This document provides an overview and summary of 1 Peter 2:11-25 from a sermon given at First Baptist Church in Jackson, Mississippi. It discusses how Christians should live as strangers and exiles in a world hostile to their faith. Key points include: abstaining from sinful passions which war against the soul; honoring authorities established by God; doing good deeds so non-believers glorify God; and enduring unjust treatment, as Jesus did, by entrusting oneself to God. The goal is to honor God in all circumstances.

1. 1 Peter 2:11-25
“Living As Strangers”
September 25, 2016
First Baptist Church
Jackson, Mississippi
USA
What’s the number one thing?
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The glory of God!
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1 Corinthians 10:31 ESV
31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
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2. First Baptist Church Jackson Mission:
Multiply Disciples to Live Like Jesus.
http://tse2.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.M824600c9534029193ceef79dc4fff8fcH0&pid=15.1
September Memory Verse
John 14:6 ESV
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to
the Father except through Me.”
References
• MacArthur, John, MacArthur Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Nelson Publishing,
1997).
• ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Publishers, 2008).
• Dr. John Piper, Desiring God Ministries, Sermons on 1 Peter.
Introduction to 1 Peter 2
• The Apostle Peter was living in Rome when he wrote these letters in 64 AD.
• The letters are addressed “To the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus,
Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia”.
• These are Christians (Jewish and Gentile converts) living under Roman
Government occupation.
Peter’s Letters to Christians in Asia Minor in the 1st Century

3. Christians Living Under Roman Occupation
• Nero was the Roman Emperor and had a drive to build more structures in
Rome.
• Nero blamed the Christians for starting the fires that destroyed Rome in 64
AD.
• Persecution of Christians escalated after the fire.
“Nero fiddled while Rome burned”
Roman Culture in 64 AD:
• Roman religion was viewed as a social activity that promoted unity and
loyalty to the state.
• Christians were viewed as hostile to the state.
• Romans had many pagan gods (idols) for every occasion.
• Christians were viewed as superstitious because they worshipped
privately in homes.
• The Roman government offered no rights or protection for Christians or
their worship practices.
• Persecution began as discrimination and escalated to seizure of property,
torture and death.
• Roman emperors began to believe that they should be worshipped as
other gods with statues of self.
Peter’s Theme for Letters to Christians:
How are Christians to live and honor God in a hostile world?
Peter tells Christians to whom they belong.
1 Peter 2:9-10 ESV
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his
own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you
out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now
you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have
received mercy.

4. 1 Peter 2:11-25 Overview:
• Peter teaches Christians how to live a righteous life in a hostile world.
• Christians are foreigners in a secular society because their citizenship is in
heaven.
• Peter addresses 3 areas of relationships where Christians should be
noticeably different.
• (1. Non-believers, 2. Government, 3. Employees)
1 Peter 2:11-12 addresses the two most important issues in the universe.
1. The salvation of the soul.
Matthew 16:26 KJV
26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his
own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
2. The glory of God.
1 Corinthians 10:31 ESV
31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of
God.
Christians living as sojourners and exiles:
1 Peter 2:11-12 ESV
11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the
flesh, which wage war against your soul. 12 Keep your conduct among the
Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may
see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.
“as sojourners and exiles”
Philippians 3:20 ESV
20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus
Christ,
• Sojourner – a person who resides temporarily in a place.
• Exile – a person not living in their homeland.
This world was created by God but is occupied by Satan after the fall of man.
2 Corinthians 4:4 ESV
4 In their case the god of this world (Satan) has blinded the minds of the
unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of
Christ, who is the image of God.
1 John 2:16 ESV
16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes
and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.

5. “abstain from passions of the flesh”
• In order to have an impact on the world for God, Christians must be
disciplined in an inward way by avoiding the desires of the fallen nature.
• Fleshly lusts include more than sexual temptations in Galatians 5:19-21.
Paul describes sinful nature.
Galatians 5:19-21a ESV
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality,
20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions,
divisions, 21a envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these.
• Abstain – to hold oneself voluntarily; a choice to make.
• Self-control – One of the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22.
A step further
• Jesus further defines fleshly passions:
Matthew 5:27-28 ESV
27 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' 28 But I
say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has
already committed adultery with her in his heart.
• Paul to the Thessalonians:
1 Thessalonians 5:22 KJV
22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.
“which wage war against your soul”
• Fleshly lusts are personified as if they were an army of guerrillas who
incessantly search out and try to destroy the Christian’s joy, peace and
usefulness.
• The goal is your soul – (Where will you spend eternity? Heaven or Hell?).
• The spiritual battle ends forever at death or rapture.
Spiritual Warfare – 2 Types
1. The sin in ourselves – our sinful fallen nature described in Romans 6:12-13.
‐ You are on offense.
2. Attacks from Satan – Ephesians 6:10-12.
‐ You are on defense.

