The Ways of a Wonderful Wife--1 Peter 3:1-6 (1 Peter Series)

            For many years, I’ve had some extended family on my Erickson side living in the area around Tuttle Creek Reservoir. They’re such distant relatives that my dad doesn’t even know them, so I’ve never met any of them, but while I was growing up, my dad was aware of an old, abandoned farmhouse where my grandfather used to visit some cousins during the summer when he was a child. Every so often, when we were headed somewhere else, we would go by that old farmhouse and stop in to take a look around.

            By the time I was in high school, it had probably been abandoned for decades, but we could still find some household things in there if we took the time to brush away some dust. On one trip, I remember my sister finding a book that was still in relatively good condition. Ironically, it was a book that my sister needed for her next semester in college, so she took it home and used it.

            Out of all of the books that we could’ve found in that abandoned farmhouse, the book that we stumbled across was The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan. Published in 1963, that book is credited with launching a second wave of feminism in the United States. Since that time, the role of women in society and in the home has been hotly debated, and the heat hasn’t died down since.

            For that reason, a passage of Scripture like 1 Peter 3:1-6 is very controversial in our society at large. I think it is probably quite a bit less controversial here in our own church, but nevertheless it does raise some very important questions. So we’ll deal with these questions today as we take a look at what I’ve called, “The Ways of a Wonderful Wife.”

1. A wonderful wife follows her husband's lead in the home (3:1a)

            That is the essence of what Peter means when he says, “Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands.” The husband’s role in the home is to lead by being the “chief servant,” we might say. He is supposed to assess the needs of his family, prioritize them, and see to it either personally or through others that those needs are met. A wife’s role is to support and assist her husband in that task. It truly is a partnership and a team effort, but the husband is called to shoulder the greatest portion of that responsibility.

            This idea of a wife being subject to her husband does not mean that a husband is supposed to get extra perks or extra benefits that are not available to the wife. Rather, it simply means that a wife should allow her husband to set the direction or set the tone in the home. That does involve deferring to his judgment in the case of a disagreement over a certain decision (but of course, by that point, a wise husband will have thoroughly considered his wife’s point of view).

            Now, Peter is going to go on to talk about a situation in which a Christian wife is married to an unbelieving man, so that could raise the question, “Is this command to be subject only intended for wives with unbelieving husbands, or does it apply to all wives?” Other authors of Scripture, particularly the Apostle Paul, have echoed what Peter says here in different contexts, so by comparison we can see that this is God’s desire for all wives—that they follow their husband’s lead in the home.

And this does include a woman who is married to an unbeliever, as Peter points out in the next part of the passage.

2. A wonderful wife respects and honors even an unbelieving husband (3:1b-2)

            [READ 3:1-2] Respectful behavior and following her husband’s lead can have a significant evangelist impact on an unbelieving husband. Peter points out that such conduct is even more powerful than words—probably because an unbelieving husband might feel like he’s being nagged if his wife talks about her faith all the time.

            Now when Peter writes the phrase “without a word,” please notice that he’s not talking about marital communication in general. He’s not saying something like, “Women should be seen, not heard.” He is not at all saying that a wife should never share her opinion or that she should never ask questions about a decision her husband made. With that phrase, Peter is talking about the very specific situation of a believing wife making sure she doesn’t get too preachy with her unbelieving husband.

3. A wonderful wife's most attractive quality is her character (3:3-4)

            In the next two verses, Peter writes [READ vv. 3-4]. Let’s spend a bit of time discussing this carefully, because it probably raises a lot of questions for you.

            I think the first question that comes to mind is this—is Peter saying that a wife should never braid her hair or wear gold jewelry or wear nice clothes? Let me make a few observations to answer that question.

            First, for Peter to lay out a full-blown dress code with detailed regulations would be very much out of the spirit of New Testament theology. We have been set free from the Law of Moses with all of its detailed regulations, and we are not supposed to set up something like it again. Speaking to this very idea, Galatians 5:1 says, “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.”

            Second, it doesn’t seem that Peter’s intention is to lay out an absolute dress code for women because his list isn’t quite comprehensive enough. Notice that he doesn’t mention anything about make-up. If Peter’s intention was to issue a full-blown dress code, it seems that he would surely mention make-up as part of that code.

            Third, comparison with other passages of Scripture indicates that it apparently can be acceptable to wear nice clothing. For example, there is a well-known passage in Proverbs 31 which describes the virtuous wife. Part of that description states, “her clothing is fine linen and purple (Prov 31:22). Purple clothing was particularly expensive in Israel because of the cost of purchasing the dye that was required to make it. So this woman is described as wearing some nice clothing.

            So it seems clear that Peter is not saying that a wife should never, ever braid her hair or wear jewelry or nice clothing. Notice that verse 3 is simply the first part of a contrast that’s completed in verse 4—a contrast between external adornment and internal adornment, and Peter says that internal adornment or “inner beauty” is far more important.

            Now, this contrast should make us ask ourselves, “How do I know if I’m living out the spirit of this contrast?” Another way to say this might be, “How do I know if I’m going too far with a focus on my external appearance? How should I make choices about what I wear and how I present myself?” I’d like to briefly give you three principles to consider. We’ll think of these principles as forming a triangle, with the inside of the triangle representing the area of relative freedom that we have for these choices.

Principle #1—Correct Comparison

            As we make our decisions in this area, we have to look to the example of Christ, not the example of people around us. We absolutely cannot simply follow the fashions of our culture without critically assessing them. Are the latest trends modest? Are they too expensive? Would they be offensive or questionable for the people whom God has placed in my life?

            Nor can we simply look at our culture’s typical excess in this area and think we’ve done fine if we merely dial our own behavior back a little bit by comparison. So for example, if you know that your neighbor spends $300 on new clothing every season, you can’t just set your own limit at $275 and pat yourself on the back for a job well done!

            Rather, we have to look to the example of Christ. He was willing to forgo many material comforts during his ministry in this world. Not only that, but when he came into this world, he veiled his heavenly glory beneath his human flesh. Peter, James, and John caught a glimpse of that glory during the Transfiguration, and it dazzled them, but apart from that moment, Jesus was willing to lay that aside and be content with a plain appearance. The prophecy of Isaiah 53 gives us some reason to believe that Jesus was just a very plain-looking man – and perhaps even a bit homely. So we, too, should be willing to deemphasize our outward appearance and not get all wrapped up in it.

