“11 Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers
to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war
against the soul. 12 Keep your behavior excellent
among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which
they slander you as evildoers, they may
because of your good deeds, as they observe them,
glorify God in the day of visitation.”
~~1 Peter 2:11-12~~
To understand the context for this passage, we have to back up a couple verses where we find that Peter had just finished describing believers. He used words like “chosen race”, “royal priesthood”, “holy nation”, “people for God’s own possession”. He then stated that the reason that God chose us and named us those things was “so that (we) may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called (us) out of darkness into His marvelous light”. With that in mind, go back and reread our focus passage.
Peter is establishing that when we enter into a relationship with Christ, our “citizenship” transfers from earth to heaven – “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20). Since we are no longer citizens, but now foreigners merely visiting on the earth, Peter is “urging” us to watch ourselves. The Greek word for “urge” <parakaleō> means to address or speak to in a way as to admonish (to indicate duties or obligations to; to express warning or disapproval to especially in a gentle, earnest, or solicitous manner; to give friendly earnest advice or encouragement to) or to exhort (to try to influence (someone) by words or advice; to strongly urge (someone) to do something; to give warnings or advice; make urgent appeals) us. So what is Peter urging us to do?
“…abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul”.
To figure out exactly what that means, let’s look at some definitions.
- The word abstain <apechō> means to hold oneself off – to choose not to do or have something – to refrain deliberately and often with an effort of self-denial from an action or habit.
- The word fleshly is used to describe an action governed by human nature and not by the Spirit of God.
- The word lusts is speaking of the human desire – a craving or longing for what is forbidden.
To abstain from fleshly lusts is a CHOICE each person has to make.
(bear in mind that not choosing IS choosing)
When we accept Christ, we are given a new nature that is supernaturally wired to respond to the Spirit of God and not to the urges of our humanness. How does that happen? Well, the Spirit of God moves in and takes residence within us. But unfortunately, that doesn’t automatically eliminate the tension that we feel when we are faced with the choice of doing things our own way or God’s way.
Peter described the tension between the flesh and the Spirit pretty strongly by calling it “waging war against the soul”<strateuō>. This phrase describes how certain passions can disquiet the soul. Let’s face it, there’s an uneasy feeling that settles in when we are tempted by thoughts of doing things our way instead of God’s way. That war between the flesh and the spirit destroys the peace and tranquility of our soul. It wages war against the soul.
There are things that, in our humanness, we want to do or take part in that we know beyond a doubt won’t please God. Peter is saying, make the choice to say “no” to those things. Be purposeful and intentional about it. If we don’t choose to follow the prompting of God’s Spirit within us, we will surely be swept downstream by the urges of our flesh.
“Keep your behavior excellent”
Peter tells us to keep <echō> our behavior excellent. “Keep” is in the participle mood (it’s an “-ing” word that denotes a continuing action). <Echō> means to hold oneself in a certain condition. The condition we are to hold ourselves in that of having “excellent behavior”. Excellent <kalos> describes being beautiful by reason of purity of heart (internal) and life (external). Behavior <anastrophē> encompasses your conduct (how you manage yourself), your behavior (your response to your environment), and your deportment (how you behave, stand, and move, especially in a formal situation).
There’s a very important reason that Peter is urging us to “keep (our) behavior excellent”.
“SO THAT in the thing in which
they slander you as evildoers, they may
because of your good deeds, as they observe them,
glorify God in the day of visitation.”
Before we come to Christ, our “citizenship” is here on earth; but once we begin our relationship with Jesus, our citizenship transfers to heaven. While our citizenship is in heaven, we haven’t “moved home” yet, so unbelievers here on earth (“people of this foreign land”) are observing us. Peter is telling us to faithfully continue keeping our behavior excellent both in order to please God and so others can see how a relationship with Jesus can change a life. I read a couple commentaries about how our excellent behavior connects to the “glory of God in the day of visitation”.
David Guzik explained this by saying, “Maintain such a walk that they shall have no charge against you, except touching your faith; and so their minds shall be favorably disposed towards Christianity. so that the only thing that the unbelievers could take issue with us about is our faith.”
Matthew Henry commented that another aspect of “so that they may glorify God in the day of visitation” is that “those that are under God’s gracious visitation immediately change their opinion of good people, glorifying God and commending those whom before they railed at as evil-doers”.
I have three thoughts to sum up this blog entry.
THE STRUGGLE IS REAL.
WE MUST MAKE A CHOICE TO LIVE ACCORDING TO FAITH, NOT FEELINGS.
OUR CONTINUED EFFORT IN KEEPING EXCELLENT BEHAVIOR MATTERS.