1 Peter 2 begins….

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, 3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

4 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house[a] to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For in Scripture it says:

“See, I lay a stone in Zion,
a chosen and precious cornerstone,
and the one who trusts in him
will never be put to shame.”[b]

7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,

“The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone,”

8 and,

“A stone that causes people to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall.”[d]

They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.

9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, 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 foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage 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.

13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, 14 or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. 15 For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. 16 Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. 17 Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.

Peter, writing this around 62-24 AD, just before the persecution of Nero breaks out, has in mind that he reminds his readers that they have a special place, not only in this world but in the Kingdom of God. He reminds them that they are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. Three good responses to the question, who are you? And there are characteristics of each of those titles doing with adoption, status, and nature.

Colonel Albert Dalziel penned these words and the third verse is worth noting:

Eternal God, unchanging
Through all the changing years,
Whose hands all things created,
Who holds the countless stars;
Enthroned in heavenly glory,
Yet not a God afar,
Thou deignest to have dwelling
Here where Thy people are.

Forbid that man’s achievements
Should cause our faith to wane,
Or seek in human wisdom
Our spirit to sustain;
Lord, surely Thou art shaping
All things to Thy design,
And born of this conviction
Is faith to match our time.

And in a world divided
By selfishness and guile,
When truth is on the scaffold
And faith is standing trial,
Grant us, by inward knowledge
No learning can bestow,
A faith that answers firmly:
These things, these things I know.

Though men have wrought confusion,
Thy hand still holds the plan,
And Thou at length decideth
The destiny of man;
Dominions rise and perish;
The mighty have their day;
But still Thy Word abideth –
It shall not pass away.

Peter is quick to tell his readers that they must shed some behaviours while growing up in the LORD. No malice, deceit, envy, slander…while craving spiritual milk, etc.

The orientation – “as you come to him”… a forward movement towards Jesus – not towards Caesar. This is the daily decision of the believer in the 1st Century. Ceasar who claims to be a god and who claims allegiance is not the one for those who are part of the chosen people, the royal priesthood, the holy nation. The YOU ARE in 1 Peter 2:9 mirrors Jesus claim of I AM. As a people of God (2:10) they are to work towards being part of what God is building on Christ who is the cornerstone! (2:6).

Peter goes on to call them foreigners and exiles... This world is not OUR home. We are citizens of The Kingdom of God – not citizens and subjects of Caesar. You must know who you are so that you know whose you are! And here’s some good advice on our evangelical quotient – “live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good works and glorify God on the day he visits us.”(2:12)

So here’s a secret to living a life of witness that has effectiveness.

Good deeds build good will, in order that we can deliver the good news!

Peter is repetitive here – and thus we gain some understanding of the importance of our behaviour to our witness, as he picks up the exact same thought in 2:15 “For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.”

Why would he be so anxious to make this point?

Because it matters!

“I urge you….” is how he puts it.

Now Peter knows something about bad behaviour. He knows about speaking before thinking. He knows about declaring something that you can’t deliver. He is helping those who are a part of The Way to gain credibility.

Note who we are to be submissive to? human authority, the emperor, governors… Yet in 2:16 he reminds us to “live as free people”.

Behaviour is important – and Peter does not want these people to be slaves to anything.

Sin is dangerous. Sin shackles. Sin separates. Sin spoils. Live freely Peter says….

Live as free people says Peter – and what is real freedom? Not choosing where you go or live or do, but freedom from having to please God by your behaviour – keeping the law! We are free indeed. We are free because He sets us free. We are free because He paid the price. We are free.

Living free requires us to pay attention (1 Peter 1:13) – to be sober minded! Remember when Peter fell asleep after Jesus asked him to “watch and prayer”?

Mark 14:37,38

³⁷ Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Simon,” he said to Peter, “are you asleep? Couldn’t you keep watch for one hour? ³⁸ Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak! We all know that law. And we’ve all experienced it at some time.

Remember Daniel 3:16-18!

16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us[c] from Your Majesty’s hand. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

And that’s towards right thinking.