Principle #2—Correct Priorities

            This is the heart of what Peter was getting at in verses three and four. Our priority should be to sculpt a beautiful character, not a beautiful body. Now, how do you assess what your real priorities are? One fairly accurate way is to look at how you spend your time and how you spend your money. Your time and your money are valuable commodities that we all feel a bit short on, don’t we? None of us feel like we have enough time or enough money, so the ways that we spend our time and our money say an awful lot about our priorities.

            So how much money do you spend on your appearance? When money feels particularly tight around your house, what are the first things to get cut out of your budget? Are you always able to find the money for that new pair of shoes or that new pair of jeans, but when a special offering comes around at church, you just don’t seem to have the money to spare?

            How much time do you spend on your appearance? Do you feel okay leaving the house in the morning without praying, but you wouldn’t be caught dead without your hair curled and your makeup on? Time and money aren’t the only ways to assess your priorities, but they’re pretty accurate for a quick check-up.

Principle #3—Correct Motivations

            This principle is all about why you do what you do. Why do you make the choices that you make with respect to your appearance? Some of you ladies might be doing certain things to please your husbands. Some of those requests might be fine, but men, whatever you do, please don’t put unrealistic expectations on your wife. Don’t look at that woman who’s given you two children and expect her to look like she’s 21 again! Our wives get enough pressure from the unreasonable expectations of our culture; whatever you do, men – don’t add to them!

            Now notice that if we picture these principles as the sides of a triangle, there is still some room inside that triangle for some freedom as we make our choices about our appearance. Some of you may not think about fashion for 15 minutes out of your whole year; others of you may enjoy fashion, so you may pay more attention to it. We don’t all have to make precisely the same choices when it comes to our appearance, but what we all must do is make sure that we are giving far more attention to our character.

4. A wonderful wife draws wisdom and inspiration from those who hope in God (3:5-6)

            [READ vv. 5-6a] Sarah calling Abraham “lord” was a culturally appropriate way of showing respect through the way that she spoke to her husband. Notice that it is an illustration, not a command. It simply highlights one way to show respect to your husband – through the way that you speak to him.

            Sarah would’ve been a powerful and meaningful example for the Jewish believers who first received this letter from Peter because she was the matriarch of the Jewish people. Their feelings toward Sarah could be compared to the way that we think about the Founding Fathers of our nation. We admire them and we would like to think that we are carrying on their values and ideals.

            So Peter’s choice of example yields this inspiring thought in the last part of verse six [READ v. 6b]. What does Peter mean by that last statement? Well, he’s not talking about a fear of spiders or a fear of snakes. Remember the context – he’s talking about the fears that a wife might face in the context of relating to her husband.

            It can be a very intimidating and worrisome thing to follow someone else’s lead. You’re liable to face times when you feel like your husband is not doing a good job, or you feel like he’s misunderstood something. It can be a frightening thing to say, “I don’t know how this is going to turn out, but I’m still going to follow his lead.”

            With that statement, Peter might again be thinking specifically of women who are married to an unbelieving husband. That setting introduces even more fears and worries as a wife contemplates the possibility that there might be moments when she has to choose to obey God rather than submit to what her husband has asked her to do.

            Notice that the key thought in all of this, ladies, comes back in verse five with the thought of hoping in God. Above all else, that is the key that will allow you to be a wonderful wife regardless of how your husband acts or whether your marriage is fulfilling or falling apart. Your sense of optimism and joy in life, your expectation of good things to come cannot be wrapped up in the thought that your marriage is always going to be happily ever after. Your greatest hope must be in God alone and the promises that he has made to you as his daughter through Christ.

            Keeping your hope in God will allow you to rise above the circumstances of your marriage – whether they are very good or very difficult. With your soul anchored in the Lord, you will be empowered to continue to do good and obey the commands of Christ no matter what. It will allow you to value the things that God values – such as character over physical beauty, or quiet trust in him and his plan rather than grasping for control and dominance. Hope in God, and adorn yourself with the beauty of holiness.

The Best Gift You Can Give on Father's Day--Ephesians 6:1-3

            Today, on this Father’s Day, I’m going to preach on every father’s favorite verse, Ephesians 6:1 – “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.” I say that half-jokingly of course, because we have some other good candidates for a father’s favorite verse, like Proverbs 18:22 – “He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord.” Or how about Romans 14:2 – “One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables.”

            Ephesians 6:1 is a very unique verse because it contains perhaps the only command in the Bible that we actually grow out of. When we become adults, the relationship of authority that we’ve had with our parents changes so that we no longer have to obey what they tell us to do, although we are still called to honor them and support them as needs arise.

            So as we actually take a look at Ephesians 6:1-3, there is something for all of us to learn. Certainly, however, I’d like for all of you children and teenagers to give me your very best attention today because we’re going to talk about a message from God that is specifically for you. I’m sure there are times when you sit here and think that I’m not really talking to you, but trust me—today I am!

So let’s see what God has to say in these verses.

“In the Lord…”

            Verse 1 says, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.” We see a very clear command to obey your parents, but this phrase “in the Lord” reminds us of a couple of very important thoughts. First, it reminds us that you should obey your parents not because they always deserve it, but because it’s what God asks you to do. So your decision to obey or not obey is mostly a question of whether you will obey God – even more so than whether you will obey your parents.

            So, for example, if your parents ask you to clean your room, you should obey because it’s what God wants you to do. And so, you should obey even if your parents don’t ask very politely, or even if they promised to play with you the night before but never got around to it, or even if they’ve not set a very good example and they never even clean their own room! You should obey because it’s what God wants you to do.

            Second, that little phrase reminds us that God is really in charge of your life – even more so than your parents – so you should continue to obey him even if your parents ask you to do something that’s wrong. Perhaps your parents are divorced and one parent wants you to be mean to the other parent. That’s something you shouldn’t do, because that would be sinful, wouldn’t it? Or perhaps your parents ask you to lie about something for them. This can be very tricky, but you need to think about how you can continue to obey God in those situations rather than do something that’s sinful. If that happens to you a lot, you might talk to your Sunday School teacher about that or your AWANA leader, and see what they can do to help.

            Now, I know many of you have heard this command for years—“obey your parents, obey your parents!” You know it’s a command for you from God, but maybe you don’t know how seriously God takes this matter. After all, some of your friends might not be very obedient to their parents. Is it really that big of a deal?

