It is God’s will that your good lives should silence those who foolishly condemn the Gospel without knowing what it can do for them, having never experienced its power. You are free from the law, but that doesn’t mean you are free to do wrong. Live as those who are free to do only God’s will at all times. Show respect for everyone. Love Christians everywhere. Fear God and honor the government. 1 Peter 2:15-17 (TLB)
Many Christians love this passage . . . right up until you get to the last three words.
Honor the government? But what do we do if the government is not honorable? Do we still have to submit to a president, congress, or court that does not have our best interests at heart?
The answer, though we may admit it reluctantly, is yes. Let’s break down this passage.
Verse 15 says that God wants us to shut up the ignorant folk who think we are deluded or even dangerous. But He wants us to do this not with our words, but with our lives.
Verse 16 says that being free from the penalty of God’s law does not give us license to do whatever we want, but to do God’s will. And what is that will?
To show respect to everyone.
The remainder of verse 17 gives examples of this. Love Christians everywhere. Fear God. Honor the government.
This isn’t multiple choice. ALL of these examples fall under the heading of showing respect to everyone.
“Everyone” also includes the people in verse 15, whom one might describe as enemies of the faith. But remember in Part 1 when we talked about loving our enemies?
There’s just no getting around this, so what do we do with it?
First, as painful as it may be, we simply have to accept the fact that the world is full of stupid people.
Second, and equally painful, we must realize that no matter what good people we may think we are, not everyone is going to like us.
The third thing we must do is to stop caring about the first two things.
Stay calm; mind your own business; do your own job. You’ve heard all this from us before, but a reminder never hurts. We want you living in a way that will command the respect of outsiders, not lying around sponging off your friends. 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 (MSG)
We don’t solve the problem of finger-pointing by employing the method of sign-waving. We don’t stifle the ignorance of idiots by yelling louder. And we don’t solve problems in our government by advocating revolution or anarchy.
A Christian should never be concerned about other people’s issues when our primary function is to meet other people’s needs. Whoever they are, their chief need is Jesus, whether they realize it or not.
It all comes down to respect. Honor. The Greek word Peter uses in the passage above is “timao.” It means to add value. A synonymous word in English would be “to appreciate,” but not in the sense we casually use it today, for example, “I would appreciate it if you would put away your laundry.”
No, this is in a much larger sense. It means to esteem, by giving someone his or her due. By showing a full understanding of their inherent value, especially how it relates to you. To consider another more important than yourself.
This is what respect is. You may not feel respect for Joe Biden’s character or for that of Donald Trump before him, but you are called to respect the office of the president, because:
Every Christian ought to obey the civil authorities, for all legitimate authority is derived from God’s authority, and the existing authority is appointed under God. To oppose authority then is to oppose God, and such opposition is bound to be punished. Romans 13:1-2 (PHILLIPS)
Bottom line: if you call yourself an American, then THE president is YOUR president, the same as if you call yourself a Christian, then God is your God.
And your pastor is your pastor. Your teacher is your teacher. Your boss is your boss.
You may disagree with them or cringe at the sound their voices. You may even find yourself making voodoo dolls of them in your spare time.
But they are all people, the same as you, and made in the image of the same God as you. And this same God has commanded the same respect for all.
Faithful
Never let loyalty and faithfulness leave you.
Tie them around your neck;
write them on the tablet of your heart.
Then you will find favor and high regard
in the sight of God and man. Proverbs 3:3-4 (HCSB)
If one way to win the respect of others is to mind our own business and show appreciation, another is being faithful.
Probably the most common way we use the word “faithful” today is in the context of a relationship. When we are “faithful” to a significant other, it is a sign of focus and commitment.
The original Hebrew word emeth, rendered “faithful” in the verse above has much more depth. It means sturdy, stable and trustworthy. Something you can depend on without thinking twice. In the King James Version, emeth is most frequently translated as “truth,” so you can see why it’s a favorite word of mine!
The word signifies things that are firmly established as being right. To apply this word to a person would be to describe them as reliable, sincere, and one who clings to the Truth. And as we proclaim God as the source and embodiment of all Truth, it stands to reason then that a faithful person is reflecting the image of a faithful God.
We like it when we can rely on people, don’t we? It sure takes a lot of stress out of life when you know you can count on someone.
Sometimes, though, it seems that we may not put as much energy as we should into being that kind of person. If faithfulness is a sure way to win respect, then a sure way to lose it is hypocrisy.
A hypocrite is, at the heart, a pretender. A hypocrite shows you one face while being someone else underneath. If a person makes a habit of being this way, it won’t take long for the word to get out. A hypocrite is untrustworthy, because you never know what to expect from such a person. One thing you won’t expect is truth and faithfulness.
There is no room for hypocrisy in the Church. As Paul advised to the Colossians:
Don’t lie to each other. You’ve gotten rid of the person you used to be and the life you used to live, and you’ve become a new person. This new person is continually renewed in knowledge to be like its Creator. Colossians 3:9-10 (GW)
If you have professed Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, none of the bad stuff you did before counts against you, but there’s a catch. You can’t go back and do that stuff anymore. (Of course, if your conversion is genuine, you won’t want to anyway, so it’s all good.) But God created you in His image, and if you have accepted His invitation, you have become eternally adopted into His family. Since God is the source of all love and the essence of all Truth, that means you have His faithfulness in your DNA.
It doesn’t matter who you are or where you came from. God created you to do the work He had planned for you, but He also gives you the strength and endurance to perform this work faithfully. When you follow through with that, it pleases God to see His plan working itself out in your life.
And as an extra added bonus, other people will notice not only the work you’re doing, but also the manner in which you do it. They will see your sincerity and know that you are someone they can trust.
To be concluded in Part 3, in which we will learn how to practically apply respect and faithfulness from a pure and courageous heart. Click on the Free Newsletter Link to be notified when that post becomes available.
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