Submission to God is True Freedom (preaching resource 4/26/26, Easter 4)
This post exegetes 1Peter 2:11-25, providing context for the Epistles reading on 4/26/26, the 3rd Sunday in the season of Easter. Insights are drawn from commentary by Warren Wiersbe ("Bible Expository Commentary") and by David Wheaton ("New Bible Commentary).
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| "The Penitent Saint Peter" by van Dyck (public domain via Wikimedia Commons) |
Introduction
In 1Peter 2:5, 9, Peter notes that as followers of Jesus, we serve as priests of God who are called to “declare the praises of him who called [us] out of darkness into his wonderful light.” Now as chapter 2 continues, Peter instructs us concerning the exercise of our priesthood. He tells us that our priestly calling includes living “good lives among the pagans” (1Pet 2:12). As priests of God, we are called to demonstrate to non-believers the reality of God’s goodness by living “good lives” in their presence. Peter defines this good life as living in submission to God’s will. And he goes on to show what this looks like in four areas of our living: as citizens (1Pet 2:11–17); as slaves (and we will compare this to our work life) (1Pet 2:18–25); as marriage partners (1Pet 3:1–7); and as church members (1 Pet 3:8–12). This post addresses our motivation for living in submission to God in all areas, then takes a detailed look at the first two of the four areas of our living.
1.Why submit to God? For the sake of nonbelievers
1Peter 2:11-12
First we note that the very idea of submission is an alien concept in a world preaching “do your own thing.” But God, who created us and has reconciled us to himself in Christ, calls us to live our lives actively participating in Jesus’ submission to his Heavenly Father. In this we find our true humanity and thus our true freedom.
Submission and freedom: aren’t they opposites? No! Submission with Christ to our Heavenly Father is not slavery or subjugation. Rather, it is alignment with reality—with the love, life and will of God who created all things for our good including human governments, employment, the home, and the church. We can live out our lives within these institutions according to a fallen, alienated human logic; or we can live them out according to the gospel-logic of the redeemed and glorified humanity we share with Jesus. Peter urges us on to do the latter—to embrace and experience fully Jesus’ submission to his Father. This is our true freedom.
So how do we proceed? Well, first we need a constant reminder of who we truly are. The over-arching message of First and Second Peter is that, in Jesus, we are God’s dearly beloved children (1Pet 2:11; 4:12; 2Pet 1:7; 3:1, 8, 14–15, 17). What grace! What a calling! But there is more to know about this identity. Peter tells of three things—all having to do with how we, as priests of God with Christ, relate to a non-believing world:
a. Submission as aliens and strangers in the world (v. 11a)
Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world…
We are here in this life as “resident aliens.” Our true citizenship is in another country—heaven to be specific. Thus we now live in a “foreign land.” But we’re not here as disinterested or aloof bystanders. No, we are here as Christ’s representatives (Paul calls us ambassadors). Non-believers are watching us; what do they see?
b. Submission as soldiers in a spiritual battle (v. 11b)
…abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul...
In our sojourn here we have a battle to fight. Not against people, but against the “sinful desires” that war against us and want to defeat us (see Gal 5:16–26). These desires emanate from our flesh, the residue of our fallen minds. If we yield to them, we start living again like non-believers and become ineffective in the world to which we are sent as Christ’s ambassadors. The word translated “war” here carries the idea of “a military campaign.” It’s a continuing war—so don’t be distressed if you lose one battle. Keep on fighting—victory is assured!
c. Submission as witnesses to non-believers (v. 12)
Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
The issue here is our testimony to non-believers. They are watching us, sometimes speaking against us (1Pet 3:16; 4:4), and often looking for excuses to reject the Gospel we declare. So let’s not give them ammunition. If we are going to be a positive witness to non-believers of God’s goodness, we must live “good lives” in their presence. This means more than doing what is right. It carries with it the idea of beauty, attractiveness—that which is admirable and honorable. We must be “beautiful people” in the best sense of the word. This testimony is not principally a matter of our words. It’s mostly about our actions. There should be nothing in our conduct that gives non-believers ammunition to attack Christ and his Gospel. Our good works must back up good words. Jesus said so in Matthew 5:16.
Peter encourages us to be who God has made us—to live accordingly in this world where non-believers are able to see us and benefit. We do this in love for them so that when God “visits”, they will be inclined toward a positive response. The day he “visits” is perhaps when Christ returns and every tongue confesses him as Lord. Or it may refer to the day when God visits an individual in this life to awaken them to the salvation they have in Christ. Whichever “day” is in view (and perhaps it’s both), when non-believers open their eyes and hearts to Jesus, they give glory to God by responding affirmatively to our witness to them of God’s goodness, even if, at times, they made life difficult for us.
2. Why submit to God? For Jesus’ sake
1Peter 2:21-25
Submission to God often means sacrifice and sometimes that means that we will suffer. We see this at the end of this section where Peter notes that in suffering we are walking with Jesus, who Peter describes to us using three pictures:
a. Jesus is our example in his life (vv. 21–23)
To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. "He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth." When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.
In his earthly life, Jesus is our example. This is especially true in the way he responded to suffering when he had done no wrong. There is a shallow brand of popular theology today that claims that Christians will not suffer if they are in the will of God. Those who promote such ideas have not meditated much on the cross of Christ. Our Lord’s humility and submission were not evidence of weakness, but of power.
