This is an hour for you to rededicate your life.
It is a mistake to feel the church goes forward on wings of a program. No, everything stands or falls with the quality of our personal lives. In some churches there is a maneuvering and jostling in order to gain prominence and power. But there is something far more important than whether we are a church teacher or leader. It is this: Is your life clear and right with God? Think of Jesus walking on the water and Peter sinking nearby. Could the Lord have answered his cry for help unless He had His own footing secure? Surely, Peter was in no position to help anyone!
We can consecrate ourselves to the Lord Jesus Christ by looking at our text, I Peter 2:11-25, and determining to obey the three basic commands here.
I. ABSTAIN FROM LUSTS
See this in verse 11 – “Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul.”
Notice we are addressed here as “foreigners and exiles.” The Christian life demands a certain unfamiliarity with worldly desires which surround us. James 4:4 “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.” Furthermore, our designation as pilgrims implies that we have our citizenship some place else and that we are in transition. For now, we are unknown refugees but beloved of God, and that is enough.
Our text warns us that fleshly lusts war against the soul — stealing time , dividing interests, stimulating wrong desires, and destroying our confidence with God. It is impossible to continue in some sin and maintain a confident prayer life or Christian witness, let alone have happy thoughts about meeting the Lord! Study I Corinthians 6:18-20.
II. AVOID OFFENSE
A Christian must never cause needless antagonism. Rather, his must be a good, upright, wholesome, attractive life, even among wicked people. In the showdown, they will be forced to admit that your works are good and thus glory will come to God. Read this in verse 12.
Next, Peter speaks about our civil and community responsibilities. Study verses 13-15. Then he proceeds to warn against using our spiritual freedom as a cover-up for evil doings.
See further verse 17 where we are taught to honor civil authorities, reverence God, love our Christian brothers, and complete the circle of all our relationships by giving due respect for all men. Some Christians feel they are duty bound not to think well of sinners. This is a serious mistake. We ought not to think well of their sin, but we must regard every one as a person and have respect for whatever responsibilities they might hold. Ponder these words by C. S. Lewis: “I remember that when Christian teachers told me long ago that I must hate a bad man’s actions but not the man, I used to think this a silly, straw-splitting distinction: how could you hate what a man did and not hate the man? But years later it occurred to me that there was one man to whom I had been doing this all my life, — namely, myself.”
III. ALLOW TESTINGS
The next words in our text are directed to domestic servants. Some of these were in a rather painful slavery but here we see God’s concern for them. The Lord lays out special instruction to meet their need. Let none in God’s family feel they are of no worth to Him. Indeed, those who are the most battered with affliction often bring a special sweetness into the assembly of believers much like the crushed rose petal gives its perfume.
Those under difficult masters are encouraged to respond with respect. Each man, with an eye to God’s will for him, is to bear up under his lot of trial or suffering. This pleases God. (Verses 18-20) Wailing and complaining ruin and discredit the Christian life, virtually accusing God who rules providentially. We are neither to buckle or bellow but to take our share of suffering patiently. Those who do so will prove that the entire Christian doctrine is true and workable in every situation. How desperately a church needs those who bear their affliction with patience and a good heart. Verse 21 – “To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.”
Now it is true that the task assigned to our Lord — that of bearing all our sin in His own body on the cross — was a staggering exceptional one. However, if we dedicate ourselves to be like Jesus in the way we guard our lips during trial (22, 23) then we shall be able to fill our lot in life just as he did. You see, Jesus did not waste time and energy fighting back, defending Himself, or endlessly protecting Himself. He was neither exhausted by sinful inner struggle nor needless antagonism with the world. Nor did He question His Father’s leading. There was a complete surrender to God.
Go over the main points of this message again and make your surrender to our Lord Jesus Christ a complete one. He has every right to our undivided loyalty.