            Let me tell you about a few verses from 2 Timothy 3. In these verses, the Apostle Paul talks about how our world is going to have some big problems before Jesus returns. You may not understand all of these words—and that’s okay—but I bet one thing will jump out at you as I read [READ 2 Tim. 3:1-5]. Did you hear “disobedient to their parents” in that list? That was a list of some bad attitudes and actions, and God told Paul to put “disobedient to their parents” right in the middle of it.

            Paul also said that we need to avoid people who act in those ways. So as you’re deciding who your friends are going to be, you may have to decide that you can’t be best friends with someone who disobeys their parents a lot. You probably shouldn’t make that person the kind of friend you share secrets with, or the kind of friend that you ask for advice. That doesn’t mean you can’t play basketball with them or swim at the pool with them, but you will have to be careful how much influence you let them have over your heart.

            And for you teenagers, when you get older and start to think about dating, if you’re trying to decide whether a person is good dating material, ask yourself how they treat their parents. If that guy is disrespectful toward his parents or that girl is always mouthing off to her parents, you better run like you did when you still thought the opposite sex had cooties! The way that person treats his or her parents is exactly the way that he or she will eventually treat you. I know they don’t treat you that way in the beginning because you’re “in love,” but you just wait—its only a matter of time! So you find a person who treats his or her parents well.

“The first commandment with a promise…”

            [READ vv. 2-3] Here, Paul was quoting from the Ten Commandments back in the Old Testament. He points out something interesting about this command to honor your father and mother—even though it was the fifth commandment in that list of 10, it was the first commandment on the list that had a promise attached to it. Paul recorded the promise right there in verse 3—“that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” In other words, the promise to those Jewish children was that life would be better for them if they honored their parents, and they would get to stay on the property that God was giving their people—the Promised Land.

            Now, the first part of that promise definitely still applies to you—that’s why Paul included it here. Generally speaking, life will go better for you if you honor your parents. Not only will your home life be more peaceful, but you will keep yourself out of a lot of trouble if you will honor and obey your parents.

            Now, obeying and honoring are two slightly different things. Obedience talks more about your actions, and honoring talks more about your attitude—although your attitude certainly spills over into the way you act. But let’s ask ourselves here…

What does it mean, in practical terms, to honor your father and mother?

1. Treat them like very significant and important people

            To help you understand what I’m getting at here, think about an adult other than your parents whom you greatly admire – someone that you might consider a mentor, or at the very least, someone that you want to be like. This person might be your teacher, your youth group leader, or maybe your coach.

            Think about how you treat that person. You wouldn’t dream of talking back to them because you admire them and respect them too much for that. If they give you advice, you would really take it to heart because you value their opinion. You might even go out of your way to be helpful to them because you’re thankful for them and grateful to have them in your life.

            The way that you treat that person should be the very same way that you choose to treat your parents. That’s easier said than done, of course, but at least having that comparison in mind will give you a handy way to remember what it looks like to treat someone with honor and respect.

2. Let their approval carry significant weight in your decisions

            When I was a teenager, my parents gave me almost no rules that I had to follow. I had no curfew, so I was often out at times when nothing good was going on. I had no rules about dating, which was a really bad situation. From the time I was able to drive, I was able to go out on dates with girls all alone. Quite often, my parents didn’t even know who these girls were because I wasn’t required to introduce them to my parents first or get my parents input or anything. Let’s be honest – that was not a good situation!

            Despite this lack of rules, the one thing that kept me at least close to the straight and narrow – other than the Holy Spirit of course – was that I didn’t want to disappoint my parents. They raised me with such affection that I never wanted to let them down. Besides that, I am the youngest child in my family, so I got to see firsthand how my parents’ hearts would break when my older siblings did something that they didn’t approve of.

            That desire to make them proud of my choices kept me out of trouble many times. I remember a time around Halloween when some of my buddies thought it would be fun to go steal some pumpkins from the local Walmart and smash them in the driveways of people around town. Now, I knew that if I got caught doing that, my parents would die! So I stayed behind with just one or two friends at the house where we were hanging out that night.

            Well, after a while, our buddies didn’t come back and they didn’t come back, and we eventually figured that they were just out doing their thing, so we all went home. I found out the next day that my friends hadn’t even made it 20 yards out of the Walmart parking lot before they got pulled over! When they cruised by to steal those pumpkins, there was a cop sitting in the shadows across the parking lot, and they never even saw him! They were sitting ducks!

            The manager of the store chose not to press charges, but the officer took all of my friends to the police station and made their parents come pick them up before they could leave. As you can imagine, those guys weren’t able to hang out for a while after that.

            So to all of you kids and teenagers, let your parents’ approval carry significant weight as you’re making your choices. Decide for yourself that the last thing you would want to do is disappoint these dear people who have loved you and sacrificed so much to raise you and give you everything you need.

3. Let their advice carry significant weight in your thinking

            In the lead up to Father’s Day this week, I saw a short video about kids asking their fathers for advice. It quoted a statistic – and you all know that you have to take statistics on the Internet with a grain of salt – which said that 94% of teenagers would search Google for advice about something before they would ask their own father. I can’t say how they came up with that number, but the basic claim has a ring of truth to it in my opinion.

            Look – I know it’s so tempting to think that your parents are out of touch with reality because they may not know much about pop culture or technology. I know your parents might think the X-Men are the people who make X-Boxes, but trust me – your parents know a whole lot more about life than you will ever realize until you’re older. They can certainly give you far better advice than Google!

            So choose to talk to your parents and get their advice about the questions you have and the things that confuse you. Once you hear what they have to say, don’t take it lightly, and don’t just brush it off as if they have no idea what they’re talking about. That would be a terrible mistake for you to make. Consider long and hard what they have to say, and allow their advice to shape the way that you think about the world.

            For 16 years now, my father has been battling Parkinson’s disease. That disease really affects a person’s mobility among other things. I hate to see such a routine task as walking become so difficult for my dad, and I hate it for him that he won’t be able to play with my children the way that I know he would love to.

            But what really gets to me more than anything is the fact that I can’t talk things over with my dad anymore. The medications that he takes allow him to have a greater mobility, but they keep him from thinking very clearly, so much so that it’s hard for him to follow a conversation or put more than a couple of coherent sentences together at the same time.

