Slideshow image

“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.”

 

“Though they accuse you of doing wrong...”

What is wrong and right is not so clear-cut in our society, just as it seems to not have been so clear-cut in the society to which Peter wrote so long ago. What is “right” is often confused with what is the loudest voice in the media, what is easiest, or what seems to be the most self-serving or people-like-us-serving.

Pagans in the time of Peter’s writing had a decided idea of the right and wrong way to live; and it conflicted with Christians’ identity in light of their newfound citizenship in God’s kingdom of mercy and justice. Pagans would be more likely to identify with “right deeds” being ones that are ultimately self-serving, people-like-us serving, and following what is most appealing to the human senses, so long as they also blend in with the surrounding culture.

Christians’ identity, Peter is sure to remind these newer disciples, measures “right deeds” much differently. Rightness cannot conflict with moral goodness in the Christian life. Therefore, Paul urges the Christian community toward good deeds—deeds that serve the purpose of glorifying the one true God by displaying God’s mercy, justice and love through the actions of Christians living.

Today, may we as the royal priesthood, the holy nation, also recall our identity in moral goodness. Our primary identity is in Christ crucified, and in our baptismal identity. Without God’s grace, we would have nothing. But out of this, we do have an identity in moral goodness.

Our deeds may conflict with what our society considers “right” when these deeds are in fact “good.” Our good deeds as Christian people will always glorify God by displaying the awesome love, mercy and justice of God, that goes far beyond the world’s...so far, that it makes the world uncomfortable...so far, that it may disturb and disrupt the world...so far, that they whom the world says are right, will even “accuse you of doing wrong.”

When they “accuse you of doing wrong” because you are disturbing the status quo with your actions toward justice, love and mercy, take heart. That's when your identity in the royal priesthood may be shining most brightly, and you are proclaiming whose you are.

Pastor Beverly Struckmann

pastorbev@livinglord.org

 

Prayer Concern: For those doing their best to live godly lives in a foreign culture/land, especially when they must live with fear of rejection or worse; and for those who feel like outsiders among their family, peers or coworkers.