What do our good works have to do with faith?

Peter opens his letter to a persecuted church concerning this salvation with blessings.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…

The Apostle calls us to holy living and then continues by defining it.

1 Peter 2:

Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all slander.

Peter asks new Christians to ‘desire the pure milk of the word, so that you may grow up into your salvation, if you have tasted that the Lord is good.‘ He then continues by contrasting Christ, as the Living Stone of the Temple, to those who reject Jesus as a stone over which they stumble because they disobey God.

This brings Peter to call upon all Christians to do good works now that we are no longer part of worldly unbelievers destined to destruction.

Good Works

1 Peter 2:11-

11 [YLT] Beloved, I call upon [you], as strangers and sojourners, to keep from the fleshly desires, that war against the soul…

Where do you stand with Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, asks Peter?

• Are you now a stranger to the worldly and sojourner through this mortal life?
• Or do you cling to those same fleshly desires which always drag our flesh into sin and our souls into judgement?

Live honorably among unbelievers

12 [CEB] Live honorably among the unbelievers. Today, they defame you, as if you were doing evil.

Young’s Literal Translation speaks of ‘having your behaviour among the nations right’ and the NASB states: ‘Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles.’

Believers know God and true followers of the Way of Christ Jesus have received the Holy Spirit through His grace. We must live differently, Peter urges us. And he also gives a reason for good works through our honorable witness to those who do not yet believe.

Though unbelievers accuse us as if we are doing evil (which, of course, they commit as well), ‘they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.’ [NIV]

How do others recognize Christ through our good works?

In a word, subjugation; Christians submit to authority for our Lord’s sake.

Submit yourselves

I can tell you right now that you are not going to like this next part… because I don’t. I resist it and want to talk about freedom and grace instead.

Submit to every human authority because of the Lord, whether to the emperor as the supreme authority or to governors as those sent out by him to punish those who do what is evil and to praise those who do what is good.

1 Peter 2:13 CSB

You may say, “Emperor? That doesn’t apply to me.” But other versions use the example of ‘every human authority’ as ‘the king.’ And note that governors are sent out to praise those who do good, but to punish those who do evil.

The sword of scripture gets even sharper by our examination of other versions.

Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme… 1 Peter 2:13 KJV

“Every ordinance of man?”

A King, County Commissioner, Mayor… President of either political party? Ordinance, as in every Law passed by Congress or Parliament? I don’t like it one bit.

The one in authority.

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

Philippians 2:3-4 NASB

“Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,” Paul writes to the church in Philippians 2:5.

Submit yourself for the Lord’s sake.

It’s hard for us to act like Jesus. His humility is not the first thing that comes to mind in our witness of His benefits to us. Paul give us the reason in his letter to the Romans:

“because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so.” – Romans 8:7

We do not want to submit to anyone, yet because of our faith must do so ‘because of the Lord.’

1 Peter 2:15 For it is God’s will that you silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good. 16 Submit as free people, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but as God’s slaves.

Slaves

There’s another word we don’t like. (Not very politically correct either.) -Slaves! Submit as God’s slaves.

Shall we water it down or dilute scripture’s meaning?

Some English translations call on us to become ‘bondservants’ of God and others simplify it with the word ‘servant.’

Maybe that’s a little better, like a butler, gardener, waitress or food delivery person at your door. I might occasionally take on the role as a servant of God with minimal complaint. The actual Greek word is δοῦλος doulos.

• a slave, bondman, man of servile condition
  • (of the Lord, maybe, but not likely to other men)
• metaph., one who gives himself up to another’s will those whose service is used by Christ in extending and advancing his cause among men
  • How can I do that?
• devoted to another to the disregard of one’s own interests
  • This is Peter’s meaning for Christ’s servants.

Honor by Christian Servants

I could mention names here, causing dissension between the believers, but honor in our public witness by ‘christians’ frequently falls far short. I’ll just ask you (and myself), “Do you honor those Peter lists as a bondservant of God?

Honor everyone. Love the family of believers. Have respectful fear of God. Honor the emperor.

1 Peter 2:17 Common English Bible

Honor everyone? I cannot keep words that do not honor some from my witness to unbelievers.

Love everyone in our church? Is Peter serious? We are a bunch of sinners! And as Paul once suggested I can claim, ‘of whom I am the worst.’ The good works of Grace between Christians can be our most challenging witness. I have already mentioned that ‘the emperor could be the king, president or other most powerful government leader. Examine your own witness.

Please note that Peter points to everyone or the world first. Then he narrows into our relational connection to others in the church. Peter reminds us to fear God. (Look it up.) And lastly, in essence, honor civil leaders responsible for the good works of our society at all level.

Good Works of Christ’s Good Servants

Next Peter will outline the reasons for us to serve from our various stations of this life in the flesh, a moral life of good works serving others. These include: masters and slaves, husbands and wives.

Will you witness Christ when persecuted?

Do your good works glorify God?

To be continued...