Respect, Love, Fear, Honor
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1 Peter 2:11-17
Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. 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.
Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.
SPIRITUAL PRACTICES
Read 1 Peter 2:18-25, four times this next week.
Use the ‘O.I.A.’ Study method to look at 1 Peter 2:18-25
DISCUSSION GUIDE
Questions:
1) In what ways can you respect everyone you encounter each day?
2) Choose one fellow believer that you can show love to this next week. Pray for them, reach out to them, and tangibly do something for them.
3) What is one area of your life that you’ve allowed sin to slip in? Cultivate a healthy fear of God, ‘a reverent affection’, by obeying his word in your life.
4) Spend some time praying for your local, state, and federal officials and politicians.
Prayer:
Thank God the father for choosing you; you are an elect exile. Ask the Holy Spirit to continue reorienting your heart for holy obedience to our Lord. Thank Jesus for showing us how to serve and love others. Take some time to sit silent before God.