            If I had known earlier in my life that my dad would suffer like this from Parkinson’s disease, I don’t think I would’ve told you that the thing I’d miss the most would be his advice. But that is what I would tell you today, and so I want to tell you kids and teenagers, don’t waste your opportunity to get advice from your parents. And when they offer it or when you ask for it, don’t fall into the foolish trap of thinking that you know better than they do. One of their God-given tasks is to teach you about life and how to make wise decisions, and I know that every parent I see in this room today takes that job seriously. So be thankful for them, and let their advice sink down deep into your souls, so that you might come to know how to make wise decisions.

A Handy Guide for Discussing Our World's Problems With Your Kids

Our world is full of problems, and—as every parent knows—sooner or later our kids will be asking about them. If a child or teen is on Facebook, then they have access to all the news that’s “trending.” If they’re watching TV—even age-appropriate shows—they might see a commercial for tonight’s newscast, complete with a teaser about footage of some horrific crime.

It’s only a matter of time before we have to answer questions from our kids about our world’s problems. How might we approach conversations like this? I’d like to give you a helpful and handy outline for such conversations – an outline that is based on the grand story-arc of history, as recorded and predicted in the Bible.

According to the overall narrative of the Bible, we can divide history into four broad stages:

1. Creation: The beginning of the universe and of angelic, human, and animal life, when God brought every created thing into existence, surveyed all that he had done, and called it good (Genesis 1-2).

2. Fall: The moment when sin entered the world through Adam, with all of the resulting devastations that it brought upon humanity, animal life, and even the physical world (Genesis 3 and beyond).

3. Redemption: The work of God to undo all the effects of the Fall, culminating in the atoning death of Jesus Christ and his glorious resurrection, also leading directly to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of believers (The events are recorded in the four Gospels and the Book of Acts. These events were foretold in various passages of the Old Testament and are expounded upon in the New Testament Epistles.).

4. Restoration: The eventual fulfillment and accomplishment of God’s full plan of redemption, undoing all of the effects of the Fall upon mankind (Revelation 20-22).

Creation—Fall—Redemption—Restoration. There’s our basic outline. In the context of discussing our world’s problems, we might sum up the flow of the narrative like this: Though God created our world in a state of perfection, sin has disrupted everything and brought about great sorrow and trouble. But God has already enacted a plan that allows us even now to begin to see victory over these troubles, and when his plan is complete, these troubles will be no more.

I think it’s important to emphasize to our children that in the present Redemption stage, the Holy Spirit gives us power to start doing something about our world’s problems right now. Though we are not in control over these problems, neither are we powerless against them. We can do practical things to push back against the effects of sin in our world.

It is also important to stress to our children that God will not tolerate these problems forever. He is patiently putting up with them for now to give people more time to repent and trust in Christ (2 Peter 3:9), but he won’t put up with him forever. He is going to put an end to the sorrows and troubles that we face!

So what might it sound like to have a conversation with your child based on this outline? Recently, I had a conversation with a mother who had been asked by her young daughter about children in India who were starving. Let me use that topic to give an example of what your answer might sound like. This might sound a little artificial, but bear with me!

“Darling, I’m glad that this bothers you, because it bothers Mommy and Daddy, and it bothers God, too. You know that God didn’t create the world to be this way. He put Adam and Eve in a beautiful garden that had plenty of food, and their children would’ve had plenty of food, and their grandchildren and on and on. But sin has disrupted so many things that now we have to deal with problems like people not having enough food. Sin has made the ground less productive than it could’ve been; it’s led people to have false ideas, like that they shouldn’t eat certain animals for food; and it’s led people to be selfish and not share with other people when they have more than enough for themselves.

“But you also know that God sent Jesus to die for our sins, and when we trust in him to save us, he gives people like you and me the power to start doing something about these problems right now. He helps us not to be selfish, so maybe we can start to share more of what we have with people who need it. Maybe we should find some missionaries who are helping people in India right now and see if we can help them. We can also help other people know the truth about God and Jesus Christ so that they don’t have to follow false ideas anymore.

“And remember this – God has already told us in the Bible that he’s not going to let these problems stick around forever! He’s going to put an end to them and make things new again, just like he created them to be in the first place!”

Creation—Fall—Redemption—Restoration. It’s not just the storyline of the Bible—it’s a handy guide for tricky conversations with your kids as well.

Following Christ While You're Working for The Man--1 Peter 2:18-25 (1 Peter Series)

            Think for a moment about the person with whom you spend the most time interacting on any given day. If perhaps that person is your spouse, that’s wonderful – you should consider yourself lucky. For most people, the person with whom they interact the most is either a coworker or their boss. I’m sorry if I just ruined your morning by reminding you about how much time you spend at work!

            For the average person, working takes up approximately half of his waking hours. That means your relationships with your coworkers and your boss are very important if for no other reason than simply the sheer amount of time that you spend with them. It’s important, then, for us to consider how God wants us to conduct ourselves in these relationships. In particular for today, we’re going to read some teaching from the Apostle Peter that you can apply to your relationship with your boss.

            As we continue in 1 Peter 2, Peter is going to continue with his quest to make me very unpopular! Last time we looked at his letter, I had to tell you to submit to the government, which is not always a pleasant or happy thought. Today, I have to tell you to submit to your boss, and if you haven’t thrown all the hymnals at me by the time we’re done, we’ll see that:

Submitting to your boss – especially one who does not treat you well – is a very Christlike thing to do.

1. Submit to your boss with respect, regardless of his character (vv. 18-20)

            Before we dive into these verses, let’s get an accurate idea of the setting in which these people found themselves. In verse 18, Peter refers to masters and servants. The NIV even translates that word “slaves,” which is not altogether inaccurate. We need to discuss this a bit however, because whenever we hear a word like slave or master, our thoughts immediately turn toward slavery in the United States during the early days of our nation. That setting is not a highly accurate backdrop for Peter’s audience however, so we need to take a moment to understand this.

            The servants whom Peter addresses certainly were slaves in the sense that they did not have freedom. They were owned by their masters, but for a great many of them, their life was quite different than that of a slave on a plantation in the United States. Many of them were given training in various trades including medicine and teaching. After all, why pay someone else to be your doctor when you could have a trained doctor of your own as a servant right there in your own household. These servants did typically receive a very modest wage for their work, and through that small income they did have the opportunity to eventually purchase their freedom if they desired to do so.

