"That God May Be Glorified"
[I Peter 2:11-17]
July 22, 2007 Second Reformed Church
When you were growing up, what was your biggest temptation? When you visited your grandparents, or your cousins, where was the temptation, what were you most likely to get into that you shouldn't? When you were alone, or on a class trip, or in some position where no one would ever find out what you had done, what was it that pulled at you?
My father's mother always put out a bowl of hard candies, right in front of us kids, and we weren't supposed to touch them. Some of them had nuts, or a gooey filling, or a liquid, but we weren't allowed to touch any of them. Until there came a point when we were offered one candy, and then we were allowed to choose one. And then, at some point, the adults would leave the room, and the candy would start crying out, "Try me! You didn't try this kind yet!"
What was it for you? Was it candy? Pretty glass or ceramic objects? Chasing after the family pet? As you got older, and your temptation advanced, did you pocket money that was lying around? Did you sneak a drink from the liquor cabinet? Did you sneak off with a boy or girl...? Where does your weakness lie today?
Peter was writing to Christian on the run. He told them to stand strong in their faith, because they and we have a living hope -- that Jesus Alone is our God and Savior and all that He has promised will come to pass. And now, He calls us to holy living, as a response to the salvation we have received, we are to live out the Law of God, doing good works that show to Whom we belong. We are, after all, founded and sustained on the Cornerstone of Jesus Christ: it is by Him that we stand and will survive from this life and into the fullness of the Kingdom. Because we are God's chosen people, and we have been set apart for Him and His Work.
In this morning's Scripture, Peter reminds Christians that we are exiles, sojourners, strangers, visitors in this fallen world. Perhaps we need to hear that more that Peter's original audience -- Christians who were on the run, in foreign lands, among foreign people -- they understood that they were strangers in a strange land. How about us? Do we understand that we are just passing through this fallen world? Do we understand that this world, broken and sinful, is not our home? Do we understand that we have been chosen and are now being prepared to enter into the fullness of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ -- a Kingdom of perfection and ever-Christward Glory? Do we understand that the brokenness and sin and fallenness and everything that is wrong and sorrowful will fall away, and the creation will be restored, and all of God's people will be perfected and made holy, like Jesus, and then we shall enter into the Kingdom for all of eternity? Do we understand? Do we at least glimpse where we are headed?
So, now, in this life, we are strangers, visitors, exiles, sojourners. John Bunyan, who wrote one of the most famous novels in the history of humanity, Pilgrim's Progress, says that we are pilgrims. (And if you have never read John Bunyan's novel, get a copy and read it. There are few novels that are so worthy of being read.) Perhaps we don't understand the word "pilgrim" very well these days -- a pilgrim is a traveler, especially someone who is traveling to a religious site.
The commentator, John Rogers, writes that there are at least ten distinctives of a pilgrim (Rogers, 293-298). There are at least ten characteristics of a person who is traveling from one place to another. If you have ever gone on a trip, you might consider if these are true of you. Or, if you want to think about the trip you are on now, from this home to your heavenly home, see if these are true for you.
John Rogers says, first, that pilgrims don't adopt the fashions of the countries they are passing through. An American traveling to Russia, with a stop-over in England, will not suddenly change his eating habits and eat fish and chip and warm beer. He might try such a meal, but he won't adopt it as his way of eating. And Australian, who stops over in Utah on the way to Japan, will not marry six women, because Utah is largely Mormon and many Mormons believe in polygamy. You and I do not have to take on the habits, the likes and dislikes, and we certainly ought not take on, the sins of those places we are just passing through, like this fallen world.
Second, pilgrims only bring what's necessary for the trip. When we pack our suitcases to go somewhere, we don't take everything we own with us. Not everything is necessary. Not everything is profitable to bring. We ought not grow too attached to the stuff of this world, because we cannot take any of it with us into the Kingdom. We ought to pare down and gather to ourselves those things that are useful and enjoyable for the trip, but avoid becoming obsessed with amassing stuff that we can't take with us.
And, thirdly, pilgrims take what is profitable. Again, we might well bring enough clothes for a cruise, for example, but it would not be profitable to bring a set of spare tires.
There is a delicate balance to be maintained between what is available to us, what is good for us, and what is necessary for us -- and those lists won't be the same for each of us. We all have needs and abilities that make certain things more necessary for some than others. But, certainly, as Americans, most of us will have more than we need -- things that are unprofitable. For example, if you have a closet full of clothes that you haven't worn in the past year, they are not profitable for you, but they might better be donated to those who need clothes.
Fourth, a pilgrim travels towards the country he is headed for. Someone who wants to go to Canada from the United States will not go by way of Mexico. Someone who desires to reach the Kingdom of God, will not continue to go back to sin. Sin ought to become less and less a part of our lives. We ought to spend less and less time turning back, when we ought to be going forward. And understand this, if you are more disturbed with your sin today that you have been in the past, that is a good thing. It shows that you are making progress in the right direction.
Fifth, a pilgrim will ask for directions -- even male pilgrims will ask for directions. If we want to know how to get to the Kingdom, we will study our Bibles, attend worship and our adult studies. We will ask other Christians for help and understanding and guidance.
