On October 7, 2024 I was leading a trip to Israel when the war broke out. I remember waking up that morning in Jerusalem to a text from one of our team members who had told me that the Red Alert program was showing that hostile incursions were taking place near the Gaza strip. Now, at the time, we were not sure if this was some isolated event or something more, and not having any further information, we decided to keep an eye on the alerts while continuing our tours. As we began to load the bus to head to Qumran, the sirens began to sound off. Now, I had been used to sirens at home, as we hear them every first Saturday at 1 pm. I began to usher the team back into the hotel where there was a bomb shelter in the basement. Everyone was walking and talking on their way to the shelter when the first rocket went off over our heads, being intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system. At that time, I saw 70-year-old women begin to look more like Olympic track stars as they sprinted towards the bomb shelter. As the second missile exploded over us, it became clear that this was not an isolated event, but that we were exiles who thought they were residing in a country in peace found that they were now residing in a country at war, as 1,139 Israeli civilians, nationals, and security forces were killed that day. We found ourselves huddling in the basement of our hotel, praying to the Lord for safety, wisdom, and to be returned to our true homes.
In many ways, this is also the plight of the Christian in this world. We are exiles on earth, and this land is foreign and hostile to us. We may think that we are at peace, but a war wages around us, and inside we secretly yearn for our true homes. How are we to live in this hostile world? This is where we will pick up today, as we continue in our series Exiles in Our Land.
1 Peter 2:11-17
Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. 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.
Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, 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 people. Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.
Likewise, we are foreigners and exiles on this world. My favorite rock band from the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s Petra put it this way in their song, Not of This World:
“We are pilgrims in a strange land. We are so far from our homeland. With each passing day it seems so clear, this world will never want us here. We’re not welcome in this world of wrong. We are foreigners who don’t belong. We are strangers, we are aliens, we are not of this world.”
And the words of Petra are accurate. We are strangers and aliens on this planet. This world does not accept us and is literally at war with our souls. In 1 Peter 2:11, Peter teaches us that:
We are exiles in a country at war
Peter reminds us that the world in which we live is not a peaceful world. Like a human trying to live on the moon, likewise our world is hostile to our very existence. We are foreigners, and the nation in which we live is at war with us. It may not feel like it, but with regards to our souls, we might as well be living in Israel, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Haiti, or South Sudan.
What we begin to see as Christians is that the world in which we live is at war with us as followers of Jesus Christ. The very fabric of this world is in contention with our values and identities. In 1 John 2:15-17, we get a great summary of what the desires of the world are and the ways in which they wage war against our souls:
1 John 2:15-17
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
Lust of the flesh:
The first thing that wages war against our souls in this foreign land are things which appeal to our flesh. The Greek word for flesh is σάρξ. This word refers to things associated with the body, including sensual or animal like desires or carnal nature. This is also paired with corrupt thinking, whereby our wayward thoughts drive our intentions away from God honoring desires towards things which are ordained by God as off limits. This former might take the form of sex outside of marriage, practicing homosexuality, or engaging in other forms of fornication. The latter may be indulgences in pornography or fantasizing through reading graphic novels. It might be working out and dressing to show off our bodies to be noticed, instead of just seeking to be physically fit and healthy. It may use social media to show off our bodies or make vulgar comments towards others. This land teaches us that, “If it feels good, then do it.” “If you got it, flaunt it.” “You be you.”
Lust of the eyes:
This world also draws us in through our eyes. The eyes in scripture are seen as the gateways into our bodies. It often is contrasted between light and dark, and often then refers to the things which are seen by our eyes and become covetous to us. It might be the new sports-car that your neighbor just bought, or the new wakeboarding boat, or your sisters brand new home on the lake. Maybe it is coveting someone else’s job, or a promotion, or seeking power or fame. Regardless, the eyes are the windows to the soul, and the world seeks to shift the focus of these windows from the desires of God towards the desires of man.
Pride of life:
The world also attacks our very nature. Many times we choose not to get our counsel from God but rather to trust in own self-reliance. It could be arrogance towards others who we see as below us. It could be our narcissistic tendencies, whereby we see ourselves in the best light and others in the worst. We may see ourselves as the greatest human to ever walk the earth, and attack anyone who might think differently. It may take the form of control, whereby we believe that we know what is best for everyone else and seek to control the outcomes and direction accordingly. We may see others and compare ourselves and either inflate ourselves or deflate others with our words and actions.
Regardless, our world is hostile to the Christian. So how are we to live in a world where the very atmosphere is hostile? In our passage, Peter gives us a course of action to take, which is to abstain. Now what does this look like? Let me show you an illustration to help clarify.
Stop It!