            That’s why the ESV and other translations call these people servants – so that we won’t automatically associate them with the slaves in the history of our own nation. Again, they were slaves in the sense that they were not free people, so that does put them in a different setting from us as well. If you work for a boss who really treats you poorly, you do have the freedom to look for another job. You don’t have to stay in that situation. Nevertheless, Peter’s instruction in this passage is highly applicable for us in the way that we respond to our bosses.

            Let’s see what Peter has to say in the first two verses of this passage [READ vv. 18-19]. Now when Peter says “mindful of God,” he means that we remember our personal responsibility to obey God regardless of how someone else treats us. If someone treats us unjustly, we are still responsible to obey all of God’s commands that would apply in that situation. So for example, we are not to take revenge against our bosses if they treat us unjustly. We should also continue to treat them the way that we want them to treat us. We should also choose not to gossip about them or slander them or to allow hatred of them to fester in our hearts. And as Peter specifically states here, we should still treat them with respect and do what they ask us to do as long as they are not asking us to sin.

            Peter goes on to describe how such holy and godly behavior in that circumstance is praiseworthy and commendable [READ v. 20]. When Peter says that such behavior is “a gracious thing in the sight of God,” he is saying that this is the kind of behavior that God approves of – the kind of behavior that God delights to bless.

And why is responding to unjust treatment in this way the kind of behavior that God approves of? Because it is the same way that God the Son responded when he endured unjust treatment during his life on Earth.

2. Your calling to stay holy despite unjust treatment has been exemplified by Christ (vv. 21-25)

            In verse 21, Peter writes, “For to this you have been called (and by “this” Peter means that we’ve been called to this kind of behavior, this kind of response to unjust suffering) because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.”

            Now, I need to camp out on this verse for a few minutes because there’s a truth here that makes such a profound difference for what we should expect life to be like for us as Christian people in a fallen world. The fact that God views Jesus as an example for us means that he knows and expects that we too will face unjust treatment from others during this life. The whole purpose of Christ serving as an example for us in this way is that we will know how to respond when we face the same kind of treatment – because God knows that we inevitably will!

            It is so vital for us to understand this because we hear a very different message today from an increasing number of teachers under the banner of Christianity. For example, you may be familiar with Joel Osteen. He is the pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, which is the largest church in the United States. Several of his books have hit the New York Times bestseller list.

            In his book Your Best Life Now, he writes that because we are children of God, we should expect that people will give us preferential treatment in life – not poor treatment, but actually better treatment because God will be working in our behalf. And so he goes on to write about times when he was given an unexpected upgrade to a first-class seat on an airplane and a time when a cashier gave him an unexpected discount on an item of clothing.

            According to him, that is how life can be for us all the time if we simply declare by faith that that’s how our life will be. He writes, “when you are living favor-minded, the Bible says, “God’s blessings are going to chase you down and overtake you.” (I’m not sure what verse he’s quoting there, and he doesn’t tell us) In other words, you won’t be able to out run the good things of God. Everywhere you go, things are going to change in your favor. Every time you turn around, somebody’s going to want to do something good for you, to assist you in some manner. They may not even know why. But it’s the favor of God that causes you to stand out in the crowd.”¹

            Apparently, it just never dawned on Peter to tell these servants that they simply weren’t living with a favor-minded attitude! According to Joel Osteen, they apparently could’ve put an end to their unjust treatment if they simply would have declared it to be so by faith.

            My friends, on the night before Jesus was crucified, he said to his disciples, “A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you (John 15:20).” Jesus never said, “If they persecuted me, don’t worry about it, because they’ll give you upgrades from coach to first-class.” Let me just ask you to consider this simple question – if God intends to make other people give us preferential treatment, why would he give us an example of how to faithfully obey despite unjust treatment? If Joel Osteen is correct, then we should be able to see less and less unjust treatment against us all the time as we grow in faith, but are we to think that the example of Christ becomes less relevant for us as we grow more like him?

            My friends, the reality is that God gave us an example in Jesus Christ because he knows full well that we will face unjust treatment throughout this phase of life. On the night before he was crucified, Jesus also said, “In this world you will have trouble and suffering. But take heart; I have overcome the world (John 16:33).” Please notice that even though we know we will have trouble in this world, we don’t have to live with a defeatist attitude or pessimistic outlook. Our Savior has overcome the world!

            One way in which he overcame the world was by rising above the world’s sinful way of living and following a godly lifestyle instead. Peter describes this in verses 22 and 23. He could certainly be speaking of Christ’s entire life here, but it seems that he might be focusing specifically on how Jesus responded during his trials after he was arrested. Let’s read what Peter has to say [READ vv. 22-23].

            That last phrase provides us with a key commitment for enduring unjust treatment in a godly way. When we face injustice, we don’t have to feel the need to sort it all out ourselves. We don’t have to feel a need to settle the score or turn the tables on those who might be unjust toward us. We can simply place ourselves in the hands of God and rest in his promises that he is going to make all things right in his good time.

            One day, he is going to expose the darkness and bring the truth to light. He will vindicate us in due time, so we don’t need to try to do that ourselves right now. We don’t need to resort to revenge or threats or insults because those who treat us with injustice will not have the last laugh. God may ask us to endure injustice right now, but you can rest assured that the judge of all the earth will do right. He will vindicate us in the same way that he has vindicated Jesus and will vindicate him again in the future.

            What freedom this realization gives us for life! You and I know that it’s not within our power to right many of the wrongs that we suffer in this life. But rather than feel trapped by that inability, we can rejoice that it’s not even our responsibility! God is watching over us, and he will sort those things out in due time, so we are free to live for much greater and glorious things than simply trying to settle the score with everyone who has wronged us.

            Some people go through life with heavy burdens and deep grudges because someone did them wrong many years ago and they’ve seemingly gotten away with it. But to quote Queen Elsa from Frozen, “Let it go!” Lay those burdens down into the loving hands of God, and know that he will make all things right.

            Part of the reason that Jesus died was that we might be set free from such sinful responses in order to live lives of godliness and righteousness. Notice verse 24 [READ v. 24]. The healing that Peter speaks of here is a healing from sin’s dominating power over our lives. Jesus bore our sins in his crucifixion to set us free not only from the penalty of our sins, but also from their power over us. So today, though our temptations still feel very strong, we have the ability to say no to them because in Christ we are dead to sin and alive to righteousness.

