16 Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. 17 Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor. ~ 1 Peter 2:16-17
Today, we continue our study of 1 Peter 2 where Peter has been instructing us on God's culture regarding how we should respond to human authority. We are what defines us. When God defines us, we will treat others, no matter who they are or what they do, with the greatest of respect. This does not mean that we are to mindlessly tolerate any behavior that is sinful. But every single person deserves to be honored because everyone has been made by God in His image.
Having believed that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, Christians have decided to be defined by God. So, when He tells us to submit to the authority structure in our lives, we follow suit. And, the result is freedom, real freedom. This freedom is the ability to live in concert to what God created us to do, to live according to His specifications regarding life.
In v.16 of today's passage we read, "Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves."
In the movie Braveheart, the most free man in the movie was William Wallace, even though he was apprehended, imprisoned and exterminated by the King of England. He was most free because he was not in bondage to the things of this world like the "noblemen" in that movie. And, as a result these "noblemen" were culpable of the crime of rape and thievery that was being exacted upon Scotland and her women by the English and King Longshanks. The "noblemen" were defined by the wealth, status and land of this world, whereas Wallace was content whatever his circumstances.
The most free people in the world are those who have learned to be defined by God and are therefore the most content. This is what the Apostle meant here when we wrote, "live as God’s slaves." This makes all of the sense in this world since God has the blueprint to our souls. God has seen fit for us to see our way out of darkness into His liberating light. We have passed from death to light but we still find ourselves at times being defined by the darkness. Even that serves us because it is His light that continues to liberate us into the life the Lord Jesus died to give us.
Our whole disposition of freedom and joy and fearlessness and radical otherness is rooted in our belonging to God and being defined by Him. The key to this paradox is God. As a result of entering into a personal relationship with Him, we are learning to be more and more defined by Him and when this happens, we will experience more and more of His freedom. Out of His leading, we fear no man and we live for the truth.
There is a progression in these verses. First, give to all humans respect and honor. Then, there is a brotherly love that is to be given all other believers in Christ. Then, there is a special respect appropriate only for God. We are not slaves of men, and so we do not fear men. We give them honor. And we love other believers in Christ, but we ultimately bow to God's absolute authority. In so doing we honor others, even the emperor. This honor is the proper respect that everyone deserves because we all bare the image of God in our souls.
When we get to this place, this place which is counter-cultural to this world, we will be able to authoritatively say with the late Mike Yaconelli, "Freedom in Christ means I am free from everyone else’s definition of freedom for me. Because I am free in Christ, when it comes to my relationship with Him, He is the only one I answer to. Because I am free in Christ, I am free from other people’s concern that I might not use my freedom well."
In v.16 of today's passage we read, "Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves."
These words do not jive with the previous words of Peter admonishing us to submit to human authority. That is until we are being defined by God. While most people think of freedom and submission as opposites, biblically speaking, if we submit to God, we will give up our freedoms. And, as a result, we will gain a greater freedom of being defined more and more to God, to the One who designed us. True living is living according to our Maker's design of us.
In the movie Braveheart, the most free man in the movie was William Wallace, even though he was apprehended, imprisoned and exterminated by the King of England. He was most free because he was not in bondage to the things of this world like the "noblemen" in that movie. And, as a result these "noblemen" were culpable of the crime of rape and thievery that was being exacted upon Scotland and her women by the English and King Longshanks. The "noblemen" were defined by the wealth, status and land of this world, whereas Wallace was content whatever his circumstances.
The most free people in the world are those who have learned to be defined by God and are therefore the most content. This is what the Apostle meant here when we wrote, "live as God’s slaves." This makes all of the sense in this world since God has the blueprint to our souls. God has seen fit for us to see our way out of darkness into His liberating light. We have passed from death to light but we still find ourselves at times being defined by the darkness. Even that serves us because it is His light that continues to liberate us into the life the Lord Jesus died to give us.
In addition, there are times when we must go back into the darkness, not that we are defined by the darkness, but for the sake of others because there are people trapped in there. And, as free people who live by God's values, we submit freely, not cowering before human authorities, but gladly obeying our one true King, the God of the Bible. This is true living, true freedom because it is being lived with eternities values in view.
Our whole disposition of freedom and joy and fearlessness and radical otherness is rooted in our belonging to God and being defined by Him. The key to this paradox is God. As a result of entering into a personal relationship with Him, we are learning to be more and more defined by Him and when this happens, we will experience more and more of His freedom. Out of His leading, we fear no man and we live for the truth.
In v.17 of today's passage we read, "Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor."
There is a progression in these verses. First, give to all humans respect and honor. Then, there is a brotherly love that is to be given all other believers in Christ. Then, there is a special respect appropriate only for God. We are not slaves of men, and so we do not fear men. We give them honor. And we love other believers in Christ, but we ultimately bow to God's absolute authority. In so doing we honor others, even the emperor. This honor is the proper respect that everyone deserves because we all bare the image of God in our souls.
When we get to this place, this place which is counter-cultural to this world, we will be able to authoritatively say with the late Mike Yaconelli, "Freedom in Christ means I am free from everyone else’s definition of freedom for me. Because I am free in Christ, when it comes to my relationship with Him, He is the only one I answer to. Because I am free in Christ, I am free from other people’s concern that I might not use my freedom well."
