to willful misinterpretation. And so Peter gives this warning of the uphill climb, When your neighbor speaks against you as an evildoer, are you going to give them any ammunition to think that plausible? Or will you help them to Glorify God by seeing your light.

Peter says in v. 11, “Dear Friends, Beloved in Christ” – You are loved by God. You are secure in Christ…Let us now consider more than ourselves, more than indeed our immediate church Family. Because we live as a Light. A City on a Hill and the world, people enslaved to their flesh and the devil are watching…we are always witnesses and 1 Peter 2;12 says we always stand before “hostile witnesses”

And as those who are Free we now are being empowered by the Holy Spirit to honor Christ and be children of light,

Ed Clowney reminds us that for the believer, “The dark blindness of sinful selfishness is gone; [believers] are free to love. They are also free to honour unbelievers as God's creatures, and to respect the role of authority given to each one.” – Ed Clowney

Love God. Love your Family. Love Church. Love our believing neighbors….even love the neighbor who thinks being a Christian means you are the “bad guys”

Remember, Every generation has areas where they praise Christian virtues but every generation has areas where they strongly reject what is good and true and beautiful. The bible has a challenging all of life encompassing ethic and we must boldly live according to the bible’s definition of “Honor” in both the areas that our culture dislikes and the areas our culture likes.

We should not make the mistake of self-righteous PRIDE that is living as Christians just to stick it to the culture. Or COWARDICE: Where we hide our compromise with the world by only living Christianly in those areas our culture approves.

So Peter Calls us today: Live Honorably in a society that assumes you are a dishonorable exile. Live honorably to those who expect “societally defined evil” as far as you can. Because you are Free in Christ. You have belonging, freedom, and a true heavenly King so you can in matters of general human society honor earthly authorities. So #1 That is the reality of “being the bad guys.”

#2 The Reality & Goal of the war for your soul

The Goal is the salvation of your neighbor. The Goal of our godly living : that they may see your good deeds and so may Glorify God when they stand before the throne on Judgement day.

The Reality is that you must wage war against your own flesh if you are to give Honor to Christ. In order to achieve that Goal.

How do we wage war against the Flesh?

First always remember We are sojourners