Sermon Text:

Our typical approach to preaching at Redeeming Grace is to preach through whole books, in order, and explain what the passage means. Since we go passage by passage, I do not get to choose what to preach. I preach whatever the Holy Spirit puts next and give it whatever proportional emphasis it has in the text. For example, if I preach on love frequently, it is because God talks about it frequently. 

Also, since I am preaching expositionally, I do not get to decide how to present those topics. I am not here to tell you what I think, but to point you to what God has said. The main points of the sermon should always line up with the main points in the passage. When it comes to passages like the one we will look at today, it is tempting to preach what I call a “yes, but” message. You know, where the preacher tells you what God says but then spends most of the time talking about all the exceptions and caveats rather than driving home the main point.

I hope that you always pray for me that I avoid that temptation for your sake and mine. 

In the verse just prior to our passage Peter says,

12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.  

This sets up the next section of the letter where he gives examples of what that looks like. He addresses our relationship to this world by specifically dealing with our relationship to government, to our work and social status, and to our families. Today we will focus on what Peter says about our relationship to earthly government.

His main point is Believers are to demonstrate respect and responsible behavior toward earthly authority while staying committed to serving God and loving others.

He begins with the following command in verse 13 and 14,

13 Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. 

Although this may be difficult to do, it is not difficult to understand. The basic idea is pretty straight forward. We are to be subject to the government. The fact that we are citizens of the Kingdom of God does not mean that we can ignore or disrespect human government. We are not only to acknowledge it, we are to be subject to it.

Being a subject means we are expected to obey the laws, regulations, and decisions made by the government and its appointed officials. We are to follow the established rules, pay taxes, and fulfill our civic duties as members of society. Being a subject means we recognize the power and legitimacy of the government over us. 

Not just the ones we like, he says we are to be subject to every human institution. This refers to all laws and institutions developed by humans for governing society. Peter begins with the emperor as the supreme head of the state as well as governors. By this he clearly intends all levels of government. The entire bureaucratic structure of the state. From the top to the bottom, we are subject to human governmental authority and are to be model citizens, respecting government at all levels. 

In our country we have a representative government, which means that we are each able to participate in the establishment and direction of these institutions. That is a privilege that most of our brothers and sisters throughout history and in the world have not or do not have. We must use that influence responsibly and for the good, but once these authorities are established, we are to submit ourselves to them whether we like them or not.

Peter says we are to do this “for the Lord’s sake”. There is a connection between God’s authority and that of the state. We are called to obey the governing authorities ultimately because of our reverence for and submission to the Lord. God is sovereign and is Himself the source of all authorities therefore, obedience to any legitimate authority is an expression of obedience to God.

Our attitude toward the government is like a thermometer that measures our spiritual maturity. Submitting to authority is hard. We don’t like being told what to do by anyone. We are all born with a treasonous and rebellious spirit. We struggle with authority because our flesh tells us we are the most important person in the world. We deceive ourselves by focusing on all the ways we submit to various authorities, but the reality is that often our faithful submission extends only so far as we think they are ultimately serving our self-interest.

A sailor in the navy cannot serve honorably while insisting that he or she will only follow orders that come directly from the Fleet Admiral. An attempt to do this does not show respect but disregard for the Admiral. The idea that there is no legitimate authority over us except that which we choose comes from vain philosophy not from the Bible.

I saw a man a while ago with a patriotic T-shirt and on the back it said, “I have no sovereign but God”. Frankly, it would have been more accurate had the shirt said, “I have no sovereign but myself” because if God were truly his sovereign then we would willingly submit to all those God has placed in authority over him. That slogan expressed a disregard not only for his country in rejecting the rule of law upon which it is founded, but also for God.

To recognize God as sovereign is to see his hand in every circumstance that shapes our lives. It is to trust that even the vile and wicked things are being worked by his power to bring greater blessing and honor in the future. Ultimately, the right to rule doesn’t come from the consent of the individual, or even from the consent of the people as a whole, but from God. 

