How Then Must We Live
1 Peter 2:9 -12
9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you
may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy,
but now you have received mercy.
11 Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war
against your soul.
12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see
your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
What You Were
10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy,
but now you have received mercy.
We were nothing. We were part of the aimless, mindless crowd that goes through life with no meaning –
with no purpose other than surviving each day and enjoying it as much as possible.
Again, in Romans, he repeats this observation:
Ro 9:26 and, "It will happen that in the very place where it was said to them, `You are not my people,' they
will be called `sons of the living God'." (NIV)
He is speaking of the lostness of man.
In Romans 11, Paul points out the problem:
Ro 11:30 Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of
their disobedience, (NIV)
Men talk of all the horrible sins that send people to hell. They list various vices and crimes that make your
blood run cold, but these are not the things that send people to hell. These are only symptoms of the real
problem.
The problem is sin. The problem is unbelief. The problem is that men do not trust or obey god. "In time
past, ye have not believed God..
In 1 Timothy, Paul gets more specific with what we were:
1Ti 1:13 Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy
because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. (NIV)
Now note, these are the things we were - these are the things we used to be. These are the things we are
no longer.
What You Are Now
1 Peter 2:11 Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires,
which war against your soul.
We are strangers and pilgrims. We do not belong to the earth. (Neither does the earth belong to us, as we
suppose. "The earth is the Lord’s and the fulness thereof.")
We are visitors here - strangers and pilgrims - just traveling through here. We are on our way home. Our
home is elsewhere. Our citizenship is in heaven.
Heb 11:13 All these people were still living by faith when they died … And they admitted that they were
aliens and strangers on earth. (NIV)
We should bless the earth and its inhabitants while we are here, but just don’t get too comfortable here.
When the trumpet sounds, we’re outta here.
Further, while we are here, we are ambassadors for Christ. We actually represent Him here. (Should that
change the way you live? Of course!)
2Co 5:20 We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We
implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. (NIV)
We are here on a mission. We are all missionaries to wherever we live, work, shop, study ... whatever,
wherever.
2Co 6:1 As God's fellow-workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain. (NIV)
We are workers together with God and Christ. What is He trying to accomplish in this world, we should be
trying to accomplish it with Him.
We are partners with God. That means He shares the power with us to get the job done.
Leviticus 25:23 The land shall not be sold for ever: for the land is mine; for ye are strangers and
sojourners with me.
Again, we are strangers and sojourners (travelers) here. We do not own anything here - it all belongs to
God. We just use what we have here while we are here. The things of earth have no value in heaven. Don’
t worry that you can’t take it with you. Why would you want to take it with you.
(It’s like the man who wanted to take a bag of gold into heaven with him. At the gate of heaven they
wondered why anyone would want to bring a bag of pavement to heaven.)
How Should We Then Live?
Peter tells us:
1. Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.
2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,
Then in verse 11:
11 Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war
against your soul.
Now here’s the point - flesh ministers to flesh and spirit ministers to spirit. The flesh will pass away - the
spirit will live forever.
Galatians tells us:
Ga 5:16 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. (NIV) Ga 5:17
For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful
nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. (NIV)
There are things that we should not do simply because they dry up the spirit. Your spirit is the most
important part of you. You want to take special care of your spirit. So, don’t do things that will harm your
spirit.
"The flesh works against the spirit. . ."
Peter advises:
1Pe 4:2 As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will
of God. (NIV)
1Pe 2:12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may
see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. (NIV)
Live an honest and upright life before unbelievers. Unfortunately, they will judge your God by the way you
live.
Ro 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices,
holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. (NIV)
Present, or offer, yourself to God for whatever He desires for you. Nothing you do will ever amount to
anything eternal unless it is submitted to God. All you have is wasted if not dedicated to Him. All your
accomplishments will perish someday - your dreams will vaporize - your fortunes will lose their value - your
fame will fade with time, or the changing mood. But what is done for Christ will last.
Offer yourself a living sacrifice. God doesn’t necessarily want you to die for Him - He wants you to live for
Him.
Eph 4:1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.
Live worthy of your calling. If you call yourself a Christian, walk worthy of the name. Walk worthy of the
name of Christ. Bring Him honor by the way you live.
1Pe 1:17 Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers
here in reverent fear.
The biggest problem with this world today is that we have lost the fear of the Lord.
The fact is, we’re not afraid of anything. We are so bold as to do anything our hearts desire. And our
hearts are desiring some pretty evil things these days.
Many people have a problem with integrity. They have a problem telling the truth. A few years ago, a
prominent American politician deceived people for many months and finally admitted the truth only when
he was forced to admit it.
You know all too well what I am talking about. Politicians tell you what is necessary to get your vote. Then
when they get elected, they forget their promises. Vendors tell you whatever is necessary to sell a
product. The fact is though, the truth will be discovered sooner or later. The truth always comes out, so
we might as well start with it.
We had better return to a fear of the Lord before the trumpet sounds. On the day of Judgment, many will
learn what the fear of the Lord is all about. I pray that I live my life in such a way that I won’t have to be
afraid to stand before Him on that day.
Lu 21:34 "Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties
of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. (NIV)
Pay attention! Do you know what is going on in this world? Do you know what is going on in your own
heart? Be careful! "Take heed to yourselves. . ."
Dissipation is excess - anything out of balance or excessive. Paul says in 1 Cor:
1Co 6:12 "Everything is permissible for me" --but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible
for me" --but I will not be mastered by anything. (NIV)
1Co 10:23 "Everything is permissible" --but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible" --but
not everything is constructive. (NIV)
He’s saying, "sure, you can do all kinds of things and get away with it. But if it does not build you up
spiritually, don’t do it. You should not be fascinated by the things of the world. Abstain from those things
that will destroy your soul.
Ro 8:13 For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the
misdeeds of the body, you will live, (NIV)
Put to death - the works of the flesh. Galatians lists them:
Ga 5:19 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery;
Ga 5:20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions,
factions
Ga 5:21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like
this will not inherit the kingdom of God. (NIV)
Then in Romans:
Ro 13:13 Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual
immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. (NIV)
He tells us to walk as in the day. In another place, we are told to walk in the light, where all things are open
and honest, not in darkness where we try to hide what we do. Is your conduct such that you need not hide
in the shadows so some of your deeds would not be publicly known? Are you walking in the light.
2Co 7:1 Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that
contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. (NIV)
I believe this says it all. Cleanse yourself - get rid of all that dishonors and displeases Christ, both inside
and out. Do your best to live holy, counting on his forgiveness when you fail, but doing your best to keep
failure down to a minimum.
Ga 5:16 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. (NIV)
Here, I believe, is the key. If you walk in the spirit, that is, if you will seek God’s leading and guidance in all
things - if you will obey what you know from His Word - if you will allow the Spirit of God to rule in you - you
will not give in to the flesh. Every time you give in to the flesh, it is because you ignored the Spirit of God,
for He is always there to keep you from falling, unless you refuse His help.
2Ti 2:22 Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those
who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. (NIV)
Simple advice - grow up. Stop acting like spoiled, undisciplined children. Do the things that you know will
honor God. Follow after holy things - not unholy things.
1Jo 2:15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is
not in him. (NIV)
Forsake your love for the world. It’s will lead you to destruction. You cannot serve God and the world at the
same time. You cannot have the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of this world at the same time. Make up
your mind.
"Choose you this day whom you will serve. . ."