Of course, we are not saved by following Christ’s example (each of us stumble over 1Pet 2:22: “who did no sin”). We are saved by a Savior, not by an example. But in living out our salvation in Christ, we are called to “follow closely upon his steps” (literal translation), imitating Jesus in his life of submission to God.
b. Jesus is our substitute in his death (v. 24)
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.
It is not Jesus the example or the teacher who saves us, but Jesus the spotless Lamb of God who takes away our sins (John 1:29). As the “Suffering Servant” (Isa 53:5–7, 9, 12) Jesus died not as a martyr but as our sinless substitute. The word translated “bore” means “to carry as a sacrifice.” Jesus died on a tree—a cross—bearing for us the curse of the Law (Gal 3:13). The paradoxes of the cross never cease to amaze us. Jesus was wounded that we might be healed. He died that we might live. We died with him, and thus we are “dead to sin” (Rom 6) so that we might “live for righteousness.” The healing Peter mentions here is primarily the spiritual healing of our wounded souls (Ps 103:3). One day, when we have glorified bodies, all our wounds (including our physical disabilities and sicknesses) will be healed fully; but meanwhile, even some of God’s choicest servants will have physical afflictions (see Phil 2:25–30; 2Cor 12:1ff).
c. Jesus is our watchful shepherd in heaven (v. 25)
For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
In the Old Testament, the sheep died for the shepherd; but at Calvary, Jesus, our Shepherd died for the sheep (John 10). Every lost sinner is like a sheep gone astray: ignorant, lost, wandering, in danger, away from the place of safety, and unable to help himself. But they are not lost to Jesus. He knows where they are and goes out to bring them back to the sheepfold (Luke 15:1–7). And now returned to the fold, he watches over them lest they stray again. In his shepherding role, Jesus is the Overseer—the one “watching over”—protecting and perfecting the sheep (Heb 13:20–21).
Summary: As we live godly lives with Jesus, even submitting with him to suffering, we are becoming more like Him. We do this, not only for the sake of nonbelievers and for the Lord’s sake, but also for our own sake, that we might grow spiritually and become more like our Lord. Now let’s back up to note two specific areas where we live out this life of submission.
3. We submit to God by submitting to governmental authorities
1Peter 2:13–17
Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.
Living good lives in “foreign” territory includes submitting to the authority God has delegated to human governments. This does not mean that we must obey every individual law (for some are contrary to God’s will), but we are to submit to the duly authorized institutions of government that make and enforce those laws. This means that at times we might need to disobey an individual law while still submitting to the authority of these institutions to punish law-breakers.
Peter and the other apostles faced this challenge shortly after Pentecost (Acts 4–5). The Jewish council commanded them to stop preaching in the name of Jesus, but Peter and his associates refused to obey their decree (Acts 4:19; 5:29). They did not cause a rebellion or in any way question or deny the authority of the council. They submitted to the institution but they refused to stop preaching.
Even if we do not respect the politics or practices of the authorities, we are to show respect for their position. We will also “love the brotherhood of believers,” meaning, of course, the people of God in the church. One way we show love to the brethren is by submitting to the authority of the “powers that be,” for we are bound together with one another in our Christian witness.
Two phrases are important here: “God’s will” (v15) and “servants of God” (v16). When we do something in the will of God and as his servants, then we are doing it “for the Lord’s sake” (v13). God has willed that we silence critics by “doing good” not by opposing authority. In that regard, “fear God” and “honor the king” (v17) go together, since “the authorities that exist have been established by God” (Rom 13:1). We honor the king because we do fear the Lord. It is worth noting that the tenses of these verbs indicate that we should constantly maintain these attitudes. “Keep loving the brotherhood! Keep fearing God! Keep honoring the king!”
As Christians, we must exercise discernment in our relationship to human government. There are times when the right thing is to set aside our own privileges, and there are other times when using our citizenship is the right thing. Paul was willing to suffer personally in Philippi (Acts 16:16–24), but he was unwilling to “sneak out of town” like a criminal (Acts 16:35–40). When he was arrested on false charges, Paul used his citizenship to protect himself (Acts 22:22–29) and to insist on a fair trial before Caesar (Acts 25:1–12).
4. We submit to God by submitting to our earthly masters
1 Peter 2:18–20
Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.
Here Peter addresses Christian slaves, again stressing the importance of submission. Some newly converted slaves thought that their spiritual freedom also guaranteed personal and political freedom, and they created problems for themselves and the churches. Paul dealt with this problem in 1Cor 7:20–24, and also touched on it in his letter to his friend Philemon. The Gospel eventually overthrew the Roman Empire and the terrible institution of slavery, even though the early church did not openly preach against either.
We might broaden the application of what Peter notes here to consider the attitude of Christian employees to their employers. Sometimes a Christian employee may be wronged by an unbelieving employer. For conscience’ sake, they should “take it” even though they are not in the wrong. A Christian’s relationship to God is far more important than their relationship to any person. It is “commendable before God” to bear reproach when you are innocent (see Matt 5:10–12). Anybody, including an unbeliever, can “endure it” when in the wrong; but it takes a dedicated Christian to “take it” when in the right.
Conclusion
As children of God, we follow Jesus in submitting to our Heavenly Father’s will, even when this means that we must suffer for doing good. In this submission to God is our true freedom, and the pathway to a full experience of Jesus’ glory. May God lead each of us into a deeper life of submission to him.