Friday, May 5, 2017
For the Lord’s sake, submit to all human authority—whether the king as
head of state, or the officials he has appointed. For the king has sent them to punish those who
do wrong and to honor those who do right.
It is God’s will that your honorable lives should silence those ignorant
people who make foolish accusations against you. For you are free, yet you are God’s slaves,
so don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. Respect everyone, and love the family of
believers. Fear God, and respect the
king. 1 Peter 2:13-17(NLT)
In
yesterday’s Honorable Behavior
devotion we noted some differences in Peter and Paul; that was mostly about the
differences in their personalities. Today
I’d like to point out that, when it comes to how to go about living as a pilgrim
believer in a foreign land, Peter and Paul were on the same page.
Peter has
just instructed believers to respect everyone including earthly government
leaders, but especially to fear (or reverence) God.
Here’s what
Paul had to say about that:
Everyone must
submit to governing authorities. For all
authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed
there by God. So anyone who rebels
against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will
be punished. For the authorities do not
strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the
authorities? Do what is right, and they
will honor you.
Romans 13:1-3(NLT)
Honorable
behavior is a matter of doing what is right.
In 21st
century jargon doing right
means believers and followers of Jesus Christ must be ethical people. The working-out
of our faith means living within the confines of integrity; it’s
that place where our walk
and talk match-up.
Ethics
always goes to motive, that which takes place in the heart. Respecting everyone, and particularly loving the
family of believers
demands that truth will be constantly worked-out in the heart, and then spoken
at all times.
At times,
speaking the truth will seem costly, even harmful. Yet that is the only way to fear God and
respect people. Even a little lie chips away at the
ethic of respecting people.
Have
you ever felt that little sting
inside just when you were about to say something you knew wasn’t quite the
truth? Of course you have; that’s God’s
reminder to run it against what you know to be the right thing to do.
Peter and
Paul were on the same page on that one!
For You Today
When
you form a habit it changes your character.
Little lies become faulty and untrustworthy character.
NOTES
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