            We always need to remember that Christ’s death for us has such profound power not only for our future but also for our present. So often, we focus on what Christ’s death for us will mean for us down the road – namely, that we will get to enjoy a home in heaven. Consequently, we often lose focus on what Christ’s death means for us right now – namely, that we can rise above our sinful temptations and live lives of obedience and godliness.

            Please notice how Peter stresses that freeing us to live in righteousness was one of the purposes behind Christ’s crucifixion. He didn’t die for you merely to give you a home in heaven; he also died for you to give you a holy heart right now. So please understand that if you are not carefully obeying God in your life right now, you are not respecting one of the very reasons that Christ died for you. That is a terrible oversight and serious failure on our parts. As we examine our lives closely, if we find that we are not carefully obeying God, we need to ask God to forgive us for that sin and start following him on a more obedient path.

            He will lead us and guide us and sustain us on such a path, because he is our good shepherd. Notice verse 25 [READ v. 25]. There’s a great reversal that has taken place between verses 18 and 25. Peter began this section by talking about our earthly masters or our earthly bosses, but he closes the section now by reminding us about our greatest master and overseer – the Lord Jesus Christ. He is greater to us than any human master, so his approval should be sweeter and more important to us as well. If he tells us then to treat our earthly boss with respect even if we don’t receive the same from that boss, well then that’s precisely what we should do. He himself has set the example for us, so we should follow in his steps with a song like this in our hearts:

I’d rather have Jesus than men’s applause,

I’d rather be faithful to his dear cause;

I’d rather have Jesus than worldwide fame,

I’d rather be true to his holy name.

Notes:

1. Joel Osteen, Your Best Life Now, Chapter 6: “Living Favor Minded.” Accessed through Google Books on June 9, 2016 at https://books.google.com/books?id=I6F0gPBfC38C&pg=PT42&dq=joel+osteen+first+class&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwil8Puho5vNAhUHE1IKHcy4ANcQ6AEIQjAG#v=onepage&q=joel%20osteen%20first%20class&f=false

How to Live Under a Government That Has a Faulty Moral Compass

            To Christians, it seems that our federal government is wading into some strange waters these days. Particularly in the areas of gender and sexuality, our government is increasingly asking us to treat as acceptable certain behaviors that we would deem to be sinful on the basis of the word of God. On these issues, our government’s moral compass seems to be pointing due south as the Bible points us due north.

            It’s interesting to me that some of the occupations that have been on the frontlines of all of this are represented right here in our own congregation. Florists have had to consider whether or not they would make floral arrangements for a same-sex wedding ceremony, and we have a florist right here in our own congregation. Bakers have had to consider whether or not they would bake cakes for such ceremonies, and right here in our own church we have a young lady who bakes cakes. Most recently, educators have been thrust onto the frontlines, and we have several teachers and administrators among us.

            For that reason and others, the question we’re going to discuss today is highly relevant for all of us. How do we live under a government that has a faulty moral compass? More specifically, how do we respond when our government asks us to do things that we may find objectionable?

            Fortunately for us, we find many principles and examples in the Bible of just how to do this, because many characters in Scripture found themselves living under governments that had a faulty moral compass. In the Old Testament, Israel found itself at times under the leadership of Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, and Persia. Every one of those governments had a faulty moral compass. In the New Testament, every character we encounter was in that situation because they were all subjects of the Roman Empire.

So what do we learn from them? How should we respond when our government asks us to do things that we may find objectionable?

1. Look for creative solutions, and suggest them with humility.

            In Daniel 1, we read about Daniel and his friends having just been taken captive from Israel to Babylon. They were placed into a training program that was meant to prepare them to become officials in the government of the Empire. They immediately faced a moral dilemma however, because the diet they were given did not meet the dietary standards of the Law of Moses that the Jewish people were given to follow.

            But Daniel came up with a creative solution for this conflict [READ Dan. 1:8-13]. Daniel’s creative thinking here is a great example for us. In the panic that we often feel when we find ourselves in a moral dilemma, it is easy for us to think that we may only have two choices available. In reality, there could be a third or even a fourth choice that would solve the problem in a way that would not violate our conscience. So when you’re considering how to respond, a little creativity can go a long way.

            Let’s make sure we don’t overlook the fact that when Daniel suggested his creative solution, he did so with great humility. He didn’t resort to a more coercive technique like a hunger strike; rather, he requested permission to try out a certain approach for a certain period of time. And he continued to respect the authority of his superior—he acknowledged that at the end of the ten days, the steward could decide to do as he saw fit.

            So Daniel continued to submit to the governing authorities even as he offered his suggestion. Along with that continued submission comes our second principle.

2. Be willing to accept the consequences of your actions.

            If you cannot obey what you have been asked to do, you should be willing to accept whatever consequences that you may have to face. Daniel set that example when he told the steward that he could do as he pleased after the ten-day trial period was done. His friends also set that example in Daniel 3 when they refused to worship King Nebuchadnezzar’s golden idol. Notice what they said to the king when they were called out for their disobedience [READ Dan. 3:16-18]. They knew full well that God could deliver them if He chose to do so, but if He chose not to, they were willing to face the consequences.

            The apostles set the same example in the Book of Acts when they were arrested for preaching the Gospel. They didn’t fight in order to resist arrest, nor did the other disciples organize an attempted jail break. The Apostle Paul put it simply in Acts 25:11 when he said, “If I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything for which I deserve to die, I do not seek to escape death.”

            So, even if we cannot obey a law that the government has made, we must still obey the government’s authority to enforce the law that it has made. If we choose to disobey that law, then we must be willing to accept the consequences.

3. Understand the role of your conscience and respect it.

            With some of the questions we are facing today, the proper response is debatable. For example, if a bakery receives a cake order for a same-sex wedding, is it wrong for the bakery to fill that order? The answer to that question is not cut-and-dried, so for that reason, mature Christians could disagree over the proper response.

            In these situations, your own conscience will play a large role in your decision—and it should! Your conscience is a God-given part of you that prods you to do what you believe is right. Notice that I did not say it tells you what is right. Your conscience can be misinformed, under-developed, or even dull if you have ignored it for too long.

            So your conscience is not an infallible guide to what is right and wrong, but nevertheless, we should respect the role that God means for it to play in our lives. In Romans 14, Paul wrote to the believers in Rome about a difference of opinion that they had about their freedom to eat certain foods or drink certain drinks. At the end of the chapter, Paul states that it is actually a sin for you to violate your own conscience on a disputed matter like this [READ Rom. 14:20-23].

