Scripture
12Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.[1]
Respecting People in Authority
13For the Lord’s sake, submit to all human authority—whether the king as head of state, 14or the officials he has appointed. For the king has sent them to punish those who do wrong and to honor those who do right.
15It is God’s will that your honorable lives should silence those ignorant people who make foolish accusations against you. 16For you are free, yet you are God’s slaves, so don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. 17Respect everyone, and love the family of believers.[2] Fear God, and respect the king.
Slaves
18You who are slaves must submit to your masters with all respect.[3] Do what they tell you—not only if they are kind and reasonable, but even if they are cruel. 19For God is pleased when, conscious of his will, you patiently endure unjust treatment. 20Of course, you get no credit for being patient if you are beaten for doing wrong. But if you suffer for doing good and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you.
21For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered[4] for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.
22He never sinned,
nor ever deceived anyone.[5]
23He did not retaliate when he was insulted,
nor threaten revenge when he suffered.
He left his case in the hands of God,
who always judges fairly.
24He personally carried our sins
in his body on the cross
so that we can be dead to sin
and live for what is right.
By his wounds
you are healed.
25Once you were like sheep
who wandered away.
But now you have turned to your Shepherd,
the Guardian of your souls.
Translation notes (5)
- 2:12 Or on the day of visitation.
- 2:17 Greek love the brotherhood.
- 2:18 Or because you fear God; Greek reads in all fear.
- 2:21 Some manuscripts read died.
- 2:22 Isa 53:9.
Living Godly Lives in a Pagan Society
12Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
Have you ever stuck out like a sore thumb? I certainly have, and I do not like it. We all have times where we stand out. For example, have you ever had your cell phone go off in a silent room? Even though we have all been there, it is still embarrassing every time. We often think of sticking out in a crowd negatively, but that is not always the case. The truth is, followers of Christ are called to be a people who stand out and that sticking out is not a bad thing. We are called to look differently than the rest of the world because of our faith in Jesus, and when we live this way, we point people straight to Him.
Scripture calls followers of Christ to live in such a way that they stand out to the rest of the world. Peter puts it this way in 1 Peter 2: “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us” (verse 12). In a world where everyone is living for themselves, Peter calls Christ followers to live differently. He calls us to live “good lives.” This certainly makes Christ followers stand out.
When we live differently than the rest of the world, everyone notices. That is the beauty of sticking out. Not only does everyone notice, but Peter teaches that our actions point others straight to God. That is what we want to happen, right? We all want to see others experience the joy of living in a relationship with Christ.
Sticking out may make us feel out of place sometimes, but it is temporary. The joy of seeing others come to know Christ is eternal. You may never know the impact that your life has on the people around you. Let’s commit to living our lives in such a way that we point people straight to Christ so that they, too, will experience the eternal life that is only found in Him.
Moving Toward Action
Commit today to point others around you to Christ. Find one person today and share with them your two-minute story of what your life was like before Christ, how you came to know Christ, and the difference He has made in your life. As you share your story with them, make sure to tell them that Christ wants to work in their lives, too. Then, commit to sharing your two-minute story with even more people when you have the chance.
Going Deeper
1 Peter 2:12-25 (NLT)
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