Abstaining in this context means to distance yourself from something. Sometimes, our flesh is weak and needs planning to ensure that we do not fall to its desires. Does social media cause you to covet or fantasize about others? Maybe you need to turn it off. Do late night get togethers’ with your boyfriend or girlfriend lead to sex? Maybe some boundaries about meeting in public places and at proper times are in order. Is there a group of people who meet at lunch to gossip about others? It might best to avoid this gathering time with them and connect with them individually instead. What this requires is both prayer as well as planning to succeed, which is no different than wearing a space suit if you planned to land on the moon, or a bullet proof vest and body armor if you were headed to the front lines of a battlefield. We plan to avoid pitfalls, while at the same time praying that the Lord would not lead us into temptation. God directs us to distance ourselves from these things which cause us to sin, as if they were radioactive and hostile to our very selves, which in fact they are. Exiles in a foreign land need to traverse carefully, and plan accordingly so that we won’t fall into the sinkholes of sin.
We are exiles who are under observation
One particular mission trip to Zambia, we rented a soccer field and put on a medical clinic for over 7500 people. We brought doctors, nurses, dentists, interpreters, and outreach members and even hired a local musician to play during the outreach. During these events, everyone in the area typically comes out to see what is happening, especially kids. Now due to the AIDS pandemic in Zambia, there are very few middle-aged people. Half of the country is 16 years old and under, and most of the other half are mostly older aged adults. As a result, there were a couple hundred kids sitting in the bleachers who were waiting to see if there was something at this clinic for them. Now one of our outreach team members wanted to set up a soccer game with the kids on the other side of the field, but since he did not speak Bemba, Chewa, or Tonga, it was impossible for him to communicate with them, and came over to ask for my advice. I asked him if our team was ready for the game, and he told me that they were, so I went over and pumped up a soccer ball. I then slowly walked with him with the ball under my arm in front of all the kids in the stands. As I passed by, every kids eye was on me, because I was holding a soccer ball. When I got to the end of the stands, I turned around, held up the ball, motioned with my hands to the kids, and drop kicked the ball into the soccer pitch. The entire stands full of kids emptied in about 10 seconds, and within 20 seconds the desolate field became the soccer game of the century.
Likewise, just as I was under observation as a foreigner in Zambia, we as Christian exiles are also under constant observation by the world. It is like we are always on stage, or living in a glass house, because people want to see if our lifestyles truly fit our beliefs. This is because our walk of life should be so different than the rest of the world, which intrigues some, but may draw others to slander. When people encounter conviction for their own sins due to the example of others, it can cause a negative response in rebuttal. This is why it is so important as exiles that we live lives where we constantly are putting God on display. We care for others to show God’s love for them. We don’t slander back or respond to attacks because we honor others above ourselves. When people make poor choices which lead to sin, we do not hold it over them but care for them and pray for them. When we live lives in this way which are glorifying to God, He gets the glory. Jesus himself taught it this way on the sermon on the mount in Matthew 5:14-16:
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Likewise, we were made for good deeds. When we let our light shine before others and do good to them, people will be unable to slander us for they will be unable to deny the good that is being done in the name of Jesus.
On one mission trip to Haiti, near the end of the trip, we took a drive in the bus to the top of a mountain where we had a team dinner and looked out and prayed over the country. While on the mountain, a woman who came from California and had resided in Haiti for over a year, asked me what we were doing there, and I told her that we were from Oak Pointe church and we were serving the people of Haiti through Bold Hope. Now as soon as this woman heard that we were part of a church, she began to ridicule us. She told me that we were wrong for coming over and converting these poor people against their will to Christianity. She felt that we were pushing God onto others and forcing them to convert to our religion. As a result, I began to share with her about how our trip was to bless the people of Haiti by building them a medical clinic, running a clinic to provide medical care to those who have not access, provide clean water solutions to those who were getting sick from poor sanitation, and to care for the kids through a daily feeding program. I told her than many asked to about our faith, and some chose to believe, but we did not force anything on anyone. We just shared our stories of our own changed lives and why we were serving. I then asked her if she had been able to help any of the poor people who she had encountered in the past year or so since she had moved there. At this she became very uncomfortable and told me that she had been thinking about it but had not yet done anything. She then quickly asked her Haitian servant to pay for her bill so that she could leave and promptly got up and walked out of the restaurant. What was interesting in this encounter was that this woman clearly had issues with the church or Christianity, but when she attempted to slander us, and learned of our good deeds, she quickly realized she was in the wrong and sheepishly left. Though her intentions were to slander, our good deeds on behalf of Jesus eroded any ground under her to stand on.
We are exiles who are under authority
Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, 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 people. Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.
While we remain exiles on earth, we find ourselves under foreign rule. Now, this rule may be a government which is set on God’s standards and rules. It might be a government which is completely foreign to God’s standards, or even opposes them. How do we function inside of our current government systems in our time of exile while truly being citizens of heaven?
Our passage today reminds us to submit to our governments, for the Lord’s sake. Now, you might say, “But what if our government is corrupt, like Nigeria Brent?” or “What about places like North Korea Brent where freedom is not practiced?” or “What if the opposing party gets into office this fall?” These are great questions, so let’s explore.