            The principle that Paul lays out here is that it is a sin for you to do something if you are not convinced that that act is acceptable to God. Even if another believer feels free to do that act, you must not do it unless you are fully convinced in your own mind. God gave you your conscience for an important reason, and you should respect the role that God intends for it to play in your life.

Now, because of the possibility of disagreement among Christians on some of these questions comes our next principle.

4. Extend grace to Christians who choose a response that differs from yours

            Since the proper response to some of these situations is debatable, we should not fight with or reject those who choose a response that is different from our own. As we face increasing pressure and even opposition from outside of the church, we need more than ever to seek increased unity within the church.

            Some of our Christian brothers and sisters have faced crushing fines and the loss of income for following the dictates of their conscience. If that happened in our own midst, it would be terrible for us to turn away from fellow Christians simply because we might have chosen a different response to that debatable matter.

            Paul deals with this principle as well in Romans 14. In verses 10-12, he writes [READ Rom. 14:10-12]. We can certainly discuss these matters with tact and love, and we can even try to persuade one another to see the matter in a different light if we think it’s necessary, but let us not condemn each other or reject each other if we cannot come to a unanimous opinion about these situations.

5. Use legal means of resistance first, and do so with great care and wisdom

            Choosing to break a law should never be a decision that we rush into. If we have some legal ways of resolving the situation, we would be wise to consider those first. For example, if you find yourself in a dilemma like this in your workplace, you may have some resources through your union or you may have a provision in your contract about arbitration that would allow you to get a third party involved in the matter.

            In our country, we do also have the option of taking the matter to court if we feel that our legal rights have been violated. So for example, if you were wrongfully terminated from your job because you took a stand on your conscience, you could take that matter to court. That is a decision that still requires a lot of care and wisdom, and in the end you may decide that it is not worth the time and the expense that would be required for you to take that step.

            So, if we do have some legal avenues of resolving the situation, we should consider all of them first before choosing to break a law. And since our study today has grown out of our study of 1 Peter, we should remember Peter’s reminder in 1 Peter 2:11 that we are sojourners and exiles in this world. If we find our rights not being fully respected in a place that isn’t our real homeland, we shouldn’t be surprised, nor should we allow fighting for our rights to become our highest passion and goal.

            We are followers of Jesus Christ – our highest passion and goal must always be to fulfill the Great Commission by making disciples of all the nations. If we choose to defend our rights in court, we must not do so only for the desire to hang on to all of our personal property or to keep America a comfortable place for Christians to live. Those are merely nice fringe benefits in life – they are not our highest passion and goal.

6. Think in advance about what your "line" is in the context of your own life

            Where is the line that you simply could not cross? At what point would you have to say, “I cannot go any further with what I’m being asked to do!” Now, each of us may face different situations because of our occupations or other personal factors. No one is ever going to ask me to bake a cake for their wedding, so I don’t really have to think about a situation like that except perhaps to be ready with some advice and counsel for someone who might ask me about it.

            But I am a pastor, so what if the government started to give me more regulations about what I could and could not say from the pulpit? The government already tells me that I cannot endorse a political candidate from the pulpit, and I’m fine with that because frankly, I have more important things to talk about than Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton! But what if they started to give me more regulations about my preaching? Where would I draw the line?

            In the context of your own life, it’s important to think about this question in advance, because when the pressure is on it is far too easy to just cave into it if you don’t have your convictions firmly in mind beforehand. Now of course, it is very difficult to predict some of the situations that we may have to face. I’m sure we can’t anticipate all of them, but with a biblical worldview established in our minds and with principles like these that we’ve discussed today, we can be prepared to chart a course that will be faithful to God even when those in authority over us are not.

Obeying God by Obeying the Government--1 Peter 2:13-17 (1 Peter Series)

            A number of years ago, John Lennon wrote a song called “Imagine,” in which he envisions a utopian society—an actual heaven on Earth. One of the institutions that he sees as holding us back from such a paradise is religion. In the first two verses, he sings:

Imagine there's no heaven

It's easy if you try

No hell below us

Above us only sky

Imagine all the people living for today

Imagine there's no countries

It isn't hard to do

Nothing to kill or die for

And no religion too

Imagine all the people living life in peace

            You might notice that another institution he apparently views as a hindrance is government. From time to time, various people have seen human government as a uniformly negative institution for humanity. They believe that we would be better off without government at all.

            The Bible takes a very different view of government, however. According to Scripture, government is actually part of God’s plan for human society, and we are called to obey our government to the fullest extent that we can without violating the commands of God.

            Last week in 1 Peter, the Apostle reminded us that we are sojourners and exiles in this world. Now, we could get the wrong impression from that idea and think that we are free to cast off and disregard the institutions that bring some order and stability to society. But in the heart of this letter from Peter, we’re going to see that God calls us to submit to these structures to the greatest extent that we can—that includes political structures, economic structures, and family structures.

            First of all in this section, Peter deals with political structures in 2:13-17, and that is what we will consider today. Let’s hear what Peter has to say.

1. Submit to the government out of obedience to God (vv. 13-14)

            In vv. 13-14, Peter writes [READ vv. 13-14]. It is clear what Peter is calling us to do—submit to our government—but the most important detail here is why we should submit to our government. Peter says we should do it “for the Lord’s sake.” We obey the government out of obedience to God, and—as we’ll see in a moment—so that we don’t put any unnecessary obstacles between other people and the message of the Gospel.

            Please understand, then, that the reason we are to obey the government doesn’t really lie in the government itself. Whether we love the system of government we have or not, we are called to submit to it. Whether we love the leaders in our government or not, we are called to submit to it. This is all because our highest master, the Lord Jesus Christ, tells us to submit to these lesser masters in the civil government.

            Now, we might ask ourselves at this point, “Does Peter really mean to say that we should be subject to any form of government at all?” Well, let’s consider the form of government that both Peter and his audience lived under.

            They were all subjects of the Roman Empire, which at that stage of history was ruled by emperors. Those emperors had basically unlimited and unchecked power to do as they pleased. There was certainly no democracy in the government at that level, nor at the level of the regional governors whom the emperor appointed to oversee the various parts of the Empire.

            The emperors thought of themselves as being at least godlike, and some of them may have actually considered themselves divine. And so, the emperors were worshipped throughout the Empire. People were allowed to follow their own religions to a certain point, as long as they gave their highest obedience to the emperor.

