Those who are in Christ – Should be like Christ – To show the World Christ

Jeff Price

1 Peter 2: 11-12
INTRODUCTION
Who doesn’t like Superman – one of our Christ-like stories akin to Aslan or Gandolf? Especially the
story of Smallville, where a young man struggles to find his identity, deal with the reality that he is an
alien in a strange land, struggling to understand his gifts and who he is, but with a special calling to
world. We, as Christians can identify with Clark because we are in much the same situation, as aliens
and strangers living in a world that wages battle against us, and yet we are called to serve and bear a
special purpose in this world.
Looking back at this letter, Peter has been greeting his readers and hearers – telling them who he is (“an
apostle of Jesus Christ” 1:1), sharing the Gospel (“to be born again to a living hope through the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” 1:3), revealing Christ (“He was foreknown before the
foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you” 1:20) and
connecting God’s people to Christ through his sacrifice (“the precious blood of Christ” 1:19) and
resurrection (“raised him from the dead and gave him glory” 1:21). He has exhorted them to be holy
(“he who called you is holy, you also be holy” 1:15) and to be living stones (“like living stones are
being built up”2:5) setting them apart from those that have rejected Christ (“those who do not believe,
"The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone," and "A stone of stumbling, and a
rock of offense” 2:7-8). Peter has shown them who they are in Christ.
Now Peter is transitioning to a new section so that he can explain to them what it is to live as Christ.
When your heart is changed and you bear his image – the wisdom of the world is folly and the wisdom
of the Lord is evident in your actions.
11
Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which
wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when
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they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of
visitation.
(1Pe 2:11-12 ESV)
Find your identity in Christ
Calel, Clark Kent’s Krytonian name is only known by those that are special to him. They know his
secret and know who he really is. In the opening words here, “Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and
exiles,” Peter indentifies to whom he is speaking. He calls his readers by a name that shows how
special they are to him, because he knows who they really are. But not only are they beloved by him
they are those beloved by God himself because they are in Christ. Peter is writing to those that are
Christ’s possession, they are chosen, elect, holy, royal living stones who have life because of the living
God dwelling within them.
They are not only beloved, but they are also aliens, strangers, foreigners and exiles. It is clear that
there is a connection to the stories of the Old Testament here with a direct quote from Abraham, “I am
a sojourner and foreigner among you” (Gen 23:4 ESV), as he lived as a stranger in Egypt and Canaan.
Israel too began as strangers in Egypt and eventually experienced exile from their promise land. Even
the Levites had no land of their own, but were to live within the midst of the rest of Israel, wherever
they were, to serve them as a holy priesthood. The original readers of this letter were those that were
scattered, “exiles of the dispersion (1:1)”. And you and I, as covenant family members, are strangers in
this land with a citizenship in heaven – to be in the world, but not of the world.
As Edmund Clowney, a former professor at Westminster Theological Seminary wrote, “A temporary
resident in a foreign land is not likely to adopt the customs of the land through which he is travelling.
His standard of values, his lifestyle, is different.” With that said, being in the world, but not of the
world means that our standard of values and lifestyle is vastly different from the world. Be exalted by
your special relationship with Christ for those that are in Christ are his beloved possession. Find your
identity in Him who possesses you, Jesus Christ. However, you should also be humbled that Christ
chooses to identify himself with you – an alien and stranger to this world – without a home until he
calls you to him. Find your home in the Lord.
Be like Christ
Now we know who Peter is addressing, but what does he say to them? Think of those deep dark
secrets that you don’t share with anyone – the anger, the lust, the pain, the sin – the continuous
struggles of your daily walk in the world. Not only are we to refrain from the sin, but we are to exude
honor, beauty and goodness. Everything that sin is not.
Peter writes, “to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 12 Keep
your conduct among the Gentiles honorable.” He first exhorts to abstain from those temptations and
passions that blind us from our faith, in Christ, “any uncurbed human impulse”. Do you spend too
much time on Facebook? How about your eating habits – do you allow your immediate desires to
dictate what you will eat? Calvin called it our “un-renewed nature”, and said that “we are at enmity
with God” when these impulses of the flesh are not measured against the standard of Christ. The
Apostle Paul said it another way, “For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I
want, but I do the very thing I hate” (Rom 7:15 ESV). We are to abstain from and war with the anger,
the lust, the pain, the sin in our hearts.