6. 1. Your sinful nature:
Romans 6:12-14 ESV
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its
passions. 13 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for
unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been
brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for
righteousness. 14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not
under law but under grace.
2. Attacks from Satan:
Ephesians 6:10-12 ESV
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the
whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes
of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against
the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this
present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly
places.
How does 1 Peter 2:11-12 work?
• “…abstain from the passions of the flesh…keep your conduct
honorable…”
• The battle against the passions of the flesh is at the level of our desires and
the resulting manifestation in our behaviors.
• The battle begins with our desires (thoughts).
Introduction reminder for verses 13-17:
• Peter was writing to Christians living under an oppressive Roman
government.
• These verses probably caused much discussion and disagreement among
Christians – as it does today!!
Christians as citizens:
1 Peter 2:13-17 ESV
13 Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the
emperor as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do
evil and to praise those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing
good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16 Live as
people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as
servants of God. 17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the
emperor.

7. “Be subject (submit) for the Lord’s sake”
• The absolute in this verse is “for the Lord’s sake” and not “submit”.
• Relating to authority is a Godward relationship and not a man-ward
relationship.
• The Bible is not a book on how to get along in the world, but a book about
how to live for God in the world.
Role of government defined here:
• Verse 14 …sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those
who do good.
• Role of punishment of evil behavior and praise good.
• Biblical role of government is to restrain evil.
Paul affirms this in Romans.
Romans 13:1-7 ESV
1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no
authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.
2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and
those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct,
but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what
is good, and you will receive his approval, 4 for he is God's servant for your good.
But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is
the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer.
5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for
the sake of conscience. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the
authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. 7 Pay to all what is
owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is
owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.
Government was part of God’s plan at creation.
Genesis 1:28 ESV
28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill
the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the
birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth."
• Subdue – to bring under control.
• Dominion – wise management.

8. All governments have this in common:
The legal use of force.
• Since the fall, the legal use of force has been granted to government for
the purpose of punishing lawbreakers.
• Mosaic law contained prescribed punishments for those who broke the
commandments.
• The government may exercise force in ways that are illegal for an
individual.
“For this is the will of God, that by doing good…”
• Obeying authority is the will of God.
• By doing good, your accusers will have no acceptable grounds to slander
or persecute you.
• Governments can become corrupt and Christians will suffer for doing what
is right.
When do you disobey government?
Acts 5:29
29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, “We ought to obey God
rather than men.
• No earthly authority should lawfully forbid what God demands.
• No earthly authority should command what God forbids.
“live as people who are free”
• Your freedom stems from a total commitment to God.
• Freedom in scripture is not a license to sin, but expresses itself in devotion
to what is good.
• Freedom also means you are not tied down to the things of this world.
everyone, brotherhood, God, emperor
1. Honor everyone – every person is God’s creation.
2. Love brotherhood – love and honor all Christians.
3. Fear God - do not fear man, fear God only.
4. Honor emperor – The emperor (king) is just a man who God has placed in
an authority position over you.
Reminder:
• Peter is not teaching us how to get along in the world, but how to live as a
Christian in a world that is hostile to our faith and our actions.
• A Christian’s behavior is contrary to his fallen nature.
• Christianity is the making visible of an invisible God.
• When someone sees you, they are seeing Jesus.

9. Difficult Bosses:
1 Peter 2:18-19 ESV
18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and
gentle but also to the unjust. 19 For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God,
one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly.
• Respectfully submit to just and to unjust bosses.
• The clue is “mindful of God” – living for God.
• Christians do refuse illegal & unethical directives.
1 Peter 2:20-23 ESV
20 For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if
when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the
sight of God. 21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for
you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 22 He
committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled,
he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued
entrusting himself to him who judges justly.
• Jesus trusted the injustices committed against Him and His suffering to
God.
1 Peter 2:24-25 ESV
24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and
live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were
straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of
your souls.
• Jesus is the protector of a Christian’s soul.
Lesson Application:
You might be a sojourner and an exile if…
1. You don’t drift with the flow of culture.
2. You stand out and don’t fit in well in the world.
3. You meditate on what is right “for the Lord’s sake”.
4. You ponder what is “good for the soul and the Glory of God”.
5. Your behavior and reactions to injustice look very different than what is
normal for the world.
Final Scripture for “Living As Strangers”.
Philippians 3:20-21 NIV
20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the
Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything
under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his
glorious body.

10. Next Sunday
October 2, 2016
1Peter 3:1-12
“Living In Relationships”
The Plan of Hope & Salvation
John 3:16 ESV
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes
in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
John 14:6 ESV
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to
the Father except through me.”
Romans 3:23 ESV
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans 6:23a ESV
23a For the wages of sin is death,
 Death in this life (the first death) is 100%.
 Even Jesus, the one who doesn’t deserve death, died in this life to pay the
penalty for our sins.
 The death referred to in Romans 6:23a is the second death explained in
Revelation 21:8.
Revelation 21:8 ESV
8 “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the
sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the
lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
Romans 5:8 ESV
8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for
us.
Romans 6:23b ESV
23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Revelation 21:7 ESV
7 "The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will
be my son.”
 Romans 10:9-10 explains to us how to be conquerors.

11. Romans 10:9-10 ESV
9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your
heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart
one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
Romans 10:13 ESV
13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
If you have questions or would like to know more, please, contact First Baptist
Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or http://firstbaptistjackson.org/contact/