To begin, God instructs us to submit ourselves to our governors, emperors, governments, and governmental systems. The word used in this passage is the word ὑποτάσσω – which has a prefix ὑπο which means under, while the verb τάσσω means to put in order or put in its place. This verb was used as a military term, which referred to rank, whereby one might refer to themselves in this way to show that they are under the rank of another. It gives the idea of subjection or ranking under someone else. Just as a captain or an admiral would subject themselves under a general because of their rank, likewise this term means to treat our government workers in such a way that they would pull rank over us.
Now, scripture does not tell us to submit only when we agree with the government system. Nor does it tell us to submit if and only if the leader is a God-fearing individual. It does not specify whether the leader is a Republican or a Democrat, or a Libertarian. It reminds us to submit and put ourselves in rank under our government officials for the Lord’s sake.
During the time that this letter was penned, Rome ruled the world, and Nero was the emperor. Now Nero was not a great leader. He set fire to his own capital city of Rome so that he could rebuild it according to his vision and ideology. While it was on fire, some accounts say that he sang and played a lyre while he watched it burn. Afterwards, he framed the Christians with this crime and had many executed and tortured. He set some on fire to light his dinner parties, executed others in the arenas as criminals, beheaded others like Paul who had roman citizenship, and had Peter executed, being hung upside-down on a cross.
Nero also belonged to the Imperial cult whereby, having been given the task of cultus, he would have been seen as set in place by the gods themselves to cultivate the land. After emperors died or even sometimes while in office, the Senate would vote these leaders to become state deities, further ensuring that predecessors would be of the lineage of the fallen leaders, and ascribing god-like nature to these men. As a result, the line between the government and religion was blurred. Many Christians were hated during this time because they did not participate in the sacrifices and offerings given to the gods of Rome as other citizens did, and were seen as not supporting Rome.
This is the context of this portion of scripture. The very author who penned this letter was executed by the emperor and government which he spoke to be subject to. How is it that Peter could still ascribed honor to Rome and Nero, when the government was against him, and the very leader hated Christians? It was for the Lord’s sake. Just as we are to take rank under our government officials, likewise God has orchestrated the governments, and government officials will be held accountable to God who are to take their rank properly under the rule of God. Scripture is clear that God sets the governing authorities in place, and the authority alone has been established by Him. In fact, Paul (who was also put to death by Rome in a similar time) agrees with Peter in this regard in Romans 13 where he states:
Romans 13:1-7
Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience. This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing.Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.
What this means is that following our government is in accordance with God’s plans. Now this does not mean that we worship our government, or party, or government leaders, there is only one God, but the laws and justice systems and leaders of the land were instituted by God. In fact, the early Christians walked this line well, and were hated, whereby they followed the laws of Rome but would not participate in the worship of the emperor or make sacrifices on behalf of false gods. Likewise, we not only follow God’s established government and leaders, but we also show honor and respect to these leaders, just as we would show honor to the ultimate King of the Universe. By honoring our leaders and following our laws we honor God who instituted them.
This is a hard thing for many of us to hear. I mean, in the United States, we are free! We live in the land of the free and the home of the brave. We have freedom to vote and decide who is elected as our officials. We have freedom to vote and provide input to our amendments, laws, and policies. We are free to choose who we want to follow, and we have the right to speak up if we disagree or choose to slander another party or leader. This is our right, correct?
We have been given freedom in our country, but we are also free as followers of Jesus Christ. What this passage teaches us is that We are free exiles who live as slaves. Peter tells us to live a free people, and as a result, we are free to live as slaves of Christ. The word δοῦλος which translates as slave in this section reminds us that this step of freedom that we take is not of our choosing. We have the rights to live rightly and properly, doing good, but we give up our rights to choose who we will serve because we subject ourselves to God. This word can also be translated as subject, which fits this passage. We subject ourselves to God first, and as a result God directs us to subject ourselves to our worldly leaders, and institutions which rank below him and are under His authority.
This portion of the passage then is more about submission to God and His rule than it is about human institutions. Human governments and leaders will rise and fall, and God will install those which he sees fit. But God’s rule will never end. He is the King, and His reign is from everlasting to everlasting. We submit to our worldly governments and leaders because Jesus is King, and ultimately, we want to honor Him and serve Him. Our submission to our government and leaders then ultimately the response and desire to submit and honor God.
In our war-torn time of exile, know that we are not alone. The King of Kings has already walked this road before you, was hated, murdered, and yet rose again. He is now residing in heaven and has prepared a place of everyone who believes in Him. Our true eternal homes wait for us, but until that time, let us live as exiles who are under observation, showing the world our Good deeds, so that others may become intrigued with the Savior of the world. Let us live lives that are honoring to Him, and seek to do good to others, even those who slander us. May the Lord establish His kingdom forever and ever, and may we find true peace with Him.