But there is more here than just the negative exhortation not to do something. We are also exhorted to
positively maintain or keep our conduct honorable. We are to exude honor, beauty and goodness.
Everything that sin is not. And we are to do this before a watching world, of Gentiles, of the nations,
of those that are not among the family of God. One commentator wrote, “The conflict in society is won
not by aggressive behavior but by good conduct or good works.” This seems a bit counterintuitive to
my “passions of the flesh” that want to fight, tooth and nail for justice and yes, even sometimes
vengeance unfortunately.
There is a better way. Be humbled that you cannot refrain from sin by your own power but only by the
power of Christ living in you. Be like Christ as he is dwells within you. Yet we should also be exalted
that by the power of Christ, you will bring beauty to the world – to the Gentiles. Christ is in you –
transforming you into his image. Be like Christ as he is dwells within you.
Show the world Christ
Clark Kent the mild mannered farm boy and his dual identity as Superman live honorably among the
people of Smallville and Metropolis. He is the Good Samaritan who cares for the travelers he meets.
He makes the lives of those around him better – not just because of his special abilities, but because he
gives them hope in the darkness and stands up for truth and justice. He compels people to look for
something better and to be better themselves.
Peter exhorts us to the same acts of heroism, not as a super man, but as a Christ Follower. “So that
when they speak against you as evildoers” and they will. There is an indicative nature to the evil that
they will speak, as it is a certainty that they will. Therefore, it is a certainty that you will be called
upon show the good deeds that Christ is accomplishing through you. But for what purpose is this? “So
they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.” All is this is done to the glory
of God: 1) the speaking evil, 2) the good deeds, but there is an emphasis on the fact that even the evil
that is spoken against you is to the glory of God alone. And it is those that speak the evil that bring the
glory, not just you for bearing it. This is to remind the world of God’s presence, now and especially on
the “day of visitation” – “a decisive intervention of God in human affairs whether in judgment or for
blessing”. We can see both as those that are not in Christ bear judgment in the last times, but also those
that are in Christ have received a blessing at the moment of their salvation. There is a dual nature
intended here to remind us of the judgment to come and the blessings already received.
This exhortation reminds us to be humbled by the knowledge that when you stand for Christ, you will
experience the trials of the world. And it is in those times that we are called to show Christ to the
world. But these words of Peter also exhort us to be exalted that it is Christ himself who accomplishes
the good works in you, who shines through you to the world, who glorifies himself in you and has
promised blessing for those that indentify themselves with him. Show Christ to the world by
compelling them to look for a better way of life – an honorable way of life found only in Christ Jesus.
Those who are in Christ – Should be like Christ – To show the World Christ
Whenever we hear God’s word we should be impacted and confronted by His living, breathing Spirit
that teaches us, nourishes us, sanctifies us and illuminates the light of the resurrected Christ for us.
Encountering the living God, through His living Word should breathe life into our lungs and call us to
be changed and to be transformed. Hear God’s word, as he speaks to you now, to be transformed by
the call to find your identity in Christ alone, by the shedding of his blood given up for you – he calls
you to him. Hear God’s word to be transformed by the call to be like Christ, made in his image,
bearing his name, adopted into his family, called sons and daughters of the living God – he calls you to
his family. Hear God’s word, now, to be transformed by the call to show Christ to the world that by
your transformed character and your deeds in the face of evil and adversity – that they too will
experience the glory of God in their lives as they are transformed to taste life over death – blessing over
judgment.
Finally, my beloved, be humbled that Jesus Christ chose to identify himself with aliens and strangers
like you and me. As Christ took on the very nature of a bond-servant and humbled himself, we too are
to taste humility to find our identity in him. Do not forget, as Christ was exalted we to have been
exalted. It is amazing that Jesus Christ has called us to a special purpose and it is he that accomplishes
his work in the world through his beloved – you and me. You are God’s precious possession – have
faith and believe on the name Jesus Christ and you will find your heavenly home and wander no more.
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