honorable and obedient

Good morning friends,
It's good to be home and it was great to be away with other pastors. Thanks to you, Laurelton, for providing the opportunity for me to be refreshed and challenged. Today's reading has two main points to make and the second is, well, secondary. The main point is that those of us who have come to trust in Jesus are called to a special mission, to share God's love with others. Our identity comes from our experience of God's love and is for others, not just for us. The main way we share that is by living "honorably" and lovingly.

The second point, which follows from the first, is that we should follow those in authority. That obedience to rulers is part of living in a way that shows love and faith. It's clearly not a blind obedience either, since Peter and the early church as a whole often had to disobey those in authority to stay faithful to God. So we are called to live faith in all we do.

Blessings as you do that,
Sam

1 Peter 2:9-18

9But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 11Beloved, I urge you as aliens and exiles to abstain from the desires of the flesh that wage war against the soul. 12Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles, so that, though they malign you as evildoers, they may see your honorable deeds and glorify God when he comes to judge.


13For the Lord’s sake accept the authority of every human institution, whether of the emperor as supreme, 14or of governors, as sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right. 15For it is God’s will that by doing right you should silence the ignorance of the foolish. 16As servants of God, live as free people, yet do not use your freedom as a pretext for evil. 17Honor everyone. Love the family of believers. Fear God. Honor the emperor. 18Slaves, accept the authority of your masters with all deference, not only those who are kind and gentle but also those who are harsh.