Living Hope Day 7

Living Hope Day 7 Reading:

1 Peter 2:13-17

Ponder

I don’t like my boss. 

I don’t have to follow the rules. 

You can’t tell me what to do. 

We’ve all probably said one or two of those statements before, but if these attitudes are an ongoing pattern in your life they might reflect more than a bad boss or a job or directive you don’t like. It could point to a problem with authority. 

Because of our sin nature, we often want to buck against authority. We don’t like being told what to do or how to do it—and that’s been a common part of life since sin entered the world. Peter clearly recognized that authority was going to be an issue for the Christians he was writing to—and for those of us who read his letter now. Remember that Peter’s original audience was various churches spread throughout Asia Minor. These early Christians lived under Roman rule, and they were facing persecution and mistreatment, though it’s unclear if that persecution was state-sponsored at the time Peter was writing. To this audience, Peter wrote, “Submit to every human authority because of the Lord” (1 Pet. 2:13). 

As we focus on verses 13-17 today, it’s important that we understand what Peter was—and wasn’t—saying. 

• As believers, we are to submit to the authority God has placed in our lives. That includes parents, bosses and government officials. We are to respect the authority of the law of the land. We obey out of our reverence for and submission to Christ. 
  

• Our primary authority is Christ. As believers, our lives are guided by the Holy Spirit, and we should live with the understanding that every part of our lives can bring honor and glory to him. Peter was not instructing Christians to do anything that violated their consciences or to blindly follow leaders into sinful, unethical actions. Our submission to authority should bring glory to God—so if leaders are pushing you toward something sinful or wrong, as a Christian, you must choose what is right, good and most glorifying to God. 
  

• Our lives are a testimony (1 Pet. 2:15) to the God we serve. Our “honorable lives” will speak for themselves, silencing slander and false accusations and causing some to glorify God when they examine the conduct of our lives. If we are to be persecuted, it should be for obeying God, not breaking the law. Our freedom in Christ is not a license to indulge in evil. 
  

• Our relationships are to be characterized by love and respect. We are to rightly regard God with reverence, and the way we live should reflect this reverence. We are to treat all people with respect and dignity, whether we agree with them or not. We should love fellow believers and honor those in authority out of respect for the office. 
  

Journal

• Pause for a moment to consider your life. Who are the authorities God has placed in your life? 

• What does your life reveal about your attitude toward authority? 

• When you read the phrase “honorable lives,” who comes to mind? How is this person living an honorable life that points to Christ? 

• Think about how you treat people, from the waiter at your favorite restaurant to that driver in front of you. Do you treat them with respect and dignity? Why or why not? 

• What might need to change in your life so you can live an honorable life full of relationships marked by love and respect?