There are many things about our government that we cannot approve of but we trust God is still on his throne. The decisive vote in every election is cast by God. There have been 46 presidential administrations and an uncountable number of kings, congresses, and parliaments and every one of them was placed there by the providence of God. Listen to what Paul says in Romans 13:1–2,

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.  

Obedience to government is an expression of our obedience to God. That does not mean that we do not use the legitimate influence God gave us to shape that government, but we are to be subject to it. The president is our president and the governor is our governor ultimately because God has placed them in their office. That is true of every person who has a position of authority.

Peter and Paul are not naive. They both know all too well that the government often does not function properly. They were both abused and mistreated and were both eventually executed but they saw in their submission a larger purpose. Peter says, do it “for the Lord’s sake.”

We are not motivated only by civic principals, patriotism, or even national identity. Our motivation is much deeper, it comes from union with Jesus Christ. The greatest goal and honor of believers is to be like Jesus. The meekness and submissiveness of Jesus is our model and our motivation. Listen to what Peter says in verses 21-25:

21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.  

Jesus entrusted himself to God who judges justly. Through faith we have become the body of Christ and have received the Spirit of Christ and so we continue his work of revealing the Father so that others may be saved. Since that is our mission, there is no greater reward than to be like Jesus. We are not made subjects because of our respect for the people in the offices, or even respect for the offices, but because of our love for Jesus.

In verse 14 Peter says the purpose of government is to punish evil and praise good. Properly functioning government restrains evil and encourages good. It is the prophetic office of the church to be a voice of clarity as to what evil and what good are but God has given the government the responsibility of curbing evil and encouraging good behavior.

The most sinful form of governance we see in the Bible is anarchy or no government at all. The worst situation is for everyone to do whatever they think is right in their own eyes. Even the most corrupt governments will restrain evil at some level. 

The government of Iraq under Saddam Hussein was one of the most brutal, oppressive, and corrupt governments that have existed in history. There were very few things about his rule that we could commend. Torture, genocide, and forced labor were routine. But even this brutal and evil government restrained other violent and evil men and when that regime fell it unleashed new horrors upon the people until a new regime could be stabilized. 

Government is established by God for a purpose. If those who have that responsibility fail in it, then we trust their judgment to God who will judge justly. Our task is to be model citizens so unbelievers have no legitimate reason to slander the faith. If this makes you uncomfortable, I want to remind you that it did not come naturally to Peter either.

The night that Jesus was arrested the religious authorities came with Roman soldiers to take him away. This was a completely unrighteous arrest. The charges were false and the witnesses lied. It was an improper police action followed by an illegal trial. The whole thing was the result of corrupt and oppressive politics. When the soldiers came to arrest Jesus, Peter was there. John 18:10–11 tells us what happened,

10 Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.) 11 So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?”

Peter was moved by the injustice to take matters into his own hands but Jesus stops him. Jesus reminds Peter God has a purpose in what is happening. Yes, corrupt leaders had Jesus arrested, but it was a cup the Father had given to him. The most horrific act in the history of the world was intended by God to bring unimaginable blessing to the world. If Jesus had been unwilling to suffer and die, every other human who has ever lived would suffer for eternity. Had Jesus refused to suffer under an unrighteous government, we would all go to hell.

We were all born with sinfully rebellious hearts. The natural person doesn’t want to submit to anyone but themselves. When we do obey in the flesh even that is self-serving because we do it either for gain or to avoid discomfort rather than out of a love for the glory of God. So we ignore God and his claims upon us as our creator and king, but we cannot ignore him forever. A day comes for each of us when we must give an account to him for our lives and will reap what we have sown.

If we are judged based on what we deserve we will face eternal punishment because we have rebelled against an eternal God. But we need not face this punishment because in an act of amazing grace, God sent his son Jesus to pay for the sins of all who will put their faith in him. He was obedient, even to death, to save us from our disobedience.

When the soldiers came to take him he told Peter, put your sword away. He could have called ten thousand angels, but instead he trusted the Father’s plan. He said to the Father, “not my will, but yours be done.” He died on the cross to pay for our sins. Then three days later he rose again by the power of God having accomplished what could only be done through obedience and suffering. 

