1 Peter - Following Jesus Sample

How does God want us to live today? God calls us to live good lives ‘among the pagans’. This will help them begin to glorify God too (2:12).

Peter wants his friends to know how this will work out in practice, so he gives them a big principle to guide them. We look at this principle today. Peter will then go on to apply this command to all sorts of everyday situations.

• What does Peter want his Christian friends to do, ‘for the Lord’s sake’ (v. 13)?

Peter began his letter by telling his readers that God had chosen them ‘to be obedient to Jesus Christ’ (1:2). Now Peter tells his friends that if they want to obey the Lord Jesus, they must ‘submit … to every human authority’ too. Being submissive to people in authority is one of the distinctive marks of living as a Christian, as Peter will show.

• What is God’s aim in asking Christians to do this (v. 15)?

Peter calls submitting to human authorities ‘doing good’. It is one of the ‘good deeds’ unbelievers are to see on display in our lives (2:12). Peter helps us see why this submission is so closely linked to ‘doing good’.

He mentions some examples of human rulers (v. 13). These rulers run systems of justice for their citizens. That is true whether the rulers are believers or not. Murderers, thieves and other wrongdoers get punished while those who work for the good of society get honoured. So submitting to human authorities, being a law-abiding citizen, will usually cash out as ‘doing good’ in a way which is public and obvious.

This is a big part of God’s strategy for silencing the criticisms of foolish and ignorant people (v. 15). God’s strategy to silence criticism isn’t shout louder. It is live better.

Of course, not all human rulers are good rulers. Sometimes there may be a direct clash between a command of a human ruler and the commands of God. Peter was once in just this situation. You can read about it in Acts chapter 4. Peter was clear that it is always right to obey God rather than human beings in such cases (Acts 4:18–20).

But unless there is such a clash, believers are to submit, for the Lord’s sake, to every human authority. Think what that will look like for you today.

Pray

Ask God to help you be submissive to human authorities for the Lord’s sake.