A coworker asked a recently baptized woman what it was like to be a Christian.
“Being a Christian is like being a pumpkin,” she replied. “God picks you from the patch, brings you in, and washes the dirt off. Then He scoops out the yucky stuff—the seeds of doubt, hate, greed, and lust. He carves a new smiling face and puts His light inside you to shine for all the world to see.”
Her answer may bring a smile, but it captures something Peter wanted Christians to understand. God changes us, then calls us to live differently in the world around us.
Peter wrote, “Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles” (1 Peter 2:11–12).
But when doing right is difficult, when others seem unconcerned, and when temptation is strong, we may wonder, Why bother? Peter gives us five reasons for right living.
1. You are beloved by God.
Peter begins with a term of endearment: “Beloved.” Before he tells Christians how to live, he reminds them who they are.
The love God showed us through Jesus should move us to love Him in return. Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). There is a difference between obeying only because we feel obligated and obeying because we are devoted to the One who loves us.
When we remember the love Jesus poured out on the cross, we want to live better.
2. You belong to another country.
Peter calls Christians “sojourners and pilgrims.” Both words describe people living away from home. We live here, work here, and care about the people around us. Yet, as Paul reminds us, “our citizenship is in heaven” (Philippians 3:20).
When an American travels abroad, his behavior may shape what others think of his country. As citizens of heaven, what does our conduct say about our King? Can people see His values in the way we live?
3. You are in a war you cannot afford to lose.
Peter says fleshly lusts are a “war against the soul.” That battle does not always look dramatic. One day it may be pride; another day, anger, greed, sexual temptation, or selfishness.
Think of all that people sacrifice their souls to gain—money, pleasure, position, popularity, power. What will any of it be worth if we lose the battle for our souls?
Yet a lost battle does not have to mean a lost war. Peter knew that firsthand. He denied Jesus, but he repented, recovered, and continued serving Him. If you gave in to temptation this week, don’t surrender. Turn back to the Lord and keep fighting.
4. Your critics are watching.
Peter urged Christians to keep their conduct honorable among those who did not share their faith. Some people will misunderstand us. Others may look for a gap between what we profess and how we live.
Our answer is not merely a better argument. It is a better life.
When Peter speaks of honorable conduct, he describes a life that others can see as good. Truth becomes visible in kindness, purity, honesty, generosity, compassion, and integrity. Even when someone speaks against us, our good deeds can speak for themselves.
5. Your critics may become converts.
Peter says that those who observe our good works may someday “glorify God in the day of visitation.” Christians have understood that final phrase in different ways. But Peter clearly expects our conduct to give others reason to glorify God.
I’ve seen what a godly example can do. My father was converted through my mother’s example. My friend Hank Hudson obeyed the gospel after observing the faithful life of his wife, Jean. Perhaps a friend, coworker, neighbor, or loved one is watching you, too.
So why live right when wrong seems easier? Because you are beloved by God. Because heaven is your home. Because your soul is at stake. Because others are watching—and some of them may one day become your brothers and sisters in Christ.
Maybe that newly baptized woman understood more than we first thought. God cleans us up, changes us from within, puts His light in us, and sends us into the world to shine.
–Ken Weliever, The Preacherman
(This blog post is based on a sermon I recently preached at the West Citrus church in Crystal River. To listen to the entire 34-minute lesson, click here)