We look at the craziness in the world and we think we know what God is doing, but we don’t. He has told us very plainly what we are to do and that is to live quiet and holy lives as good citizens and trust him. There is a plan and we know how it turns out. God is in control. His promises will be kept. He is working all things for the good of those who love him. 

We do not know ultimately what God will bring about through our faithfulness to his word in these matters but we do know what God wants us to do.Peter says,

15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 

It is God’s will that we submit so that we put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. This connects back to verse 12 where he said we should be honorable so “when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God.” Being good citizens glorifies God because the testimony of our lives proves that the objections and misrepresentations unbelievers make against us are false. This lack of evidence for false accusations is a testimony that we are not of this world.

So we have this dynamic where we are not citizens of this world, but are to submit to its laws. We are to be a voice for truth and justice but are to respect law and order. We proclaim that this world is coming to an end but are not revolutionaries seeking to overthrow it. Peter says,

16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.

Did you notice what Peter does here? Live as people who are free… but as servants. It is even more striking in Greek because the word translated servant is the Greek word δοῦλος which is the word for slave. The translators used the word servant because there are several important differences between the system of slavery Peter is talking about and early American slavery, which is probably what comes to mind when most people hear that word. 

Roman slavery was not racially based. It did not presume that some people were inferior by nature or that their status could never change. It was possible for Roman slaves to purchase their freedom and to be highly educated. They were not limited to manual or domestic labor and many skilled jobs, such as doctors, accountants, teachers and managers, were often performed by slaves.

So this isn’t exactly the same thing as the industrialized racial slavery of the American South but slaves are still slaves and we don’t want to miss the impact of what Peter is saying. Under Roman law, slaves were considered property and had no legal personhood. Most slaves worked on farms, in mills, mines, and would never be freed. Slaves could be legally beaten, used or prostituted sexually, and in some cases even tortured or killed. Roman slaves existed solely to do the will of their masters.

Peter says we are free. We have been rescued from bondage to the world and bondage to sin and are now free because Jesus has purchased our old master, the devil who had claim over us because of our sin. We have been purchased by the precious blood of the Son of God. 

We now have a new master. We are free in that we are no longer under obligation to the world, but we now have a new master, having been bought by God. Our new master loves us and it is an honor to be a servant of the Lord. Israel was called the slave or servant of God in Isaiah 43:10. Moses is called the servant of the Lord in Joshua 14:7. Elijah is named a servant of God in 2 Kings 10:10. David is said to be the servant of God in several places such as Psalm 89:3. All of these men were servants or slaves of the Lord. So were Paul, James, Peter, and Jude. We too have the wonderful calling of being free from slavery to sin so that we may instead serve a master who loves us so much that although we were bought out of slavery, he adopts us as sons and daughters.

Therefore we do not submit to human institutions because of any obligation to them, but freely because our lord asks us to do so. We therefore must not use our freedom for doing or covering up evil. We submit, but we do so in holiness. Our submission is not just going along to get along. We are saved from sin, but not for sin. We walk in the truth and in the light in our obedience to the government.

The authority of the government is not absolute or unlimited. Wherever submitting to the government would mean rebelling against God, we serve God and accept the consequences. Human government has no authority within Christ’s church. It has no authority to force us to violate a clear commandment of God or to do things that are clearly immoral.

For example, we cannot submit to a government requirement that we kill children, affirm immorality, or deny Christ. We give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s. We do not, however, use this as rationalization to avoid obedience. There is a place for civil disobedience but Peter’s command makes it clear that this is not the default pathway and must be carefully and prayerfully evaluated.

This section ends with four specific admonitions. 

 17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.  

As believers we are to honor everyone. Notice that he applies the same command that he gives regarding the emperor to everyone. We are to treat every person with dignity and respect since all people are created in the image of God. Every person has inherent dignity and value. We are to give honor to everyone as it is due to them. We should treat not only the leaders and bosses with respect but every single person. Rich and poor, successful and struggling, sinner and saint.