            At the time that Peter most likely wrote this letter, the Roman Emperor was Nero, who was known as being incredibly cruel toward Christians. He led a persecution against Christians, and several non-Christian historians record that at times when he wanted light in his gardens at night, he would call for Christians who had been arrested, have them covered in flammable oils and hung on high poles, and then burned to serve as human torches.

            So did Peter really mean that we should be subject to any old government under which we find ourselves? Apparently so. As we’ll see in just a moment, there is a limit to our obedience, but our general principle is to submit to our government to the fullest extent that we can.

            This principle really calls into question some practices that a minority of Christians have advocated over the years, such as not paying taxes. Just this week, as I was doing some research, I stumbled across a group based in Oregon called the Embassy of Heaven. They consider themselves citizens of Heaven, but they also consider it sinful to obey any form of human government, so they do not consider themselves citizens of Oregon or the United States.

            They have really taken their idea all the way—they issue their own passports, driver’s licenses, and license plates. They realize that driving around like that will eventually get them arrested, so they fully except to go to jail at some point in their lives. In fact, they have on their website a 127-page guide on what to expect while you’re in jail.

            I have no idea how they square their beliefs with a command like this in 1 Peter. Their behavior really shows the danger of losing balance in our application of Scripture. Yes, we are citizens of Heaven, but as Peter tells us here, we are also citizens in our various human governments—and we should act like it!

Another reason for our obedience to government is found in vv. 15-16.

2. Submitting to the government will silence some criticism of our faith (vv. 15-16)

            Peter writes in v. 15 [READ v. 15]. I think the ignorance he may have in mind here is the claim that Christians are a threat to the government. Believers faced that accusation in the Roman Empire because they would not give their highest allegiance to the emperor, and Christians still face that accusation today under totalitarian regimes like those in Cuba, China, Iran, and North Korea.

            But this claim is simply made out of ignorance, because even though we give our highest allegiance to Jesus, He commands us to submit to the government. So Christians by and large are actually good citizens—we’re not troublemakers, and in fact we seek to do good for our neighbors. It’s important that we live this way because it removes the hindrance to the Gospel of people thinking that we are some kind of dangerous element in society.

            Its not hard to see why governments might view us as a threat because we will not give them our highest allegiance—nor should we, as Peter reminds us in v. 16 [READ v. 16]. Peter is reminding us here that as servants of God, our highest allegiance is to Him. That does mean that we are free from human governments in this sense. They are not our highest authority, and this can be seen clearly through various examples in the Bible.

            According to examples we see in Scripture, our responsibility to obey the government does not apply when the government commands us to do something that is sinful. Peter himself provides one such example in Acts 4-5. In those chapters, Peter and John had been arrested in Jerusalem for preaching that Christ had risen from the dead. The Jewish authorities ordered them to stop preaching the Gospel, but they refused, saying, “We must obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29).”

            We can also think of the Hebrew midwives in the Book of Exodus. The Pharaoh of Egypt had specifically told them to kill any boys who were born to the Jews, but Exodus 1:17 states that they “feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them.” The text then says that God dealt well with the midwives, so He was obviously pleased by the choice they had made, even though it defied the human government.

            We can also think of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and the incident of the fiery furnace. King Nebuchadnezzar commanded everyone to bow down and worship the idol that he had made, but those three men refused to do so out of obedience to God. As we know, God Himself came to their rescue to deliver them from the fiery furnace.

            These examples teach us that our responsibility to obey the government does have its limits. When they command us to sin, we must not obey them. That is the sense in which we are “free” according to Peter in v. 16. But as Peter also says, we are not to think of our freedom as a license to disregard what is good and proper in the sight of God. Rather, our freedom consists of being servants of God. And once again, since He has commanded us to obey human government, that is what we must do unless its commands violate the commandments of God.

            Now, our own government is creating a lot of questions for us these days about exactly when we should choose to disobey them. These questions are a bit complex and very important, and they deserve some careful attention, so next Sunday we will be looking at these questions specifically and studying some principles that will help us navigate these bizarre days.

For today, however, let’s finish looking at Peter’s instructions in this passage.

3. Act toward everyone in the way that your relationship with them calls for (v. 17)

            In v. 17, Peter gives us four brief commands about how we should act toward various people in our lives. I think it’s a bit helpful to focus on these two at a time, because that approach creates some nice comparisons and contrasts.

            So first of all, “Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood.” There is a basic level of respect that I am to show to everyone around me. That’s a bit different from what we hear in our culture, where we often hear people say that others have to earn my respect. I think a helpful clarification would be to say that other people do have to earn my admiration or praise, but everyone should receive respect from me.

            We do have a heightened level of responsibility toward fellow Christians, however. They are to receive not only our respect, but our affection as well. We as believers should have bonds of friendship and affection that are unique and special, exceeding a simple respect and moving toward affection.

            Peter then writes, “Fear God. Honor the emperor.” Fear in this context is related to our deepest loyalties and our highest allegiance. That belongs to no one else but God. He alone is the one whom we should fear.

            But don’t overlook the fact that Peter calls us to honor the emperor. We are supposed to show honor to the people who are in positions of governing authority. What a good and perhaps convicting reminder for us during this election season—and obviously anytime, for that matter.

            Here in our country, we’re free to speak our minds about politics and about politicians—and boy do we ever exercise that freedom! Sadly, so much of our political discourse today is so caustic and hateful and disrespectful that it should really put us to shame. And according to this command right here, Christians should not contribute to the hateful tone that is often used toward politicians today.

            You don’t have to agree with every policy that someone promotes or every decision that they make, but you must express your disagreement with respect and honor. A Christian’s discussion of politics should have no place for name-calling or hateful rhetoric. This is not only right, it is also wise—other people are much more likely to hear you with an open mind if you engage them with respect and honor.

            So my friends, whatever you do, don’t contribute to the cesspool that is political discourse in our country today. I’m not saying that you have to be silent about politics—not at all! But when you speak, make sure you conduct yourself with respect and honor toward those who are in authority and toward whoever you may be speaking with.

            As we see so often in Scripture, we are to conduct ourselves at all times with a motivation to promote the Gospel and make our Lord look glorious in the eyes of others. So in our discussion of politics, we should not create any unnecessary barriers that close people’s minds to the Gospel. And by living as good citizens as much as we can, we can show people that faith in Christ is beneficial to our countries and communities, and hopefully draw our fellow citizens to embrace the Lord.