Sixth, we won't waste time. How much time do we waste, because, "we deserve a break today"? How much time do you spend watching the idiot box? How much time do you spend complaining and not doing anything? How often do we get bored? I had a friend of mine get in touch with me this week and tell me that he was bored. I told him that I didn't understand what he meant -- I told him that he must be using the wrong word -- maybe he was tired, or frustrated, or angry, but how can we, especially, as Christians, how can we get bored when there is so much to do? How can we spend so much time doing nothing useful? Understand, I am not saying that the television is sinful, or that we ought never enjoy ourselves -- we should. What I am saying is that Americans spend too much time doing nothing -- wasting time -- and we dare not do that as pilgrims.
Seventh, a pilgrim enjoys his traveling companions. We ought to enjoy those we are traveling with, wether it be on vacation, or some other trip, or on our journey to the Kingdom. We will be very displeased to arrive at our destination with people we have never learned to enjoy. Will we like every Christian, agree with everything with every Christian, we will desire to be with every Christian all the time? No. But, if we are all saved by Jesus, one people, chosen by him, being made into His Holy Temple, we had better find a way to enjoy each others' company.
Eighth, a pilgrim carries his own burden. Now, if you know the novel, Pilgrim's Progress, you will remember that Pilgrim's burden falls off at one point, and it was a good thing. In the novel, Bunyan is writing about our sin being taken from us. That is not what Rogers is writing about. Rogers is saying that each of us has been given work to do, a burden, and we are to do it. There is no welfare system in the Kingdom. Each of us has been given all that we need, by God, to accomplish what He has given us to do, and we are to do it.
Ninth, a pilgrim longs for home. You and I as Christians ought to long for God's Kingdom. We ought to look forward to that day when all sin and sorrow will be whiped away and we will enter into Glory. If you don't long for where we're headed, then why are you bothering? A Christian longs to be with Jesus, so his eyes are fixed on Him and His Coming Kingdom.
And tenth, a pilgrim's excitement grows as he gets closer to home. Our excitement ought to grow, day be day, as we journey closer and closer to our heavenly home. Does it make you happy to know that today you are closer to the Kingdom than you were yesterday? Does it fill you with joy to know that we are one day closer to Jesus' Soon Coming Return?
Peter tells the Christians of the first century, and us, that the flesh, sin, and the devil want us to turn back and give in to him. He wants us to be bad pilgrims, bad examples to the world. He wants us to fall, and when we do, he will stand over us and laugh and tell us that we never belonged to Jesus. But the devil is a liar, and he is the father of lies. We must resist him, and turn to Jesus, especially when we are alone, or in the dark, or feeling down, in those times when we are feeling self-pity and as though no one will notice or care that we sin. Then, we must run back to Jesus, cry out to Jesus, "Lord, help me; Lord, have mercy on me." And He will.
Peter says we are to keep our conduct morally good, even among non-Christians. We are to do what is good and right and honoring to God always and no matter who we are with, but especially in the presence of non-Christians. Why? So that on the day of visitation God might be glorified. That is, that when these come to belief, they might understand what we did, why we have lived the way we have, and glorify God because of it.
Usually we don't know what our influence is in this life, and whether it is good or bad, but once in awhile, we might find out. In high school, I was in band, and a few years ago, I happened to run into a fellow in NYC who had been in band with me, and he told me that he was glad to see me and he wanted me to know that he finally understood the things I had said in high school and the way I had acted -- he had received Christ as his Savior. (Unfortunately, I could give you negative examples, too.)
Peter says that for the sake of Jesus Christ and His Gospel, we ought to obey everyone who is put in authority over us, because God has sent them to punish evil and reward good. And we may remember that Paul says the same thing in Romans 13. But I hope someone is thinking, "Wait a minute, these Christians are being hunted by Nero's armies. Nero was the authority over them, and he wanted to kill them. How could they submit to the authority over them?" And the answer is this, we are to obey those in authority over us except for such cases where they require us to do something that goes against the clear teaching of God. So, Nero said that Christians were to be put to death. God did not require them to turn themselves in to be slaughtered. No, they rightly ran and hid and escaped Nero, because Nero was acting against the clear teaching of God in this case: he wanted to murder Christians, which is a sin. However, Christians, we may think that our current tax laws are abominable, but since they do not go against the clear teaching of the Scripture, we ought pay them. (Now, I understand that the Amish and others will argue the point, but none of you are Amish, so pay your taxes.)
Peter also says that we are to enjoy our freedom in Christ, but we ought not make it an opportunity to sin. We may drink, but we ought not get drunk. We may eat, but we ought not be gluttons. We may own stuff, but we ought to be greedy or covetous. Do we understand?
As strangers in this world of sin, as people who are just passing through, proclaiming salvation in Jesus Alone as we travel to the Kingdom, we are to be a different people, a people who do what is good and right and pleasing in God's eyes. We are to love each other. We are to obey the civil law except when it goes against the clear teaching of the Scripture. And if we do these things, others will notice, and they may come to belief, and God will surely be glorified. And that is the chief end for which everything exists and occurs.
So, let us pray:
Almighty God, we thank You for making us Yours out of all the people of the earth. We ask that You would restrain us from our sin and cause us to do those good works that You have set before us as we travel through this life and into the fullness of Your Kingdom. May You be pleased and glorified to let others notice our good works and know that they are done because You Alone are our God and Savior. Keep us from sin when we are alone, when it is easy, and when no one seems to care. Make us examples for Your Sake and to Your Glory. For it is in this that we find our joy. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
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