We are required to respect all people but are called to love other believers. We are a family. To love the brotherhood is to love all those who are in Christ. We have one savior, one baptism, and one faith. The Lord loves me as much as he loves you. The greatest treasure I have is the same treasure you also have, which is Christ. The same price that was paid for my soul was paid for yours. Not one of us was worth any more or any less. 

We cannot claim to love Jesus and not love those in whom he dwells. If my savior died for you then we are united. We are one body and I can no more hate you than I could hate my own foot or arm. What would be the basis for it? Brother, if I find you are weak, I am reminded that I am as well. Sister, if your sins offend me, should I not be more offended then by my own? How can I be jealous of what God gave you when I deserve nothing? 

How could I not rejoice in your salvation knowing that you are a picture of the grace which has saved me as well? There are many associations in the world, but none like we share in Christ. We have more in common with believers in China and New Guinea than we do with our unbelieving next door neighbors. We have been united to one another in love because we are united with Jesus.

Next Peter says we are to fear God. We were told to honor and respect the emperor, but we are to fear God. We fear only God. The emperor’s power ends at the boundaries of this world and we are no longer of this world. We submit to him in the things of this world but fearful reverence is due to God alone. 

In Matthew 10:28 Jesus says, “do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” 

The fear of men is probably the biggest obstacle to serving God faithfully. We are often afraid of what people will say about us or what they might do to us so we fail in our obedience and we become weak in our witness. As one theologian said, “We fear men so much, because we fear God so little. One fear cures another. When man's terror scares you, turn your thoughts to the wrath of God.” 

It is only when we fear God more than we fear men that we are truly free to live boldly for Christ. When we come to understand that our soul and the souls of others are worth far more than health, wealth, status, reputation, and even more than our liberty or our lives we can truly submit in complete freedom as servants of God. The tension is resolved in Christ.

The last command brings us back to where we began. Peter says we must honor the emperor. We are to submit to the governmental authorities. 

There is a growing feeling among some professed believers that the corruption and godlessness of the current leaders of government are so extensive that we simply cannot respect them any longer. They rationalize voicing their discontent in disrespectful ways by pointing out the hypocrisy and immorality of those they attack. Some say the current situation is unprecedented and it demands we set aside respectfulness in order to be bold in our stand for what is right.

I think it is better that we do what our Lord told us to do. Peter says we are to honor those in authority. I understand the sense of urgency, but I would like to draw your attention to something I think is relevant to that point. This letter was written between the years 61 and 63 which means it was written during the reign of the Roman emperor Nero. Perhaps you have heard that name before, but let me share a few things about him.

Nero became emperor of Rome at the age of 16 in 54 AD after his mother Agrippina arranged for the assassination of her husband and Nero’s adopted father, Emperor Claudius. He was known for an extravagant, lavish, and debauched lifestyle that was so extreme that his excesses placed a strain on the finances of the empire. He eventually committed suicide to avoid being killed in a rebellion that broke out in response to brutal tax policies he instituted to replenish the treasury.

Like many emperors, thousands were murdered under his orders, including his wife, his step-brother, step-sister, his aunt, and his mother. When a massive fire broke out in Rome in the year 64, in an attempt to divert blame from himself, he accused and mercilessly persecuted Christians, making them scapegoats for the fire. 

Among the victims of that persecution were Peter and the apostle Paul. That’s right, this emperor that Peter is urging his readers to honor is the same man who according to historical accounts executed two apostles of Christ. According to early accounts, under Nero, Paul was beheaded in Rome and Peter was crucified upside down by his own request because he did not consider himself worthy to die in the same way Jesus did. 

It is true there is much that is evil and foolish going on in the government. It is important that as citizens we use the influence we have been blessed with to encourage it to do its God-given job of punishing evil and encouraging good. As the church, part of our role is to proclaim what God says is good and what he says is evil. We are also called, however, to live our lives so that it is clear we are not primarily concerned with the affairs of this world, but in the confidence that we will be in the next. The apostle Peter did not merely write these words. He demonstrated them in how he lived and how he died. I pray the Lord will give us the strength to do the same.