I Peter 2:13-18
Verse 13, Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme;
The reason we submit ourselves to the ordinances of man is not just to do what those in authority command us to do. We have an ulterior motive. Our intention is to please the Lord, for the Lord has put these people in the place of authority they occupy.
Verse 14, Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.
There are two things that God has established government to do.
I. Government is to punish the evildoers.
A. A government has no right before God to enact any law that is contrary to the Bible.
B. Any government that acts against the precepts laid down in God's Holy Word will suffer the consequences of that act.
II. Government is to reward those that do well.
Verse 15, For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:
I. For so is the will of God.
A. Eph. 5:17 - Some people spend their entire lives wondering what the will of God is for them.
1. There is no need to be confused about what God wants you do to.
2. Many things are outlined in detail for us, if we will only take the time to read the Bible.
3. Those things that are not given in detail for us need not remain a mystery. If we will seek the peace of God, we will be in the will of God.
4. I Thess. 4:3 - Another part of the will of God is for us to be sanctified, and abstain from fornication.
II. That with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.
A. Notice that our words will have no bearing on the foolish.
1. If words meant anything to the foolish, they wouldn't say so many foolish things.
2. Proverbs 26:4,5 - "Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him. Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit." This scripture means that a fool will not hear our words of wisdom, and there is no need of trying to get him to understand. But as we live before him in a Godly manner, he will understand, although he may never be able to voice what he sees with his eyes.
B. Foolish men are ignorant, but they are not silent.
1. I have seen many people flock around the person that always has something to say about a given subject. Those people are about as foolish as the person talking. They won't hear anything you have to say either.
2. Our acting like "Christians" will do more to help them understand the truth of God's Word than all our talking, for they simply don't have the capacity to understand spiritual things.
Verse 16, As free, and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.
I. As Free.
A. Not unto them, but unto God.
1. We are not accountable to those foolish scoffers for they would make us ashamed of our service to God and thereby force us to turn away from serving God.
2. We are free unto God.
B. We must be sure we aren't being good to those foolish scoffers in order to deceive, or to cover up ill feelings toward them.
1. We must say, "God will get you by and by!"
2. We must be honest in our hearts before God.
II. We are totally free from all restraints because we are the children of God.
A. We can do anything in the world and still be the children of God.
1. The question is: "Will we willingly commit sin because we are the children of God?" NO!!
2. This passage is not talking about our liberty in Christ, but it is talking about how we are free to let the other person do what they want to do even if they are sinning. We can let them do their thing, while we do our thing.
B. We have no right to be malicious, but the responsibility to be Christ like.
Verse 17, Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.
I. Honour all men.
A. There is no qualification to this command.
B. We are to honor all men according to their station in life.
1. If one man is a high government official, we are to honor him as he serves in his position.
2. If another man is a "trash collector", we are to honor that man as he serves in his position.
3. If a man is wicked, we are not to honor that man, but the position he holds.
II. Love the brotherhood.
A. The brotherhood is specifically speaking about the brotherhood of believers.
B. The command is to honor all men, but to love the brotherhood.
C. This scripture is not saying that the only people we are to love are believers.
1. Matt. 5:44 - Jesus commands us to love our enemies.
2. Gal. 6:10 - We are to love all people, regardless of who they are, but we do have a special love for believers, for we have a common bond with them.
D. What about those believers who are not in total agreement with us on doctrines?
1. We are commanded to love them also.
2. If we love them like God commands, it just might be that God will use our fellowship in those things we believe alike on, to "open the door" so we can discuss those things we disagree on.
3. These discussions just might lead that believer into a deeper knowledge of God's truth than they had before.
4. Of course, it also might teach us a thing or two!
III. Fear God.
A. This means a reverential respect for God.
B. Not be to afraid of God.
IV. Honour the king.
A. Isn't the command to honor the king under the command to honor all men?
B. Yes, but we especially ought to consider the position of those people God has place over us on this earth.
1. The position they hold doesn't mean they are better than anybody else.
2. It just means God has given them the authority to command others. Along with this authority also comes responsibility.
a. It might be good to give a discourse on how God always gives authority and responsibility together.
b. He never gives the authority without giving the responsibility that goes with that authority.
c. He also never gives the responsibility of a thing without giving the authority of that thing.
d. This principle is always very, very good for church members to remember when they think about the authority God has given their pastor, and how their pastor is responsibility to God for how he pastors them.
Verse 18, Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.
I. Servants.
A. We are all servants in one way or another.
B. The president of the United States is really a servant of the people, even though he is the leader of all.
1. This principle applies to every job, or family.
2. It also applies to the pastor of a church and his relationship with the church members.
II. Note the different personalities of leaders.
A. Some mistakenly think that a leader must have a certain "leadership personality".
1. This personality is generally thought of as being visible, loud, forceful, having control of every detail of the organization.
2. Some think a leader is invisible, quiet, soft spoken and lets his followers do what they want to do.
B. Regardless of what people think, God can use both kinds of leaders.
1. From the side of the leader:
a. If you are forceful and outspoken, God can use you as a leader. You will have to be careful that you don't destroy the people you are trying to lead.
b. If you are quiet and gentle, God can also use you as a leader. You will have to be careful lest the people you are leading don't walk all over you.
2. From the side of the follower:
a. If you have a forceful and outspoken leader, you must be careful that you don't follow his personality and let him lead you in things God is not in.
b. If you have a quiet and gentle leader, you must be careful to listen to what he is saying so you will be faithful to God through him.
C. The ideal leader is going to be like Christ. (Giving control of details to the people in the organization, while He watches the overall progress of the organization.)
1. He was the kind of leader that so lead his people that they could perform on their own, (when he wasn't with them).
2. A true Godly leader will so lead his people that they will become entirely independent of him, and entirely dependent on God.
3. Isn't this true "leadership qualities"?
II. The word "froward" is not "forward".
A. The word means, "warped, winding, perverse, crooked, untoward".
These verses are talking about suffering. There are two kinds of suffering.
I. There is the suffering because of wrongdoing. There are two reactions to our suffering because of wrongdoing.
A. The right reaction. This reaction is to "take you licks" because you know you deserve them.
B. The wrong reaction. There is always some person who yells loudly that they are being mistreated even when they are suffering for they own problems.
II. There is the suffering even when you do that which is right.
A. The wrong reaction. This is when you regret doing that which is right because of the suffering you must endure. It is also wrong to blame yourself when someone else is in the wrong.
B. The right reaction. The saved person must continue serving God faithfully, not blaming himself for his suffering, or others who cause us to suffer simply because they don't understand why we do what we do.
III. The outline of these verse is also important.
A. Verse 19-22 tells about our attitude in suffering.
B. Verse 23-25 tells about the attitude of Christ when He suffered.