Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation. (1 Peter 2:11-12)

The Way That We Live

Early Christians suffered a lot under the heavy hand of persecution. First is the attack against the church by Saul of Tarsus. The Jews constantly harassed Paul and the early disciples. When the Romans began to persecute the people of God, it would last for nearly two hundred years with little respite. Peter writes his epistles during the reign of Nero, Roman Emperor. The early disciples suffered for wearing the name of Christ. In the midst of this oppression by the world, the aged apostle implores his readers to maintain a good example of righteousness and godliness. He wants them to have honorable conduct in the world that is persecuting them.

Peter reminds the Christians why they can endure the persecution. Life is transitory, brief, like a vapor that appears for a little while and vanishes away. The suffering from the world is only temporary because, as the nation of God, life is a sojourn and a pilgrimage. There is nothing last about life, whether good or evil. Having the mind of a sojourner or pilgrim places things in proper perspective. Nothing is permanent. The lusts of the flesh are temporary. All of the evil things said about the Christians were empty. Peter wants the people of God to give an example of faith and courage to a cruel world so they can see God living in their hearts and minds.

How a person lives defines the kind of person he is. When the Christian shows a forgiving heart, he manifests the character of the forgiveness of God. Refusing the lusts of the flesh to seek the nobility of godliness mirrors the godliness of the Father. Refusing to deny Christ instills in the eyes of the world a determination built upon faith and courage in the Son of God. The greatest tool a person has to show Jesus Christ to the world is the example of Christ living in the way they live.

As a man and woman, the Christian is devoted to prayer and examining the scriptures. This makes them a better person as an individual, a spouse, a parent, a citizen, a friend, and an example of how God can change the lives of anyone. The Jews killed Jesus, knowing He had done nothing wrong. Peter wants Christians to live in such a way that no charge of deceit, malice, or ungodliness can be found in the example of God’s people. How a person lives can determine how the world sees Christ. If a man professes to be a Christian and lives like the world, the wisdom of the world shows him to be a hypocrite. The church is damaged in reputation by those who act one way on Sunday and live like the devil the other six days of the week.

A Christian is a pilgrim seeking another home. While he abides in this realm, he will avoid worldly desires that compromise his relationship with God. His life is set to live a proper example of Jesus Christ among the unbelieving people of the world. When the enemies of Christ accuse a Christian of wrong, no evidence can be found because of their faithfulness to Jesus Christ. What the world sees in the Christian’s life is God’s glory. When they see God, they see truth.